TOOLKITS

Delivering Quality and Value: Consultant Clinical Activity 2006-07 (12th February 2008)
This toolkit updates Delivering quality and value: consultant clinical activity 2005-06, published in September 2007. The toolkit enables clinicians and managers to compare activity rates of consultants in their trust to national activity rates.
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STATISTICS

Personal Social Services Expenditure and Unit Costs: England 2006/07 (7th February 2008)
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Click here for Unit Costs Summary

Click here for Expenditure 2006-2007

Click here for Gross and Net PSS expenditure of councils 1995-96 to 2006-2007

Click here for Grants by council 2006-07

Click here for Detailed Personal Social Services expenditure by council 2006-07

Click here for Detailed activity data by council 2006-07

Click here for Detailed unit cost indicators by council, 2006-07

Smokefree legislation compliance data, December 2007 (7th February 2008)
Click here for Report
Click here for Technical Annex

Dental reform monitoring, Q3 October-December 2007 (7th February 2008)

Referral to treatment statistics (admitted patients, non-admitted patients and incomplete RTT times), November 2007 (7th February 2008)

Diagnostic tests waiting times and activity data: month ending December 2007 (13th February 2008)
Click here for Commissioner based
Click here for Provider based

Labour Market Statistics – February 2008 (13th February 2008)

Labour Market Statistics – February 2008: North West (13th February 2008)

Housing Statistics 2007 (13th February 2008)

Road Casualties in Great Britain: Quarterly Provisional Estimates Q3 2007 (7th February 2008)
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Click here for Data Tables

SMOKING/TOBACCO

WHO Report on the Global Tobacco Epidemic 2008 (7th February 2008)
In a new report which presents the first comprehensive analysis of global tobacco use and control efforts, WHO finds that only 5% of the world’s population live in countries that fully protect their population with any one of the key measures that reduce smoking rates. The report also reveals that governments around the world collect 500 times more money in tobacco taxes each year than they spend on anti-tobacco efforts. It finds that tobacco taxes, the single most effective strategy, could be significantly increased in nearly all countries, providing a source of sustainable funding to implement and enforce the recommended approach, a package of six policies called MPOWER.
Click here for Report

SECURITY

The New Front Line: Security in a changing world. ippr Commission on National Security, Working Paper No. 1 (13th February 2008)
This paper analyses the key changes taking place in the national and international security landscape and assesses their implications for policy, examining the context within which a national security strategy must now be forged. As a result, it becomes clear that the contemporary security landscape is about much more than terrorism alone. The paper identifies five drivers of change and their effects: Globalisation and power diffusion; Global poverty and failing states; Climate change; The growth of political Islam; and Socio-economic vulnerability.
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PUBLIC HEALTH

A North West Framework to achieve healthy weight for children and families within the context of food & nutrition and physical activity (February 2008)
The North West Framework to Achieve Healthy Weight for Children and Families has been developed in recognition of the growing need to reduce the impact of overweight and obesity on the population’s health and well being, through improving food & nutrition and increasing physical activity levels.
Click here for Framework

PATIENT AND PUBLIC INFORMATION

NHS funding processes and waiting times for adult service-users (13th February 2008)
This publication will help you understand the processes involved in obtaining funding for treatment for gender variant conditions. It answers the questions that service-users typically ask, and it provides guidance on how to navigate this complex system with minimum delay.
Click here for the Document

Medical care for gender variant children and young people: answering families’ questions (13th February 2008)
This publication provides answers to the questions typically asked by parents of gender variant children and young people (up to the age of 17). It helps families to understand about gender variance and gives some suggestions about how to respond.
Click here for the Document

PARLIAMENTARY PUBLICATIONS

Joint Committee on Human Rights – Legislative Scrutiny: Health and Social Care Bill – Eighth Report of session 2007-08 (6th February 2008)

Committee of Public Accounts – Helping people from workless households into work – Ninth Report of Session 2007-08 (7th February 2008)

Work and Pensions Committee – Work of the Committee in 2007 – First Report of Session 2007-08 (8th February 2008)

NICE

Familial Hypercholesterolaemia: consultation (8th February 2008)
A clinical practice guideline on Familial Hypercholesterolaemia is being developed for use in the NHS in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Registered stakeholders for this guideline are invited to comment on the provisional recommendations. Closing date for comments is 7th April 2008.
Click here for Full Guideline

Click here for Nice Guideline

Click here for Appendix A

Click here for Appendix B

Click here for Appendix C

Click here for Appendix D

Click here for Appendix E

Click here for Appendix F

Click here for Appendix G

Click here for Comments proforma

Lung cancer (non-small cell) – erlotinib (appraisal consultation) (11th February 2008)
The Department of Health has asked the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE or the Institute) to conduct a single technology appraisal (STA) of erlotinib and provide guidance on its use to the NHS in England and Wales. The Appraisal Committee has held its third meeting to consider the evidence submitted by the manufacturer and the views and evidence put forward by non-manufacturer consultees and commentators, and by the clinical specialist and patient expert representatives nominated for this appraisal by non-manufacturer consultees and commentators. The Committee has developed preliminary recommendations on the use of erlotinib. Closing date for 3rd March 2008.
Click here for Consultation
Click here for Evaluation Report

Lipid modification: Consultation on section 4.3 – Cardiovascular risk assessment (11th February 2008)
A clinical practice guideline on lipid modification is being developed for use in the NHS in England and Wales. Registered stakeholders for the lipid modification guideline are invited to comment on section 4.3 of the full guideline relating to cardiovascular risk assessment, via this website. Closing date for comments is 7th March 2008.
Click here for Section 4.3
Click here for Comments proforma

Head and neck cancer – cetuximab (appraisal consultation) (11th February 2008)
The Department of Health and the Welsh Assembly Government have asked the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE or the Institute) to conduct a single technology appraisal (STA) of cetuximab and provide guidance on its use to the NHS in England and Wales. The Appraisal Committee has met to consider both the evidence submitted by the manufacturer and the views and evidence put forward by non-manufacturer consultees and commentators, and by the clinical specialist and patient expert representatives nominated for this appraisal by non-manufacturer consultees and commentators. The Committee has developed preliminary recommendations on the use of cetuximab. Closing date for comments is 4th March 2008.
Click here for Consultation
Click here for Evaluation Report

NHS

NHS Reference costs 2007/08: collection guidance (7th February 2008)
This document outlines the mandatory requirements for the 2007/08 reference costs collection. It updates and supersedes previous costing guidance. It should be read in conjunction with the latest version of the NHS costing manual.
Click here for the Document

NHS Costing Manual 2007/08 (7th February 2008)
This manual sets out the principles and practice of costing to be applied in the NHS. It is not just designed to support the production of the National Schedule of Reference Costs and through this, the national tariff, but should also be used in developing and monitoring service and financial frameworks, as well as developments in and the monitoring and implementation of National Service Frameworks.
Click here for the Manual

Organisational factors that influence waiting times in emergency departments (February 2008)
Waiting times in emergency departments are important to patients and also to hospitals,who are measured on how quickly they deal with attendees. But waiting times are highly variable, to the extent that there can be differences even between emergency departments that are quite similar in their size and workload. Are there any organisational characteristics that are shared by emergency departments which have shorter waiting times? This research addresses this question, identifying three factors that are strongly associated with shorter waiting times.
Click here for the Report
Click here for the Summary

MATERNITY/MIDWIFERY

Maternity Dashboard Clinical Performance and Governance Score Card – Good Practice No. 7 (January 2008)
The purpose of this guidance is to urge all maternity units to consider the use of the Maternity Dashboard to plan and improve their maternity services. It serves as a clinical performance and governance score card to monitor the implementation of the principles of clinical governance on the ground.
Click here for the Document
Click here for the Appendix 1 – Example Score Card

LOCAL AUTHORITY/GOVERNMENT

CPA – The Harder Test. Scores and analysis of performance in single tier and county councils 2007 (7th February 2008)
The majority of councils are delivering a high level of services to local people, with four out of five offering a 3 or 4 star standard, according to the 2007 Comprehensive Performance Assessment (CPA) results published today.
Click here for the Report
Click here for the Scores

Duty to provide information, advice and assistance: Guidance for local authorities childcare act 2006 (February 2008)
From 1 April 2008, local authorities will have a duty to provide information, advice and assistance to parents and prospective parents of children and young people up to age 20. This guidance sets out how local authorities should fulfil this duty.
Click here for the Guidance

INFORMATION

Patient Insight – harnessing the power of public opinion (7th February 2008)
Developed by an independent steering group, Patient Insight: harnessing the power of public opinion, aims to fill the information deficit identified in a survey of acute trust board directors. The area of information the directors said they would most like to improve was customer insight. Patient Insight provides guidelines to help organisations maximise the value of information from, about and to patients.
Click here for the Report

HOUSING

Deposit guarantee schemes in Scotland: a sustainable housing option (January 2008)
The private rented sector in Scotland is now seen as playing a crucial role in providing good quality, affordable accommodation to persons in housing need. It is now recognised that Deposit Guarantee Schemes (DGS) gives those choosing to be housed in the sector, choice, location and easy access to housing which fully meets their housing needs and which is cost effective to local authorities and other funders. This report provides an overview of what schemes are, the services they provide, their cost effectiveness as well as the role they play in creating sustainable communities and preventing people from becoming homeless.
Click here for the Report

HEALTHCARE COMMISSION

Second National Audit of Violence in Mental Health Services (13th February 2008)
More than half of nurses on mental health wards report being physically assaulted at work. The figure rises to almost three-quarters for mental health nurses working on wards for patients with disorders such as dementia. The findings were published today (Wednesday) in the second national audit of violence in mental health services conducted on behalf of the Healthcare Commission by the Royal College of Psychiatrists.
Click here for National Audit of Violence 2006-07. Final Report – Working age adult services

Click here for National Audit of Violence 2006-07. Final Report – Older people’s services

Click here for Contextual Data Report (England)

Click here for Contextual Data Report (Wales)

Click here for Module 1: Ward Survey – Working age adults

Click here for Module 1: Ward Survey – Older people’s services

Click here for Module 2: Environmental Audit – Combined

Click here for Module 2: Environmental Audit – Working age adults

Click here for Module 2: Environmental Audit – Older people’s services

Click here for Module 3a: Review of a Series of Violent Incidents – Combined

Click here for Module 3b: Drug chart/Case note audit: the use of rapid tranquillisation – Working age adults

Click here for SPC Chart for rapid tranquillisation (Appendix)

Click here for Rapid tranquillisation Algorithm (Appendix)

Click here for Module 3b: Drug chart/Case note audit on the use of rapid tranquillisation – Older people’s services

HEALTH INFORMATICS

Choose and Book release 4.0 (February 2008)
Significant changes to the Choose and Book software will be introduced in April 2008 to support free choice in accordance with the principles outlined in the NHS Operating Framework 2008/09. Changes are outlined along with briefing packs to support communication. The site is available to NHS web users only. NHS chief executives should note these changes in relation to providers and commissioners and ensure action is taken to prepare locally.
Click here for the Information

Data Quality Report for Independent sector NHS funded treatment Q1 – Q2 2007/08 (11th February 2008)
The Information Centre’s (IC) second data quality report for Independent Sector Providers of NHS funded care. This report is part of their work to support independent sector (IS) providers with submission of high quality data as required by the NHS.
Click here for the Report

GUIDANCE/GUIDELINES

Management of outbreaks of foodborne illness in England and Wales (11th February 2008)
The purpose of this document is to provide a framework for health professionals to assist them in the management of outbreaks of infectious intestinal disease caused by ingestion of microbiologically contaminated food. It is designed to assist the Outbreak Control Team (OCT) in dealing with an outbreak and provides an aide-memoir for medical and nursing staff, environmental health professionals, scientists and others involved in the investigation. This document updates Management of Outbreaks of Foodborne Disease (Department of Health 1994), reflecting the changes in roles and responsibilities of public bodies in 2008 following key reorganisations since 1994.
Click here for the Guidance

CONSULTATION RESPONSES

Making experiences count: the proposed new arrangements for handling health and social complaints – response to consultation (6th February 2008)
The proposals for reform of NHS and social care complaints arrangements were consulted on between June and October 2007. This report summarises the responses and how the Department has taken them into account in its response, and sets out the detail on its intentions to implement reform of the health and social care complaints processes.
Click here for the Document

COMMUNITY SAFETY

Make me a criminal: Preventing youth crime (10th February 2008)
This report makes the case for a more therapeutic and family-based approach to youth offending, as opposed to the present, more punitive, system. The arguments for the proposed approach appear persuasive – not only on humanitarian grounds, but also in terms of economics and efficacy.
Click here for the Report

COMMUNITIES

New Deal for Communities: A Synthesis of New Programme Wide Evidence 2006-07 (12th February 2008)
The Government's £2bn New Deal for Communities programme is delivering real improvements to people's lives, raising satisfaction, and bridging the gap between some our most deprived neighbourhoods and the rest of England, according to a new independent report published today.
Click here for the Report

COMMISSIONING

From segregation to inclusion: where are we now? A review of progress towards the implementation of the mental health day services commissioning guidance (January 2008)
In February 2006 ‘From segregation to inclusion: Commissioning guidance on day services for people with mental health problems’ was published to assist commissioners undertaking day services modernisation. Eighteen months after its publication this review used a questionnaire, service visits and interviews with commissioners to chart progress towards modernised inclusive day services through implementation of the commissioning guidance. It also identifies common issues, examples of good practice and lessons that can be learned, both in the process of restructuring and in the delivery of modernised services.
Click here for the Review

CLIMATE

Health effects of climate change in the UK 2008: an update of the Department of Health report 2001/2002 (12th February 2008)
A DH-commissioned report written by a group of independent scientists, which updates their earlier report on the health effects of climate change, published in 2001/2002. A draft version of this report was launched for comment on 4 May 2007. Comments received may be viewed using the hyperlink below and have been addressed in the appendix of the final report.
Click here for the Report
Click here for Comments of draft report
Click here for 2001/2002 Report

CHILDREN/YOUNG PEOPLE

Staying Safe: Action Plan (February 2008)
Staying Safe was launched for consultation in July 2007, and during that period, parents, children and young people, members of the general public and practitioners were consulted about their concerns in relation to children’s safety. This action plan sets out the work which the Government will take forward over the next three years to drive improvements in children and young people’s safety, which will be measured by the new Public Service Agreement to improve children and young people’s safety.
Click here for the Document

Right Time, Right Place: Learning from the Children’s National Service Framework development initiatives for psychological well-being and mental health, 2005-2007 (January 2008)
This handbook outlines the progress made in innovative practice of 19 projects which were funded through the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Grant in 2005 and which targeted innovations seeking to address the priorities covered in the CAMHS Standard of the Children’s National Service Framework.(2004) It showcases the projects, and their evaluations and develops thematic links - drawing out the learning from each project and from those projects working in similar areas.
Click here for the Handbook

BULLETINS/NEWSLETTERS

Health Protection Report Vol. 2 No. 6 (8^th February 2008)

ALCOHOL

A Practical Guide for Dealing with Alcohol Related Problems: What you need to know (6th February 2008)
This guidance is intended to assist all of those tasked with addressing the issues and problems presented by the misuse of alcohol. It is specifically aimed at practitioners and provides information to help them tackle those 'everyday' matters by outlining the powers and tools available.
Click here for the Guidance

18 WEEKS PROGRAMME

Direct Access Audiology Waiting Times and PTL collections (7th February 2008)

Two new collections of data on audiology services are introduced in 2008/09 in support of efforts to transform audiology services and to ensure progress on reducing waiting times for hearing aid fitting. The first monthly waiting times returns will be required in May 2008, relating to patients treated in April 2008.
Click here for Documents