ANNUAL REPORTS

Advisory Committee on Clinical Excellence Awards annual report (covering the 2008 awards round) (5th January 2009)

This annual report covers the 2008 Clinical Excellence Awards round. It reports on the work of the Advisory Committee on Clinical Excellence Awards and analyses the distribution of awards. It also sets out work that is in hand further develop and refine the scheme and report on the key activities during the year. We hope that this will continue to increase the transparency of the Scheme, demonstrate that it operates fairly and explain the evidence that is used to reach recommendations so that the medical profession, employers and the public will be reassured that it is equitable.
Report

CHILDREN/YOUNG PEOPLE

Addressing the needs of children of substance using parents. An evaluation of Families First's Intensive Intervention (23rd December 2008)
In response to Hidden Harm (ACMD, 2003), the government outlined its commitment to fund research identifying what types of services and interventions work with children of problem drug and alcohol users and their families (DfES, 2005). This evaluation of Families First’s intensive intervention was commissioned by the Department of Health and is in accordance with this objective. Families First is an intensive family intervention which provides advice, social work intervention and support for adults and families on substance use related issues. The study findings aim to add to the UK evidence base and inform the development of future interventions for children affected by parental substance use.
Document

COMMISSIONING

Transforming Community Services: currency and pricing options for community services (5th January 2009)
This document is intended as a resource to be used by commissioners and providers of community services to help create transparent models of funding, through the use of new currencies and better pricing at a local level. New currencies (the units of healthcare for which a provider is funded) and better pricing are key to transforming community services, enabling commissioners to incentivise improvements in quality and value. The use of new currencies with accurate pricing should also lead to more services being available closer to home for patients.
Document

Independent Mental Health Advocacy. Guidance for Commissioners (December 2008)
This guidance from National Institute Mental Health in England (NIMHE) has been prepared for the introduction of Independent Mental Health Advocacy (IMHA) services on 1 April 2009. The guide outlines the statutory IMHA role, discusses good practice for IMHA services and outlines the commissioning process required to ensure high quality IMHA services are provided for qualifying patients under the Mental Health Act 1983. Effective commissioning is key to provision of IMHA services. This guidance is designed to support commissioners in preparing for this new statutory service by providing a reference document to the legal and practical issues to be considered when commissioning IMHA services.
Guidance

Commissioning Excellence (January 2009)

NHS Primary Care Contracting have published a new quarterly briefing aimed at chief executives, board members, directors and senior managers responsible for commissioning in primary care trusts. To access this you must be registered with a subscribing organisation. Please click here to register.

Briefing (You must login to access it)

CONSULTATIONS

Consultation on regulations to implement the Human Fertilisation & Embryology Act 2008 (5th January 2009)

This consultation contains four sets of regulations required to implement the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 2008. Three of the sets of regulations are required to add further detail to the provisions in the 2008 Act. These are: the procedure for revocation, variation or refusal of licences regulations; the procedure for appeals against licensing decisions regulations, and the procedure for disclosure of information for research purposes regulations. The fourth set of regulations updates the regulations made under the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990, that relate to the extension of the statutory storage periods for gametes and embryos. Closing date for comments is 30th March 2009.
Consultation

National studies consultation for health 2009/10 (December 2008)

This consultation, from the Audit Commission, is intended to communicate the details of their proposed studies programme for 2009/10 and obtain feedback on its usefulness and appropriateness, the scope and timing of individual studies and potential for overlap and collaboration with others. Closing date for comments is 12th February 2009.
Consultation

CONSULTATION RESPONSES

Summary of responses to the Department of Health's consultation on a statutory scheme to control the prices of branded NHS medicines (23rd December 2008)
On 18 June 2008, the Government published the 'Consultation on a statutory scheme to control the prices of branded NHS medicines'. The consultation was in two stages: a consultation on the introduction of statutory controls on the prices of branded medicines, including a temporary price freeze (this part of the consultation ended on 15 July 2008), and a consultation on the introduction of a price cut that would be implemented in January 2009 (this part of the consultation ended on 25 September 2008). This document sets out the summary of responses to the consultation.
Document

DIET/NUTRITION

Food for life in Skegness (25th December 2008)
Councils are always being exhorted to reach out to local people. East Lindsey District Council is holding ‘cook and taste’ sessions in shops, GP surgeries, village halls and even a football club. The aim is to get people eating healthily.
Information

GUIDANCE/GUIDELINES

Using mobile phones in NHS hospitals - January 2009 (6th January 2009)

The Department has issued new mobile phone usage good practice guidance, which replaces all previous guidance issued by the Department. The Department wishes to reflect the rapidly developing principles of patient choice in the matter of mobile phone usage. It therefore considers that the working presumption should be that patients will be allowed the widest possible use of mobile phones in hospitals where the NHS trust’s local risk assessment indicates that such use would not represent a threat to: patients’ own safety or that of others; the operation of electrically sensitive medical devices in critical care situations; the levels of privacy and dignity that must be the hallmark of all NHS care.
Guidance

HOUSING

Delivering Lifetime Homes, Lifetime Neighbourhoods - A National Strategy for Housing in an Ageing Society (23rd December 2008)

This publication is a follow up to Lifetime Homes, Lifetime Neighbourhoods: A National Strategy for Housing in an Ageing Society which was published in February 2008. It sets out a record of the actions and recommendations which were proposed in the above strategy and measure which been taken and progess made on these. It also describes the various key initiatives which are being taken or are due to be launched to implement the strategy.
Document

INFECTION CONTROL

MRSA Screening - Operational Guidance 2 (5th January 2009)
This guidance is to support NHS trusts, (including Primary Care Trusts and NHS Foundation Trusts) in introducing MRSA screening for all elective patients by the end of March 2009. It is intended to clarify expectations around the roles of the Department of Health, acute, primary care, other NHS Trusts, NHS foundation trusts, Monitor and Strategic Health Authorities over the next 3 months in ensuring the commitment is achieved. Monitor is currently consulting on the inclusion of the requirement to introduce elective screening for all elective patients with its Compliance Framework from 1 April 2009. This guidance is aimed primarily at Chief Executives and Directors of Performance. It will be of interest to Finance Directors, Directors of Nursing and Medicine, Directors of Infection Prevention and Control and their teams, medical microbiologists, laboratory managers, bed managers and those running pre-admission clinics and admission units.
Letter

MENTAL HEALTH

Mental health Payment by Results currency development (5th January 2009)
Letter highlighting the work that is going on to develop a Payment by Results (PbR) approach for mental health.
Letter

NICE

Percutaneouos mitral valve leaflet repair for mitral regurgitation (interventional procedures consultation) (23rd December 2008)
Mitral regurgitation occurs when the mitral valve does not close properly, allowing blood to leak backwards. This can lead to shortness of breath and the heart may be unable to pump enough blood to the rest of the body. During percutaneous mitral valve leaflet repair, a catheter is inserted through the skin via a large vein in the groin or neck and passed through to the heart. The two leaflets of the mitral valve are partially clipped or sewn together to reduce the amount of blood leaking backwards. Closing date for comments is 27th January 2009.
Consultation

Ex-vivo hepatic resection and reimplantation for liver cancer (interventional procedures consultation) (23rd December 2008)
The liver may be affected by cancer, either spreading from other parts of the body or developing from within the organ. In some patients, the tumour may develop in parts of the liver that are dangerous or impossible to treat with surgery, for example, when the tumour is very close to major veins that connect to the liver. This procedure involves removing the liver from the body, cutting away the diseased tissue, and reimplanting the remaining tumour-free liver into the patient. Closing date for comments is 27th January 2009.
Consultation

Endoscopic mastectomy and endoscopic wide local excision for breast cancer (interventional procedures consultation) (23rd December 2008)
Treatment for early breast cancer usually involves surgery to remove all or part of the breast. In this keyhole procedure, part or all of the breast tissue is removed using special instruments inserted through small skin incisions. The skin envelope of the breast and nipple are left intact, ready for an implant that can be inserted during the same operation. Closing date for comments is 27th January 2009.
Consultation

Combined bony and soft tissue reconstruction for hip joint stabilisation in proximal focal femoral deficiency (PFFD) (interventional procedures consultation) (23rd December 2008)
Children are sometimes born with defects of the hip joint and upper thigh bone, called proximal femoral focal deficiency, often abbreviated to PFFD. Surgical treatment, aiming to produce as functional a leg as possible, may be appropriate. This may also involve a corrective operation on the hip joint (sometimes referred to as the ‘superhip' procedure). The initial operation may be combined with other surgery to lengthen the leg and treat other problems such as poor knee function at the same time or at a later date. Closing date for comments is 27th January 2009.
Consultation

OBESITY

Change4Life (2nd January 2009)

The government has launched a healthy living campaign in a bid to stem rising obesity rates in England. The campaign includes television adverts and a web portal with information and support to help families live healthier lives.
Information
Website

PARLIAMENTARY PUBLICATIONS

Joint Committee on Human Rights - The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities - First Report of Session 2008-2009 (4th January 2009)

PHARMACY

Impact assessment of the introduction of a statutory scheme to control the prices of branded NHS medicines (23rd December 2008)
The Department of Health and the ABPI have reached agreement on a new PPRS that will start on the 1st January 2009. This new scheme provides for a number of measures, including a cut of 3.9 per cent price cut in the cost of branded drugs sold to the NHS from February 2009.
Impact Assessment

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

Cambridge's exercise-on-referral scheme (25th December 2008)

Most areas have some form of ‘exercise-on-referral’ scheme, but few are as well-established as Cambridge City Council’s ‘Start-Up’ programme. With nearly 400 people seen each year, the project has a great track record of getting people active and keeping them that way.
Information