NHS SBS issues six year, £1.25bn tender – EHI News

NHS Shared Business Services has issued a tender for a new clinical information systems framework worth up to £1.25 billion over six years.

New 2015 NHS Pension Scheme Webinars –  NHS Employers 

Learn more about the New 2015 NHS Pension Scheme through our series of webinars

Concern grows over tight timetable for waiting list cuts – Health Service Journal – Acute care news

An official timetable for clearing planned care waiting lists over the summer has sparked concern among NHS managers.

The primary care paradox: New designs and models – KPMG

This report presents the results of discussions with primary care experts from  across Europe brought together in Brussels by the Nuffield Trust and KPMG. Primary care is a vital building block of many successful health systems. It is however coming under strain as health systems look to this sector to deliver a wider range of preventative, diagnostic and treatment services 24/7, typically as part of plans to reduce reliance on inpatient hospital care and enable better co-ordination of care for groups such as the frail elderly, those living with mental health problems, and vulnerable families. The model traditionally used to deliver primary care in many countries has not changed significantly for many years.Changes in the patterns of disease, expectations, workforce and across the whole of healthcare means that primary care needs to change.

Getting it right for children and young people: CQC inspections

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has published a report which advises on how CQC inspects hospital services for children and young people including stand-alone specialist children’s hospitals.  Getting it right for children and young people: a report on CQC’s new approach to inspectionhas resulted in 73 recommendations; a number of which formed the basis of two successful pilot inspections of specialist children’s hospitals (Sheffield and Alder Hey) that took place in May-June 2014. All the recommendations have now been considered and CQC accepts in whole or in part 70 of these recommendations. CQC has deferred making a decision on the remaining three.  The CQC has also published its inspection report into Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust.
Additional link: Press release for Sheffield Children’s Hospital Inspection 

Antibiotic prescribing research

A new study by scientists at Public Health England and University College London has found that the likelihood of GPs prescribing antibiotics for coughs and colds increased by 40% between 1999 and 2011, despite Government recommendations to reduce prescribing for illnesses largely caused by viruses.  The researchers also found that there was substantial variation in prescribing between general practices, with the highest prescribing practices twice as likely to give a prescription for coughs and colds as the lowest prescribers.

UK National Screening Committee recommendations

The UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) has recommended earlier screening during pregnancy to test babies for Edward’s Syndrome and Patau’s Syndrome. The conditions, also known as Trisomy 18 and Trisomy 13, are rare but very serious genetic abnormalities which affect about 2 out of every 10,000 births in the UK each year. Most babies affected by these conditions will die before or shortly after birth. The UK NSC has also considered national screening for atrial fibrillation, type 2 diabetes and parvovirus B19 infection, but, based on the best available evidence, decided against a screening programme for all 3 conditions.

Learning module on oral anticoagulants

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has launched an online learning module for healthcare professionals on reducing the side effects of oral anticoagulants. Anticoagulants are vital medicines for treating and preventing blood clots. However, if the patient is not managed correctly their side effects can lead to a small number of people needing hospital treatment.  The interactive programme, aimed at doctors, nurses and pharmacists covers key points about these medicines, how to manage risks and how to make sure patients get the most benefit from the medicines.
Additional link: MHRA press release