Knowledge @lert for Tuesday 19th May

May 19, 2015 Daily News

Seven ‘never events’ spark Royal College of Surgeons review – Health Service Journal
Bolton Foundation Trust has asked the Royal College of Surgeons to review its services after reporting seven ‘never events’ in just over a year.

High level fears over patient consent abuse – Health Service Journal
The Care Quality Commission and NHS England have raised concerns that the current system for securing patient consent for treatment is open to abuse. It comes amid allegations that some doctors have retrospectively altered consent forms, HSJ can reveal.

Concerns over nursing skill mix and recruitment in A&E – Nursing Times
Accident and emergency departments are failing to reach the nurse staffing levels they have planned for, according to new data that indicates nurses are under increasing pressure and at risk of burnout.

Staffing Toolkit National Rollout Programme – HM Government
Commissioned by the Department of Health, NHS Commercial Alliance, working with a number of NHS providers, has developed a staffing toolkit which provides practical advice, guidance and templates to help trusts seeking support to improve their internal controls and better balance safe staffing/patient care with the desire to reduce agency spend.

Seven day services need ‘disciplined phasing’ – Health Service Journal
Simon Stevens has called for a “careful and disciplined approach” to the introduction of “seven day services” and other improvements to NHS services in coming years, speaking alongside the prime minister.

State of the Nation: Ten things we learned about the NHS under the coalition – Health Services Management Centre (HSMC)
Unlike in 2010, healthcare was a key electoral battleground this May. In thinking through how we got from the 2010 inheritance to now, here are ten things we didn’t know then but certainly know now.

Dementia Awareness Week 18-24 May 2015
NHS Employers are supporting Dementia Awareness Week and have published new resources and thought pieces aimed at employers and employees with caring responsibilities. These guides and real life experiences aim to help employees to continue in their role within the NHS and support a clear commitment to providing an inclusive workforce. The week is coordinated by the Alzheimer’s Society, and aims to raise awareness and understanding of dementia, offering support and services to those living with dementia. 

Four critical NHS issues that could keep Jeremy Hunt awake at night – Health Services Management Centre (HSMC)
HSMC’s Mark Exworthy writes for ‘The Conversation’ on the paradox of competition and integration other key challenges facing the re-appointed health secretary.

SIGN guideline: Diagnosis and management of epilepsy in adults
The Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network has published Diagnosis and management of epilepsy in adults Guideline 143. This guideline covers all aspects of diagnosis and management of adults with epilepsy including a completely revised section on epilepsy and women’s health and new sections covering psychiatric comorbidity, sleep, and mortality (including sudden unexpected death in epilepsy).

NHS Pension Scheme
The NHS Pension Scheme option to give up protection exercise will give members of the 2008 section of the NHS Pension Scheme, with full or tapered protection, a one-off opportunity to move their membership to the 2015 Scheme with effect from 1 April 2015. This is because, for some members, the higher accrual rate in the 2015 Scheme could deliver a bigger pension than the 2008 section.  The exercise will affect approximately 40,000 eligible members and is scheduled to take place from June 2015. NHS Pensions will send letters to the home addresses of eligible members who will then have 3 months to make their decision.

Eyes on Evidence
The May 2015 issue of Eyes on Evidence includes the following items:

  • Patients’ expectations of the benefits and harms of treatments and tests
  • Nicotine replacement therapy for people trying to cut down cigarette use
  • Life expectancy of people with cystic fibrosis
  • Intermittent versus continuous administration of proton pump inhibitors after treatment of bleeding ulcers

Foot care services for people with diabetes
The London Diabetes Strategic Clinical Network has published Foot care services for people with diabetes: guidance for commissioners: service specification.  This service specification outlines the provision of a foot service for people with diabetes according to best practice guidance, including guidance published by NICE and Diabetes UK. It details the care pathway and service requirements for people with foot complications across acute and community services.  It aims to deliver equity of access to foot care for people with diabetes.

Community-led care and support
The Social Care Institute for Excellence has published Community-led care and support: a new paradigm.  This document is a report from a roundtable event held in February 2015 examining community-led care and support.  The event aimed to identify, celebrate, support and learn from community led activity, as well as identify practical steps stakeholders can take to support community led services and share that knowledge with sector including policy makers.

Choosing Wisely: over-use of clinical treatments or interventions
The Academy of Medical Royal Colleges has launched a major initiative on the issue of over-use of clinical treatments or interventions.  Choosing Wisely is intended to encourage doctors and patients to have a conversation about the value of treatments.  The work will begin later this month with the launch of an audit, where each medical royal college and faculty will be asked to identify five treatments or tests which are of questionable value.  When those results are collated they will be analysed, assessed for accuracy and then published in the autumn of 2015. After that the Academy will launch a major public campaign to make doctors and patients aware of the list.

Bulletins

Statistics

Knowledge @lert for Friday 15th May

Knowledge @lert for Wednesday 20th May