Public Health

Current awareness updates

10-Year Cancer Plan: Call for Evidence.
Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC); 2022.
[The NHS Long Term Plan, published in 2019, set an ambition to save thousands more lives each year by dramatically improving how we diagnose and treat cancer. The DHSC is seeking the views of individuals, professionals and organisations to understand how we can do more to make progress against this ambition, and to build on lessons learned from the pandemic. You can respond as an individual, or on behalf of an organisation by completing the online survey (Closes 23:45, 01 April 2022)]

Improving annual albuminuria testing for individuals with diabetes. [Abstract]
Kam S. BMJ Open Quality 2022;11(1):doi: 10.1136/bmjoq-2021-001591.
[Conclusions: This project demonstrates that a series of simple interventions can significantly impact annual albuminuria testing. This project’s success likely hinged on using an existing workflow to systematically determine if a patient was due for testing and prompting the provider to sign a pended order for an albuminuria test. Other diabetes/endocrinology and primary care clinics can likely implement a similar process and so improve testing rates in other settings…]

Atrial fibrillation detection using a automated electrocardiographic monitoring in a transient ischaemic attack service. [Abstract]
D’Anna L. BMJ Open Quality 2022;11(1):doi: 10.1136/bmjoq-2021-001433.
[Conclusions: In conclusion, the present study suggests early initiation of automated continuous ECG monitoring (ACEM) in a rapid outpatient transient ischaemic attacks (TIA) clinic improves atrial fibrillation (AF) detection and is associated with a reduced risk of recurrent TIA/stroke. Further studies are required to confirm the enhanced rate of AF detected using ACEM]

Autism – overview of policy and services.
House of Commons Library; 2022.
[This briefing provides an overview of policies and services for people with autism spectrum disorder in England.]

Measuring the economic value of community nursing: scoping the challenge.
Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA); 2022.
[NHS community services are an essential part of national ambitions to support people to manage their conditions, prevent ill health and deliver care closer to home. Community nurses are central to the care delivered for many people, across a broad range of conditions and needs. This briefing considers the challenge of understanding the economic value of community nursing, building on a roundtable discussion in March 2021 and drawing in other sources of evidence.]

Royal College Of Nursing

Futureproofing community children’s nursing

This guidance is for health care professionals, service providers and those involved with planning and commissioning services. It sets out the RCN’s perspective on contemporary and future children and young people’s nursing services in the home and community setting. It also underlines the increasingly crucial role played by community children’s nurses as they provide integrated care closer to home. It explores the legislative and policy agenda, defines the role of the children’s community nurse (CCN), sets out the core principles of providing care, considers variations in how the needs of families are assessed across the four countries of the UK and outlines examples of current models of care and service delivery.

Read the guidance here

Outstanding Models of District Nursing: A joint project identifying what makes an outstanding District Nursing Service

Queens Nursing Institute and Royal College of Nursing, June 2019

The reports on a project to analyse the District Nursing (DN) service and identify what makes an outstanding District Nursing service which:

  • Meets the needs of patients, families and carers;
  •  Supports and benefits the wider health and social care system through integrated care delivery;
  • Acknowledges all the elements that are required to be in place at a system and an operational level nationally, regionally and locally to prepare, support and maintain a sustainable District Nursing service. It explores a variety of District Nursing service models and the views and experiences of a wide range of stakeholders.

It explores a variety of District Nursing service models and the views and experiences of a wide range of stakeholders.

Click here to view the full report.