GMC: Revalidation date set for 2012 and responses to consultation

Medical revalidation in the UK is expected to start from late 2012, according to a joint statement from the GMC and the health departments in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. The GMC and the four administrations say they are committed to introducing revalidation and that they will work together to ensure all systems are ready by the summer of 2012. The GMC has also published details of the feedback from its consultation on revalidation.

NICE guidance on the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease

NICE is proposing to update its guidance on the use of four drugs for the treatment of Alzheimer´s disease. The draft guidance extends NICE's recommendation for the use of three of the drugs - Donepezil (Aricept, Eisai/Pfizer), galantamine (Reminyl, Shire) and rivastigmine (Exelon, Novartis) - to include mild, as well as moderate disease. It also recommends the use of memantine (Ebixa, Lundbeck) for severe disease and for some patients with moderate disease.

Payment by Results: preparations for 2011-12

This letter from David Flory updates the NHS on the preparatory work for the 2011-12 tariff and outlines a provisional timetable for the rest of the process.

National Treatment Agency: annual statistics

The National Treatment Agency has published annual statistics on adult drug treatment in England, showing changing patterns of drug use and drug dependency. For the first time the number of adult drug users seeking treatment for addiction to cocaine has fallen, for both powder and crack forms, and there is a further decline in the number of adults needing heroin treatment for heroin addiction.

MOD - Extra provisions for troops with mental health problems

Defence Secretary, Dr Liam Fox, recently announced plans to provide extra mental health nurses dedicated to caring for veterans experiencing mental health difficulties and a 24-hour helpline which will provide counselling and support to veterans. This announcement followed the publication of a report by Dr Andrew Murrison MP on mental health services for serving personnel and veterans, 'Fighting Fit - A Mental Health Plan for Servicemen and Veterans'.

Changes to Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) checks for junior doctors

The Government has announced that it will establish a new approach to CRB checks for junior doctors. The Department of Health will now make sure that NHS employers are aware that they can use existing CRB checks. This will simplify the process and reduce costs incurred by the NHS when a junior doctor moves position as part of their training..

Cost of mental ill health in England exceeds £100 billion

The cost of mental ill health in England is £105.2 billion a year, according to Centre for Mental Health. The figure includes the costs of health and social care for people with mental health problems, lost output in the economy, for example from sickness absence and unemployment, and the human costs of reduced quality of life.

GMC concerned about support for doctors in training

Reacting to the findings of the 2010 survey of medical trainees and trainers, the GMC has highlighted concerns over some aspects of medical training, while welcoming the fact that most junior doctors say their training is either good or excellent. There are high levels of satisfaction with education, but concerns around limited time for training, often because of unfilled posts. Some trainee doctors reported that they were being asked to take on tasks beyond their competence.

The GMC has published a review of all the evidence on the impact of European Working Time Regulations (EWTR). It presents a mixed picture of how training is delivered and managed within the 48-hour week. Although many specialties raise few concerns, in some, implementing EWTR appears to be creating significant problems. These are not just about the 48-hour week. It points out that the new arrangements were introduced into a system already under considerable strain, and with not enough doctors to provide adequate cover in all areas.

WHO simplifies treatment of mental and neurological disorders

The WHO has launched new simplified diagnosis and treatment guidelines, designed to facilitate the management of depression, alcohol use disorders, epilepsy and other common mental disorders in the primary health-care setting. The Intervention Guide extends competence in diagnosis and management to non-mental health specialists including doctors, nurses and other health providers.

Commission publishes Eurobarometer on mental health 

A poll to mark World Mental Health Day (10 October 2010) revealed that during the 12 months preceding the survey, 15% of respondents across the 27 EU Member States sought professional help for psychological or emotional problems, and 7% took antidepressants, mostly for depression or anxiety. According to the results, there is still stigma attached to mental disorders, with 22% of those surveyed saying they would find it difficult to speak to a person with a "significant mental disorder".