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News from other organisations and
the NHS
RCGP Members support withdrawal of
the Health and Social Bill
Nearly three quarters of respondents to a
poll carried out by the RCGPs think that it is appropriate to seek
the withdrawal of the Health and Social Care Bill. When asked
if the College should call for the Bill to be withdrawn as part of
a joint approach with other medical royal colleges, more than 98%
of respondents said they strongly supported (65.8%) or supported
(32.4%) such action. Even without a joint approach, more than 90%
of respondents still said that they either strongly supported
(55.8%) or supported (37.0%) the RCGPs in proceeding alone in
calling for the Bill’s withdrawal.
Policy on the role of specialist doctors
in the NHS reforms is not fit for purpose
NHS Alliance:
Specialists in Commissioning: Looking beyond current
policy discusses the views of GPs and specialists on
current policy on specialists in Clinical Commissioning Groups. The
paper calls for policy to be more inclusive and flexible to allow
both groups of doctors to develop positive relationships to enable
integrated care across the primary-secondary healthcare
boundaries.
Time to Change campaign
Nick Clegg recently hosted a reception to mark the launch of
phase two of the Time to Change campaign to end
stigma and discrimination faced by people with mental health
problems. This campaign, launched in 2007, has seen a four per cent
reduction in the discrimination of people with mental health
problems. The Department of Health has awarded the campaign a
further £16m to launch the second phase which will include a focus
on tackling stigma among children and young people.
New start date and funding announced for
local HealthWatch bodies
Following feedback from local authorities and Local
Involvement Networks, they now have until April 2013 to work with
local health experts and volunteers to establish
the local HealthWatch. The new local health bodies are set to
replace Local Involvement Networks and will be the local consumer
champion for patients, service users and the public. From 2013, an
additional £3.2m will be made available to local authorities to
establish local HealthWatch. More than £370,000 will also be made
available until the end of the 2011/12 financial year for 75
HealthWatch pathfinders, who are testing out plans ahead of the
full establishment of local HealthWatch across the
country.
NICE
NHS
Future Forum calls on healthcare professionals to make patient
centred care a reality
The NHS Future Forum
has given its second set of reports to Health Secretary Andrew
Lansley in which it sets out a series of recommendations to improve
the quality of patient care and achieve better outcomes. The Forum,
chaired by Professor Steve Field, expanded and refreshed the
membership to meet the challenge of looking at four areas of health
policy: the NHS’s role in the public’s health, information,
education and training and integration. Over four months the Forum
listened to more than 12,000 people and attended more than 300
events. The Forum also set out to listen to more patients and
carers and sought more input from local authorities, housing and
social care providers.
MPs and peers launch inquiry into dementia
diagnosis rates
Diagnosis rates of dementia have increased by only two per cent
to 43 per cent in the past year.
The All Party Parliamentary Group on Dementia is launching an
inquiry into how to improve diagnosis rates. The cross-party group
of MPs and peers will aim to understand why the diagnosis is not
made, why diagnosis rates differ around the country, the financial
benefits of an early diagnosis and what is needed to support people
following a diagnosis.
Common and complex: Commissioning
effective dementia services in the new world
This report from the Alzheimer's Society/MHP Health Mandate
looks at the current policy landscape and how it relates to
dementia, with a view to making recommendations to Government and
the NHS for how these challenges can be met.
Department of Health
- Free whistleblowing helpline service
NHS and social care staff who have concerns about patient care can
now access a new, free
whistleblowing helpline. A similar web-based whistleblowing
service is also being developed, with further details to be
announced in due course.
- Driving quality and evidence through national clinical
audits
The NHS
standard contract for acute hospital, mental health, community
and ambulance services sets a requirement that provider
organisations participate in appropriate national clinical audits
that are part of the national clinical audit and patient outcome
programme.
- Report of the Steering Group on Remediation
The focus of
this report is to address clinical competence and capability
issues occurring in doctors no longer in the training grades.
- Governance guidance for aspirant foundation
trusts
The Department of Health has issued guidance
to help aspirant foundation trusts develop strong and
sustainable governance.
Report by people with learning
disabilities shows how crucial good support is
A new report Life
Support highlights the role of social care in the lives of
disabled people. Through first-hand accounts, it brings a human
face to the current debate on social care funding, by highlighting
the difference that social care makes to the daily lives of people
with learning disabilities.
Rules of Engagement: Changing the
heart of Youth Justice
The
Centre for Social Justice has published a report suggesting
that the age of criminal responsibility should be raised to
12.
Knock-on costs of legal aid cuts
A report, commissioned by the Law Society, has found that the
Government's planned cuts to legal aid in clinical negligence cases
could lead to knock-on costs of more than £130 million. They could
cost the NHS almost three times more than is saved by the Ministry
of Justice.
Broadmoor Hospital invites the public
‘inside the walls’
In the lead up to the Hospital’s 150th anniversary
next year, West London Mental Health NHS Trust has developed
a film on Broadmoor to promote wider understanding of its work.
The film reveals a number of different perspectives on life at the
Hospital from staff from each professional group, to patients and
their families – all have a part to play.
Half of care home patients suffer drug
errors
A
new electronic medication management system specifically
developed for use in residential and nursing homes has been shown
to significantly reduce drug administration errors, according to
research completed by University of West England Bristol and the
University of Warwick. All medication administrations day and night
were recorded for 345 older residents in 13 UK care homes. The
researchers found that over a three month period, 90% of residents
were exposed to at least one medication administration error, with
over half exposed to more serious errors, such as attempts to give
medication to the wrong resident.
New information service to help give
medicines to children
National children’s charity
WellChild, the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, and
the Neonatal and Paediatric Pharmacists Group have formed a
partnership to launch a new website, Medicines for
Children, to help parents when they need to give
medicines to their children at home
The Royal Photographic Society:
Combined Royal Colleges Medal 2012 - Call for nominations
In collaboration with the Royal College of Physicians of
London, the Royal College of Surgeons of England and the Royal
College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, the Combined Royal Colleges
Medal is awarded for an outstanding contribution to photography
and/or its application in the service of medicine and surgery. Any
person of any nationality, whether a member of The Society or not,
or organisation,is entitled to submit work or to be nominated for
the Award. The closing date for nominations is 27 February
2012.
Royal Society of Medicine
Conference
'Why do people with mental
disorders die younger and what can be done about it?’ will be
held on Tuesday 13 March 2012, at 1 Wimpole Street, London
W1G 0AE. The conference is relevant to all psychiatrists with talks
on obesity, identifying people with acute illness, and resources
for improving physical health care.
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