Health Management and Policy Alert

25/08/05 St George's Hospital publishes mortality rates online

St George's Hospital, in south London, has put data for in-patient death rates for all its specialities online.    This information is obtained from a system developed at St George's to monitor mortality in individual areas, takes into account risk factors such as age and diagnosis, but is not broken down by individual doctor.

However, they state that ' It would be wrong to use this information to compare with other hospitals because as yet there is no common way of adjusting for risk factors across the NHS.  We are publishing this information so that you can see what is happening at St George's. Comparable data are not available from other hospitals, so direct comparisons are not possible at present.'

The death rates are published in the form of graphs on the hospital website.

Comments or enquiries about their methodology or presentation of these results, are welcomed at [email protected]

( BBC news story 25/08/05)

24/08/05 DPP/IHI Survey of GP surgeries - Missed appointments

A new survey of GP surgeries  indicates 10 million GP appointments a year being missed as well as around 5 million practice nurse appointments. The majority (71%) of surgeries say they would consider removing from their lists patients who repeatedly miss their appointments.  66% of surgeries  would also support charging patients for missed appointments.  Many surgeries (69%) believe that the main reason patients miss appointments is because they forget, followed by patients feeling better and so choosing not to attend (22%). The answer according to most practices (65%) is better communication through public awareness campaigns. The DPP run the Keep it or cancel it campaign.

(Developing Patient Partnership website)

24/08/05 NICE guidelines for the NHS in England and Wales on improving outcomes for children and young people with cancer

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) and the National Collaborating Centre for Cancer (NCC-C) have today launched guidelines which aim to standardise services for children and young people with cancer in England and Wales.

(NICE Press Release , 19th August 2005)

24/08/05 New and Updated NeLH Health Management Hot Topics

New Hot Topics

Community Matrons
Modern Matrons

Updated Hot Topics

NHS Foundation Trusts

24/08/05 Framework for the Primary Care Development Scheme

The centrally funded GP Golden Hello Scheme (GHS), which began in 2001, closed on 1 April 2005. The Primary Care Development Scheme has been developed to provide additional support and funding targeted at those areas that have the greatest recruitment difficulties in general practice.

(DH website)

23/08/05 BMA report - Population screening and genetic testing

The BMA's Board of Science are warning patients against using unregulated or ad hoc screening tests, saying they may cause more harm than good and give inconsistent results.

Population screening and genetic testing recommends that the Government addresses the issues of unregulated/ad hoc screening, improves information available about formal screening programmes and works with the Association of British Insurers to ensure that genetic screening does not unfairly discriminate against people.  The report is also critical of some aspects of private sector screening.

(BMA Press Release, 23rd August 2005)

23/08/05 YouGov/Daily Telegraph survey on GPs

YouGov questioned 2430 adults aged 18+ throughout Britain online between 11th and 15th August 2005.  Survey results available here.

23/08/05 Cross government guidance - sharing information on children and young people - consultation

This document seeks views on a draft of the first cross-Government guidance on information sharing in respect of children and young people.

The draft of this guidance, which will be non-statutory, has been discussed and agreed as a basis for public consultation, with officials from DfES, Department of Health, Home Office, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and the Department of Constitutional Affairs. It aims to cover all services including health; education; early years and childcare; social care; youth offending; police; advisory and support services, and leisure. It is for all adults who work with children and young people in the services mentioned above, whether they are employed or volunteers, and working in the public, private or voluntary sectors.  The consultation closes on the 15th November 2005.

(DfES e-consultation website)

23/08/05 HSRN Consultation: Best Research for Best Health: A new national health research strategy

This Health Service Research Network Consultation outlines nine main areas for discussion to create and start implementing a new research system and strategy from April 2006.

(NHS Confederation web site)

23/08/05 Promoting equality for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender staff

The Civil Partnership Act 2004 is to be implemented on the 5th December 2005.  This Act enables same-sex couples to register similar legal rights to those of married couples. Healthcare organisations must ensure their policies, procedures and practices comply.  Stonewall’s Diversity Champions programme provides good practice advice on sexual orientation issues in the workplace, and this letter encourages chief executives to become members of Stonewall's Diveristy Champions programme.

(Chief Executive Bulletin Issue 283 19th-25th August 2005)