Health Management and Policy Alert

Allergy services: still not meeting the unmet need

In 2007, the House of Lords Science and Technology Committee published its report into allergy, in which it set out various recommendations for the improvements of allergy service provision across the UK. Now, three years on, this report reviews the changes that have been made to service provision since then. The overall conclusion is that the actions taken to implement the original recommendations in full have been largely unsatisfactory, but many examples of best practice have been identified. (Royal College of Physicians - publications)

Guidance on the completion of the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards data collation sheet (version 1.5)

The guidance that was originally issued in April 2009 was updated more than once during the first year of the data collection. Now that it has moved into the second year’s data collection, this new document has been issued which replaces the previous version. (Department of Health - publications)

LAC (DH)(2010)3: The Mental Capacity Act

The Mental Capacity Act has required, and still requires, a review of much existing policy and practice in relation to enabling people who lack capacity to be assisted to make decisions and access services. Continued resources for 2010/11 have been made available by the Department of Health for the implementation of the Act. (Department of Health - publications)

Head and Neck Measures for the Manual for Cancer Services 2008

This letter advises colleagues that the amended Head and Neck measures have been issued on 24 June 2010 and are included in the Manual of Cancer Services 2008. (Department of Health - publications)

NHS foundation trusts: review of twelve months to 31 March 2010

This report on the performance of NHS foundation trusts and Monitor’s regulatory activity is based on quarterly submissions to Monitor by the 129 NHS foundation trusts authorised at 31 March 2010. (Monitor - publications)

Dartington review on the future of adult social care

This publication is an independent review on the future of adult social care which aims to offer an authoritative and evidence-based assessment of the development of adult social care between now and 2020. Where possible, the authors have sought to draw on existing evidence and also consider likely future scenarios. The intention of this review was twofold: to evaluate the current situation and to identify prospects and opportunities for change. Alongside the review, supplementary evidence reviews are available as well: what can England learn from the experiences of other countries?; the future adult social care workforce; and personalisation, sustainability and adult social care. (Research in Practice for Adults - publications)

Embedded workforce within the Quality, Innovation, Productivity and Prevention (QIPP) assurance process

This letter to the SHA workforce planners on arrangements to enable the Centre for Workforce Intelligence to undertake work, commissioned by the Department, to collate and understand the assumptions underpinning SHA’s workforce plans and ensure that these plans are robust and fully aligned with activity and finance plans. (Department of Health - publications)

International profile of health care systems: Australia, Canada, Denmark, England, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and the United States

This report presents overviews of the health care systems of thirteen countries, including information on population, health care spending, number of clinicians, hospital spending and utilisation, use of health information technology and number of potentially avoidable deaths. Each country summary provides information on insurance coverage and benefits, health system financing, delivery system organisation, quality assurance mechanisms, efforts to improve efficiency and control costs, and recent innovations and reforms. (The Commonwealth Fund - publications)

Abolition of the four-hour waiting standard in accident and emergency

This letter from Andrew Lansley, the Secretary of State, to the President of the College of Emergency Medicine outlines government plans to abolish the four-hour target for emergency care. (Department of Health - publications)

The influenza immunisation programme 2010/11 - amendment

This letter, previously published on 28^th May 2010, has been amended due to a typographical error. The reissued letter corrects the age below which children that have not previously received a seasonal influenza vaccine should receive two doses of the vaccine. (Department of Health - publications)