Health Management and Policy Alert

Water sources and potential Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection of taps and water systems: advice for augmented care units

The guidance is aimed at those healthcare organisations providing patient care in augmented care units, such as paediatric and adult critical care, neonatal and burns units. It encourages healthcare organisations to develop a local plan for risk assessing augmented care units by June 2012 with appropriate water sampling by the end of 2012.

• Guidance
• Department of Health - news

Clinical governance approved particulars

Since 2005, community pharmacies have had to provide pharmaceutical services in a framework of clinical governance as provided for in the National Health Service (Pharmaceutical Services) Regulations 2005. New and revised approved particulars associated with the clinical governance requirements cover: premises; incident reporting; information governance; patient satisfaction survey; and pharmacy practice leaflet.

• Guidance
• Department of Health - news

Affordability and access: pharmaceuticals and value for money in the NHS

This transcript comes from a roundtable seminar discussion with Andrew Jack, Pharmaceutical Correspondent of the Financial Times held in February 2012. The key themes of the seminar were principle and practice, measuring value, innovation in practice and valuing innovation.

• Transcript
• Reform - publications

NHS pension scheme - Commons Library Standard Note

This note looks at recent reviews of the NHS pension scheme.

• Briefing note
• House of Commons Library - publications

General practice and the future of health & social care in the UK: a joint statement by the Royal College of General Practitioners Council Chairs

This statement calls on Ministers to take forward an approach for the NHS based on a set of 10 core underlying principles which apply across national borders - and which builds on the strengths of general practice to meet the challenges facing the NHS. It acknowledges the individual differences between the health services in the different countries and identifies the shared challenges and how specific solutions can be tailored to each individual nation.

• Joint statement
• RCGP - press release

PIP Breast implants and regulation of cosmetic interventions: sixteenth report of session 2010–12

This report welcomes the Government's decision to commission two reviews following public concern about breast implant surgery, following the decision of the French authorities to recommend removal of implants sourced from PIP.

• Report
• House of Commons Health Select Committee - news

Infection: prevention and control of healthcare-associated infections in primary and community care

This guideline provides a blueprint for the infection prevention and control precautions that should be applied by everyone involved in the care of people who are having treatment or care either in their own home or elsewhere in the community (for example, in a care home, a GP surgery, health centre, school or prison and by the ambulance service) where NHS healthcare is provided or commissioned.

• Guideline
• NICE - press release

Governance statements – guidance update

This updated guidance outlines the requirements for completion and submission of 2011/12 governance statements for SHAs, PCTs and NHS trusts. It forms part of the annual accounts as defined in chapter 1 of the NHS manual for accounts.

• Letter
• Department of Health - news

Caring for our future - what service users say

This report shares the results of a consultation held in November 2011 on social care reform. The study identifies issues that are important to service users, including funding, effects of public spending cuts, hostility towards disabled people and user involvement. It also discusses proposed changes, including funding, to the social care system and makes recommendations on the future of adult social care, based on the experiences of service users.

• Report
• Joseph Rowntree Foundation - publications

30th November 2011: industrial action review - formal report

This report follows the review of the impact that industrial strike action in November 2011 had on both the London Ambulance Service and the wider NHS in London. It presents findings, lessons learnt and recommendations for better management of such situations in future.

• Report
• NHS London - news