Health Management and Policy Alert

Evaluation of vaccine uptake during the 2013 MMR catch-up campaign in England

Department of Health -
This report finds that in the first 3 months of 2013 there was an increase in number of cases of measles in England compared to previous years, which was most marked among 10 to 16 year-olds. A national catch-up campaign was launched in April 2013 with the objective of ensuring that 95% of children aged 10 to 16 years received at least one dose of MMR vaccine by 30 September 2013.

• Report
• Department of Health - publications

Integrating behavioral health across the continuum of care

Hospitals in Pursuit of Excellence (HPOE) -
This guide explains the value of integrating physical and behavioural health services and the importance of measuring integration efforts. It offers several frameworks and models to use for behavioural health integration and provides a list of strategic questions for hospital and care system leaders to begin integrating behavioural health or to enhance current efforts.

• Guidance
• HPOE - publications

Sources of social statistics: health services and public health

House of Commons Library -
This note is intended as a guide to the key sources in health services and public health statistics. It represents a self-help guide, providing a starting point for those interested in obtaining statistics for themselves.

• Report
• House of Commons Library - publications

Preventing loneliness and social isolation in older people

The Institute for Research and Innovation in Social Services (IRISS) -
This briefing looks specifically at the prevention of isolation and loneliness amongst older people, with a particular focus on what practitioners in the fields of health and social care should bear in mind when working to tackle this important and growing issue.

• Briefing

Act now to improve eye care services

Medical Management Services -
The report includes case examples from a series of four workshops held across England to develop an action plan for eye care. It contains recommended actions for commissioners, NHS England, ophthalmologists, optometrists and general practitioners.

• Report
• Medical Management Services - publications

The importance of multimorbidity in explaining utilisation and costs across health and social care settings: evidence from South Somerset's Symphony project

Centre for Health Economics (CHE) -
This report examines patterns of health and social care utilisation and costs for the local population to identify which groups of people would most benefit from better integrated care. It tries to identify groups of people according to the frequency of occurrence of underlying conditions; the cost of care; and utilisation of services across diverse settings.

• Report
• CHE - publications

Ill-treatment or wilful neglect in health and social care

Department of Health -
As part of the response to the Francis Report, the government accepted the recommendation of the National Advisory Group on the Safety of Patients in England to develop a new criminal offence of ill-treatment or wilful neglect. This consultation outlines the recommendation and the government’s current position, and sets out our proposals for the details of the offence. The consultation closes at 31st March 2014.

• Consultation
• Response to the Francis report
• Department of Health - publications

Legislation to encourage medical innovation: a consultation

Department of Health -
This consultation asks for views on whether clarifying the Medical Innovation Bill will encourage doctors to develop innovative treatments in a responsible way. The proposed safeguards suggest doctors should have sound reasons for their innovation and the bill would introduce a statutory best practice checklist as a safeguard against irresponsible innovation. The closing date for comments is 25th April 2014.

• Consultation
• The draft Medical Innovation Bill
• Department of Health - consultations

It's about time: tackling substance misuse in older people

DrugScope -
This report highlights some welcome and effective specialist service provision for older people with drug and alcohol problems, but also calls for improved services and interventions for this age group. It concludes that greater awareness of this issue is the first step to providing more effective support, with a need for specialist services that are age-appropriate and improved awareness and support in other care settings, including primary and social care.

• Report
• DrugScope - press release

Commissioning the conditions for safer surgery

NHS England -
This report makes a series of recommendations for new standards and systems to further improve the safety of surgery in English hospitals. The main recommendations of the report cover three themes: standardise, educate and harmonise. In response, NHS England has committed to identifying practical ways to take forward the report’s recommendations to eradicate never events from surgical procedures.

• Report
• NHS England - Surgical Never Events Taskforce
• NHS England - news