Health Management and Policy Alert

2013 accountability hearing with Monitor - ninth report of session 2013-14

House of Commons Health Select Committee -
This annual inquiry into the work of Monitor finds that, under current funding regime, the NHS will only be able to deliver the care required from it by significant innovation in the provision of health care, but that insufficient change has yet been made.

• Report
• House of Commons Health Select Committee - news

Introducing the statutory duty of candour

Department of Health -
The duty of candour will require all health and adult social care providers registered with the Care Quality Commission to be open with people when things go wrong. The regulations would impose a specific and detailed duty of candour on all providers where any harm to a service user from their care or treatment is above a certain harm-threshold. This consultation sets out what the Department of Health are proposing, includes a draft of the regulations that will introduce the duty of candour and asks about the impact of our proposals and the impact of the new regulations on providers. The consultation closes on 25th April 2014.

• Consultation
• Impact assessment
• Department of Health - publications

Liver disease: today's complacency, tomorrow's catastrophe

All-Party Parliamentary Hepatology Group -
This report reveals a consensus across the medical community on the urgent need for action on liver disease, as well as  on the actions that are required. It finds that deaths from liver disease in England have risen 40% between 2001-2012.

• Report
• All-Party Parliamentary Hepatology Group - publications

Focus on: social care for older people - reductions in adult social services for older people in England

Nuffield Trust -
This report examines the scale and scope of cuts to social services for older people in England from 2009/10 to 2012/13. It reveals that most local authorities are tightly rationing social care for the over-65s in response to cuts, resulting in significant drops in the number of people receiving services.

• Report
• Nuffield Trust - press release

Guidance for deaneries/LETBs on the standards for GP specialty training

Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) -
This document provides guidance on standards for GP specialty training. It aimed at deaneries and LETBs who are responsible for quality management and that the GMC makes reference to it when quality assuring GP specialty training. 

• Guidance 
• RCGP - news

Transition from children's to adult services: scope consultation

National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) -
This draft scope defines what aspects of care this guideline will cover and to whom it will apply. It covers the transition between children's and adults health and social care services in England. Individuals and organisations not registered as stakeholders are not able to comment, NICE recommend registering as a stakeholder or contacting the registered stakeholder organisation that most closely represents your interests and pass your comments to them. This consultation closes on 24th April 2014.

• Draft scope
• Stakeholder workshop notes
• Draft equality impact assessment
• Comments proforma
• NICE - consultations

Supporting employees who are caring for someone with dementia

Carers UK -
With our ageing population and workforce, dementia is becoming an increasingly significant issue in the workplace, with more and more people combining work with caring for a loved one. In recognition of this, Carers UK and Employers for Carers carried out an employer and employee survey between October 2013 and January 2014 to find out the impact of working while also caring for someone with dementia. This report sets out the key findings and emerging issues from these surveys. It concludes by making 10 recommendations for employers, health and social care services and government to take to facilitate better support for employees who are caring for loved ones with dementia.

• Report 
• Carers UK - publications

Adjustment to generic medicine reimbursement prices from April 2014

Department of Health -
This letter, from the department to NHS England, provides details of the agreement to reduce generic medicine reimbursement prices from April 2014 by £10 million per month, equivalent to £120 million in a full year. The Drug Tariff will be amended from April 2014 to reflect this change.

• Guidance 
• Department of Health - news

Health and wellbeing boards: one year on

NHS Confederation -
This set of multi-media resources share valuable learning and insight from HWBs across England on their development as system leaders and explore three key themes: facilitating shared ownership; working across boundaries; and the future of system leadership.

• Facilitating shared leadership 
• The future of system leadership
• Working across boundaries
• Further information and supporting videos

Evaluation of the choice of GP practice pilot, 2012-13: final report

Policy Innovation Research Unit (PIRU) -
This report found that the Department of Health's Choice of GP pilot scheme saw modest demand overall, but that participants were generally positive about the scheme and there was little sign of major increased cost to primary care trusts. 

• Report
• London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine - news