Health Management and Policy Alert

NHS foundation trusts: annual reporting manual 2015/16

Monitor - 
All NHS foundation trusts must publish annual reports and accounts to allow scrutiny of the year’s operations and outcomes. This guidance outlines the process foundation trusts should follow when producing and submitting these documents.

• Guidance
• Monitor publications

Consequences of cancer toolkit

Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) - 
This toolkit, produced in conjunction with Macmillan Cancer Care, provides resources and information for primary care professionals to identify and manage the consequences of cancer treatment, and support patients to live well after a cancer diagnosis. It is designed to be used by any general practice in the UK, and is appropriate for everyone who provides or commissions services for people living with and beyond cancer.

• Toolkit
• Press release

Monitoring poverty and social exclusion 2015

New Policy Institute (NPI) - 
This annual statistical review of poverty and social exclusion in the United Kingdom was commissioned by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and it addresses a broad range of indicators, spanning income, employment, social security, education, health, housing and homelessness. The report looks at changes over the last parliament and identifies key challenges going ahead. 

• Report
• Summary
• NPI publications

Child obesity - brave and bold action

House of Commons Health Select Committee - 
This report argues that the scale and consequences of childhood obesity demand bold and urgent action from government and it highlights areas for improvement including greater regulation of the marketing of unhealthy snacks; implementing a sugar tax; and greater powers awarded to local authorities to tackle the environment leading to childhood obesity.

• Report
• Inquiry
• Press release

Stocktake of access to general practice in England

National Audit Office (NAO) - 
This report finds that patient satisfaction with access to general practice remains high but is declining. Patient satisfaction with access is, however, gradually and consistently declining, and a fifth of patients report opening hours are not convenient. It argues that better data is needed so that decisions about general practice are well-informed.

• Report
• Summary
  NAO publications

Marmot indicators for health inequalities 2015

Institute of Health Equity - 
These indicators aim to measure social determinants of health, health outcomes and social inequality in every local authority in England. It finds that increasing numbers of people are falling into poverty and ill health despite more people finding work. 

• Indicators
• Background report
• Press release

Contracting arrangements for mental health providers

Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA) -
This briefing contains results from a survey of NHS mental health providers in relation to contracting arrangements for 2015/16 and 2016/17. Please note that free registration is required to access this document.

• HFMA - publications

Jimmy Savile NHS investigations: update on the themes and lessons learnt from NHS investigations into matters relating to Jimmy Savile

Department of Health -
In February 2015, the government accepted in principle 13 of the 14 recommendations in Kate Lampard’s lessons learnt report following the investigations into the activities of Jimmy Savile relating to the NHS. This report provides a summary of actions taken in response to the 13 recommendations for the NHS, Department of Health and wider government.

• Report
• Transparency data
• Lessons learnt report (February 2015)
• Department of Health - publications

Re-thinking community care: the Camphill Village model

The Centre for Welfare Reform -
This discussion paper finds that there is good evidence that there is much to learn from the Camphill movement and that these communities do offer a way of respecting human diversity and equality. The paper summarises much of the research to date and asks questions about how we think about concepts like inclusion, community and love. It calls for greater openness from researchers and advocates the possibility of greater dialogue and learning.

• Discussion paper
• The Centre for Welfare Reform - publications

Spending review and autumn statement 2015

HM Treasury -
This document sets out the impact on households of tax and welfare reforms as well as changes to public service spending since the beginning of the last parliament. It considers impacts on a cumulative basis, capturing the combined effect of measures from all fiscal events.

• Spending review and autumn statement
• Department of Health settlement
• HM Treasury - publications