Health Management and Policy Alert

Burden reduction plan

Department of Health -
This plan sets out a more collaborative and systematic approach to data collections across the health and social care system. It aims to: collect proportionate data that has a clear business purpose; prevent duplication of other data collections; and review the need to collect the data regularly.

• Guidance
• Department of Health - publications

Focus on: public health and prevention - has the quality of services changed over recent years?

QualityWatch -
This report combines quantitative data from 20 indicators across five key areas of public health with a survey and in-depth interviews with senior public health professionals. It aims to provide a glimpse into the current state of public health services and explores the potential impact on key health outcomes.

• Report
• QualityWatch - publications

A review of NICE methods across Health Technology Assessment (HTA) programmes: differences, justifications and implications

Office of Health Economics -
This research involved a systematic comparison of five of NICE’s HTA programmes: Technology Appraisal Programme, Medical Technologies Guidance, Diagnostic Assessment Programme, Highly Specialised Technologies Programme, and Clinical Guidelines. The aim was to establish how differences in methods and processes between the programmes may impact on allocative efficiency within the NHS. Key differences between programmes were found in the methods of evaluation, specifically the provision of a reference case, the requirement for and type of economic analysis, and the decision making criteria used for appraisal.

• Report
• Office of Health Economics - publications

Local government: alternative models of service delivery

House of Commons Library -
Most local authorities no longer rely solely on ‘in-house’ operations to deliver either public services or their own internal functions. This briefing paper provides an introduction to some of the alternative approaches being used by local authorities. These include the use of ‘shared services’, between multiple local authorities and also between local authorities and other public bodies; outsourcing to private or voluntary providers, and its obverse, ‘insourcing’; the increasing use of Local Authority Trading Companies to trade for profit, providing a revenue stream for the local authority; and mutuals.

• Report
• House of Commons Library - publications

The commissioning of specialised services in the NHS

National Audit Office -
According to this report, NHS England’s spending on specialised services has increased at a much greater rate than other parts of the NHS. It concludes that, although NHS England took responsibility for commissioning these services three years ago, it still does not have an agreed overarching service strategy, consistent information from all providers on costs, access to services and outcomes or how efficiently services are being delivered.

• Full report
• Summary report
• National Audit Office - press release

Pushing the call button on unsafe staffing: who will come to our aid?

Unison - 
This report presents the results of a UK-wide annual survey of nursing professionals and it finds that almost 63 per cent of respondents said that they felt there were inadequate numbers of staff on the wards to ensure safe, dignified and compassionate care. 67 per cent of those surveyed believed that staffing levels had deteriorated since last year's survey and 68 per cent had considered leaving their role in the previous year.

• Report
• Press release

PSNC's counter proposal to the government's plans for community pharmacy in 2016/17 and beyond

Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC) - 
This briefing sets out how community pharmacy services, including an emergency supply of medicines service, could be used to generate savings the NHS needs to make through pharmacy, without a cut in funding. 

• Briefing
• Press release

Shaping the future of medical revalidation: interim report

General Medical Council (GMC) - 
This report presents emerging findings from a study into the regulatory impacts of revalidation. It finds that the majority of GMC licensed doctors are engaged in an annual appraisal process but scepticism was expressed about whether revalidation has led to improved patient safety. The majority of responsible officers surveyed felt that the numbers of concerns about doctors had not increased since the introduction of revalidation. The report also highlights the lack of awareness on the part of patients and the public on revalidation and the purposes of the process.

• Report
• GMC publications

Pharmaceutical expenditure and policies: past trends and future challenges

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) - 
This paper looks at recent trends in pharmaceutical spending across OECD countries. It examines the drivers of recent spending trends, highlighting differences across therapeutic classes. The paper then looks at emerging challenges for policy makers in the management of pharmaceutical spending.

• Report
• OECD publications

A paperless NHS: electronic health records

House of Commons Library - 
This briefing outlines the current use of electronic health records in the NHS in England in relation to the pledge that the NHS will be paper-free by 2020.

• Briefing
• Commons Library publications