Health Management and Policy Alert

NHS in Scotland 2016

Audit Scotland - 
This report is the annual review of the financial health and performance of the NHS in Scotland. It recognises that there have been improvements over time, such as increasing patient safety and reducing waiting times for hospital treatment. However, it warns that a combination of increasing costs, staffing pressures and unprecedented savings targets mean that Scotland's NHS boards are finding it difficult to balance demand for hospital care with investing in community-based services to meet future need.

• Report
• Associated documentation
• Press release

Alliance contracting, prime contracting and outcome based contracting: what can the NHS learn from elsewhere? A literature review

Policy Research Unit in Commissioning and the Healthcare System (PRUComm) - 
Alliance contracting, prime provider contracting and outcome based contracting are collaborative models of contracting that are increasingly being considered within the English NHS but have a history of use in other sectors such as construction and defence, as well as in the commissioning of public services in the UK and overseas. This report summarises the findings of a literature review of the available evidence concerning the characteristics of these new contractual models and their implementation in other sectors. The available evidence is considered in order to draw out the lessons which may be learnt to aid the implementation of these models in the NHS.

• Report
• PRUComm publications

UNISON evidence to NHS Pay Review Body 2017-18

UNISON - 
This submission of evidence to the NHS Pay Review Body outlines the findings of UNISON's annual pay survey which seeks the views, experiences and strength of feeling on pay across NHS staff in the UK. This year's survey received over 21,000 responses and the results highlighted the increased pressures on personal finances with 67 per cent of respondents reporting that they have had to seek financial help from friends and family or make substantial changes to their living standards within the past year. 

• Report
• Press release

Consent: supported decision-making: a guide to good practice

Royal College of Surgeons - 
Traditionally clinical practice in the NHS has considered that it is up to doctors to decide what risks to communicate to patients. Recent case law has changed and doctors are now obliged to ensure that patients are aware of any and all risks that an individual patient might consider significant. This guidance is aimed at doctors and surgeons to help them understand this shift in the law, as well as giving them the tools to assist in improving their practice.

• Guidance
• Press release

The state of medical education and practice in the UK 2016

General Medical Council (GMC) - 
This annual report explores how the medical profession has changed and reviews the education and practice of doctors in the UK. This year's report raises concerns that the health system and staff working within it are struggling to cope with a range of issues such as the increased pressure on health and social care services. The report outlines the response that the GMC will take to these increased pressures on doctors by taking a lighter touch on regulation.

• Report
• Summary
• Press release

Efficiency opportunities through health and social care integration: delivering more sustainable health and care

Local Government Association (LGA) - 
This report finds that 45 per cent of decisions about patients' care could be improved which could lead to efficiency savings for health and social care services. It finds that up to one in four people are admitted to hospital unnecessarily and could be looked after elsewhere if better use was made of services available to treat people closer to home. The report examined areas where integration of health and social care was working and found that fewer people needed to be looked after in residential care.

• Report
• Press release

Choosing wisely

Academy of Medical Royal Colleges (AoMRC) - 
As part of the Choosing Wisely campaign, AoMRC have outlined a list of 40 treatments and procedures which have limited clinical value or impact. The campaign calls for doctors and patients to have a fully informed conversation about the risks and benefits of treatments and procedures.

• Campaign
• Press release

Sustainability and climate change: opportunities for PHE

Public Health England (PHE) - 
This document outlines PHE’s plans to adapt to environmental threats such as climate change and to reduce the impact on the nation’s health. It also provides an update on the progress made so far by the Sustainability and Climate Change Programme Board.

• Report
• PHE publications

Attitudes to dementia: findings from the 2015 British Social Attitudes survey

Public Health England (PHE) - 
This report outlines findings from a survey carried out by the National Centre for Social Research (NatCen) which examined public awareness of risk factors for dementia. It found that 28 per cent of the British public is unable to correctly identify any health and lifestyle factor that can increase the risk of developing dementia.

• Report
• Press release

The government response to the House of Commons Health Select Committee report on primary care

Department of Health (DH) - 
The government’s response to the Health Select Committee primary care report explains the measures which have been put in place to support primary care and improve patients’ access to services. These include increasing funding for primary medical care; greater incentives to increase the growth rate in number of GPs; and the implementation of new models of care.

• Response
• DH publications