Health Management and Policy Alert

Winter warning: managing risk in health and care this winter

NHS Providers - 
This report highlights concerns from NHS leaders around the ability of the health system to respond to mounting pressures next winter. It argues that the extra £1bn social care funding committed to easing delayed transfers of care will not be sufficient with 91 per cent of trusts reporting a lack of capacity in social care. The report calls for a funding injection of £350m to ensure that there is enough capacity across the system and to ensure adequate resourcing.

• Report
• Press release

Delivery costs extra: can STPs survive without the funding they need?

British Medical Association (BMA) - 
This report analyses all 44 STP plans and highlights concerns around poor engagement with clinicians, patients and the public and the challenging timeline of STP implementation without upfront funding to deliver the plans. The report is also accompanied by a paper summarising each STP plan and a glossary of commonly used acronyms. 

• Report
• Related documents
• Press release

Investigation: clinical correspondence handling at NHS Shared Business Services

National Audit Office (NAO) - 
In March 2016, NHS Shared Business Service (NHS SBS) informed NHS England and the Department of Health that it had discovered a backlog of approximately 435,000 items of unprocessed clinical and other correspondence. This report outlines the findings of an  investigation into how NHS SBS handled unprocessed clinical correspondence. As at 31 May 2017, the review of the backlog of correspondence has found 1,788 cases of potential harm to patients and NHS England have estimated that the cost of the incident will be at least £6.6 million. 

• Report
• Summary
• Press release

Checklist for recruiting CCG lay members

NHS Clinical Commissioners - 
This checklist aims to support CCGs with recruiting lay members and provides a series of questions that can be asked to start conversations about both recruitment and succession planning.

• Checklist
• Press release

BMA quarterly survey

British Medical Assocation (BMA) - 
This report outlines the findings of the most recent BMA quarterly survey of doctors which explores their working conditions, levels of stress and morale. This quarter's survey also focuses doctors' views and perceptions of the impact of Brexit on the profession and health services. The survey finds that two-thirds of hospital doctors have experienced rota gaps in the last twelve months and that since the last survey, the amount of doctors reporting low moral has risen from 36 per cent to 44 per cent. 

• Report
• Press release

A lung health service: Doncaster pharmacy direct referral for chest x-ray

Cancer Research UK -
The Accelerate, Coordinate, Evaluate (ACE) Programme is an early diagnosis programme that supports the NHS outcome of preventing people from dying prematurely. This report presents a summary from the Doncaster site which piloted a pharmacist direct referral to chest x-ray pathway which aimed to improve the diagnosis of lung cancer. It outlines early findings from the pilot project and suggestions for rolling out a similar pathway.

• Report
• Further information

 

Food insecurity and the role of hospitals

American Hospital Association (AHA) - 
This report is part of a series that outlines how hospitals can address the determinants of health such as food, housing and education, to improve the environment where people live, work and play. The case studies in this guide highlight the innovative strategies and programs of several hospitals and health care systems to reduce food insecurity in their communities.

• Report
• AHA publications

Autism self-assessment framework exercise

Public Health England (PHE) - 
This report presents the findings from the fourth autism self-assessment exercise carried out by local authorities (LAs) between July and November 2016. It shows the LAs progress towards meeting the requirements of the Autism Act. The report is accompanied by personal stories from self-advocates, their families’ and carers.

• Report
• Personal stories
• PHE publications

Community pharmacy services case studies hub

Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC) - 
This case studies hub brings together articles and news stories that showcase commissioned community pharmacy services and Healthy Living Pharmacies (HLPs). This hub can be used when looking for service inspiration and opportunities, or to support the commissioning of community pharmacy services.

• Online hub

The rising cost of clinical negligence: who pays the price?

Medical Protection Society (MPS) - 
This report estimates that clinical negligence costs in the NHS have increased by 72 per cent over the last five years and that costs could reach £2.6bn a year by 2022. It argues that there should be reasonable compensation for patients who suffer harm due to clinical negligence but that this must be balanced against society's ability to pay. The report makes recommendations for legal reforms around clinical negligence compensation.

• Report
• Press release