Health Management and Policy Alert

The regulation of e-cigarettes

House of Commons Library - 
This briefing provides an overview on the regulation of e-cigarettes in the UK and across Europe. It also outlines new product requirements for e-cigarettes and identifies where national regulations have gone beyond what is in EU regulations.

• Briefing
• Commons Library publications

Confidentiality: guidance for registrants

Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) - 
This refreshed guidance provides advice for HCPC registrants on how they should handle and share information about service users. The update provides clarification on the definition of 'consent' by a service users to the use or disclosure of confidential information.

• Guidance
• HCPC news

Promoting professionalism, reforming regulation

Department of Health (DH) - 
This consultation seeks views on proposals to reform the regulation system for health care professionals in the UK. The proposed new model of professional regulation aims to secure public trust, improve clinical practice and adapt to developments in health care. The consultation closes on 23 January 2018.

• Consultation
• Respond online

Agency, bank and overtime spending in UK maternity units in 2016

Royal College of Midwives (RCM) - 
This report finds that NHS spending on temporary staffing in midwifery reached more than £97 million in 2016. It argues that the current shortage of midwives and pay restraint are contributory factors to the increasing reliance on temporary staffing.

• Report
• Press release

Guidance for the implementation of changes to police powers and places of safety provisions in the Mental Health Act 1983

Department of Health (DH) - 
This guidance, produced in partnership with the Home Office, outlines changes to police powers and new guidance on appropriate places of safety for people experiencing a mental health crisis. The changes will be coming into force on 11 December 2017. 

• Guidance
• DH publications

Cataracts in adults: management

National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) - 
This new guidance argues that the decision to have cataract surgery should be based on whether the patient thinks surgery is right for them. It provides advice for patients and ophthalmologists to help them decide when surgery is appropriate, taking into account how the condition is affecting a patient’s sight and their quality of life, the benefits and harms of the operation.

• Guidance
• Press release

International GP recruitment programme: application process guidance for commissioners

NHS England - 
This guidance document outlines the approach that has been agreed to delivering the international GP recruitment programme. It also details the process that should be followed by areas wishing to apply for funding to deliver international recruitment schemes.

• Guidance
• NHS England publications

NHS England’s national report to ministers on the Responsible Officer regulations and medical revalidation, 2016/17

NHS England - 
At the end of the fourth year of implementation of medical revalidation, this report provides evidence of a steadily improving picture of engagement. The report also provides a national picture of revalidation as well as local level data on progress on medical revalidation.

• Report
• NHS England publications

2017/18 data security and protection requirements

Department of Health (DH) - 
This document sets out what all health and care organisations will be expected to do to demonstrate that they are putting into practice the ten data security standards recommended by the National Data Guardian.

• Guidance
• DH publications

Current, future and avoidable costs of stroke in the UK

Stroke Association - 
This report estimates that the current cost of stroke to the UK is £26 billion every year, a threefold increase from the previous estimated cost of £9 billion. The figures also predict that a growing and ageing population, increasing numbers of stroke survivors, and rising care costs are crucial factors behind the increasing financial burden of stroke over the next 20 years.

• Report
• Press release