Health Management and Policy Alert

The lives we want to lead: the LGA green paper for adult social care and wellbeing

Local Government Association - 

The Local Government Association (LGA) has launched its own green paper setting out how the adult social care system could be improved and the radical measures that it believes need to be considered given the scale of the funding crisis. The LGA is seeking the views of people and organisations from across society on how best to pay for care and support for adults of all ages and their unpaid carers and aims to make the public a central part of the debate. Responses to this eight-week consultation are due by 26 September. 

• Green paper
• More detail
• Press release

Evaluation of the implementation of the Saving Babies’ Lives Care Bundle in early adopter NHS trusts in England

University of Manchester -

This independent evaluation, commissioned by NHS England, shows clinical improvements such as better monitoring of a baby’s growth and movement in pregnancy, as well as better monitoring in labour, led to maternity staff helping to save more than 160 babies’ lives across 19 maternity units. The report found that stillbirths fell by a fifth at the maternity units where national guidance, known as the Saving Babies Lives Care Bundle, had been implemented. The best practice guidance is now being introduced across the country and has the potential if these findings were replicated, to prevent an estimated 600 stillbirths.

• Report
• Press release

Event in the Tent initiative enhances staff engagement

NHS Employers

Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust has sought to improve staff engagement in an innovative way through the Event in the Tent, learning from staff about how to resolve workplace issues and develop quality services. Led by communications manager Jacob Prichard, Milton Keynes took the concept of the big conversation one step further and developed the event, bringing together staff from across the trust over a three-day period, introducing keynote expert speakers, and focusing on subjects important to the organisation.

• Case study
• Press release

IHI innovation system

Institute for Healthcare Improvement - 

This paper describes how a health care organisation might create its own internal innovation system, based on the needs of the organisation, that focuses on improving health care delivery. The Institute of Healthcare Improvement (IHI) uses examples from its nearly 30 years of experience with innovation to highlight how to move through this process, determine what is right for an organisation, and balance innovation activities with ongoing operations.

• Paper

R&D, competition and diffusion of innovation in the EU: the case of hepatitis C

Office of Health Economics - 

This paper analyses the functioning of a specific market for innovative treatments, Direct Acting Antivirals (DAAs) for hepatitis C virus (HCV), in six European countries. The authors explore potential for in-class competition for DAAs to offset innovators’ market power and to maximise the social welfare generated by the adoption of pharmaceutical innovation via lower prices.

• Paper
• Press release

 

UK biological security strategy

Department of Health and Social Care - 

Significant outbreaks of disease are amongst the highest impact risks faced by the UK. The UK biological security strategy draws together for the first time the work taking place across government to protect the UK and its interests from significant biological risks, no matter how these occur and no matter who or what they affect. The strategy, produced in association with the Home Office and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, sets out the nature of the biological risks and the opportunities we face, looks at how this landscape is continuing to evolve, and explains what our response is to these challenges.

• Strategy
• More detail

Clinical pharmacists in general practice: pilot scheme evaluation

University of Nottingham - 

This evaluation report showed that clinical pharmacists significantly increase patient appointment capacity and reduce pressure on GPs. More than 490 clinical pharmacists were placed in over 650 practices across England in the pilot project which supports the aim of having over 2,000 clinical pharmacists working in general practice by 2020/21 – a ratio of one per 30,000 patients. The research team investigated the work of the newly created clinical pharmacist roles from the perspectives of the pharmacists, those working immediately with them in their roles, professional stakeholders and patients.

• Report
• Press release

Musculoskeletal Core Capabilities Framework

Musculoskeletal Core Capabilities Framework - 

This framework sets out the essential skills and knowledge necessary for staff with a role as a first point of contact for adults presenting with undiagnosed musculoskeletal conditions. The framework is relevant to different types of service provision and settings, and is designed to be easy to use, detailing required capabilities in a coherent manner, and provides clear steps and actions that support local health economies to improve service delivery and patient outcomes. It was developed in association with Health Education England, NHS England, Public Health England and the Arthritis and the Musculoskeletal Alliance (ARMA).

• Framework
• Press release

 

A picture of health: the NHS at 70 and its future

The Fabian Society - 

This report, edited by the Shadow Health Secretary Jonathan Ashworth MP, explores a comprehensive agenda for the future of the NHS looking at how it is funded, organised and reformed. It brings together analysis and policy recommendations from twelve leading experts on the NHS from both left-wing and non-party perspectives. These authors include Luciana Berger MP, Paul Williams MP, Lord Kerslake, Sara Gorton (head of health at UNISON), Tara Donnelly (chief executive at the Health Innovation Network), and Andrew Harrop (Fabian Society).

• Report
• Press release

Inclusion health audit tool

VCSE Health and Wellbeing Alliance -
This online tool hopes to help organisations to audit engagement with groups identified as experiencing the worst health inequalities in the UK. It aims to provide a tailored guide to help embed action on tackling health inequalities into everyday activities.

• Audit tool