Health Management and Policy Alert

England Rare Diseases Action Plan 2022

Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) 

The UK government and devolved administrations published the UK Rare Diseases Framework in January 2021, setting out a shared vision for addressing health inequalities and improving the lives of people living with rare diseases across the UK. Each each of the four UK nations committed to developing nation-specific action plans detailing how these priorities will be addressed. This is the first action plan setting out how the DHSC and delivery partners will implement the framework in England.

• Action plan
• More detail

Briefing on the Health and Care Bill: House of Lords Report stage

The King's Fund - 

The King’s Fund supports much of the Health and Care Bill, however there are four priority areas we believe require amendment; reconfiguration powers; powers to direct NHS England; workforce; and the cap on social care costs.

• Briefing

Improving decision-making through connected intelligence: leveraging new capabilities to help life sciences companies advance health

IQVIA Institute for Human Data Science - 

This report examines the fundamental elements of connected intelligence that feed into decision-making at life sciences companies: building meaningful connections in data and technology, elevating skills to generate insights, and shaping the organizational structure and culture to share, link and utilize those insights. With an eye to what lies ahead for life sciences organizations, the report examines how connected intelligence can generate better insights to guide decision-making at various levels, including at critical points along a molecule’s lifecycle and at the enterprise level, and can enable evidence-sharing and dissemination in support of multi-stakeholder decisions.

• Report
• More detail

The rollout of the Covid-19 vaccination programme in England

National Audit Office -
According to this report, the Covid-19 vaccination programme met stretching and unprecedented targets, helping to save lives and reduce serious illness and hospitalisation. However, it concludes that there are risks to be managed as the programme continues to evolve in response to the Covid-19 pandemic and to new clinical advice and evidence about vaccines. The report covers the funding and costs of the programme, supply of vaccines, access to the vaccines as well as the attempts to address inequalities in the uptake of the vaccines. The report concludes that the programme has provided value for money to date.

• Report
• National Audit Office - press release

Governing the health and care system in England: creating the conditions for success

NHS Confederation -
This briefing outlines the changes needed to create the conditions in which integrated care systems can improve outcomes for patients and the public, and outlines rules to guide those leading the reform programme.

• Report
• NHS Confederation - publications

Improving direct payments oversight

Think Local Act Personal -
This document aims to share solutions to improve efficiency and reduce bureaucracy in direct payment oversight. It identifies some of the barriers and suggests practical steps, including real life examples from councils.

• Briefing
• Think Local Act Personal - publications

The Department of Health and Social Care's written evidence to the Senior Salaries Pay Review Body (SSRB) for the 2022-23 pay round

Department of Health and Social Care -
The Senior Salaries Review Body (SSRB) has been asked to make observations on the current levels of pay for very senior managers (VSMs) in the NHS and executive and senior managers (ESMs) in DHSC’s arm’s length bodies. The written evidence seeks to enable the SSRB to make independent observations on the levels of pay of VSMs and ESMs in order to form part of the wider SSRB report, which will include observations on the levels of pay for other senior public sector workers. The written evidence includes information on NHS senior pay strategy along with recruitment and retention information.

• Report
• Department of Health and Social Care - publications

The Department of Health and Social Care's written evidence to the NHS Pay Review Body (NHSPRB) for the 2022 to 2023 pay round

Department of Health and Social Care -
The NHSPRB has been asked to make pay recommendations for the pay round 2022 to 2023. This written evidence seeks to enable the NHSPRB to make independent recommendations, weighing all of the evidence, including the importance of affordability within the current challenging economic and fiscal context, along with recruitment and retention trends and staff motivation.

• Report
• Department of Health and Social Care - publications

Universal quality social care: transforming adult social care in England

Women's Budget Group -
In this research the Women’s Budget Group and the New Economics Foundation calculate the cost of all the reforms needed to create a high-quality, universal care service with well-paid care workers. It calculates that the government’s new health and social care levy would only raise six per cent of the funds needed to create such a service. The report lists proposals for a universal quality social care service including a new funding settlement, an expanded role for local authorities, and a new national body to drive improvement.

• Report
• Women's Budget Group - publications

The concept of seriousness in fitness to practise cases

Nursing & Midwifery Council -
This report presents findings from ‘The concept of seriousness in fitness to practise’ project commissioned by the General Dental Council and the Nursing and Midwifery Council. It investigated how seriousness in fitness to practise cases is understood and applied by health professions regulators. The findings reinforce that professionals who engage with regulators during the fitness to practise process will benefit through early engagement and this can make a positive difference to the outcome of their case. It also shows the importance of considering context when looking at fitness to practise cases, understanding the role of other people, the culture and environment they were working in when something went wrong.

• Report
• Nursing & Midwifery Council - news