Health Management and Policy Alert

Consultation outcome: changes to regulations relating to the Care Quality Commission

Department of Health and Social Care -
This is the analysis by the Department of Health and Social Care of responses to their consultation to amend the Health and Social Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 (the ‘2014 regulations’). Respondents supported the amendment to remove the 2014 regulations’ expiry date of 31 March 2025 and instead review the regulations every five years. The government’s next step is to introduce a statutory instrument in January 2025 for this amendment. This means it will become law, subject to Parliamentary debate, in early 2025.

• Report
• Department of Health and Social Care - publications

Becoming a national leader in supporting the armed forces

NHS Employers - 

East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust (ELHT) serves a diverse population over 1,211 square kilometres, operating five hospitals and various community services. Since signing the Armed Forces Covenant in 2017, ELHT has taken deliberate steps to support Reservists and the wider armed forces community. These efforts align with the trust’s values of providing safe, personal and effective care, and its mission to improve community health through partnership, innovation and excellence.

• Case study

How could Britain and the EU work together to improve health?

Nuffield Trust - 

Striking a somewhat different note from his predecessors, the Prime Minister recently pledged to “reset relationships” with the European Union. While the UK’s policy goals within this strengthened cooperation remain for now vague, there are several concrete measures in health and life sciences that could form part of an attempt to work more closely with the EU. This long read argues that by focusing on the goal of improving health, it should be possible to build a moral, legal and political case for change.

• Long read 

Building health equity: the role of the property sector in improving health

Institute of Health Equity -
This review explains how the twin crises of health and housing can be tackled together, by promoting health equity. It lays out a way forward to enable the property sector and national and local governments to work in partnership and put health equity, wellbeing and environmental sustainability at the heart of how the UK builds homes and shapes neighbourhoods.

• Report
• Institute of Health Equity - publications

Preventive and proactive care: research report

Local Government Association -
This research was commissioned by The Better Care Fund Support Programme to collect and synthesise existing publications and reports, related to local prevention or proactive targeted support initiatives which enable people to stay well, safe and independent at home for longer. The aim was to better understand what preventive and proactive care initiatives local areas have invested in, and the extent to which these initiatives have been effective and value for money.

• Report
• Local Government Association - publications

Bridging the gap: a guide to making health inequalities a strategic priority for NHS leaders

Royal College of Physicians -
This guidance provides actionable steps for tackling health inequity within health care delivery, emphasising the role clinicians and clinical leaders can play in addressing these longstanding disparities. It argues that tackling these disparities is essential to improving the nation’s health and reducing unnecessary pressures on health care services. It underscores that NHS leaders have a statutory, moral, and financial responsibility to prioritise this issue, and includes: practical actions; existing statutory duties and guidance; and barriers and enablers.

• Guidance
• Royal College of Physicians - news

Care beyond beds: exploring alternatives to hospital-based mental health care

Centre for Mental Health -
According to this report, an overhaul of mental health care is needed to achieve the Government’s goal of shifting treatment from hospitals to communities. It finds that inpatient care is too often characterised by unsafe levels of bed occupancy, chronic staffing shortages and dilapidated facilities which risk re-traumatising patients. Black people, neurodivergent people and children are among the most poorly served. It concludes that the NHS ten-year plan must boost investment across the mental health system to drive a ‘safe and sustained shift’ towards community care, and to provide inpatient care which is high quality, close to home and adequately staffed.

• Report
• Centre for Mental Health - press release

 

Annual report and accounts: 2023 to 2024

Department of Health and Social Care -
The annual report and accounts gives an overview of the Department of Health and Social Care’s (DHSC’s) resources and how it has used them to fulfil its statutory functions during the financial year 2023 to 2024. The report describes DHSC’s performance against objectives and includes the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care’s annual report on the performance of the NHS in England.

• Report
• Department of Health and Social Care - publications

Interim guidance for physician associates working in the medical specialties

Royal College of Physicians -
This interim guidance covers scope of practice for general internal medicine, supervision and employment of physician associates (PAs), and how PAs should describe their role to patients, employers, other health care professionals and the public. It will be reviewed in collaboration with stakeholders, including RCP fellows and members, following the publication of the report of the Leng review.

• Guidance
• Royal College of Physicians - news

Envisaging a social prescribing fund

National Academy for Social Prescribing -
This report makes the case for a new fund that would support community activities, groups and services that benefit people’s health and wellbeing. The proposed England-wide fund of £1 billion over 10 years would bring together contributions from the public, philanthropic and private sectors, and provide long-term funding for community groups and organisations to meet the rising demand for their activities and services - key to tackling loneliness, reducing health inequalities and improving people’s health.

• Report
• National Academy for Social Prescribing - publications