Health Management and Policy Alert

The Government’s response to the Health and Social Care Committee report: safety of maternity services in England

Department of Health and Social Care -
The Health and Social Care Committee (HSCC) published a report in July 2021 containing 15 recommendations for improving the safety of maternity services, covering issues such as staffing, patient safety and personalised care. This report contains the government response to these recommendations.

• Report
• Department of Health and Social Care - publications

The Government’s response to the Health and Social Care Committee’s Expert Panel Evaluation: the Government’s progress against its policy commitments in the area of maternity services in England

Department of Health and Social Care -
The expert panel evaluated the following government commitments on maternity services: maternity safety, continuity of carer, personalised care and safe staffing. They rated the government’s progress against each of these commitments using a ‘Care Quality Commission-style’ rating. The government welcomes this report and is considering the panel’s findings carefully as part of ongoing policy development.

• Report
• Department of Health and Social Care - publications

GP and dental clinical educator pay scales: 2021 to 2022

Department of Health and Social Care -
This guidance sets out GP and dental clinical educators pay rates for the financial year 2021 to 2022.

• Guidance

Making maternity services safer: nurturing a positive culture

Royal College of Midwives -
According to this report, poor working cultures must be tackled if UK maternity services are to be made safer. It describes how a positive working environment is needed, where multi-disciplinary teams work and train together and are better equipped to deliver good quality, safe care for women and families.

• Report
• Royal College of Midwives - press release

Welfare facilities for healthcare staff

NHS Confederation - 
This guidance, developed by the NHS Staff Council’s Health, Safety and Wellbeing Partnership Group, aims to support NHS organisations to improve their provision of staff welfare facilities. It includes the case for improving and providing welfare facilities and the legal requirements for organisations to have suitable and sufficient facilities for staff. 

• Guidance

Making vaccination a condition of deployment in the health and wider social care sector

Department of Health and Social Care -
The government is seeking views on whether or not to extend vaccination requirements to other health and care settings for Covid-19 and also for flu. The consultation closes on 22 October 2021.

• Survey
• Department of Health and Social Care - consultations

Guide to making flexible working requests flowchart

NHS Employers - 

The NHS People Plan sets out an ask for the NHS Staff Council to work alongside NHS England and NHS Improvement (NHSEI) to develop guidance to support employers to make flexible working a reality for our NHS people. To support this, the NHS Staff Council has created a flexible working request flowchart which details the steps line managers and staff in the NHS should take when making a request for a flexible working arrangement.

• Flowchart

Responding to the needs of a diverse workforce and community during Covid-19

NHS Employers - 

Solent NHS Trust is a community and mental health trust that covers Portsmouth, Southampton and parts of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. At the outbreak of Covid-19, a comprehensive organisational diversity and inclusion response was developed, focussing on five workstreams. This case study describes in detail the five workstreams, accomplishments and lessons learnt for the future.

• Case study

The public health workforce: overdue for attention

The King's Fund - 

In this blog, Richard Murray outlines why directors of public health – and the wider public health workforce – need a comprehensive and funded workforce plan in order to work on improving population health and tackling health inequalities.

• Blog

Sexism in medicine

British Medical Association (BMA) -
This report summarises the results of a BMA survey of the medical profession. It found finds antiquated attitudes prevail towards women, who reportedly lack the support needed to establish themselves in leadership positions. The questions in the survey covered various areas including conduct of colleagues and patients, impact of gender on career progression, the impact of having children, and reporting on sexism.

• Report
• BMA - news