Health Management and Policy Alert

The disclosure of industry payments to the healthcare sector

Department of Health and Social Care -
This consultation aims to seek views on the possible introduction of regulations mandating the disclosure of industry payments to the health care sector. The consultation closes on 16 October 2023.

• Consultation
• Department of Health and Social Care - consultations

Improving the experiences of people with ME/CFS: interim delivery plan

Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) - 

The DHSC, together with the Department for Education and Department for Work and Pensions is seeking views on an interim delivery plan to improve the experiences and outcomes of people with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome. The consultation (open to everyone aged 13 and over) asks for views on specific chapters and actions on: research; attitudes and education; living with ME/CFS; and language used in relation to ME/CFS. The responses will be used to help understand how well the plan identifies and addresses the issues most important to the ME/CFS community, and where further action may be required. The consultation closes at 11:59pm on 4 October 2023.

• Consultation document
• More detail

Proposed review of the 2023 scheme to control the cost of branded health service medicines

Department of Health and Social Care - 
The government is proposing updates to the statutory scheme to make sure that the scheme can continue to meet its objectives from 2024 onwards, whether this is alongside a successor voluntary scheme or as a standalone scheme in the absence of this. The consultation sets out proposed amendments in three main areas: increasing the allowed growth rate which will have the effect of changing the payment percentages; revising which sales of branded medicines are exempt from scheme payments; and a new approach to control spending on older branded medicines.

• Consultation
• Department of Health and Social Care - consultations

Updates to NICE’s health technology processes manual

National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) -
This consultation covers two overarching changes: incorporating NICE’s proportionate approach to technology appraisals into the manual; and a revised approach to updating technology appraisal recommendations for Covid-19 medicines. The consultation closes on 25 July 2023.

• Consultation
• NICE - news

 

Visiting in care homes, hospitals and hospices

Department of Health and Social Care -
This consultation seeks views on visiting in health and care settings to inform decisions around making visiting rules mandatory for the good of service users. The aim is to ensure that visiting (including accompanying people to hospital appointments) is protected and that it remains a priority for health and care providers so that patients and residents can receive visitors whenever it is reasonable and safe. The closing date for comments is 16 August 2023.

• Consultation
• Department of Health and Social Care - consultations

Results of the 10-Year Cancer Plan call for evidence

Department of Health and Social Care - 
This call for evidence was originally intended to inform a stand-alone ten year cancer plan for England. The decision has since been taken to incorporate this into a major conditions strategy.

• Consultation outcome
• Department of Health and Social Care - publications

 

 

Mental health and wellbeing plan: discussion paper and call for evidence - results

Department of Health and Social Care - 
The call for evidence was originally intended to inform two individual plans: a mental health and wellbeing plan and a separate suicide prevention strategy. The decision has since been taken to incorporate tackling mental ill health into a major conditions strategy instead of a stand-alone mental health strategy. This aims to ensure that mental ill health is considered alongside other physical health conditions and that the interactions between them are reflected in any resulting commitments.

• Consultation outcome
• Department of Health and Social Care - publications

Major conditions strategy: call for evidence

Department of Health and Social Care -
A call for evidence has been launched to invite views on how best to prevent, early diagnose, treat, and manage the six major groups of conditions which drive-ill health and contribute to the burden of disease in the population in England. The six major health conditions – cancer; cardiovascular diseases including stroke and diabetes; chronic respiratory diseases; dementia; mental ill-health and; musculoskeletal disorders – affect millions of people in England with data showing that one in four suffer from two or more of these major long-term conditions.

• Call for evidence
• Department of Health and Social Care - consultations

Care workforce pathway for adult social care: call for evidence

Department of Health and Social Care -
This call for evidence will inform the development of a new care workforce pathway for adult social care. The Department of Health and Social Care, in partnership with Skills for Care, is consulting to gather views on what should be included within the pathway. These views will be considered when developing the first iteration of the pathway, which is scheduled to be published in autumn 2023. The closing date for comments is 31 May 2023.

• Call for evidence
• Department of Health and Social Care - consultations

McCloud remedy part 2: proposed changes to NHS Pension Schemes Regulations 2023

Department of Health and Social Care - 
The Department of Health and Social Care is consulting on a draft Statutory Instrument making changes to NHS Pension Schemes Regulations necessary to implement the second part of the McCloud remedy. The remedy has two parts: to ensure equal treatment for all members within each of the main public service pension schemes by moving all members into the new schemes; and to remove the effect of transitional protection by offering eligible members a choice over the set of benefits. The closing date for comments is 6 June 2023.

• Consultation
• Consultation response form
• Department of Health and Social Care - consultations