Health Management and Policy Alert

A descriptive analysis of health care use by high cost, high need patients in England

The Health Foundation -
This paper explores health care use by the top 5 per cent of users of primary and secondary care services by cost.

• Report
• The Health Foundation - publications

2018 urgent and emergency care survey statistical release

Care Quality Commission - 

This survey looked at people’s experiences of using Type 1 (major A&E) and Type 3 (urgent care centres, minor injury units, urgent treatment centres) urgent and emergency care services, from decision to attend to leaving. One hundred and thirty two trusts took part in the survey, of which 63 trusts had both a Type 1 and a Type 3 department, and 69 trusts had only a Type 1 A&E. The survey only includes Type 3 departments that are run directly by acute trusts, and not those run in collaboration with, or exclusively by others.

• Report
• More detail

Health and social care and LGBT Communities

Women and Equalities Committee - 

This report finds that too often LGBT people are expected to fit into systems that assume they are straight and cisgender. But the Committee has found that deep inequalities exist in health outcomes for these communities and that treating them “the same” as non-LGBT people will not address these poor outcomes.

• Report
• Press release

Get it on time: the case for improving medication management for Parkinson’s

Parkinson's UK - 

This report highlights problems that people with Parkinson's disease can face receiving their medication when having a hospital stay. These findings include: nearly two thirds of people who have Parkinson’s don’t always get their medication on time in hospital; more than three quarters of people with Parkinson’s asked reported that their health deteriorated as a result of poor medication management in hospital; and only 21 per cent of respondents said they got their medication on time without having to remind hospital staff. The report sets out recommendations hospitals should implement to improve medication management.

• Report
• Press release

There and back: what people tell us about their experiences of travelling to and from NHS services

Healthwatch - 

This briefing highlights what the public are saying about issues they face when it comes to travelling to and from NHS services, including issues with public transport, parking and non-emergency patient transport services.

• Briefing
• More detail

Using online consultations in primary care: implementation toolkit

NHS England -
This online consultation toolkit is an interactive document that provides a range of ideas and options for different professionals, including clinicians, at different points in their implementation journey.

• Implementation toolkit
• NHS England - related documents

 

The Early Notification scheme progress report: collaboration and improved experience for families

NHS Resolution -
This report provides an overview of the first year of the Early Notification scheme to drive improvements in maternity and neonatal services and to ensure better support for families whose babies suffer rare, avoidable brain injuries at birth. The report makes six recommendations to support the clinical issues identified in the research, covering topics such as the response to families when there is a poor outcome at birth and monitoring the fetal heart rate in labour.

• Report
• NHS Resolution - news

Delivering same-sex accommodation

NHS England -
This guidance has been updated to reflect current patient pathways, including further definition of what is and is not a mixed-sex accommodation breach and circumstances in which mixing may be justified and therefore not constitute a breach.

• Guidance
• NHS England - publications

Penalty charge notices in healthcare

House of Commons Public Accounts Committee -
Penalty charge notices (PCNs) are supposed to discourage people from claiming free prescriptions or dental treatment when they are not entitled to do so. This report finds that the current PCN process penalises those who fail to navigate the complex exemption criteria and neglects clear evidence of abuse by repeat offenders. It concludes that the system requires a fundamental overhaul is not fit for purpose.

• Report
• House of Commons Public Accounts Committee - news

Review of adult social care complaints 2018/19

Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman -
According to this report, the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman has found problems in nearly two out of every three adult social care complaints it has investigated in the past year. It revealed it is investigating a greater proportion of complaints than previous years – and finding fault on average in 66 per cent of cases. In some casework areas – including those about fees and charging for care – the Ombudsman has upheld nearly three-quarters of investigations (73 per cent).

• Report
• Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman - news