Health Management and Policy Alert

General practice in the post Covid world: challenges and opportunities for general practice

Royal College of General Practitioners -
This report makes the case that throughout the pandemic, general practice has shown it functions well with fewer bureaucratic processes, such as contractual and regulatory compliance activities. While it recognises the need for regulation and other processes to ensure patient safety and quality of care, the report says there also needs to be a shift to a ‘higher trust’ model that gives GPs more time to deliver patient care.

• Report
• Royal College of General Practitioners - news

First do no harm

The Independent Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Review - 

This report comes after a two-year review, chaired by Baroness Julia Cumberlege, of harrowing patient testimony and a large volume of other evidence concerning three medical interventions: Primodos, sodium valproate and pelvic mesh. It sets out nine major recommendations to bring much-needed help and support to those who have suffered as a result of these interventions, and to reduce the risk of avoidable harm from medicines and medical devices in the future.

• Report
• Press release

NICEimpact children and young people’s healthcare

National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) - 

This report highlights progress made by the health and care system in implementing NICE guidance.

• Report
• More detail

Helping the NHS recover from Covid-19

Royal College of Surgeons of England -
The Presidents of the Royal College of Surgeons of England and the Royal College of Emergency Medicine have issued a joint memorandum to MPs calling for urgent action to help the NHS recover from Covid. It argues for planning now to deal with a ‘hidden waiting list’ of patients who have not yet been referred. The memorandum also features early results from a survey of surgeons, which indicates a quarter do not yet have access to “Covid-light” facilities for their patients.

• Memorandum
• Royal College of Surgeons of England - press release

Premature discharge from hospital

Patients Association - 

This is a report of a qualitative survey that explored unsafe, premature discharge from hospital. It shows how serious the consequences can be of discharging someone from hospital who is not ready to go home. Particular themes emerge around pressures on beds, and how premature discharge of people from mental health settings can quickly lead them to harm.

• Report

PPE portal: how to order emergency personal protective equipment

Department of Health and Social Care -  

The PPE portal can be used by social care and primary care providers to order and receive critical coronavirus (COVID-19) personal protective equipment (PPE). Providers who can use the service will receive an email invitation to register. The DHSC has partnered with eBay, Clipper Logistics and Royal Mail to develop this service. Orders will be managed in line with Public Health England guidance and wider availability from the NHS Supply Chain’s central PPE logistic operations.

• Guidance

The structure of the NHS in England

House of Commons Library -
This briefing provides an overview of the funding and accountability relationships within this NHS in England, and an introduction to the roles of key organisations including NHS England, NHS Improvement and the Care Quality Commission. It also highlights some key health policy issues, including patient safety, funding, and the integration of health and social care.

• Briefing
• House of Commons Library - publications

Covid-19: resetting emergency department care

Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM) - 

In this position statement, the RCEM sets out recommendations on how to prevent further transmission of Covid-19 in emergency departments, streamline emergency care and build on the current temporary practices to save lives.

• Position statement
• Press release

Strengthening hospital capacity for the Covid-19 pandemic

Imperial College London -
This report presents the J-IDEA pandemic planner, a hospital planning tool to calculate how much capacity in terms of beds, staff and ventilators is obtained by implementing health care provision interventions affecting the management of patient care in hospitals. It shows how to assess baseline capacity, and then calculate how much capacity is gained by various health care interventions using impact estimates that are generated as part of this study.

• Report
• Imperial College - news

Covid-19: management of exposed healthcare workers and patients in hospital settings

Public Health England - 

This guidance covers staff exposures; staff return to work criteria; and patient exposures.

• Guidance