Health Management and Policy Alert

Government response to the independent inquiry report into the issues raised by former surgeon Ian Paterson

Department of Health and Social Care -
The report of the independent inquiry that was set up following the conviction of surgeon Ian Paterson was published in February 2020. It reviewed the circumstances surrounding Ian Paterson’s malpractice and considered other past and current practices in the NHS and the independent sector. This publication sets out the government’s response to the 15 recommendations made in the inquiry report.

• Policy paper
• Paterson inquiry report
• Department of Health and Social Care - publications

Saving lives, improving mothers’ care: lessons learned to inform maternity care from the UK and Ireland Confidential Enquiries into Maternal Deaths and Morbidity 2017-19

National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit -
This report finds that pregnancy remains safe in the UK, with the overall maternal death rate showing a slight decrease. Among 2,173,810 women who gave birth in 2017-2019, 191 died during or up to six weeks after pregnancy, and 495 during or up to one year after their pregnancy. However, the findings show a continued inequality in the mortality rates for women of different ethnic backgrounds, ages, and socio-economic circumstances.

• Report
• National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit - news

Under pressure: NHS priorities this winter

NHS Confederation -
According to a poll of NHS leaders, the pressure on the NHS is now at unsustainable levels and patient safety and care are being put at risk by staff shortages. Leaders in England warn that the NHS has reached a tipping point, with nearly nine in 10 (88 per cent) saying the demands on their organisation are unsustainable. Almost the same number (87 per cent) also say that a lack of staffing in the NHS as a whole is putting patient safety and care at risk.

• Report
• NHS Confederation - news

Surgical care of NHS patients in independent hospitals

Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch (HSIB) - 

This report shows that successful collaborations between NHS hospitals and independent hospitals helps to protect patients when providing shared care. It is HSIB's first investigation into NHS-funded care in the independent sector and focuses on surgical care of patients.

• Report
• More detail

Delivering midwifery continuity of carer at full scale: guidance on planning, implementation and monitoring 2021/22

NHS England and NHS Improvement  -

This document provides guidance for maternity services and local maternity systems on how to develop a local plan for achieving Midwifery Continuity of Carer as the default model of care offered to all women. This support includes online midwifery workforce tools, which are designed to help midwifery leaders safely plan, simulate and design maternity services. The guidance also sets out recommended practice, how delivery against these plans will be assured nationally, and how provision will be measured at provider and local maternity system level.

• Guidelines
• More detail

Adult Social Care Infection Control and Testing Fund, round 3: guidance

Department of Health and Social Care -
The Infection Control and Testing Fund has been extended, with an extra £388 million of funding from 1 October 2021 to 31 March 2022 to support the care sector to put in place crucial measures over the winter period. This guidance sets out the measures that round three of the Infection Control and Testing Fund supports, including distribution of funds, conditions and reporting requirements.

• Guidance
• Department of Health and Social Care - publications

MBRRACE-UK perinatal mortality surveillance report: UK perinatal deaths for births from January to December 2019

MBRRACE-UK -
The results indicate that whilst perinatal deaths in the UK are declining – with the rate of stillbirths across the UK reducing by over 20 per cent from 2013 to 2019 – there are key areas which need to be prioritised. The research shows an urgent need to improve care for mothers and babies from Black and Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds, and care for those living in more deprived areas.

• Report
• MBRRACE-UK - publications

UKHSA review into IPC guidance

UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) - 

The UKHSA has recommended three pragmatic changes that hospitals can make to the current management of coronavirus (Covid-19) infection prevention and control (IPC) measures, with a focus on elective care. These initial recommendations include three interventions which relate to social distancing and testing in NHS and Social Care elective care services, and cleaning practices: a reduction of physical distancing from two metres to one metre with appropriate mitigations where patient access can be controlled; removing the need for a negative PCR and three days self-isolation before selected elective procedures as currently advised by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE); and re-adopting standard rather than enhanced cleaning procedures.

• Guidance
• Press release

Good for you, good for us, good for everybody: a plan to reduce overprescribing to make patient care better and safer, support the NHS, and reduce carbon emissions

Department of Health and Social Care -
This report contains the findings and recommendations of the national overprescribing review led by Dr Keith Ridge, Chief Pharmaceutical Officer for England. The review sets out a series of practical and cultural changes to ensure patients are receiving the most appropriate treatment for their needs while ensuring clinicians’ time is well spent and taxpayer money is spent wisely. This includes better use of technology, how to review prescriptions more effectively, and how to offer alternatives to medicines where they would be more effective.

• Report
• Department of Health and Social Care - press release

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