Health Management and Policy Alert

Guidance for registered pharmacies providing pharmacy services at a distance, including on the internet

General Pharmaceutical Council -

This guidance explains what pharmacy owners should consider before deciding whether any parts of their pharmacy service can be provided safely and effectively at a distance (including on the internet), rather than in the traditional face-to-face way.

• Guidance
• Press release

Quality and safety of human blood and blood products if the UK leaves the EU without a deal

Department of Health and Social Care -

If the UK leaves the EU without a deal it will become a third country operating outside of EU rules. There will be some changes to the way blood and blood components are imported and exported. This guidance sets out what is required to ensure the safety and quality of blood and blood products.

• Guidance

Recommendations for assuring standards in the independent sector

Royal College of Surgeons -

The Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) is calling for independent hospitals to collect and publish equivalent data to that which the NHS routinely provides on patient safety and clinical audits. This RCS position statement sets out the changes to standards in the independent sector it believes are required to prevent a repeat of the harm caused by rogue breast surgeon, Ian Paterson.

• Position statement
• Press release

Safeguarding in general dental practice: a toolkit for dental teams

Public Health England -
The dental team has a statutory duty of care to all patients which includes ensuring that safeguarding arrangements are in place. This document provides an overview of safeguarding as a whole for the dental team by: clarifying the roles and responsibilities of the dental team in promoting the safety and wellbeing of children, young people and adults at risk of abuse; signposting useful safeguarding resources, including access to free training opportunities; outlining the pathways to be followed in cases of concern; and providing guidance on training requirements.

• Guidance
• Public Health England - publications

The state of care in independent doctor and clinic services providing primary medical care: findings from CQC’s programme of comprehensive inspections in England

Care Quality Commission -
This report gives an overview of care from inspection findings for doctors and clinics that provide primary medical services in the independent or private sector – that is those not provided by NHS organisations. It found that many services were responding to the needs of their patients, delivering caring services tailored to people’s requirements and needs. However, a number were not meeting the necessary regulations and not delivering safe and effective care.

• Report
• Care Quality Commission - press release

Implementing handovers and huddles: a framework for practice in maternity units

NHS Improvement -
This framework aims to provide a structure for maternity units to create and develop their own approach to effectively communicating clinical data and transferring key safety information. It describes the difference between handovers and huddles, the benefits of effective clinical handovers and the role of huddles in promoting safety. It is intended as a good practice guide for healthcare professionals involved in the care of pregnant women and their infants, regardless of the nature of the unit they work in or whether it is in the community or a hospital.

• Framework
• NHS Improvement - publications

Learning from invited reviews: 2019 full report

Royal College of Surgeons - 

This report finds that where rare problems occur in surgical practice, poor team working between surgeons is often a major factor.  Analysis of one hundred surgical reviews over ten years conducted by the Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) identifies poor teamwork as an issue leading to problems in surgical practice in over three quarters (76 per cent) of the reviews. In more than two thirds (68 per cent) of the RCS reviews, timely recognition and resolution of concerns was an issue. Alongside the report, the RCS has developed an interactive web resource to help hospital teams improve the quality of discussions about surgical practice and the action that takes place in response to it.

• Report
• Web resource
• Press release

The state of care in independent ambulance services: findings from CQC’s programme of comprehensive inspections in England

Care Quality Commission -
This report calls on independent ambulance services, commissioners and the wider system to do more to make sure patients are safe, following concerns identified during its inspections. The Care Quality Commission found evidence of good practice and improvements made by some individual services, but concerns remain about how safely and effectively independent ambulance providers are caring for people using their services.

• Report
• Care Quality Commission - press release

Improving patient safety through collaboration: a rapid review of the academic health science networks’ patient safety collaboratives

The AHSN Network -
This report discusses the progress and impact made by England’s Patient Safety Collaboratives (PSCs) in their first four years. It was commissioned by The AHSN Network and written by The King's Fund. The report notes how interest is shifting from supporting the improvement of individual services to improving how different services work together in local systems. It highlights the role the PSC programme has had in creating a movement for change and cultivating a shared vision among health and care organisations. It also suggests some areas PSCs and national NHS bodies could focus on to further support innovation, quality improvement and patient safety.

• Report
• Blog
• The AHSN Network - press release

Paying to breathe: why unfair asthma prescription charges must be stopped

Asthma UK - 

Asthma UK has conducted the largest ever survey carried out on prescription charges, engaging over 9,000 people. The results reveal many people with asthma are cutting back on their medication for financial reasons with a dramatic impact on their health. In light of this evidence, Asthma UK is campaigning to stop asthma prescription charges.

• Report
• Press release