Health Management and Policy Alert

Lack of timely monitoring of patients with glaucoma

Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch - 

This national investigation identified that there is inadequate hospital eye services capacity to meet demand for glaucoma services, and that better, smarter ways of working should be implemented to maximise the current capacity. The report highlights that there are innovative measures implemented by some trusts that have reduced the risk, but this good practice is yet to be implemented more widely.

• Report
• Press release

Fifth patient report of the National Emergency Laparotomy Audit (NELA): December 2017 to November 2018

Royal College of Anaesthetists - 

Commissioned by the Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership as part of the National Clinical Audit Programme, this report analyses the care received by close to 25,000 emergency bowel surgery patients treated in NHS hospitals in England and Wales between December 2017 and November 2018. Amongst the findings is that time to antibiotics in patients with sepsis remains poor with 80.6 per cent not receiving antibiotics within one hour. The report is the fifth report of NELA and offers a series of recommendations to reduce variation in the care of patients undergoing emergency bowel surgery.

• Report
• More detail

Implementing the recommendations of the Neonatal Critical Care Transformation Review

NHS England and NHS Improvement - 

This action plan to implement the recommendations of the Neonatal Critical Care Transformation Review sets out how the NHS will further improve neonatal care with the support of funding set out in the NHS Long Term Plan. The recommendations are grouped under the following themes: aligning capacity; developing the expert neonatal workforce; enhancing the experience of families; and making it happen. For each theme, the report summarises the evidence for the change, who needs to do what by when to inform regional commissioning planning processes and decision making and what support is available.

• Action plan
• More detail

A competency framework for designated prescribing practitioners

Royal Pharmaceutical Society - 

This framework supports individuals across all independent prescribing professions, training providers and universities to understand what competencies must be met to provide safe and effective prescribing supervision to independent prescribers. Regulatory changes in 2019 mean that experienced non-medical prescribers of any professional background can become responsible for a trainee prescriber's period of learning in practice.

• Framework
• More detail

Standing up for patient and public safety

Royal College of Nursing - 

This report describes the lack of clear roles, responsibilities and accountability for workforce planning and supply in England. In reality, this means that the health and care workforce is not growing in line with increasing population need for health and care services, and there are large numbers of vacant posts throughout the system. This impacts upon patient safety and outcomes, and leads to a challenging working environment for staff. To resolve this, the RCN makes the case for this to be resolved through legislation, alongside additional investment in the nursing workforce and a national health and care workforce strategy for England.

• Report
• Press release

Caring, supportive, collaborative: doctors’ vision for change in the NHS

British Medical Association (BMA) -
This report draws on the experience and expertise of BMA members across all branches of medical practice in the UK. It outlines where the BMA believe changes are needed to ensure patient care is safe, makes the NHS a great place to work and transforms services for the better.

• Report
• BMA - publications

More harm than good: why more isn't always better with older people's medicines

Age UK -
This report calls for a more considered approach to prescribing medicines for our older population. It says too many older people in our society are on too many prescribed medicines, putting them at risk of side effects that in a worrying number of cases can lead to falls and a range of other serious harms. The report also provides evidence showing that prescribing more drugs isn’t always the best option, particularly when it comes to older people.

• Report
• Age UK - press release

Failures in communication or follow-up of unexpected significant radiological findings

Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch -
This report demonstrates where technology could play a pivotal role in reducing harm caused by failures in communication or follow-up of unexpected significant radiological findings. The investigation also makes three other recommendations in relation to following up unexpected significant radiological findings, to The Royal College of Radiologists, NHS England and NHS Improvement, and the Care Quality Commission.

• Report
• Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch - publications

The NHS patient safety strategy: safer culture, safer systems, safer patients

NHS - 

Patient safety is about maximising the things that go right and minimising the things that go wrong. It is integral to the NHS’ definition of quality in healthcare, alongside effectiveness and patient experience. This strategy sets out what the NHS will do to achieve its vision to continuously improve patient safety. 

• Strategy
• More detail

Pounds for patients? How private hospitals use financial incentives to win the business of medical consultants

Centre for Health and the Public Interest - 

This report looks into how the private hospital sector uses financial incentives to attract NHS consultants to work for them. It argues that this could result in a potential conflict between consultants' income and patients’ best interests. The report was compiled between May 2018 and May 2019 using publicly available data on the websites of private hospitals, NHS trusts and Companies House.

• Report
• More detail