Health Management and Policy Alert

Earlier screening, risk assessment and health optimisation in perioperative pathways: guide for providers and integrated care boards

NHS England - 
This guide supports providers and integrated care boards to implement early screening, risk assessment and health optimisation for patients waiting for surgery. It builds on the clinical guideline Preoperative assessment and optimisation, published by a cross-specialty, multidisciplinary working group, including the Royal College of Anaesthetists, Royal College of Surgeons of England, Royal College of General Practitioners and the Centre for Perioperative Care, in June 2021.

• Guidance

Saving babies’ lives 2023: a report on progress

Sands and Tommy's Joint Policy Unit - 
This report pulls together data from different sources to present a shared understanding of the burden of pregnancy and baby loss across the UK. Overall, it paints a concerning picture with progress stalling and a risk of going backwards. It finds that, in England, the Government’s target to halve the number of stillbirths and neonatal deaths by 2025 compared to 2010 levels is not on track, and there is no current target or ambition for reducing baby deaths in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland. It also highlights that despite Government commitments to act on the findings of recent reviews of maternity services, this still hasn’t led to the fundamental change needed to save more babies’ lives.

• Report
• Sands - press release

Specialist perinatal mental health care in the UK 2023

Maternal Mental Health Alliance -
This report on specialist perinatal mental health community services in the UK highlights the progress made in all four nations since 2013. However, it finds that access to life-saving mental health care for pregnant women and new mothers remains uneven, with many regions still lacking the necessary resources. Mental health-related deaths during pregnancy or up to six weeks after birth are increasing, emphasising the urgency of addressing this issue.

• Report
• Maternal Mental Health Alliance - news

Five principles for implementing the NHS Impact approach to improvement in England

Health Foundation - 

This long read describes five guiding principles that should inform implementing the NHS Impact approach to improvement at provider, integrated care systems (ICSs) and national level to maximise the chances of success in the current climate. It also sets out recommendations for provider organisation, system and national leaders on the steps needed to translate these principles into sustained improvements across ICSs.

• Long read

 

Living (and dying) as an older person in prison: understanding the biggest health care challenges for an ageing prisoner population

Nuffield Trust - 

Tough conditions in prison disproportionately affect older prisoners, and they tend to be in poorer health than the general population. This research uses hospital data to look at the health care needs of those older people in prison. It finds significant health care needs associated with frailty, which has implications for the prison service in managing increasing numbers of older people as the population continues to age.

• Report
• More detail

Urgent and emergency care improvement guide to contact hubs for primary, ambulance and clinical calls

NHS England -
This guide has been designed for providers and systems to consider embedding as good practice to reduce ambulance handover delays. The contents have been drawn from the Winter Improvement Collaborative which was set up to identify solutions to the problems facing the system over the winter period. Members of the collaborative were asked to co-design a series of plans and potential improvement measures, to be adapted and trialled at local level.

• Guidance
• NHS England - publications

Urgent and emergency care improvement guide to direct access

NHS England - 
This guide has been designed for providers and systems to consider embedding as good practice to reduce ambulance handover delays. The contents have been drawn from the Winter Improvement Collaborative which was set up to identify solutions to the problems facing the system over the winter period. Members of the collaborative were asked to co-design a series of plans and potential improvement measures, to be adapted and trialled at local level.

• Guidance
• NHS England - publications

Urgent and emergency care improvement guide same day emergency care flow

NHS England -
This guide has been designed for providers and systems to consider embedding as good practice to reduce ambulance handover delays. The contents have been drawn from the Winter Improvement Collaborative which was set up to identify solutions to the problems facing the system over the winter period. Members of the collaborative were asked to co-design a series of plans and potential improvement measures, to be adapted and trialled at local level.

• Guidance
• NHS England - publications

Urgent and emergency care improvement guide same day emergency care pathways

NHS England -
This guide has been designed for providers and systems to consider embedding as good practice to reduce ambulance handover delays. The contents have been drawn from the Winter Improvement Collaborative which was set up to identify solutions to the problems facing the system over the winter period. Members of the collaborative were asked to co-design a series of plans and potential improvement measures, to be adapted and trialled at local level.

• Guidance
• NHS England - publications

Urgent and emergency care improvement guide specialty support to the urgent and emergency care pathway/internal professional standards

NHS England - 
This guide has been designed for providers and systems to consider embedding as good practice to reduce ambulance handover delays. The contents have been drawn from the Winter Improvement Collaborative which was set up to identify solutions to the problems facing the system over the winter period. Members of the collaborative were asked to co-design a series of plans and potential improvement measures, to be adapted and trialled at local level.

• Report
• NHS England - publications