Quality and safety news - 11 October 2012
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News highlights are:
BBC Health: Hope over dementia summit boost to ailing industry. Campaigners and ministers are hoping a government-hosted summit on dementia research will help boost industry's waning interest in the condition.
Care Quality Commission (CQC): CQC launches urgent inspection at Sherwood Forest Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. The Care Quality Commission is to carry out an urgent inspection into breast cancer screening, pathology and clinical governance at Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. The announcement comes as the trust announces that it is to recall 79 women with regard to test results relating to breast tissue biopsies.
BBC Health: King's Mill Hospital admits breast cancer test errors.
DH: Health becomes first government department to sign Time to Change mental health pledge. On World Mental Health Day, the Department of Health has become the first government department to sign up to Time to Change the mental health anti-stigma programme.
Time to Change.
Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety (DHSSPS): Poots launches consultation on Transforming Your Care proposals. The Minister said: “The proposals in Transforming Your Care present a vision of a new model of care which is focused on ensuring that more services are provided in the community, closer to people’s homes where possible. It is about prevention, earlier interventions, promoting health and well-being and having more personalised care that is planned and delivered around the needs of the individual and tailored as far as possible to suit them." The consultation closes on 15 January 2013.
Minister's speech in full.
Consultation: Transforming Your Care: from Visions to Actions.
DHSSPS: Older People’s Service Framework. The Older People’s Service Framework is the sixth in a planned series of Service Frameworks to be developed. It aims to improve the health and well-being of older people, their carers and families by setting 46 standards in relation to: person-centred care; health and social wellbeing improvement; safeguarding; carers; conditions more common in older people; medicines management and transitions of care. The consultation closes on 28 December 2012.
News: Framework aims to improve older people's services.
DH: Next generation nursing and midwifery to free up more time for patients. The Prime Minister and Health Secretary have set out plans to invest £140 million so that NHS nurses and midwives can spend more time with patients, not paperwork, and provide safer care. £100 million will be offered to the NHS for nurses and midwives to spend on new technology that will free up time for patient care. This could include digital pens and other handheld mobile devices that allow staff to know the latest information about a patient’s treatment whenever, wherever they are, and provide safer, quicker care.
DH: Consultation on ensuring fair and transparent pricing for NHS services. From April 2014, Monitor and the NHS Commissioning Board will take over responsibility for pricing NHS services from the Department. They will do this through the national tariff. These arrangements will place responsibility for pricing with the bodies best placed in the new system to undertake it. The consultation closes on 21 December 2012.
Guardian: Mid Staffordshire scandal highlights regulators' failings. "The Francis report on what went wrong at the trust has been put back – let's hope the QC is not under pressure to water down his inquiry."
NHS Commissioning Board: Director of Nursing: Quality Improvement and Care appointed to the NHS Commissioning Board. The NHS Commissioning Board has announced the appointment of Professor Juliet Beal to Director of Nursing: Quality Improvement and Care. Professor Juliet Beal, previously Director of Nursing (East) at NHS South of England, will be responsible for ensuring that care, compassion and patient experience are at the heart of nursing and midwifery in the health and social care system. Juliet will provide clinical and professional leadership for mental health, midwifery, children’s health and leadership for the nursing and midwifery contribution to the five domains of the NHS outcomes framework.
NHS Commissioning Board: NHS Commissioning Board formally established. The NHS Commissioning Board has been formally established. It is a new independent body with executive powers and exceptional responsibilities. In April 2013 it will take on its full range of responsibilities, and over the next six months will be assessing proposals for authorisation from over 200 new clinical commissioning groups.
NHS Commissioning Board: Wave 3 authorisation applications received. The authorisation process for clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) remains on schedule, with the receipt this week of applications from CCGs in wave 3. All 63 proposed CCGs in the third wave have submitted their applications to the NHS Commissioning Board, which is responsible for supporting the development of CCGs as they move through authorisation.
Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC): NMC Chief Executive and Registrar appointment. The NMC Chair has appointed Jackie Smith, currently acting in the role, as the substantive Chief Executive for a one year period.
RCN: RCN wishes new NMC chief well for the year ahead.
RCN: RCN fears over mental health cuts. Improvements in mental health care could be jeopardised by cuts to services, the Royal College of Nursing has said. Speaking on World Mental Health (10 October), Dr Peter Carter, RCN Chief Executive & General Secretary, said poor mental health had a wide-ranging impact on individuals, their work and their family lives.
Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority (RQIA): Consultation on the Guidelines for Palliative and End of Life Care in Nursing Homes and Residential Care Homes. The Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority (RQIA) and Guidelines and Audit Implementation Network (GAIN), in partnership with a small consortium of partners has developed draft guidelines for palliative and end of life care in nursing and residential care homes across Northern Ireland. Prior to publication, the RQIA wish to consult with a wider audience to help shape and inform the final guidelines.
Welsh Government: A healthy budget for hospitals. New funding for hospital buildings totalling £30m has been allocated in the Draft Welsh Government Budget 2013-14.