Quality and safety news - 13 September 2012
Some of the resources linked to are in PDF format - see how to access PDF files.
News highlights are:
BBC Health: Diabetes warning for people of Asian, African and Caribbean descent. British people of South Asian, African or African Caribbean descent are significantly more likely to develop Type 2 diabetes than their European counterparts, researchers have warned. Half had developed the disease by the age of 80 in a study of 4,200 people living in London - approximately twice the figure for Europeans.
Care Quality Commission (CQC): CQC strategy consultation, 2013-2016. The CQC is asking for views on their plans for the next three years. Their vision of success is a health and social care sector where more services provide care that meets national standards of quality and safety, and where those that don’t improve quickly. This means that more people will receive better care. The consultation closes on the 6 December 2012.
RCN : Have your say on the CQC.
CQC: Chair of Care Quality Commission announces resignation. Dame Jo Williams has announced her resignation as Chair of CQC. She will remain in post until a successor is appointed.
Department of Health, Social Services and Public Health (DHSSPS): Fit and Well - Changing Lives 2012 – 2022. A new strategic plan for improving public health has the potential to make a real difference to the health and wellbeing of everyone in Northern Ireland. Fit and Well - Changing Lives, which is currently under consultation, aims to ensure the best possible health status for every person in Northern Ireland. The consultation closes on 31 October 2012.
Consultation.
DH: Jeremy Hunt. Jeremy Hunt was appointed Secretary of State for Health in September 2012 and replaces Andrew Lansley.
RCN welcomes new Health Secretary.
BBC: Cabinet reshuffle: Lansley replaced by Hunt in health job. Health secretary Andrew Lansley has been demoted to the role of Leader of the Commons in an extensive reshuffle.
DH: Join in the conversation on how to strengthen the NHS Constitution. The NHS Future Forum, which is advising the Government on how the NHS Constitution might be strengthened, is talking about what the NHS Constitution means to them and are keen to hear your views. A new blog has been launched on which members of the NHS Future Forum explain what the NHS Constitution means to them and discuss ways of strengthening it.
NHS Constitution blog.
DH: Join our webchat on licensing and procurement. A series of webchats will provide opportunities to ask questions and share views on licensing, procurement regulations and continuity of services during the public consultation period on different aspects of sector regulation.
DH: Preventing suicide in England – a cross-government outcomes strategy to save lives. The strategy, launched on World Suicide Prevention Day, supports action by bringing together knowledge about groups at higher risk of suicide, applying evidence of effective interventions and highlighting resources available. It is intended to support local decision-making, while recognising the autonomy of local organisations to decide what works in their area.
RCN: RCN comments on suicide prevention strategy.
DH: Survey of plans to tender for genito-urinary medicine services. Details of any current or future plans to tender sexual health genito-urinary medicine (GUM) services are being sought from strategic health authorities, primary care trusts and specialist commissioning groups. In many areas HIV treatment services are co-located within GUM services and the Department of Health is particularly interested in the impact any tender will have on HIV treatment services where they are currently provided alongside GUM.
DH: new diabetes project wants NHS partners. Diabetes UK is looking for NHS organisations to take part in a new project aimed at involving people living with diabetes, in their own care and the services they receive. It wants to find 10 NHS bodies for the Improving Local Services Together Project, funded by the Department of Health, which will start in October 2012 and is designed to build on the success of a pilot project around user involvement previously run in three NHS areas.
Guardian: Will the new ministers understand the link between social care and health? “There is hope that at least Norman Lamb, who replaces Paul Burstow as care minister, will appreciate that cuts in social care will have a significant impact on health”. Article looks at potential strengths and weaknesses of the recent cabinet reshuffle.
Health Education England: HEE appoints Director of Nursing. Dr Lisa Bayliss-Pratt has been appointed Director of Nursing for Health Education England (HEE). Dr Bayliss-Pratt is currently Assistant Director of Nursing at Midlands and East Strategic Health Authority, was education lead in the West Midlands Strategic Health Authority multi-professional Deanery and is a former senior lecturer in pre-registration nursing at Wolverhampton University.
Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA): ‘New’ and changing MHRA - new chairman and non-executive directors are announced. From April 2013 the Agency will be taking on substantial additional responsibilities. “The ‘new MHRA’ will be larger, broader in scope and with an even wider range of activities than we have already.”
NHS Commissioning Board: Wave 2 authorisation applications received. The authorisation process for clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) is on schedule, with the receipt on 3 September of applications from CCGs in wave 2.
Patient Safety First: Safer Surgery Week 2012: 24-30 September. Patient Safety First and the Clinical Board for Surgical Safety are hosting Safer Surgery Week, beginning on 24th of September. All Trusts in England are using the Surgical Safety Checklist in order to provide safer surgical care. Safer Surgery Week will be promoting a number of simple local activities designed for people and teams to quickly get involved in, + a series of online webinars with the aim of improving the quality and reliability of local implementation of the Five Steps to Safer Surgery. Webinars are scheduled for each day of the week and you can also sign up for email updates about the week.
RCN: Promoting safer surgery. Royal College of Nursing members are being encouraged to get involved with Safer Surgery Week.
Public health Wales: Health Challenge Wales website. The Health Challenge Wales website, formerly managed and hosted by the Welsh Government, has been transferred to Public Health Wales. Public Health Wales will now begin reviewing the current website structure and functionality, and identifying any gaps in content.
Welsh Government: New Chief Medical Officer starts work. New Chief Medical Officer/Medical Director for NHS Wales, Dr Ruth Hussey OBE takes up her post, following the retirement of Dr Tony Jewell in August. Dr Hussey has worked as a Regional Director of Public Health and Senior Medical Director at NHS North West, and led the Department of Health in the North West region. Most recently, she has been on secondment to the Public Health England Transition Team, leading the transition of the public health function from the NHS to local Government.