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Health and Medicine

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Read on for Health and Medicine stories:

Modernising Medical Careers (MMC) programme investigated

The Modernising Medical Careers (MMC) programme of work was established in 2003 to address difficulties in poor training and indifferent career prospects and a new Foundation programme was introduced in 2005, the Specialty Training system was reformed, and the SHO grade scrapped in 2007.

As a result of inadequate preparation during the implementation of the reforms, in 2007 the MMC programme was plunged into crisis.

Health of the working population reviewed

Around 175 million working days were lost to illness in 2006. Some 7% of the working-age population is workless and receiving benefits because of long-term health conditions or disabilities. This represents a significant cost to the economy - in cost of benefits, healthcare, forgone taxes, lost production, sickness absence, informal care - estimated at between £103 and £129 billion.

This Review from Dame Carol Black (the National Director for Health and Work), 'Working for a Healthier Tomorrow', establishes the first baseline for the health of the working population. Its vision for health and work in Britain is based on three principal objectives: prevention of illness and promotion of health and well-being; early intervention for those who develop a health condition; and an improvement in the health of those out of work.

GP salaries up by average of 58% as working hours fall

Each year general medical practices provide some 290 million consultations. The new contract which was implemented in April 2004 (increased spending began in April 2003) changed the basis for commissioning primary care services. Instead of contracting with individual General Practitioners (GPs), Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) commission services from some 8,325 GP practices with around 33,000 GPs.

'NHS Pay Modernisation: New Contracts for General Practice Services in England' (HC 307) examines the negotiation and implementation of the new contract and how well it is working in practice.

Prescription costs examined

This Report, 'Department of Health: Prescribing costs in primary care' (HC 173), from the Committee of Public Accounts, examines the cost of prescriptions in primary care.

Care for vulnerable babies examined

This National Audit Office (NAO) Report ‘Caring for Vulnerable Babies’ (HC 101) examines the reorganisation of neonatal services in England.

Air travel health issues examined

In this Report, ‘Air Travel & Health: An Update’ (HL 7), the House of Lords Select Committee on Science and Technology sets out the current situation and still finds issues that remain of concern, particularly the risk to air travellers of venous thromboembolism (VTE).

Mental Health Crisis services reviewed

This National Audit Office (NAO) Report, 'Helping People Through Mental Health Crisis' (HC 5), examines the role of Crisis Resolution and Home Treatment services (CRHT) in helping people through mental health crisis.

Improving health services in England and Wales

This report, 'State of Healthcare 2007: Improvements and Challenges in Services in England and Wales’ (HC 97), is the fourth annual State of Healthcare Report from the Healthcare Commission.

Abortion 24 week limit examined

‘Scientific Developments Relating to the Abortion Act 1967’ (HC 1045-I) discusses key scientific and technological issues relating to the law on abortion.

Specialist allergy centres needed

Allergy in the United Kingdom has now reached epidemic proportions.
This Report ‘Allergy’ (HL 166-I) examines the provision of allergy treatment in the UK.

Clinical governance in primary care

Following serious concerns about clinical and organisational failures in the NHS during the 1990s (such as Alder Hey, the Bristol Royal Infirmary and Shipman), the Government identified the need for a more systematic approach to improving quality and safety in healthcare.

This Report ‘Clinical Governance in Primary Care’ (HC 302) examines the introduction of the clinical governance framework in the NHS.

Mental health ‘deprivation of liberty’ safeguards introduced

The main purpose of the Mental Health Act 2007 is to amend the Mental Health Act 1983. It also introduces "deprivation of liberty safeguards" through amending the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and extends the rights of victims by amending the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004.

NHS spending on prescription drugs examined

The National Health Service spends £8 billion a year on prescription drugs in primary care in England. This has grown 60% in real terms over the last decade and the trend continues to be upward.

Digital hearing aid waiting times examined

One in seven people in England suffer from hearing loss of some kind, and the advent of digital hearing aids has proved of great benefit to many patients.

This publication from the House of Commons Health Committee, ‘Audiology services’ (HC 392)’ examines the Modernising Hearing Aid Services (MHAS) programme to improve audiology services introduced in 2000.

Disability discrimination laws "should protect mental health"

This Report ‘Improving the Mental Health of the Population: Can the European Union help?’ (HLP 73- I) from the House of Lords European Union Committee brings together evidence on the impact of mental health problems from a wide range of individuals and organisations.

NHS IT “behind schedule”

The National Programme for IT in the NHS was set up to utilise information technology to help provide high quality services to patients, using centrally managed procurement to provide impetus to the uptake of IT and to secure economies of scale.

Expenditure on the Programme is expected to be £12.4bn over ten years to 2013-14.

NHS consultant contract reviewed

This National Audit Office (NAO) Report ‘Pay modernisation: a new contract for NHS consultants in England’ (HC 335) examines the contract for NHS consultants agreed in 2003 and widely implemented by April 2004.

The contract was needed to increase the size and commitment of the consultant workforce if it was to deliver the NHS reform agenda and comply with the requirements of the European Working Time Directive to reduce consultants’ hours.

New out of hours care ‘shambolic’

Approximately nine million patients receive urgent primary out-of-hours care in England.

In April 2004, the Department of Health gave GPs the chance to opt out of providing this service and transfer responsibility to the Primary Care Trust.

Mental Health Bill human rights examined

This Report from the Joint Committee on Human Rights 'Legislative Scrutiny: Mental Health Bill' (HC 288/HL 40) examines the provisions of the 'Mental Health Bill' (HLB 1) in relation to human rights compatibility issues and considers significant omissions from the Bill which could have enhanced the protection and promotion of human rights.

Health professionals should "revalidate" fitness to practice

This White Paper 'Trust, Assurance and Safety: The Regulation of Health Professionals in the 21st Century' (Cm. 7013) sets out a programme of reform to the UK's system for the regulation of health professionals.

NHS, armed forces and prison officers’ pay reviewed

These Reports review the salaries of the armed forces, senior civil servants, prison offers and health professionals, including doctors, dentists and nurses.

Recommendations set out in these Reports are applicable from 1 April 2007.

Primary Care Trusts “improving quality and safety”

Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) are responsible at the local NHS level for the statutory “duty of care”, largely through implementing clinical governance.

“Clinical governance” involves improving the overall standard of clinical care, reducing variations in access to services, and ensuring that local decision-making is based on the most up to date effectiveness principles.

New single fund for health research proposed

The Cooksey Review proposes a structure for funding health research, with the objective of obtaining maximum benefit and eliminating duplication of effort.

The Review found that the UK is at risk of failing to reap the full economic, health and social benefits of public investment in health research, with two key gaps in the translation of health research:

  • Translating ideas from basic and clinical research into the development of new products and approaches to treatment of disease and illness
  • Implementing those new products and approaches into clinical practice.

NHS plans investment and reform

The Department of Health releases its Autumn Performance Report 2006. The Report looks at progress made in the Department’s commitments to delivering better public services, examining public service agreements and analysing targets.

Primary Care Trusts “improving quality and safety”

Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) are responsible at the local NHS level for the statutory “duty of care”, largely through implementing clinical governance.

“Clinical governance” involves improving the overall standard of clinical care, reducing variations in access to services, and ensuring that local decision-making is based on the most up to date effectiveness principles.

Hybrid embryo research ban examined

This Report ‘Government Proposals for the Regulation of Hybrid and Chimera Embryos’ (HC 272-I) is a response by the House of Commons Science and Technology Select Committee to the publication of Government proposals to prohibit the creation of human-animal chimera or hybrid embryos for research for the time being, published as ‘Review of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act’, (Cm. 6989).

NHS "lack of planning" over use of temporary nurses

Properly managed, the use of temporary nurses can play an important role in helping hospitals achieve flexibility. However their high use can have a detrimental impact on patient care and satisfaction.

In 2001, the Department of Health anticipated that a growth in the National Health Service (NHS) workforce would lead to a decline in the use of temporary staff but, in spite of this intention, temporary nurses still account for the same percentage of the nursing budget (around 9%).

Human Tissue and Embryos Draft Bill: key concerns

This Report ‘Human Tissue and Embryos (Draft) Bill’ (HL 169-I / HC 630-I) from the Joint Committee on the Human Tissue and Embryos (Draft) Bill scrutinises proposals set out within the Government’s 'Human Tissue and Embryos (Draft) Bill (Cm. 7087)'.

After scrutinising the Draft Bill, the Committee challenge a number of aspects of the Government’s approach.

NICE: slow publication of guidance criticised

This Report, 'National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence’ (HC 27), looks at the role of National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), how the organisation works, changes made since its establishment and the new challenges it faces.

NHS Electronic Patient Records reviewed

One of the main aims of the 10-year National Programme for Information Technology in England is implementing Electronic Patient Records (EPR). The NHS Care Records Service creates two separate EPR systems: a national Summary Care Record, containing basic information, and local Detailed Care Records, containing more comprehensive clinical information.

This Report ‘The Electronic Patient Record’ (HC 422-I) examines the implementation of the scheme.


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