NICE Bites: menopause
The December 2015 NICE Bites bulletin from the North West Medicines Information Service covers Menopause.   The aim of this publication is to provide healthcare professionals with a clear and succinct summary of key prescribing points taken from NICE guidance NG23.  This guideline covers diagnosis and management of menopause, including premature ovarian insufficiency.

Revealed: Trusts’ estimated savings potential – Health Service Journal
By using publically available data, HSJ has been able to closely match the methodology used by Lord Carter to produce trusts’ headline “savings opportunity” figures. This article lists the least and most efficient trusts according to the headline measure.

• Contact the Library & Knowledge Service to request this article in full or Phn. 01704 704202

Headline Carter efficiency measure based on ‘discredited’ data – Health Service Journal
Headline savings estimates sent to hospital trusts as part of Lord Carter’s review into NHS efficiency are based purely on contentious reference costs data.

• Concern over initial savings figures produced by Lord Carter’s review of NHS effciency, which are solely based on the contentious reference costs collection
• HSJ has used reference costs to produce savings estimates which are broadly in line with those issued to trusts. See the full data here
• King’s College Hospital is 18 per cent less efficient than average, according to main measure
• Trusts have also been sent staffing and estates data, enabling them to compare their spending to national averages, before final savings targets are agreed

• Contact the Library & Knowledge Service to request this article in full or Phn. 01704 704202

NHS England set to remove eight national clinical directors – Health Service Journal
NHS England is on course to cut eight national clinical directors, including for renal disease, spinal disorders and trauma.  The national commissioner has also outlined the new structure the remaining 16 clinical directors will fit in to from April.

• NHS England on track to cut eight national clinical director posts
• Sixteen directors will be retained in a new structure from April
• Remaining directors split into “major programme”, “service improvement” and “population group”

• Contact the Library & Knowledge Service to request this article in full or Phn. 01704 704202