Knowledge @lert for Monday 28th October

October 28, 2019 CCG Daily News

NICE guidance

Clinical guideline

CG184

Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease and dyspepsia in adults: investigation and management – updated

Technology appraisal guidance

TA607

Rivaroxaban for preventing atherothrombotic events in people with coronary or peripheral artery disease

What is health research?
The National Institute for Health Research has launched a new online course What is health research? The three week course is aimed at anyone with an interest in learning more about the world of health research and allows learners to study at their own pace. It starts on Monday 11 November 2019.

Urgent and emergency care survey
The Care Quality Commission has published Urgent and emergency care survey 2018. The survey results indicate the majority of people were positive about most aspects of the type 1 and type 3 urgent or emergency care they received. The results have remained generally stable and have not significantly changed between 2016 and 2018; they suggest there is scope for improvement in a number of areas including waiting times, help from staff to control their pain and information provision when leaving A&E or the urgent care centre.

Quality and Outcomes Framework
NHS Digital has published Quality and Outcomes Framework, Achievement, prevalence and exceptions data 2018-19. This publication provides data for 1 April 2018 to 31 March 2019 and covers all General Practices in England that participated in the Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) in 2018-19. It shows the recorded prevalence of 21 conditions and identifies how this prevalence has changes since the previous year.

National Audit of Pulmonary Hypertension
NHS Digital has published National Audit of Pulmonary Hypertension, 10^th Annual Report. This audit sets out to measure the quality of care provided to people referred to pulmonary hypertension services in Great Britain. It examines the appropriateness of services, whether patients are receiving the right treatment in a timely manner and patient outcomes. It is accompanied by a supplementary report, tables and charts and open data.

Chronic pain
The Chronic Pain Policy Coalition has published Chronic pain: patient voice and the NHS Long Term Plan. This report summarises discussions from a patient centric Pain Platform meeting held in June 2019 which explored the burden of chronic pain and how policy can be improved.

Old age psychiatry
The Royal College of Psychiatrists has published Delivering the NHS Long Term Plan’s ambition of ageing well: old age psychiatry as a vital resource. This guidance aims to help local areas plan and deliver specialist services, led by old age psychiatrists, to meet the needs of older people. It includes good practice examples of collaboration and innovations involving old age psychiatrists across different health and social care settings.

Financial Performance Report
NHS England and NHS Improvement have published Financial performance report: first quarter 2019/20. This report provides an update on the financial performance of NHS England and includes the year to date and forecast position for CCGs, areas of direct commissioning, central running costs and programme budgets. It also includes year to date and forecast performance against commissioner efficiency plans.

Brexit and health care
The NHS Confederation has published the following documents relating to Brexit:

The NHS and future free trade agreements – assesses the impact on the NHS of future trade deals after Brexit and argues that the impact of trade deals should be assessed to ensure that commercial advantage is not prioritised at the expense of human and economic health.
Brexit temperature check – sets out the views of health leaders at this stage of Brexit planning reveals how prepared their organisations are for a potential no-deal Brexit.

The Nuffield Trust has published a blog: Health and hard Brexit: the impact of the new deal.

Apprenticeships
NHS Employers has published Collaborating regionally on apprenticeships. This briefing sets out how regions have worked together to deliver apprenticeships and maximise the apprenticeship levy. This resource would be useful for STPs or ICS leads interested in what other regions are doing, as well as workforce leaders who are looking to work more collaboratively on apprenticeships.

Antibiotic awareness
Senior NHS and health system leaders have written to colleagues in CCGs and Trusts asking for their help in promoting the annual World Antibiotic Awareness Week (WAAW), taking place 18-22 November 2019. The letter also reminds colleagues that this year’s WAAW campaign is the first of a new five-year UK National Action Plan for antimicrobial resistance, which contains stretching ambitions for reducing inappropriate prescriptions; as well as controlling and preventing infections.

Electronic prescriptions
NHS Digital has announced prescription processing is to become digital by default as the final phase of the Electronic Prescription Service (EPS) is rolled out across the country. Roll-out of EPS Phase 4 starts from 18 November, beginning with GP practices using the TPP SystmOne system. Implementation will continue into next year with other system suppliers, while Clinical Commissioning Groups will manage the roll-out in their own areas with support from NHS Digital3 and the NHSBSA.

Electronic prescribing and safe discharge
The Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch has published Electronic prescribing and medicines administration systems and safe discharge. This report examines electronic prescribing and medicines administration (ePMA) systems and highlights that many NHS trusts are taking up this technology as they reduce medication errors, but that incomplete use of e-systems could create further risks to patient safety. It sets out recommendations around better information sharing and communication, improving medication messaging and alerts to ensure the safe discharge of patients.

Type 1 diabetes: tech, treatment and care
NHS England and NHS Improvement have issued a letter Improving tech, treatment and care for people with Type 1 diabetes. This letter provides an update on the uptake of flash glucose monitors and other planned technological innovations to improve the treatment and care of people with Type 1 diabetes.

Local authority health profiles
Public Health England has published Local Authority Health Profiles 2019. The profiles pull together data on a range of health and wellbeing indicators for local populations. They are intended as ‘conversation starters’ to highlight local issues and priorities for members, and for discussion at Health and Wellbeing Boards.

Alcohol clinical guidelines: development begins
Public Health England has announced it is working to produce the first UK-wide clinical guidelines for alcohol treatment. The main aim of the guidelines is to develop a clear consensus on good practice and help services to implement interventions for alcohol use disorders that are recommended by NICE. The project will start next month and the guidelines are expected to be published by the end of next year.

Mental health support for doctors and dentists
The Department of Health and Social Care has announced that all NHS doctors and dentists in England now have 24/7 access to confidential advice and support through NHS Practitioner Health. Staff can access support 24/7 through a dedicated phone line and a crisis text service available through the night. The service is currently staffed by 200 experts whose training is tailored to understand the specific circumstances of clinical life.

Benchmarking reports
NHS Benchmarking has published the following reports:

House of Commons health-related briefings

Statistics