Knowledge @lert for Thursday 17th June

June 17, 2021 Daily News

Strengthening NHS board diversity – NHS Confederation
An independent taskforce asked to examine the diversity of healthcare leadership has said that NHS organisations can create a “sustainable pipeline” of senior leaders that properly reflect the diversity of their staff and communities by refreshing their processes for appointing chairs and non-executive directors (NEDs). The report, based on the feedback of taskforce members including NHS chairs, NEDs and chief executives, found that while there are pockets of innovation, the current NHS appointment process for NEDs would benefit from a standard, more transparent procedure.

Outsourcing as a threat to public health: the case for insourcing public sector cleaners and facilities management – New Economics Foundation
The evidence cited in this report suggests that outsourced health facilities management services pose a threat to public health. This represents a major weakness in the UK’s ability to cope with subsequent waves of Covid-19. As a matter of public health, this paper recommends that: the government should launch an urgent and independent inquiry into the outsourcing of key workers, including cleaners, to assess whether, as the literature suggests, there is a link between outsourcing and higher rates of infection; and as a pandemic precautionary measure, all local authorities and NHS Trusts should immediately assess their portfolio of healthcare facilities management and sanitation workers, and examine opportunities to bring them in-house.

Ethnicity coding in English health service datasets – Nuffield Trust 
The Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted ethnic disparities in health care and outcomes in England, but data on the ethnicities of patients remains poor. This report (supported by the NHS Race and Health Observatory) looks at the quality and consistency of ethnicity coding within health datasets and calls on NHS England to provide new guidance for health service providers and GPs.

Workforce burnout and resilience in the NHS and social care – House of Commons Health and Social Care Committee
This report finds that workforce burnout across the NHS and social care has reached an emergency level and poses a risk to the future functioning of both services. Only a total overhaul of workforce planning can provide a solution. Available funding was the driver behind planning, rather than the level of demand and staffing capacity needed to service it. The report further cites the absence of any ‘accurate, public projection’ of workforce requirements in specialisms over the next five to ten years.

The Department of Health and Social Care mandate to Health Education England: April 2021 to March 2022 – Department of Health and Social Care
The government’s mandate to Health Education England (HEE) is a requirement of the Care Act 2014. The mandate sets out the strategic objectives of the government in the following areas, for which HEE has responsibility: workforce planning; education; and training.

Junior doctor LTFT allowance update – NHS Employers 
Update for employers on the application of the £1000 LTFT allowance for doctors and dentists in training

SAS contract reform 2021 – new guidance – NHS Employers 
We have published two more pieces of guidance to support employers with the implementation of the 2021 SAS contracts for pay progression and SAS professional development.

Providers deliver: collaborating for better care – NHS Providers 
This report sets out examples of a wide range of collaborations taking place across the country to show the complexity of arrangements.

RECOVERY trial finds Regeneron’s monoclonal antibody combination reduces deaths for hospitalised COVID-19 patients who have not mounted their own immune response, Oxford University  
In the study (n=9,785) the two monoclonal antibodies casirivimab and imdevimab (REGEN-COV) improved the 28 day mortality of hospitalised COVID-19 patients seronegative at baseline vs usual care (24% vs 30%, HR 0.80, 95%CI 0.70-0.91).

Risk of hospital admission for patients with SARS-CoV-2 variant B.1.1.7: cohort, BMJ  
Study (n=839,278) found those with the SARS-CoV-2 variant B.1.1.7 (alpha variant) had an increased risk for hospital admission than wild type SARS-CoV-2 (4.7% vs 3.5%, HR 1.52, 95%CI 1.47-1.57). Authors report the higher severity may be specific to adults older than 30 years.

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