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Welcome to our News RoundupA digest of news reports and press comment specifically selected for Practice Managers
In each article there are link(s) to other websites - clicking on a link will open a new window (or a new Tab if you are using tabbed browsing). Close that window/tab to return here.
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NEWS HEADLINES
Click on the header to access the article. Free on-line registration may be required.Headlines w/c 30th January 2012
Click on the header to access the article. Free on-line registration may be required.Clinical Solutions bids for 111 triage
Clinical Solutions has launched an alternative to NHS Pathways which it says can reduce the length of NHS 111 calls by 30-40% and nearly halve the average outcome cost per call.Forty CSOs to support new NHS
The majority of primary care trust clusters are planning to set up their own commissioning support organisations for clinical commissioning groups, it has been reported. An investigation by the Health Service Journal found that the 50 current PCT clusters plan to set up 41 CSOs.Government escapes rebellion by medics over NHS
The Government appears to have escaped a rebellion by the medical establishment over its controversial NHS reforms in England. The Academy of Medical Royal Colleges had been preparing to release a statement saying it could not support the health bill in its current form.Andrew Lansley calls BMA ‘politically poisoned’ for opposing NHS shakeup
Relations between the health secretary, Andrew Lansley, and Britain's doctors hit a new low on Thursday after he accused the British Medical Association of being "politically poisoned" in its opposition to his NHS shakeup.Care Quality Commission Chief denies staff gagging orders
The Care Quality Commission did not ask staff to sign confidentiality agreements in an attempt to gag them from speaking publicly, its chief executive has said.New guidance prevents doctors being ‘gagged’ and says they must raise concerns about patient safety
New guidance from the General Medical Council will prevent doctors entering into contracts or agreements that seek to stop them raising concerns about poor quality care.Smooth start to revalidation tops GMC’s 2012 priorities
The General Medical Council has set out its priorities for 2012, with the introduction of revalidation at the top of the list. A new version of Good Medical Practice, the launch of the new Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service and the piloting of an induction programme for doctors new to UK practice are among the regulator’s other priorities for the year.The NHS will support women with PiP breast implants
The Chief Medical Officer, Dame Sally Davies, has written to health professionals, with some more detailed guidance. The latest advice from the NHS and plastic surgery experts is that women with PiP breast implants do not need to have them removed unless they have symptoms such as pain and tenderness.Managers hijack £100m winter fund for GP commissioners
Managers are rejecting GP ideas and putting strict conditions on how a new £100m fund is spent, even though the additional cash was meant to ‘harness the expertise of local clinicians’.Multisource feedback and patient surveys added to GP appraisals as PCTs ‘pre-empt revalidation’
GPs across the country are already being asked to provide multisource feedback and patient surveys as part of their appraisals as PCTs look to bring in some revalidation requirements ahead of schedule, the GPC has warned.Asking about shisha use can boost GPs’ QOF points
GPs may be missing out on QOF points by failing to ask patients if they are regular shisha smokers, experts have warned. In an editorial written for February’s issue of the British Journal of General Practice, researchers at Imperial College London said waterpipe smoking is a ‘growing health concern’ and should be tackled by GPs asking about consumption during consultations.BMA and royal colleges ‘to continue talks’ over Health Bill opposition
The BMA, the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) and the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges have agreed to continue talks about their ‘approach to the Health Bill’ after a meeting last week.CCGs will ‘exclude people’ from healthcare
The majority of NHS staff fear the creation of clinical commissioning groups (CCGTs) will exclude more people from health care, a survey claims. A YouGov poll of over 1,600 health professionals found 70% surveyed said the proposed Health Bill would impede their ability to make efficiency savings.Communication ‘top risk’ for UK general practices
Communication, confidentiality, health and safety, prescribing and record keeping form the top risks identified by UK GP practices in Britain last year.New Freedom of Information Act guide issued.
The ICO published its new pdf format Guide to Freedom of Information for public authorities on its website on 30 January 2012. This is the first time that the ICO has published an overview that explains all the basic requirements of the Act in one place. This new guide will eventually act as a spine to which all the ICO's more detailed guidance on the Freedom of Information Act will be linked.Headlines w/c 23rd January 2012
Click on the header to access the article. Free on-line registration may be required.Bromley GPs redesign e-referral letters
Bromley GPs have designed new templates for electronic referrals because of concerns about inappropriate patient information being included by “default”.Wales near 70 per cent e-referrals
Nearly 70% of GP practices across Wales can send hospital referrals electronically via the Welsh Clinical Communications Gateway. All Welsh health boards are now using the gateway, with 300 GP practices connected to the system.NHS ‘salami slicing’ cuts
In a report issued yesterday, the Commons Health Select Committee says it is worried that the NHS has failed to get to grips with the scale of the challenge, first articulated by NHS chief executive Sir David Nicholson, to save £20 billion over the next four years to bridge the gap between flat funding and rising demand.Breast cancer screening cannot be justified, says researcher
Breast cancer screening can no longer be justified, because the harm to many women from needless diagnosis and damaging treatment outweighs the small number of lives saved, according to a book that accuses many in the scientific establishment of misconduct in their efforts to bury the evidence of critics and keep mammography alive.Regulate cosmetic industry, say surgeons
Plastic surgeons demand a complete ban on advertising for cosmetic surgery, annual checks on practitioners and tighter controls on the use of implants and injectables to curb the “wild west” industry.New website launched for doctors with health concerns
The General Medical Council is launching Your Health Matters, a new website for doctors who may be concerned about their own health or that of a colleague. The website provides case studies showing doctors with a range of health concerns, a testimonial from a doctor who has gone through fitness to practise procedures and a range of advice on the process.Groupama Healthcare sale to SimplyHealth expected to complete at end of April
Groupama Insurances expects the sale of its UK private medical insurance (PMI) business to Simplyhealth to complete at the end of April, its chief executive has said.Abta-style insurance scheme under consideration in wake of breast implant scandal
A national insurance scheme could be introduced to protect consumers in the wake of the breast implant scandal.
NHS medical director Professor Sir Bruce Keogh told the BBC that the introduction of a scheme similar to the Abta (Association of British Travel Agents) arrangement is currently under consideration.MPs deliver ‘wake-up call’ on NHS spending
MPs have delivered a bruising ‘wake-up call’ to ministers, with a report concluding that the move to GP-led commissioning was undermining targets to cut NHS spending by £20 billion by 2014/15.GPs could be barred from taking leave around Christmas
GPs across Scotland could be blocked from taking leave around the holiday period at Christmas and New Year, in an attempt to reduce strain on the national NHS 24 out-of-hours service.Headlines w/c 16th January 2012
Click on the header to access the article. Free on-line registration may be required.Cervical screening age set to rise in Scotland and Wales
Scotland and Wales currently screen from age 20 but this may rise to bring these regions of the UK into lineNICE produce commissioning guidance on end of life care
The NICE guidance aims to support local implementation of the Department of Health (2008) End of Life Care Strategy and the NICE (2011) Quality Standard for end of life care for adults, and is aligned with the NHS Outcomes Framework and supports commissioning for Quality, Innovation, Productivity and Prevention (QIPP).Clinical Commissioning groups set to receive a £100m boost this winter
Money to be spent directly on patient needs, and in particular used towards preventing hospital admissions.A former NHS manager is awarded almost £1m in a racial discrimination case
Central Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust suffered after an employment tribunal ruled that the manager faced "persistent discrimination" and "an intimidating environment" before the trust suspended him when he complained, and then ended his 34-year NHS career.Olympics may increase demand on GPs
There is the potential of significant demands on primary care services in London and the South east during the Olympics, with the possibility of a range of imported diseases from around the world.Pensions row escalates as the GPC considers further action
With a doctors’ ballet a possibility one suggestion is to withdraw GPs from the clinical commissioning agenda. With a strike unlikely the GPC is considering alternative actions the approach of “non-participation” in commissioning is a method of protest which does not impact directly on patient care.The DoH publish a guide for public health transition
The guide has been produced with the NHS and Local Government to support PCTs and Local Authorities to develop transition plans to move the local public health system from the NHS to Local Government.Fine levied after the theft of patient data
A Sussex hospital is facing a fine of £375,000 after computer hard drives containing confidential information were stolen.In a Scottish hospital, a robot sorts the mail
The Forth Valley Hospital in Larbert already has robots delivering meals, linen and cleaning the floors. The mail robot is the first of its kind to be used in any hospital in Europe and will speed up the delivery of 300,000 letters which pass through the hospital every month.NHS compensation fund struggles to cope with demand
£185m injection to help cope with the increasing rise of compensation claimsHospital healthcare assistant fined in Liverpool for inappropriate access to medical records
Breach of the data protection regulations dealing with unlawful access leads to successful prosecution and substantial fine.Lloyds pharmacy group poised to offer “intelligent” medicines
The pills contain edible microchips that communicate with a disposable monitoring patch attached to a patient’s shoulder. The patch will monitor a variety of body functions such as sleep patterns and heart rate, and will send the information to mobile phones and computers owned by the patient or their carer.Report on “low value” elective procedures published.
Procedures of “limited clinical value” have come under the spotlight with the publication of the first stage report.New healthcheck LES in Birmingham a major success
Vascular checks were delivered to 36% of the eligible population in 2010/11, double the national goal of 18% per year. Whereas many other trusts pay a fixed amount for each patient screened, the Birmingham LES linked payment to coverage of the eligible population. GPs were also asked to target harder-to-reach patients without a recorded ethnicity.Headlines w/c 9th January 2012
Click on the header to access the article. Free on-line registration may be required.Patients should sue if they want to be issued with the best drug
NICE chairman urges patients to sue trusts if they are denied the best NICE recommended drugs on the basis of cost. Inappropriate “gate keeping” by providers effectively negates NICE drug guidelines to the detriment of patient care.NHS Employers publishes guidance for the NHS organisations on the implementation of the Equality Act
The guidelines provide deadlines for NHS bodies to publish information and whilst GP practices are not covered at present, clinical commissioning groups will be drawn into the requirement in due course.NICE launch a consultation on the health care quality standards guide
The consultation remains open until 13th March.RCN publish their lone working survey
60% of nurses working in the community have been the subject of abuse in the last 2 years.The GMC propose new arrangements for recognising and approving trainers.
The GMC is consulting on the new proposals and invites comments. The consultation will end on 30th March 2012.Lansley gives in on the topic of implants
The NHS is set to pay millions to remove breast implants, despite no clear evidence that they pose a risk to health.GPC foretell mounting pressure on GP practices for 2012
More practices will have to consider redundancies as financial pressure continues to build in the new year.NICE launches QOF indicator consultation
A consultation on 20 potential new indicators for the 2013-14 Quality and Outcomes Framework has been launched. The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence opened the public consultation on Monday and it will run until 6 February. The list of 20 potential indicators has been developed following recommendations from QOF committee meetings.Future Forum calls for access plan
The NHS Future Forum has said the Government needs to develop a plan to deliver on its commitment to give patients access to their online records by 2015.QCancer may be built into GP systems
Algorithms designed to help the early detection of cancer may be integrated into GP IT systems. Professor Julia Hippisley-Cox, of Nottingham University, is leading a project on QCancer algorithms, which uses data from the QResearch database system - a not-for-profit partnership between Nottingham University and EMIS.PCC has published new Read codes for January 2012
These are just the final changes for this year and not the codes for 2012/13.ABC of general practice premises funding
Primary care medical services must be provided in suitable premises - this is one of the conditions of CQC registration. PCC has prepared a briefing for PCT managers and practice staff with an interest in premises funding.CQC registration: briefing for general practice
The PCC briefing looks at the key dates and issues for general practice in the run up to CQC registration. It includes essential information about liability, advice on what practices need to do and by when and tips to save practices time and money in preparing for registration.BMA saves added years entitlements for doctors
Doctors will not lose any added years of pensions entitlements under reforms to the NHS scheme, thanks to the BMA. The association sought legal advice on the position of doctors whose contracts allowed them to buy additional years of entitlements.Give GP commissioners five-year budgets, says NHS Future Forum
The NHS Commissioning Board should hand GP commissioners budgets covering three to five years in order to provide clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) with the stability to commission integrated care, the NHS Future Forum has said.Headlines w/c 2nd January 2012
Click on the header to access the article. Free on-line registration may be required.CSC set to write-off £1bn spent on NPfIT
Computer Sciences Corp has notified investors that it has been told it will not get a long-anticipated revised NHS IT deal from the UK government worth £2 billion. As a result the US IT services firm has warned investors it may have to write off one billion pounds invested in NPfIT to date.GPs reveal IT concerns for 2012
GPs leading the move towards clinical commissioning have expressed concern that the authorisation process for clinical commissioning groups is becoming rigid and bureaucratic.Register with a GP practice of your choice – pilot announced
The one year pilot will begin in April 2012 and will be subject to an independent evaluation. It allows patients for the first time to choose whether to register with a practice close to their workplace or home, without worrying about practice boundaries.GPs forced to register illegal immigrants after after threat of legal action
A GP practice in Essex has told how it was made to re-register a family of migrants without permission to stay in the UK after pressure from human rights lawyers, even though the local hospital refuses to accept referrals for them – and the solicitor involved has claimed similar success in ‘scores’ of other cases, including where people have come to the UK illegally.NHS contracts worth over 500,000 euros to be opened up to European competition
GP commissioners will be required to advertise all contracts worth more than 500,000 euros in the Official Journal of the European Union under proposed revisions to EU procurement rules.DH announces £40m scheme to collect practice record data
The Department of Health has signed a million-pound deal to develop a new national system to extract GP patient data, which will determine QOF payments to practices and payments to clinical commissioning groups.GPs forced to ask practice nurses to purchase indemnity cover
GPs are being forced to make it a condition of employment that their practice nurses purchase indemnity insurance following the Royal College of Nursing’s controversial decision to stop providing cover for its members in primary care on cost grounds from January 2012.Patients to edit medical records by 2015
The backing, expected to be revealed this month, builds on the announcement made in the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s autumn review last month. The NHS Future Forum is expected to say that patients should be able to download their entire medical history and see details of prescriptions and appointments free of charge.Breast implant scandal: Labour calls for clearer lead from coalition
Labour is urging the Government to give a much clearer lead to more than 40,000 women in the UK possibly affected by the scandal over faulty breast implants.Government creates £170m fund to help older patients leave hospitals
The boost comes after a healthcare thinktank warned that the NHS stood no chance of hitting its £20bn efficiency savings target unless steps were taken to curb a rise in elderly patients occupying hospital beds longer than necessary.Issued by First Practice Management
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Disclaimer
News Roundup uses third party information and links to third-party websites, but neither endorses nor can guarantee the accuracy or authenticity of these sources
