Results: 32

For: audit

Signs of value for money in some out of hours GP services, but room for improvement says National Audit Office

Clock

This new report from the National Audit Office considers the current status of out of hours GP services in England, based on data collected during 2013-2014. Although the report is focused on England, there may be lessons for commissioners in other health systems. Methods The report is based on : a web-based survey of CCGs (175 [read the full story…]

Audit of impact of relaxation and sensory activities in assessment and treatment service for people with learning disabilities

relax_shutterstock

Background The debate about the place of assessment and treatment beds for adults with learning disabilities continues. The Royal College of Psychiatrists recently published a paper as part of the response to the events at Winterbourne View which set out its view of the need for a range of in-patient services which included acute admission [read the full story…]

Monitoring for metabolic syndrome in people with learning disabilities prescribed anti-psychotic medication found to be below agreed minimum standards

Health_Meeting-1

Anti-psychotic medications comprise between 30–50% of all psychotropics prescribed for people with learning disabilities. One of the potential side effects is metabolic syndrome (a group of risk factors that occur together and increase the risk for coronary artery disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes in people with learning disabilities who have been prescribed antipsychotic medication.) [read the full story…]

Community Treatment Orders used differently for people with learning disabilities

shutterstock_14565259 man holding hand up stop

Community Treatments Orders (CTOs) were introduced to enable people who had been detained under certain sections of the Mental Health Act 1983 to be discharged from the hospital and treated in the community. The supervising doctor however retains the power to recall that person to hospital if necessary The majority of studies into the use [read the full story…]

People with learning disabilities still not getting adequate information and support to make decisions about medications

Health information

Making the decision to consent to medical treatment requires access to information, presented in clear and understandable ways. There is evidence that that people with learning disabilities do not always understand information about medications they are prescribed, for example from the medication matters project carried out at the Norah Fry centre  which produced a series of [read the full story…]

National Schizophrenia Audit calls for improved monitoring of physical health in people with schizophrenia

shutterstock_96065285

Back in 2010, NICE published an updated edition of their schizophrenia guideline, to guide the treatment and management of patients with schizophrenia in primary and secondary care. The National Schizophrenia Audit is a new initiative led by the Royal College of Psychiatrists and involving 8 other partner organisations including various professional membership organisations and 2 [read the full story…]

Physical interventions governance audit identifies value of multi disciplinary overview

Meeting-2

The use of physical interventions for people with learning disabilities must be within a locally agreed policy framework and as a last resort. Commissioners of services need to be assured that their use is appropriate and that good quality monitoring is taking place. The researchers in this study looked at the work of good practice [read the full story…]

Antipsychotics continue to be used for challenging behaviour in learning disabilities with poor monitoring of side effects

Medication

People with learning disabilities are often prescribed anti-psychotic medication, whether or not there has been a diagnosis of psychiatric disorder. There continues to be some concern about the evidence base to support this. The most recent Cochrane review which looked at the issue in relation to people with learning disabilities and schizophrenia found that there is [read the full story…]

Use of behaviour consultants reduced restrictive intervention in people learning disability and challenging behaviour

Angry1

Behaviour support plans to guide the way supporters respond and react to people with learning disabilities who are described as having behaviour that challenges are fundamental to the quality of support they receive. The authors of this Australian study were interested in looking at the quality of the plans and their effectiveness in providing support. [read the full story…]

Joining up health and social care: new report from the Audit Commission

shutterstock_78426154

The Audit Commission have published the second in a series of briefings looking at adult social care. At a time when the whole of the public sector must find significant savings, the report says that integrated working across health and social care offers opportunities for efficiencies and improvements to services. Without it, there is a [read the full story…]