In 2007, Mencap published ‘Death by Indifference’, which chronicled failings in health care that led to the deaths of 6 people with learning disabilities. Following a review by the Health Ombudsman, the Department of Health published evidence that hospitals were failing to provide proper healthcare to people with a learning disability. This new report, five [read the full story…]
In recent years, the number of people training as learning disability nurses has been falling. This report presents some of the issues believed to be at the heart of this and presents some potential solutions. The report includes an analysis of: the difficulties in reliably identifying national supply and demand problems with numbers of student [read the full story…]
The second issue of the NHS Atlas of Variation in Healthcare has been published by the Department of Health as part of the QIPP (Quality, Innovation, Productivity and Prevention) programme. The aim of the Atlas is to reduce unwarranted variation in healthcare, increase value for money and improve quality of care. The idea behind this [read the full story…]
The Whole System Demonstrator programme is the largest randomised control trial of telehealth and telecare in the world. One of the most complex trials ever undertaken by the Department of Health, it was set up in May 2008 to provide a clear evidence base to support investment decisions. The research proposition was : Does the [read the full story…]
The new NHS operating framework has been published today and it sets priorities on a number of mental health issues. The Department of Health press release says: The operating framework describes the national priorities, system levers and enablers needed for NHS organisations to maintain and improve the quality of services provided, while delivering transformational change [read the full story…]
The NHS Operating Framework 2012/13 focuses on the new commissioning landscape. It lays out the planning, performance and financial requirements for NHS organisations in 2012/13 and the basis on which they will be held to account. This brief overview simply picks out the headlines. Commissioners will want to get into the detail of this annual [read the full story…]
The Department of Health and the Alzheimer’s Society have today launched a new TV advert and leaflet to encourage people to look out for the early warning signs and symptoms of dementia. Aimed at encouraging more people to seek an early diagnosis of dementia, the campaign targets the family and friends of people at risk [read the full story…]
The Department of Health has published the latest annual reports on the level of investment in mental health services. The National Survey of Investment in Adult Mental Health Services provides details of the level of investment in mental health services for working age adults (aged 18-64) in England for 2010/11 and compares it with the [read the full story…]
The Department of Health have published their proposed next steps to develop services for offenders with severe personality disorders in the NHS and Criminal Justice System. This follows a consultation that ran from Feb-May this year. In short, this work seeks to ensure that: the personality disordered offender population is a shared responsibility of the [read the full story…]
‘Preparation for Birth and Beyond: a resource pack for leaders of community groups and activities’ aims to help the NHS, local authorities and the voluntary sector in planning or running groups for expectant and new parents. The pack is a practical tool that aims to improve outcomes for babies and parents through a refreshed approach [read the full story…]
