Excellence in tobacco control: 10 High Impact Changes aims to achieve a sustainable and integrated approach to tobacco control at a local level. It clearly sets out the required actions for those charged with delivering tobacco control locally, and clearly identifies to senior stakeholders the need for high-level strategic support to achieve this.

The PCT Procurement Guide supports NHS commissioners in deciding whether and how to procure health services through formal tendering and market-testing exercises. The Guide sets out the policy and regulatory context for procurement, and issues to consider when developing a procurement strategy. The Guide should be read in conjunction with the Principles and rules for Cooperation and Competition, published as Annex D of the 2008/9 Operating Framework, and the Framework for Managing Choice Cooperation and Competition

The Framework for Managing Choice Cooperation and Competition supports SHAs and PCTs in understanding the roles, responsibilities, values and behaviours required for the effective management of choice and competition within the NHS. The Framework is the outcome of a series of workshops and seminars with senior SHA and PCT leaders. The Framework should be read in conjunction with the
Principles and rules for Cooperation and Competition (Annex D of the 2008/9 Operating Framework) and the PCT Procurement Guide (published 16 May 2008). Additionally, the Framework signals a further series of tools and guidance for system managers to be released throughout the year.

Delivering the National Programme for IT in the NHS is proving to be an enormous challenge. All elements of the Programme are advancing and some are complete, but the original timescales for the electronic Care Records Service, one of the central elements of the Programme, turned out to be unachievable, raised unrealistic expectations and put confidence in the Programme at risk.

• Executive Summary

• The National Programme for IT in the NHS: Progress since 2006: Report by the Comptroller and Auditor General: HC 484-I Session 2007-2008: Volume 1

• The National Programme for IT in the NHS: Progress since 2006: Report by the Comptroller and Auditor General: HC 484-I Session 2007-2008: Volume 2

The progress report on the Programme by the National Audit Office concludes that the original vision remains intact and still appears feasible. However, it is likely to take until 2014-15 before every NHS Trust in England has fully deployed the care records systems, four years later than planned. In the North, Midlands and East area, the software has taken much longer to develop than planned, so some Trusts have had to take an interim system. Completing the development of the system and introducing it in this area are significant challenges still to be addressed.

The year 2007/2008 - NHS Chief Executive’s annual report is NHS Chief Executive David Nicholson’s second annual report looks at the progress made across the NHS in the last 12 months, and the challenges for the year ahead. In addition to his annual report, David Nicholson has published a Framework for choice, cooperation and competition and a PCT procurement guide for health services.

Project: London is a clinic of Medecins Du Monde (UK) which aims to support migrants that need help accessing healthcare.  It has just  published its second annual report the Project: London report and recommendations 2007: Improving access to healthcare for the community’s most vulnerable.

The report finds no evidence of health tourism, with patients had been in the UK for an average of 3 years before accessing care from Project: London. Migrants are no more likely to have expensive, complicated medical needs than anyone else. It also identifies difficulties for pregnant women in accessing proper care. Although they were entitled, nearly 70% of the women had no access to care, a situation which puts both mother and child in jeopardy, and must be addressed as a matter of urgency.

Proposed changes to NHS access for migrants are unlikely to be cost effective because:

• Lack of GP access means no chance of preventing diseases
• Lack of GP access means no chance of early and affordable treatment of diseases – including those which are contagious
• Lack of GP access is likely to lead to increased pressure on already burdened A&E department.

The Heatwave Plan for England 2008 is published today on a day of blazing sunshine, so that should put paid to a summer in the UK. Its purpose is to enhance resilience in the event of a heatwave. It is an important component of overall emergency planning; and will become increasingly relevant in adapting to the impact of climate change.

Related documents:

Advice for health and social care professionals offers advice for individuals, or teams, engaged in primary care or social services, or for home care providers both on caring for people most at risk during a heatwave, and on organising others who provide care.

Heatwave: supporting vulnerable people before and during a heatwave - advice for care home managers and staff where people are especially at risk during a heatwave. The effects of heat occur rapidly, and to be effective, preparatory action has to be taken before the beginning of June. This factsheet details necessary preparations.

Heatwave: a guide to looking after yourself and others during hot weather providing useful information and advice on the hazards of a heatwave, how to recognise the symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat stroke, and how to deal with the effects of too much heat.

Public perceptions of privacy and dignity in hospitals is research, conducted by Ipsos MORI, involved 2,000 interviews with members of the public across the country. It was designed to explore perceptions towards privacy and dignity in hospitals, with particular emphasis on the importance of single-sex accommodation. Key findings are that cleanliness and staff attitudes are the most important factors for patients to feel they are treated with privacy and dignity in hospital.

When to share information has been developed as a cross-governmental initiative on behalf of Department of Health, Department for Children, Schools and Families, the Youth Justice Board and the Prison Service. It is set out in a pathway approach, with best practice case studies used to identify when, what, where and how information needs to be shared to ensure improved outcomes for children and young people, as outlined in Every Child Matters: Change for Children.

Five years on - are we half way there? from Diabetes UK suggests that half way through the ten-year plan, the NHS’s progress in achieving person-centred, co-ordinated care that aims to ensure fewer people develop diabetes and better care for those who have the condition will fail to deliver on the standards it set itself five years ago if it doesn’t refocus NHS efforts.

It finds that while some people with diabetes in some parts of the country receive excellent care, many are still not benefiting from the effective delivery of diabetes services that the NSF set out to achieve.  This puts almost 1.9 million people with diabetes in England at increased risk of serious complications including heart disease, stroke and blindness.