Guidance Notes and Best Practice Guides

NICE: Radiotherapy following breast-conserving surgery in breast cancer patients almost halves the risk of the cancer recurring, according to latest research published in the Lancet. The study says radiotherapy following breast-conserving surgery ‘not only substantially reduces the risk of recurrence but also moderately reduces the risk of death from breast cancer’. These findings tie in with recommendations for care in NICE's guideline on the diagnosis & treatment of early & locally advanced breast cancer.
Press release & links
 
ScotGov: Families, businesses & communities across Scotland are being encouraged to prepare for winter through a national public awareness campaign. The Scottish Government's 'Ready for Winter?' campaign is being delivered in partnership with the British Red Cross and a range of public, private & voluntary sector partners.
Press release & kinks
 
NICE: Patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS) should have their blood glucose levels actively controlled if it is raised on admission to hospital, says NICE. Hyperglycaemia, an excess of glucose in the blood, is common among people admitted to hospital with a range of conditions encompassed by ACS, such as heart attack and unstable angina.
 
Patients with hyperglycaemia have a poorer chance of survival & increased complications while in hospital, regardless of whether they have diabetes. However, guidance published by NICE last week states that hyperglycaemia is not being considered as a risk factor for ACS, and frequently remains untreated.
Press release & links
 
ccWater: Consumers were being encouraged last week to think about their use of hot water in economic & environmental terms as part of the 15th Energy Savings Week (24-28 October).
Press release & links
 
ScotGov: The Scottish Government has launched new guidance on compulsory purchase orders for Local Authorities and an easy read guide for members of the public. The updated guidance follows consultation which shows some local authorities are uncertain about using compulsory purchase, and that there is also concern that authorities do not always engage properly with people affected.
Press release & links
 
NICE: GPs will be able to prescribe ticagrelor (Brilique), in combination with low-dose aspirin for up to 12 months, for patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS), following final guidance from NICE.
Press release & links
 
DfE: Only high quality, rigorous vocational qualifications will count in performance tables, and they will be included on a one-for-one basis with academic qualifications, under new guidance announced by the Department for Education
 
The new guidance lists the characteristics vocational qualifications need to be included in the headline measures of the school performance tables. This will stop schools picking subjects in order to boost performance table positions, rather than choosing the right qualifications for their pupils.
Press release & links
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