Annual Reports

ScotGovNHS Scotland chief executive Kevin Woods has published his annual report for 2008-09 claiming that Scotland's NHS is ‘continuing to improve, giving people faster access to a wider range of treatment’. As well as assessing NHSScotland's performance, the report also explains the financial & policy context of the achievements made and challenges faced by the NHS in Scotland.
 
The report outlines the progress made on the Scottish Government's action plan for health - Better Health, Better Care - and assesses NHSScotland's performance against a range of HEAT targets.
Press release ~ NHSScotland Chief Executive's: Annual Report 2008/09 ~ Better Health, Better Care ~ NHSScotland: HEAT targets
 
WAG: The Welsh Assembly Government has published a state of the nation report on the well-being of older people in Wales. The Older People’s Wellbeing Monitor for Wales is a milestone research report that will guide the future work of the WAG and its partners in planning for the demographic changes in society. This is the first Wellbeing Monitor of older people in the UK and links into an international agenda, as it follows the values of the United Nations Principles for Older People.  
 
This will set a benchmark with the Monitor, updated every 3 years. The Monitor is a report that brings together all the relevant robust research written on older people in Wales and will help to steer future policy & pinpoint evidence gaps for further study.  The focus is on 5 broad aims of well-being which are derived from the UN Principles and the WAG Strategy for Older People and these will provide the mechanism to track progress over time.
Press release ~ Older People’s Wellbeing Monitor for Wales 2009 ~ WAG Strategy for Older People ~ United Nations Principles for Older People ~ National Partnership Forum ~ Older People and Ageing Research and Development Network (OPAN)
 
WAG: Wales’ Chief Medical Officer has warned that preventing disease & illness is the key to a healthy future generation.  Dr Tony Jewell issued the warning as he published his 3rd annual report on the state of health in Wales.
 
Dr Jewell writes about ‘preventing the preventable’ in his 2008 report, which looks at different methods of prevention to ensure the long-term health of the nation, including immunisation, screening and education.  He said that more emphasis needed to be placed on preventing ill-health in the first place.
Press release ~ Chief Medical Officer's Annual Report 2008 ~  WAG: Health and social care
 
Ofsted: Ofsted has published the outcomes of the new annual children’s services ratings which look at performance in 152 local authorities in England for 2009. The rating provides a picture of services for children in a local area drawn from a wide range of local services & settings.  

It places an emphasis on the direct observation of professional practice – including inspection of child protection services & safeguarding, childcare, schools, children’s social care and provision in the learning and skills sector.
Press release ~ Local authorities A-Z ~ Oneplace
 
DH: New statistics published from the National Child Measurement Programme, support emerging evidence that the rapid rise in child obesity has levelled off.  More families are benefiting from knowing the facts about their child’s weight.  Record numbers of children took part this year, with more than 1m children in reception year (4-5 year olds) and Year 6 (10-11 year olds) being weighed & measured.
 
However, the levels of childhood obesity are still too high, with 22.8% of Reception children and 32.6% of Year 6 children being overweight, or obese.  This compares with 22.6% & 32.6% the previous year. Parents are now sent letters informing them about their child’s weight. The letter is accompanied by advice & sources of further information on how to help their child maintain a healthy weight and lifestyle. 
Press release ~ National Child Measurement Programme ~ The National Child Measurement Programme - guidance and letter templates ~ Swim4Life ~ NICE - Promoting physical activity for children and young people ~ NICE - Obesity: guidance on the prevention, identification, assessment and management of overweight and obesity in adults and children ~ 'Healthy Weight, Healthy Lives toolkit: A Toolkit for Developing Local Strategies' ~ DH - Obesity ~ Foresight Tackling Obesities: Future Choices Project ~ NAO: Tackling Child Obesity - First Steps ~ Information Centre for Health and Social Care - Obesity ~ Child Health - obesity
 
ScotGovNHS Scotland will continue to rise to the challenge of providing top quality healthcare while making best use of public money, Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon claimed last week. Responding to the latest Audit Scotland report into NHS Scotland's performance in 2008-9, Ms Sturgeon said that while the entire public sector faced financial challenges, NHS Scotland was managing its budget effectively and meeting key targets to improve healthcare for the people of Scotland.
 
Key healthcare achievements in 2008-9 included a target to treat 95% of urgently-referred cancer patients within 62 days.  While death rates from heart disease, stroke & cancer - the 3 biggest causes of premature death - have continued to decline.
Press release ~ Audit Scotland - Overview of the NHS in Scotland's Performance in 2008-09 ~  NHS Chief Executive's Annual Report
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