Guidance Notes and Best Practice Guides

Newswire – LGACouncillors taking leadership of a local authority for the first time after a change in political control are being offered 5 days of peer support to help them hit the ground running after the recent election.  The Local Government Group will make experienced councillors and local authority leaders available to provide five days of mentoring.
 
The support, which is free-of-charge, will be available within the first few weeks of a change of political control. It is part of the LG Group’s new Taking the Lead approach to self regulation.
Press release ~ LGA: Taking the Lead Approach to self regulation
 
ICO: Advice on how UK businesses & organisations can comply with a new EU law on the use of cookies technology has been published by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).  The law, which will come into force on 26 May 2011, comes from an amendment to the EU’s Privacy and Electronic Communications Directive.

It will require UK businesses and organisations running websites in the UK to get informed consent from visitors to their websites in order to store & retrieve information on users’ computers.  One common technique of storing information is known as a cookie.
 
The advice, which follows the publication of UK regulations by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, will help people to consider what type of cookie or similar technology their website uses and for what purpose, how intrusive their use is, and offers advice on what solution for obtaining consent will suit them.
Press release & links
 
NICE: In new draft guidance, published last week, NICE has not been able to recommend dasatinib, high-dose imatinib or nilotinib for the treatment of CML (chronic myeloid leukaemia) that is resistant to standard-dose imatinib.
 
This draft guidance is for the treatment of imatinib-resistant CML only.  There are 2 additional ongoing appraisals: dasatinib and nilotinib for the treatment of CML in people with imatinib intolerance, and dasatinib, nilotinib and standard-dose imatinib for the first-line treatment of CML.
Press release & links
 
CLG: The last few weeks of sunshine have been great for people getting out and about to enjoy the good weather.  But the recent wildfires across the countryside in Berkshire, Lancashire, Wales & Yorkshire, are a reminder of how important it is to take care in the great outdoors. In the UK, fire statistics show that on average 74,000 fires are started on grass & heath land every year.  With this in mind, Fire Minister Bob Neill has issued some top tips on staying fire safe in the warm, dry weather.
Press release & links
 
NICE: NICE guidance has helped to cut down on unnecessary antibiotic prescribing for the prevention of infective endocarditis, latest research suggests. Antibiotic prophylaxis prescribing fell by 78.6% following the introduction of NICE guidelines for infective endocarditis - an infection of the lining of the heart that is caused mainly by bacteria but occasionally by other infectious agents.
Press release & links
 
NICE: The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has launched NICE Pathways at its annual conference in Birmingham.  An online tool for health & social care professionals, NICE Pathways brings together all connected NICE guidance on a topic in a user-friendly electronic flowchart.
 
Users do not need to understand how NICE classifies its guidance to read everything NICE has said on a particular topic.  They will now be able to easily select the sections of guidance they need.  This new resource will also greatly facilitate access to NICE guidance for commissioners, who need to commission care across a whole pathway.
 
Individual pathways also link to other related pathways - for example the diet pathway links with the physical activity pathway.  NICE Pathways will continue to develop by including more content & more topics as new NICE guidance is published and by adding new features such as linking to the evidence behind NICE recommendations.
Press release & links
 
NICE: NICE has published new guidance on preventing type 2 diabetes in the general population, and among high-risk groups.  These groups include people of South Asian, African-Caribbean, black African & Chinese descent, and those from a lower socio-economic background, where the incidence of type 2 diabetes is higher than in the general population.
Press release & links
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