Guidance Notes and Best Practice Guides

NICE: Hospitals should provide better training to staff in how to use IV drips to avoid putting patient safety at risk, according to draft guidelines from NICE. 

A report from the National Confidential Enquiry in Patient Outcome & Death found that ‘around a fifth of hospital patients who received too little fluid management before surgery, and a third who received too much IV fluids, died within 30 days of having their procedure’.
 
One reason for this is that many NHS staff are insufficiently trained in IV fluid management, with healthcare professionals receiving limited training even before they are fully qualified.

Another reason is that experts rarely agree on which IV fluids are best, which leads to a wide variation in practice. To help tackle this, NICE has published draft clinical guidelines on intravenous fluid therapy in adults in hospital.
Press release & links
 
NICE: A prompt diagnosis of social anxiety disorder is crucial in ensuring people access the most clinically and cost effective treatment, according to NICE. Social anxiety disorder, which has been called 'social phobia' in the past, is one of the most common of the anxiety disorders, affecting around 1 in 10 people.
 
It involves the persistent fear of certain social situations, such as meeting new people, talking in meetings, eating or drinking while being observed, and public performances such as public speaking. 

In the first clinical guideline on social anxiety disorder, NICE has developed recommendations to help healthcare professionals with diagnosis & the provision of follow-up care.
Press release & links
 
NICE: NICE has updated the traffic light system for predicting the risk of serious illness from fever in children under 5, and issued new advice on the use of paracetamol & ibuprofen. This follows a partial updateto the 2007 guideline on assessing & managing feverish illness in children under 5.to the 2007 guideline on .
Press release & links
 
HMRC: The Planning Transition to Adulthood for Care Leavers Regulations & Guidance 2010 and the Fostering Regulations & Guidance 2011 (Children Act 1989) both require local authorities to have a Staying Put policy.  

The Staying Put policy should set out the practical, financial, tax & benefit issues (for both the foster carer & the child) which impact on the decision to extend foster care as Staying Put care when a looked after child reaches the age of 18 years.
Press release & links
 
NE: Revised last year, the Countryside Code has become established as the most familiar source of advice on using rights of way, preventing fires and controlling dogs around livestock & wildlife.  With a series of simple tips the Countryside Code helps ensure that everyone can play a part in keeping the countryside a safe and enjoyable place for people to live in, work and visit.
Press release & links
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