Guidance Notes and Best Practice Guides
NHS Confed: A new NHS Confederation report distils learning from a decade of PCT commissioning for commissioners in the post-April 2013 NHS. Put community and clinical engagement 'front & centre', invest time & effort in establishing constructive relationships with partners, and be ready for rigorous, robust conversations with providers & the public about the quality and shape of local services.
These are just 3 elements of a new NHS Confederation report which distils lessons from more than a decade of NHS commissioning for those taking on commissioning responsibilities - both locally & nationally - in the new NHS system
NICE: Patients with rheumatoid arthritis can now be offered abatacept in certain circumstances, following final guidance from NICE. Around 400,000 people currently have rheumatoid arthritis in the UK, forcing approximately a third of people with the condition to stop work within 2 years of its onset.
Original guidance from NICE did not recommend the drug as a treatment option after conventional DMARDs, as it was not cost-effective, when compared to alternatives such as adalimumab. However, following the introduction of a patient access scheme which abatacept's manufacturer agreed with the Department of Health, NICE conducted a rapid review of this guidance, and now recommends abatacept in certain circumstances.
NICE: Omalizumab (Xolair) is now available for NHS patients as an add-on treatment for severe, persistent allergic asthma in adults, adolescents & children, says NICE. This follows additional analyses and the submission of a patient access scheme (PAS) by the manufacturer Novartis to the Department of Health which makes the treatment more cost effective.
NICE: NICE has produced a guide for commissioners on dementia, which aims to help improve the commissioning of health & social care support for people with the condition, and for their carers. There are currently around 630,000 people with dementia in the UK - a figure that is expected to double by 2035 due to an ageing population.
Ofgem: Ofgem has approved a new industry code designed to protect & empower consumers during the smart meter roll-out. The code includes a ban on sales during smart meter installation visit. For any face-to-face marketing to be conducted during the installation visit, a consumer has to give consent before the day of the visit. The code is backed by licence conditions and the power to levy fines if rules are breached.
LSIS: The Learning & Skills Improvement Service has produced guidance for providers of initial teacher education following changes to FE teacher training qualifications, which introduces the new teaching qualifications and explores the implications for teacher educators.
