Guidance Notes and Best Practice Guides

FSCS: The continuing debate about the future of the Euro may be worrying for UK savers, but the Financial Services Compensation Scheme protects people who place their money with UK authorised firms. Since 2001, FSCS has paid out more than £26bn and helped more than 4.5m people. It is a personal allowance so a joint account would have protection up to £170,000 per authorised institution.   FSCS aims to pay the majority of savers back within 7 days of a firm failing.
Press release & links
 
ICO: The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has announced that new changes will be made to the information public authorities will need to release proactively as part of their publication scheme. The ICO has now published a staged action plan explaining how the new model scheme, definition documents and guidance will be developed.
 
The ICO will review & update all sector definition documents, which will explain the information authorities in different sectors should release. Each document will cover a separate sector, from Central Government Departments to schools, in England, Wales & Northern Ireland. A revised Model Publication Scheme will then be introduced on 1 April 2013 which will apply to all sectors, with the definition document providing sector specific guidance to accompany the main scheme.
Press release & links
 
NICE: A new clinical guideline published by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence will help ensure safe & consistent prescribing of opioids as a first-line treatment option to relieve pain for patients receiving palliative care for chronic or incurable illnesses.
Press release & links
 
NICE: NICE has published final guidance recommending rivaroxaban (Xarelto, Bayer HealthCare) as an option for the prevention of stroke & systemic embolism in people with atrial fibrillation.
Press release & links
 
NICE: NICE has updated its e-learning module on lung cancer, to coincide with a new government campaign raising awareness of the condition.   The focus of the ‘Be clear on cancer’ campaign is that a persistent 3-week cough is a potential symptom for chest X-ray.  This follows a key recommendation from NICE in its lung cancer clinical guideline.
Press release & links
 
NICECommon mental health disorders affect 1-in-6 adults, and cost UK employers £25bn each year through lost work days. 1 in 3 GP consultations has a mental health element to it and 90% of mental health problems are treated in primary care. But many patients do not seek treatment & often go undiagnosed.
 
NICE published guidance on common mental health disorders in May 2011, which brought together in one place all of the existing recommendations for mental health problems.
Press release & links
 
NICE: NICE has launched a quality standard to help with recognising the early symptoms of ovarian cancer which is the leading cause of gynaecological cancer in the UK, and has rising incidence.  It is also the fifth most common cancer in women, with a lifetime risk of about 2% in England & Wales. The quality standard consists of 8 quality statements that describe high-quality, cost-effective care for the condition.
Press release & links
 
TfL: A new 'Temporary Road Changes' planning tool has been added to the suite of information available at www.getaheadofthegames.com enabling London's road users to see how the areas where they live, work & visit will be affected, searchable by postcode.
 
The new tool currently includes information about the Olympic & Paralympic Route Networks (ORN/PRN) and the Road Event routes in London.  More information, including traffic management around the Road Events routes & venues, will be added to the 'Temporary Road Changes' tool in early June.
Press release & links
 
FSA: The Food Standards Agency has produced guidance to help meat processors comply with the moratorium (from Saturday 26 May 2012) on the production & use of 'desinewed meat' (DSM) from pig bones & poultry carcases.
Press release & links
 
DECC: Energy Secretary Edward Davey recently published practical advice for energy consumers looking to get a better deal on their gas & electricity deals through ‘collective switching’, and guidance for organisations wanting to launch their own collective energy purchasing schemes.
Press release & links
Free, Secure, Compliant UK Public Sector IT Recycling Service