News The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is seconding nurses to its team of hospital inspectors. The CQC says the secondments, which are suitable for people who work in the NHS at band 7, will include training and opportunities to gain valuable managerial experience. Inspectors will carry out inspections, write reports and take enforcement action against organisations that are failing to provide appropriate services. For full details go to www.cqcjobs. co.uk/secondment.php South West London and St George’s Mental Health NHS Trust has commissioned specialist training from children’s charity NSPCC to help overhaul its recruitment methods. Interviewers at the trust will learn to understand the purpose and value of asking safeguarding behaviour questions, develop active listening skills and analyse evidence of candidates’ behaviours and attitudes against set criteria. One in six hospital trusts scored 100% for cleanliness in the latest Patient-Led Assessments of the Care Environment report. According to the report, by the Health and Social Care Information Centre, this year’s national average score for cleanliness is 97.3%, an increase of 1.5 percentage points on 2013. Ninety five per cent of the 1,290 hospital sites assessed scored 90% or more, of which 218 sites scored 100%. The report can be accessed at www.hscic.gov.uk/pubs/place14 NHS England has issued a patient safety alert to improve the quality and timeliness of communication with primary and social care when patients are discharged. NHS England is asking organisations for information about local practices and challenges that will help form a national picture around handover at discharge. The alert is available at tinyurl.com/ppdbubn 6
October 2014 | Volume 21 | Number 6
College backs plan to create cohesive strategy on use of antibiotics A NATIONAL strategy on infection prevention and control is vital for preserving the effectiveness of antimicrobial drugs, according to the Royal College of Nursing (RCN). According to the college, the UK lacks a single national strategy for infection prevention and control, even though driving down healthcare-associated infections is imperative for helping to reduce the use of antibiotics, which fuels antimicrobial resistance. Over the summer, prime minister David Cameron launched a review of the development of antimicrobial drugs and warned that the world would be ‘cast back into the dark ages of medicine’ unless swift action is taken to tackle the threat of resistance. The RCN wants a national strategy that is robust enough to withstand changes in government or the structure of the NHS. In a position paper, the RCN recommends that a greater focus on strengthening public health initiatives will provide support for
Funding boost for intermediate care in Scottish health boards HEALTH SECRETARY Alex Neil has announced an additional £5 million to improve the flow of patients through health and social care services in Scotland. The funding is aimed at developing intermediate care, helping people to stay in their homes instead of going into hospital in the first place, and services that support people to regain independence so they can return home sooner after a hospital stay. By improving how patients navigate hospital and are supported at home, the investment will allow people to be moved from A&E to appropriate wards sooner and reduce the amount of unnecessary time that patients spend in hospital. The funding will be targeted to improve performance in seven health boards, working with their local authorities, housing and third-sector partners. Mr Neil said: ‘We’ve already legislated for health and social care
Science Photo Library
In brief
Overuse of antibiotics is fuelling antimicrobial resistance
people to live well and avoid the need for antibiotics. It argues that more must be done to engage healthcare workers from across the professions, patients and the public in this important issue. Find out more To read the RCN position paper, go to tinyurl. com/n7wwu68
integration to come into effect from April next year, but I am clear that we must make further progress now. That’s why I am targeting £5 million to support the transition to integrated health and social care and improve patient flow through a number of hospitals and community services.’
Report highlights lack of progress by some trusts in special measures SIX TRUSTS in England that must remain in special measures for another six months have nurse shortages and inadequate leadership that threaten public safety. A report by the Care Quality Commission, Monitor and the Trust Development Agency looks at progress made by 11 trusts placed in special measures last year after a review of 14 trusts with high mortality rates by NHS England medical director Sir Bruce Keogh. The report, Special Measures: One Year On, is at tinyurl.com/kau7kd6 NURSING MANAGEMENT
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October 2014 | Volume 21 | Number 6
College backs plan to create cohesive strategy on use of antibiotics A NATIONAL strategy on infection prevention and control is vital for preserving the effectiveness of antimicrobial drugs, according to the Royal College of Nursing (RCN). According to the college, the UK lacks a single national strategy for infection prevention and control, even though driving down healthcare-associated infections is imperative for helping to reduce the use of antibiotics, which fuels antimicrobial resistance. Over the summer, prime minister David Cameron launched a review of the development of antimicrobial drugs and warned that the world would be ‘cast back into the dark ages of medicine’ unless swift action is taken to tackle the threat of resistance. The RCN wants a national strategy that is robust enough to withstand changes in government or the structure of the NHS. In a position paper, the RCN recommends that a greater focus on strengthening public health initiatives will provide support for
Funding boost for intermediate care in Scottish health boards HEALTH SECRETARY Alex Neil has announced an additional £5 million to improve the flow of patients through health and social care services in Scotland. The funding is aimed at developing intermediate care, helping people to stay in their homes instead of going into hospital in the first place, and services that support people to regain independence so they can return home sooner after a hospital stay. By improving how patients navigate hospital and are supported at home, the investment will allow people to be moved from A&E to appropriate wards sooner and reduce the amount of unnecessary time that patients spend in hospital. The funding will be targeted to improve performance in seven health boards, working with their local authorities, housing and third-sector partners. Mr Neil said: ‘We’ve already legislated for health and social care
Science Photo Library
In brief
Overuse of antibiotics is fuelling antimicrobial resistance
people to live well and avoid the need for antibiotics. It argues that more must be done to engage healthcare workers from across the professions, patients and the public in this important issue. Find out more To read the RCN position paper, go to tinyurl. com/n7wwu68
integration to come into effect from April next year, but I am clear that we must make further progress now. That’s why I am targeting £5 million to support the transition to integrated health and social care and improve patient flow through a number of hospitals and community services.’
Report highlights lack of progress by some trusts in special measures SIX TRUSTS in England that must remain in special measures for another six months have nurse shortages and inadequate leadership that threaten public safety. A report by the Care Quality Commission, Monitor and the Trust Development Agency looks at progress made by 11 trusts placed in special measures last year after a review of 14 trusts with high mortality rates by NHS England medical director Sir Bruce Keogh. The report, Special Measures: One Year On, is at tinyurl.com/kau7kd6 NURSING MANAGEMENT
Downloaded from RCNi.com by ${individualUser.displayName} on Nov 24, 2015. For personal use only. No other uses without permission. Copyright © 2015 RCNi Ltd. All rights reserved.
