IN BRIEF Improvements to the diagnosis and treatment of the most deadly skin cancer, melanoma, have been set out in draft guidance by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. The guidance aims to reduce the wide variation in how melanoma, which kills about 2,000 people each year in the UK, is treated. Respond to the consultation, closing on March 13, at www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ indevelopment/GID-CGWAVE0674 A film is encouraging women with learning disabilities to have a smear test. While almost 78 per cent of women in England take smear tests, uptake drops to between 13 and 25 per cent of those with learning disabilities. The film, made by Public Health England and Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust, can be viewed at tinyurl.com/jwnan38 Reducing hospital admissions of older people from care homes is the focus of a new £1 million research project. The three-year study, led by Queen Margaret University (QMU), Edinburgh, and the University of Bradford, will develop and test an intervention to cut down on avoidable admissions. QMU head of nursing Brendan McCormack said this could ease pressure on hospitals. Inspiring nominations are being sought for three new awards that celebrate the work of school nurses. Nominations can be made by school nurses, their colleagues and peers. Prizes in the categories of excellence, leadership and innovation are being offered by the Cavell Nurses’ Trust and the Department of Health. The deadline for entries is February 18, and presentations will be made at the Cavell Nurses’ Trust awards ceremony in March. For details go to www.cavellnursestrust.org/school-nursing-awards Thirteen out of 201 inpatient stroke services in England and Wales received the highest grading in an audit of their care. Since the previous Sentinel Stroke National Audit Programme report in October last year, the average time for a patient to be assessed by a nurse trained in stroke management has fallen to one hour and 49 minutes, and the proportion of patients seen by a stroke nurse within 24 hours has increased slightly to 88 per cent. Read the audit at tinyurl.com/pjx49bz End of life care planning should depend on sensitive communication, a leading palliative care nurse has said in response to the launch of a tool to identify hospital patients likely to die within three months. The 29-point CriSTAL tool was developed at the University of New South Wales in Australia. But Joanne Atkinson, director of programmes at Northumbria University’s department of public health and wellbeing, insisted planning for death should focus on communication. Public satisfaction with the NHS has risen to its second highest level ever in the 2014 British Social Attitudes survey. It rose to 65 per cent, while dissatisfaction fell to an all-time low of 15 per cent. Satisfaction with A&E services increased and an all-time high of 69 per cent of respondents were satisfied with outpatient services. Go to tinyurl.com/px4gcgd

LEADERSHIP SWITCH FOR PUBLIC HEALTH Responsibility for public health nursing and midwifery will be transferred in April from the Department of Health to Public Health England. Leadership is currently held jointly by the two. The health department has announced that it will also establish a nursing and midwifery policy unit, which will be led by deputy director of nursing David Foster, to deliver clear strategic messages. Viv Bennett will continue in her current leadership role as Public Health England director of nursing and midwifery and as the government’s principal adviser on public health nursing. Professor Bennett said: ‘It is vital that public health nurses and midwives have a strong professional voice and leadership so we can continue to drive improvements in protecting the public’s health. ‘I am delighted to have the opportunity to focus on public health nursing and continue working with professional colleagues in the DH and across the health and care system.’

NMC welcomes progress on bill for more flexible regulation The government has accepted most of the Law Commission’s recommendations for reforming the regulation of health care. The recommendations were set out in the Regulation of Healthcare Professionals Bill published last April by the Law Commission, the body that reviews legislation. The bill would, among other proposals, give the NMC the power to deal with fitness to practise cases without a full public hearing, and issue warnings and conditions to retain registration. Health minister Dan Poulter acknowledged the government’s ‘overwhelming support’ for the commission’s advice on improvement. The Nursing and Midwifery Council welcomed the announcement and called on the next government to enact the draft bill as a matter of urgency in the next parliament. NMC chief executive Jackie Smith said: ‘To become a modern, effective and efficient regulator, we need a legislative framework that is less prescriptive and allows us to be flexible and responsive in a constantly changing regulatory and healthcare environment.’

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