Guidelines to identify abnormalities after childhood urinary tract infections: a prospective audit
Objective
To compare the childhood urinary tract infection (UTI) guidelines from the Royal College of Physicians (RCP) in 1991 and from National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) (CG54) in 2007 by measuring their efficiency at detecting urinary tract abnormalities.
Design
Children with UTIs within the Newcastle Primary Care Trust (population 70 800 children) were referred and imaged according to the RCP guidelines during 2008, and these were compared to the activity that would have been undertaken if we had implemented the CG54 guidelines, including following them through 2011 to identify those with recu...
Source: Archives of Disease in Childhood - April 9, 2014 Category: Pediatrics Authors: Coulthard, M. G., Lambert, H. J., Vernon, S. J., Hunter, E. W., Keir, M. J. Tags: Urology, Open access, Urinary tract infections, Child health, Urinary tract infections, Screening (epidemiology), Screening (public health) Original article Source Type: research
Direct procurement of wound management products.
This article describes a collaborative project between Bedfordshire Community Health Services and Primary Care Trusts/Clinical Commissioning Groups to improve provision of dressings to nurses for the patients they treat. Commissioners have facilitated a transformational approach and encouraged development of efficient systems of increased cost-effectiveness rather than a transactional approach based on opportunistic cost improvement plans. Reconfiguration to direct procurement from GP prescribing has reduced wastage, released nurse time from processes to spend on clinical contact time with patients, increased efficiency, a...
Source: British Journal of Community Nursing - March 1, 2014 Category: Nursing Authors: Jenkins T Tags: Br J Community Nurs Source Type: research
Uptake of neonatal BCG vaccination in England: performance of the current policy recommendations
BCG uptake among infants in England has not been measured since targeted infant vaccination replaced universal schoolchildren vaccination in 2005, mainly because of the challenges in defining denominators. We estimated uptake between 2006 and 2008 by dividing number of BCG doses administered to infants by number of all live births (where BCG vaccination is universal) or ethnic minority/Eastern Europeans live births (where infant-BCG vaccination is selective). Weighted average uptake was 68% (95% CI 65% to 71%), slightly higher in primary care trusts with universal (72% (95% CI 64% to 80%)) than selective (66% (95% CI 61% t...
Source: Thorax - December 12, 2013 Category: Respiratory Medicine Authors: Nguipdop-Djomo, P., Mangtani, P., Pedrazzoli, D., Rodrigues, L. C., Abubakar, I. Tags: General practice / family medicine, Drugs: infectious diseases, Vaccination / immunisation, Child health, Infant health, Neonatal health Chest clinic Source Type: research
A brief intervention for weight management in primary care: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial
DiscussionTrial results could make the case for brief interventions for obese people consulting their GP and introduce widespread simple treatments akin to the NHS Stop Smoking Service. Likewise, the intervention could be introduced in the Quality and Outcomes Framework and influence practice worldwide.Trial registration: Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN26563137. (Source: Trials)
Source: Trials - November 19, 2013 Category: Journals (General) Authors: Amanda LewisKate JollyPeymane AdabAmanda DaleyAmanda FarleySusan JebbDeborah LycettSarah ClarkeAnna ChristianJing JinBen ThompsonPaul Aveyard Source Type: research
Holding up the mirror: how to use quality assurance, peer review to improve sexual health
The Office for Sexual Health was established in the southwest of England in January 2010 as a Department of Health pilot to bring together all elements of sexual health policy to address the fragmentation of effort created by having separate national programmes for different elements of sexual health. The Office for Sexual Health established a peer review process to quality assure the commissioning, delivery, evaluation and governance of sexual heath services across the southwest, based on a whole system, partnership approach to improvement that focused on all aspects of sexual health. This was carried out under the auspic...
Source: Sexually Transmitted Infections - November 15, 2013 Category: Sexual Medicine Authors: Womack, J., Kell, P., Scally, G. Tags: General practice / family medicine Education Source Type: research
Financial implications of clinical coding in an ENT outpatient clinic
Clinical outpatient procedures are allocated chargeable tariffs that generate hospital income from Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) through the Payment by Results system. Inaccurate coding of procedures may lead to significant losses for the hospital, however the degree of loss is unknown. (Source: International Journal of Surgery)
Source: International Journal of Surgery - November 6, 2013 Category: Surgery Authors: Michael Harrison, Iain McKay-Davies Tags: Abstracts from the Association of Surgeons in Training Conference Source Type: research
Re: Sidebottom AJ, Patel AA, Amin J. Botulinum injection for the management of myofascial pain in the masticatory muscles. A prospective outcome study
We read with interest this paper which provides valuable evidence for the use of botulinum toxin as an alternative treatment for masticatory pain when conservative methods fail. However, we wish to draw clinicians’ attention to the fact that not all Primary Care Trusts (PCT) fund this treatment in the National Health Service (NHS). Our PCT views the paper as level C evidence and does not consider it adequate to overturn guidance from the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) in the United States of America, stating that more research is needed. It also notes that there is no reference to botulinu...
Source: The British Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery - October 21, 2013 Category: ENT & OMF Authors: Konstantinos Tzanidakis, Clive Moss, Andrew J. Gibbons Tags: Letter to the Editor Source Type: research
The end of the National Health Service
Earlier this year, the National Health Service in England was abolished in its previous form and replaced by a commissioning system. Following the Health and Social Care Act, the secretary of state for health gave up direct responsibility for the provision of the nation's health services, passing these over to a commissioning board.1 Primary care trusts—the public bodies that formerly provided some health care directly and commissioned the rest—also went. In their place, the government set up local clinical commissioning groups, subject to regulations compelling them to put most if not all service provision out...
Source: Postgraduate Medical Journal - September 19, 2013 Category: Journals (General) Authors: Launer, J. Tags: On reflection Source Type: research
Public health and health and wellbeing boards: antecedents, theory and development
This article traces the theoretical and policy antecedents of the proposals and highlights some key changes since their original conception in the 2010 public health white paper. It suggests that the development of health and well-being boards and their objectives can best be understood by viewing them through the theoretical prism of public value or new public service theory and concludes with some recommendations for their implementation and development. (Source: The Journal of the Royal Society for the Promotion of Health)
Source: The Journal of the Royal Society for the Promotion of Health - September 10, 2013 Category: Health Management Authors: Murphy, P. Tags: Peer Review Source Type: research
Provision of home mechanical ventilation and sleep services for England survey
The Department of Health is promoting the generation of specialist networks to manage long term ventilatory weaning and domiciliary non-invasive ventilation patients. Currently the availability of these services in England is not known. We performed a short survey to establish the prevalence of sleep and ventilation diagnostic and treatment services. The survey focussed on diagnostic services and Home Mechanical Ventilation (HMV) provision, and was divided into (a) availability of diagnostics, (b) funding, and (c) patient groups. This survey has confirmed that the majority of Home Mechanical Ventilation set-ups are current...
Source: Thorax - August 9, 2013 Category: Respiratory Medicine Authors: Mandal, S., Suh, E., Davies, M., Smith, I., Maher, T. M., Elliott, M. W., Davidson, A. C., Hart, N. Tags: General practice / family medicine, Mechanical ventilation, Mechanical ventilation, Health education, Obesity (public health) Research letter Source Type: research
Correction
Calderón-Larrañaga A, Carney L, Soljak M, et al. Association of population and primary healthcare factors with hospital admission rates for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in England: national cross-sectional study. Thorax 2011;66:191–96. We wish to report a single error in our paper on associations of population and primary healthcare factors with hospital admission rates for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. An observant researcher has questioned an R squared value for a univariate analysis at primary care trust level. In our paper we reported that about 14.4% of the variance in hospital ad...
Source: Thorax - July 9, 2013 Category: Respiratory Medicine Tags: Correction Source Type: research
Radiotherapy Demand and Activity in England 2006–2020
Discussion: Services have increased their activity by 14% between 2006 and 2011, but estimated demand has increased by 11%. Access remains low and English radiotherapy dose fractionation still does not comply with international evidence-based practice. (Source: Clinical Oncology)
Source: Clinical Oncology - June 14, 2013 Category: Radiology Authors: C.E. Round, M.V. Williams, T. Mee, N.F. Kirkby, T. Cooper, P. Hoskin, R. Jena Tags: Original Articles Source Type: research
A mismatch in aesthetic training requirements and practice for the plastic surgery trainee
I am writing in response to the Hallam et al. paper entitled ‘Implications of rationing and the European Working Time Directive on aesthetic breast surgery: A study of trainee exposure in 2005 and 2011’ published in February 2013. I am a year 4 Registrar in Plastic Surgery and I identify with much of what the authors expressed regarding the significant reduction in trainee exposure and operative training for aesthetic breast surgery. I feel this also translates to aesthetic surgery in general. It is often difficult to define what constitutes an aesthetic or cosmetic procedure when surgery is carried out to achieve or ...
Source: Journal of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery - May 29, 2013 Category: Cosmetic Surgery Authors: Jenny Goodenough Tags: Correspondence and Communications Source Type: research
Innovative hypoglycaemia care pathway for admission avoidance: a partnership approach with a local ambulance trust
Abstract
In 2010, Leicester City Primary Care Trust commissioned an Intermediate Care Diabetes Service. One aspect of the service plan was to work with the local ambulance trust to gather data around patients using ambulance services for hypoglycaemia, and to provide an advisory service for individuals post ambulance call‐out.
This audit identified 388 diabetic emergency ambulance call‐outs locally (for the period 1 September 2010 to 31 March 2011) including those for hypoglycaemia in the Leicester City area.
The new service commissioned by Leicester City included diabetes specialist nurse assessment within two working...
Source: Practical Diabetes International - May 15, 2013 Category: Endocrinology Authors: June James, Jane Fairfield, Louise De Groot, Steve Jackson Tags: Original Short Report Source Type: research
