3.11pm: Patient umbrella group National Voices has been asked by the NHS Commissioning Board to help define integrated care and create a narrative for more joined-up care. The Local Government Association, Department of Health and Monitor are supporting the work.
11.55am Professor David Haslam has been confirmed as chair of the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence after the health select committee backed the appointment. A GP by background, Professor Haslam is currently national clinical adviser to the Care Quality Commission, Chair of the NICE Evidence Accreditation Advisory Board and an expert member of the NHS National Quality Board. He said: “I am delighted and honoured to have been appointed to be Chair of NICE I sincerely hope that I can build on the remarkable work of Sir Michael Rawlins who has led NICE from its formation to become such an internationally respected and valued organisation.”
11.10am David Prior has been confirmed as chair of the Care Quality Commission after the Health Select Committee backed the appointment. Mr Prior, who is currently chair of Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals Foundation Trust, will take up the post at the end of January. In a statement he said: “CQC must be an intelligent, risk driven, consistent and transparent regulator of care standards. It will be driven by common sense and judgement not box ticking and form filling. It will be concerned both with the quality of hands on clinical practice and with the culture, governance, openness and sustainability of the organisations that provide care.”
10.10am Labour has called on the government to provide “a bit of accountability and a bit of honesty” as it accused the coalition of presiding over a “cut” in NHS spending during its term in office. Shadow health secretary Andy Burnham claimed the government was giving a “false version of events” on health service expenditure. This follows UK Statistics Authority chairman Andrew Dilnot upholding a complaint by Labour about statements made by prime minister David Cameron and others about NHS expenditure.
10.02am The Department of Health should take “a more active interest” in ensuring that patient care is not being rationed, a National Audit Office report suggests. While the department has made clear blanket bans on procedures are not permitted, it still needs to develop ways of getting assurances that procedures are not being inappropriately restricted, according to the report.
8.30am People from migrant communities may not use primary care because they may not feel comfortable communicating in English or may feel embarrassed about health issues. They may even think that using A&E services is easier or more appropriate.
Annie Ford and her colleagues explain how by setting up bilingual advocacy services, running education workshops and providing interpreting services in GP practices, Merton Healthcare has ensured migrant communities have better access to health services.
7.25am Good morning, today on HSJ Emily Steventon and her colleagues explore whether routine feedback from the National Child Measurement Programme actually engage parents.
The National Obesity Observatory has argued that the NCMP “helps to increase public and professional understanding of weight issues in children and is a useful vehicle for engaging with children and families about healthy lifestyles and weight issues.”
What is not well known though is whether sharing the results of the NCMP actually engages parents.
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