NICE has published six new commissioning guides

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has published six new commissioning guides to help the NHS in England effectively commission evidence-based care for patients. The guides cover services for:

• otitis media with effusion
• patient education for people with type 2 diabetes
• diagnosis and initial management of stroke
• diagnosis and initial management of transient ischaemic attack
• attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in adults and young people in transition
• insulin pump therapy.

Each commissioning guide signposts and provides topic-specific information on key clinical and service-related issues to consider during the commissioning process. They also offer an indicative benchmark of activity to help primary care trust and practice-based commissioners determine the level of service needed locally.

To access the guides go to: www.nice.org.uk/CommissioningGuides. Ideas for future topic specific guides can be emailed to commissioningguides@nice.org.uk
For more information call Kristin O’Leary on 0161 870 3138 or email kristin.oleary@nice.org.uk.

Under One Roof: Will polyclincs deliver integrated care?

Government policy is driving a fundamental shift of care from hospitals to more community-based settings. There is a growing expectation that this shift will be supported by the development of a network of new facilities in which primary, community and secondary care services are co-located, often referred to as polyclinics. Will this model improve the quality and accessibility of health care and deliver cost savings? Drawing on published information and original research into facilities similar to the polyclinic model in the United Kingdom and abroad, this report identifies and explores both opportunities and risks in relation to: quality of care, accessibility of services and cost.

Published June 2008, 67 pages

National Cancer Intelligence Network

In line with the commitments in the Cancer Reform Strategy, the National Cancer Intelligence Network (NCIN) will be launched in June 2008.

The NCIN will coordinate the collection, analysis and publication of comparative national information on diagnosis, treatment and outcomes for types of cancers and types of patient, in a way which is useful to patients, commissioners and service providers and other interested parties. As part of the NCRI, partners will help fund research on the data collated by the NCIN, facilitating a more informed analysis of cancer services than has ever been possible before.

Other documents, websites and conferences

North West Specialised Commissioning Team (NHS Net Link)

Dying patients given greater choice to die at home at no extra cost to the NHS, King’s Fund report concludes

Integrated Drug Treatment System for Prisons (IDTS): allocations for 2008/09

Putting prevention first - vascular checks: risk assessment and management

National Dementia Strategy

The objectives of the project are to develop a national dementia strategy and implementation plan for publication in October 2008. The strategy will address three key themes – raising awareness, early diagnosis and intervention and improving the quality of care.