Welfare Reform on the Web (February 2010): National Health Service - primary and community care
Barriers to extended nurse prescribing among practice nurses
A. Kelly, J. Neale and R. Rollings
Community Practitioner, vol. 83, Jan. 2010, p. 21-24
Practice nurses are defined as those who work in general practices and are employed by GPs. Despite the success of nurse-led services in primary care, the move into extended nurse prescribing has not been as high as predicted. A survey of practice nurses in one county in Southern England explored the perceived barriers to acquiring a nurse independent prescriber qualification. Reasons for not training which emerged related to age and lack of support and/or financial incentives.
Cost-effectiveness in blood glucose testing
M. Martin
British Journal of Healthcare Management, vol. 15, 2009, p. 597-604
To help improve outcomes for patients with diabetes, primary care organisations should encourage the use of blood glucose self-monitoring (both pre- and post-meal) where indicated, but only as part of a structured education programme. In this way, patients can better understand when to test, how to act on test results, and learn how to minimise waste of resources.
Parents told children should have MMR jab as doctors are censured
D. Rose
The Times, Jan. 29th 2010, p. 1 & 15
Andrew Wakefield, the doctor who suggested a link between the MMR jab and bowel disease and autism, has been condemned as dishonest and irresponsible by the medical regulator. He has been found guilty of a large number of charges relating to his claim which led to one of the biggest health scares of the decade, and has caused a resurgence in measles after concerned parents refused to immunise their children with the MMR jab. The General Medical Council has moved a step closer to removing Andrew Wakefield and his colleagues from the medical register.
Provider arm integration timetabled
S. Ford
Health Service Journal, Jan. 28th 2010, p. 4
Most primary care trust provider arms will be expected to integrate with acute or mental health trusts by March 2011. Primary care trusts will be expected to agree proposals with their strategic health authorities for the structure of their provider arms by mid-March 2010.
Tories to tackle doctors over after-hours care
J. Kirkup
Daily Telegraph, Jan. 18th 2010, p. 8
The Conservatives have put themselves on a collision course with GPs by pledging to make doctors take back responsibility for out-of-hours care from private contractors and NHS trusts.
Say 'health visiting'
S. Cowley
Community Practitioner, vol. 83, Jan. 2010, p. 30-31
The health visiting profession was removed from statute in 2001. An occupation that is not described in statute has no legal standing. Its title has no official meaning, so it cannot adequately control or regulate its members. Unite/CPHVA have started a campaign to return health visiting to statute.