Policy Updates 30th May 2022
The following policy updates have been curated from the week commencing 30th May 2022.
General Updates
Healthwatch Bristol
Please find here the Healthwatch Bristol’s report entitled “Charting the experiences of people being discharged from hospital on the pathway 3 care route”. We strongly encourage any responses to themes in the report - download the full report here
Cost of Care Update + Support Offer - Care Home Tool Live
Dear Colleagues,
Further to my previous updates regarding CHIP support for the Cost of Care Exercises, please find here a slide-pack that relates to Fair Cost of Care and gives an update on the CoC Tools, details of support in place, and responses to key frequently asked questions.
The key headline is that the Care Home CoC Tool went live this morning and councils and providers need to take specific steps to be able to access this, which are set out in slide 3.
If you have any questions about these slides or this FCC work in general, please email Marketsandcommissioning@local.gov.uk . The helpdesk emails for each tool are copied into this email.
This information will also be cascaded through to providers via the Care Provider Alliance channels but do feel free to pass on to your local providers, especially those not part of any associations.
Kind Regards
Dan
Dan Mould
Adviser – Commissioning and Market Shaping
Care and Health Improvement Programme
Local Government Association
New Policy
COVID-19: information and advice for health and care professionals
Background information and advice on coronavirus (COVID-19) for health and care professionals. COVID-19 is an illness first discovered in 2019 and caused by a respiratory coronavirus. This virus is referred to as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome – Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), and the associated illness as COVID-19. People who are at higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19 include:
older people
those who are pregnant
those who have no immunity through prior infection or are unvaccinated
people of any age whose immune system means they are at higher risk of serious illness
people of any age with certain long-term conditions
The risk of becoming seriously unwell from COVID-19 and other respiratory infections is very low for most children and young people.
Further background information on epidemiology, virology and clinical features is available.
Found at: GOV.UK
Higher-risk patients eligible for COVID-19 treatments: independent advisory group report
The independent advisory group identified which patient groups are at highest risk of serious illness from COVID-19 and would benefit from new COVID-19 treatments. This report was commissioned by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC). DHSC asked the independent advisory group to identify a set of patient conditions based on who is at the highest risk of an adverse COVID-19 outcome, particularly hospitalisation and death. The recommendations in the report have supported deployment of COVID-19 therapeutics in community settings, including oral antivirals and monoclonal antibodies. The recommendations may also support work on other treatments in the future.
Found at: GOV.UK
Updated Policy
NHS continuing healthcare and NHS-funded nursing care
Guidance and resources relating to NHS continuing healthcare and NHS-funded nursing care. NHS continuing healthcare is an ongoing package of health and social care that is arranged and funded solely by the NHS where an individual is found to have a primary health need. Such care is provided to an individual aged 18 or over to meet needs that have arisen as a result of disability, accident or illness.
30 May 2022
Removed information on the NHS-funded nursing care rate as it was out of date.
Found at: GOV.UK
NHS continuing healthcare decision support tool
Supports practitioners in applying the national framework for continuing healthcare and NHS-funded nursing care. The tool supports the making of consistent evidence-based recommendations and decisions on eligibility for NHS continuing healthcare. All staff using the tool need to be familiar with the principles of the national framework.
30 May 2022
Updated to reflect changes to the national framework in 2022. Equalities monitoring questions brought in line with the latest NHS England patient level data set (launched in April 2022).
Found at: GOV.UK
NHS continuing healthcare fast-track pathway tool
Use this tool to identify individuals who need to be fast-tracked for immediate provision of NHS continuing healthcare due to a rapidly deteriorating condition that may be entering a terminal phase.
30 May 2022
Updated to reflect changes to the national framework in 2022. Equalities monitoring questions brought in line with the latest NHS England patient level data set (launched in April 2022).
Found at: GOV.UK
National framework for NHS continuing healthcare and NHS-funded nursing care
This guidance sets out the principles and processes of the national framework for NHS continuing healthcare and NHS-funded nursing care. The national framework for NHS continuing healthcare and NHS-funded nursing care sets out the principles and processes for deciding eligibility.
30 May 2022
Updated the ‘National framework for NHS continuing healthcare and NHS-funded nursing care’ to reflect that from 1 July 2022, the statutory body with responsibility for NHS continuing healthcare and NHS-funded nursing care will transfer from clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) to integrated care boards (ICBs) and add clearer statements of best practice in a number of areas such as hospital discharge and consent. Temporarily removed 'What is NHS continuing healthcare?' easy read while it is being updated.
Found at: GOV.UK
NHS continuing healthcare and NHS-funded nursing care: public information leaflet
A guide for people who may be in need of ongoing care and support from health and social care professionals. This leaflet provides information for people who may be in need of NHS continuing healthcare and NHS-funded nursing care as a result of disability, accident or illness. It explains the process used to determine whether somebody is eligible for care funded entirely by the NHS.
30 May 2022
Updated to reflect changes to the national framework in 2022, removed translations temporarily while they are being updated.
Found at: GOV.UK
NHS continuing healthcare checklist
Screening tool to help identify individuals who may need a referral for a full assessment of eligibility for NHS continuing healthcare. All staff completing the checklist need to be familiar with the principles of the national framework for continuing healthcare and NHS-funded nursing care.
30 May 2022
Updated to reflect changes to the national framework in 2022. Equalities monitoring questions brought in line with the latest NHS England patient level data set (launched in April 2022).
Found at: GOV.UK
NHS-funded nursing care practice
The principles and processes of NHS-funded nursing care. Includes the process for determining whether an individual is eligible for NHS-funded nursing care.
30 May 2022
Updated to reflect changes to the national framework in 2022.
Found at: GOV.UK
Wider Stakeholder News
Data Security and Protection Toolkit
Remember to republish your Data Security and Protection Toolkit (DSPT): If you are currently at DSPT Standards Met 2020/2021 or DSPT Approaching Standards 2020/2021, you will need to republish the Toolkit before 30 June 2022 to maintain DSPT compliance. If you have not published the DSPT or need support to republish, there is support available on the Digital Social Care website.
Found at: Digital Social Care
Recruiting care homes for 2022/23 flu season - May 2022
FluCare is a National Institute for Health and Care Research funded project exploring whether offering a package to encourage staff to receive their flu vaccine in the care home can increase uptake of the vaccine. To help us understand whether the FluCare package works, some homes will receive the FluCare package and others will not. All participating homes will receive £500 to cover the costs of time spent taking part and providing information for the researchers, whether they are chosen to receive the FluCare package or not (www.flucare.co.uk).
Found at: FluCare
New clinical trials deal struck to better protect world from future pandemics
UK – Argentina led resolution at World Health Assembly will protect the world from future pandemics as well as existing health threats.
Resolution will help developing countries to run their own drug and vaccine trials
UK Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Sajid Javid calls agreement a ‘landmark moment’ in world’s journey to pandemic preparedness
Millions of people across the world will be better protected from future pandemics thanks to a landmark resolution brought by the UK and Argentina at the World Health Assembly (WHA) in Geneva today (Friday 27 May).
Found at: GOV.UK