This report is a flexible summary, with the aim of sharing and highlighting a wide range of data and policy information relating to London general practice published in a given week. Where we view information to be of significant interest it is reproduced directly below the links to make the key points quicker to digest.
Please feel free to share any useful stats/links you think we could include in future reports.
Official bodies
NHS Digital
- All recent data releases can be seen here.
- Mental Health Report: Mental health national workforce census [15/5].
- Letter: Appropriate release of medical colleagues for the purposes for carrying out work for the wider health system [13/5].
- Guidance: NHS Talking Therapies for anxiety and depression manual [12/5].
Department of Health and Social Care
- News story: MHRA approves vaccine to protect against pneumococcal infections such as pneumonia and meningitis [15/5].
- Press release: Tens of thousands more patients receiving crucial scans quicker [14/5].
- More people were seen faster for scans including endoscopies, ultrasounds and MRIs.
- News story: Meet the women helping ensure that digital mental health technologies are safe, effective and developed considering the needs of the people who use them [13/5].
- Press release: New NHS programme to reduce brain injury in childbirth [12/5].
- Press release: More scanners across the country for better care of brittle bones [12/5].
UK Health Security Agency
- Guidance: Cervical screening: standards data report 2023 to 2024 [15/5].
- Guidance: Mpox: guidance for environmental cleaning and decontamination in non-healthcare settings [15/5].
BMA
- Press release: BMA-backed High Court case brought by parents of Emily Chesterton and Anaesthetists United against GMC over regulation of PAs begins [13/5].
Policy, think tanks, charities and representative bodies
The Health Foundation
- Can incentive schemes improve and transform NHS services? [16/5].
- This blog highlights that financial incentive schemes can improve NHS services, but their effectiveness is mixed and designing them is challenging. They work best when aligned with staff motivations and supported by other measures. Incentives should be part of a broader strategy for lasting improvements.
Nuffield Trust
- Curb your enthusiasm: what does the evidence tell us about using AI in radiology diagnostics? [13/5].
- This blog reviews AI in radiology diagnostics, noting its potential to improve accuracy and efficiency but also highlighting mixed evidence and the risk of false positives. It emphasises the need for patient-focused studies and careful implementation with robust evidence.
- Promising but cautious: AI shows potential in improving diagnostic accuracy and workflow efficiency, but evidence is mixed and limited. AI can also increase false positives, leading to unnecessary stress for patients and additional demand on services.
- Patient voices missing: There is a lack of studies on patient experiences with AI in diagnostics, raising questions about patient awareness, consent, and acceptance of AI.
- Implementation challenges: Effective AI integration requires significant resources and clear guidance, which are currently lacking. The rapid implementation outpaces the development of robust evidence, making it difficult to assess AI’s real-world impact.
The King’s Fund
- Will the ‘model ICB’ strengthen or undermine system working? [12/5].
- The blog discusses the potential impact of the ‘model ICB’ (Integrated Care Board) on system working within the NHS. It highlights that the model ICB’s focus on commissioning over collaboration could undermine the role of ICBs as system conveners. Effective system working requires strong relationships and shared goals, which may be harder to achieve without a clear convening role. Additionally, more responsibilities are being shifted to providers, raising concerns about their capacity to manage these new roles. The blog highlights that addressing health and care challenges requires a systemic approach, and changes to ICBs must be part of a broader strategy to ensure integrated care and collaboration.
General Medical Council
- GMC welcomes government announcement on regulatory reform [12/5].
- The government has confirmed its commitment to prioritising the reform of healthcare professional regulation in the UK.
London Trusts
Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust