Series of films to support overseas nurse transition

Health Education England (HEE) has launched a series of films for overseas nurses and their trainers to help support transition and integration into UK practice.

Sponsorship guidance for migrants updated (Tiers 2 and 5)

The Tier 2 and Tier 5 guidance for sponsors has been updated following the publication of the UK immigration rule changes. 

This guidance is to be used for all Tier 2 and Tier 5 sponsor licence applications made and certificates of sponsorship (CoS) assigned, on or after 11 January 2018.

Management of Infants born to Mothers who have used Opioids during Pregnancy

The incidence of infant opioid withdrawal has grown rapidly in many countries, including Canada, in the last decade, presenting significant health and early brain development concerns. Increased prenatal exposure to opioids reflects rising prescription opioid use as well as the presence of both illegal opiates and opioid-substitution therapies. Infants are at high risk for experiencing symptoms of abstinence or withdrawal that may require assessment and treatment.

This practice point focuses specifically on the effect(s) of opioid withdrawal and current management strategies in the care of infants born to mothers with opioid dependency.

Using Community Partnerships to Integrate Health and Social Services for High-Need, High-Cost Patients

This briefing from the Commonwealth Fund examines the evidence on integrated community health and care services for patients with complex and multiple needs in the U.S. It identifies the five common challenges to implementing an integrated approach successfully and outlines solutions for these challenges.

International recruitment quick guides updated

NHS Employers has updated its range of quick guides on international recruitment.

This resource is designed to help employers identify the right tier for different professions when recruiting individuals from outside of the UK that require a sponsor to work in the UK.

Immigration and the Tier 2 recruitment process
This guide sets out the recruitment process that an employer should follow to meet the Home Office UK Visas and Immigraion (UKVI) requirements to sponsor migrants under Tier 2 (General) of the points-based system.

Step-by-step guide to applying for certificates of sponsorship (CoS)
This step-by-step guide highlights the differences between the unrestricted and restricted certificates of sponsorship and the process that employers should use when applying for them.

Home Secretary's open letter to EU citizens

Home Secretary, Amber Rudd, has written directly to EU nationals offering reassurance about their rights to stay in the UK following the release of the joint report on 8 December.

The letter confirms that EU citizens living lawfully in the UK by 29 March 2019, will be able to stay and have broadly the same rights and benefits as they do now. It also highlights how EU staff's existing close family members living outside the UK retain the right to join them in the future.

Guidance on overseas visitors hospital charging regulations

Guidance, from the Department of Health, for NHS bodies who need to make and recover hospital charges from overseas visitors.

See also Overseas patient upfront tariff 2017/18.

Language Competency Good Practice Guidance for Employers

This guidance, from NHS Employers, outlines the importance of English language competency assessment to help NHS organisations enhance any existing protocols and support employers to effectively assess language competency where appropriate.

The language competency good practice guide has been updated to ensure additional clarity for employers.

Transportation and the role of hospitals

This report from the American Hospital Association explores the role of hospitals and health systems in addressing patient transport issues. It includes four case studies on hospitals and health systems in the US and their interventions to reduce transportation barriers in their communities.

Health at a glance 2017

This report from the OECD outlines the latest comparable data and trends on different aspects of the performance of health systems in OECD countries. The analysis of the UK health system finds that the overall health of Britons is similar to the OECD average and that access to care is generally strong but that the indicators for quality of care are below the OECD average.

There for us: a better future for the NHS workforce

This report from NHS Providers warns that uncertainty over international recruitment is threatening safe, high quality care for patients. It says there are no domestic “quick fixes” to the severe workforce shortages in the NHS, and that any significant reduction in the number of overseas staff in the next few years is likely to have a serious and damaging impact on services for the public. It calls for urgent steps to ease pressures on front line staff, and to develop an NHS workforce fit to meet the growing and changing needs of the population.

NMC to amend English language requirements for applicants trained outside the UK

The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) is making alternative options available for nurses and midwives, trained outside the UK, to demonstrate their English language capability.

WHO Guidelines on Integrated Care for Older People (ICOPE)

The provision of integrated care is key for older people. The WHO Guidelines on Integrated Care for Older People (ICOPE) propose evidence-based recommendations for health care professionals to prevent, slow or reverse declines in the physical and mental capacities of older people.

WHO guideline on syphilis screening and treatment for pregnant women

Since the publication of the WHO Guidelines for the management of sexually transmitted infections in 2003, changes in the epidemiology of STIs and advancements in prevention, diagnosis and treatment necessitate changes in STI management.

This guideline provides updated recommendations for syphilis screening and treatment for pregnant women based on the most recent evidence and available serologic tests for syphilis

The NAPC compares models of accountable care in the UK and the USA

This paper looks at the provision of accountable care. Based on discussions between health leaders from the UK and US at a symposium in May 2017, it compares the delivery of primary care in the UK and USA through Accountable Care Organisations and Accountable Care Systems.

The report describes accountable care as a model that brings together groups of different healthcare providers to serve the needs of a specific population, within a specified budget and with particular outcomes in mind. It suggests that accountable care is “particularly attractive for developed countries at a time when ageing populations and an increase in chronic diseases have led to rising and unsustainable costs in care delivery”. It is seen as a way of moving beyond rhetoric to reality to transform and integrate care.

Guideline for the prevention and treatment of glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis

This guideline, from the American College of Rheumatology, provides direction for clinicians and patients making treatment decisions on the the prevention and treatment of glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis.

Developing accountable care systems: lessons from Canterbury, New Zealand

New article published by the King's Fund

There are clear parallels between pressures the Canterbury health system was facing at the start of its programme of transformation and current pressures on the NHS – including financial deficits, rising demand and declining performance in emergency and elective care. Given the positive impact that the changes in Canterbury have had, it is worth considering the lessons that the NHS can learn as it embarks on its own journey of transformation. 

The interventions and delivery models used in Canterbury offer practical lessons for other health systems, as does its approach to change, which includes a strong emphasis on system working, staff engagement, co-design and continuous quality improvement. Technology has been key to Canterbury’s success, and local investment and innovation have been central to this. Developing solutions in partnership with clinical users has been key to their successful design and uptake.

New charging regulations for overseas visitors

From Monday 23 October 2017 new charging regulations will apply for overseas visitors receiving healthcare in England.

The regulations place a new legal obligation on NHS providers to charge for non-urgent treatment in advance, once you have established whether a person is eligible. Commissioners will be implementing these arrangements with all providers of NHS-funded community and secondary care including independent providers.

When charges apply, the relevant body must make and recover charges in advance of providing NHS services, unless doing so would prevent or delay the provision of immediately necessary or urgent treatment.

Immigration health surcharge: removal of assisted conception services

Amendments to the NHS (Charges to Overseas Visitors) Regulations 2015 were introduced into Parliament on 19 July 2017.

As a result, from 21 August 2017, assisted conception services will no longer be included in the scope of services available for free for those who pay the immigration health surcharge. CCGs should update their online and publicly available policies in this area, to ensure potential users of these services are aware of the changes. Further information can be found in the explanatory memorandum for these regulations. 

A playbook for fostering hospital-community partnerships to build a culture of health

This guidance, from the American Hospital Association, outlines a range of methods, tools and strategies to help create and sustain partnerships between hospitals and communities in order to create a culture of health. The guidance also uses insights from cohorts of a pilot programme on how to manage, strengthen and accelerate collaborations effectively.