23rd January 2015

Contents

• RCS proposes new safeguards to bolster standards in cosmetic surgery
• SNP says it is ready to vote on English health laws
• Waiting times improve but cancelled operations still up on last year
• Monitor issues integrated care guidance
• More needs to be done to support those who complain about the NHS, according to Health Committee
• RCS statement highlighted as Lords discuss HPV vaccination for boys

RCS proposes new safeguards to bolster standards in cosmetic surgery

The RCS has today published new proposals to strengthen standards in cosmetic surgery.

The Cosmetic Surgery Interspecialty Committee (CSIC), which was set up by the College in 2013 after a review by Professor Sir Bruce Keogh found the regulatory framework for cosmetic surgery to be deficient in terms of patient protection, has made a number of recommendations to ensure patients are able to make informed choices about their treatment.

Central to the proposals is a new system to certify surgeons in the private sector for cosmetic procedures. Certification would necessitate the surgeon being registered on the GMC specialist register in the area of training covering the operations they wish to perform. Consequently, certified surgeons would be able to demonstrate they have the necessary experience and skills to undertake those operations.

The proposals, which are out for consultation until Friday 6th March, are designed to improve protection for patients by providing them with clear and unbiased information about their surgeon. The plans also allow for providers to assess the quality and safety of their surgeons whereas the surgeons themselves will be able to better reflect on their own standards.

SNP says it is ready to vote on English health laws

Scottish National Party MPs in Westminster will vote on English health laws in the next parliament, according to a BBC interview with the party’s leader Nicola Sturgeon.

Current projections suggest neither of the main political parties is likely to win an outright majority at the General Election and that the SNP could become the third largest party in the House of Commons. Consequently, any minority Government would require support from other parties to secure enough votes for major legislative proposals, including any planned health reforms.

Until now SNP policy has been to abstain from voting on issues that affect England only. However, their decision to reverse this stance suggests that an incoming government could rely on SNP support for at least some aspects of their health policy. The SNP have also previously said they would not support a Conservative government. Polls suggest that the outcome of the election is far from certain however, yet Sturgeon’s announcement could have significant implications for the future of the NHS in England.

Waiting times improve but cancelled operations still up on last year

Pressures in A&E have eased slightly for the second week running. The latest stats, published today, show that 92.4% of patients were seen within 4 hours in the seven days up to last Sunday. However, this is still below the Government’s 95% target, which hasn’t been met now since the beginning of October. For type 1 attendances, representing attendances at major A&E units, the target was last met in July 2013.

So far, since the first Monday in November up until last Sunday, there have been 16,543 elective and 825 urgent operations cancelled. Respectively this is a 40.6% and 31.6% increase on the number of cancellations compared to last year.

Monitor issues integrated care guidance

The sector regulator for health services, Monitor, has issued draft guidance for NHS providers aimed at ensuring compliance with Monitor’s new integrated care requirements. Under the requirements, NHS providers are prohibited from doing anything that can be reasonably regarded as detrimental to enabling integration.

Primarily, integrated care is expected to be delivered by commissioners working with providers through contractual arrangements. However, the guidance makes clear that Monitor will be able to take enforcement action if a licensed provider is acting in a way that is detrimental to this process. Examples of potential situations which may lead to action being taken include unnecessary delays in the handover of patient records when a patient moves from one provider to another and failure to work properly with commissioners in identifying how care can be better coordinated.

Earlier this week the regulator also warned that the NHS and social care are acting too slowly to join-up patient care. Monitor is seeking feedback on the guidance through a consultation which closes on 13th February.

More needs to be done to support those who complain about the NHS, according to Health Committee

The Health Select Committee this week published the final report of its inquiry into complaints and raising concerns in the NHS. The report concludes that, even though progress has been made since the last inquiry, more needs to be done to build a culture where complaints are seen as a way of improving the NHS rather than as an indicator of failure.

The Committee highlights that the current system remains complex and confusing, and recommends the creation of a single branded complaints pathway for all NHS providers. The Committee also believes that there is a strong case for integrating the complaints process for health and social care through the creation of a single health and social care services ombudsman.

Further recommendations propose strengthening support for whistleblowers, potentially through an NHS programme that identifies individuals who have serious harm as a result of raising a concern and offers them practical compensation where their claims have proved to be justified.

RCS statement highlighted as Lords discuss HPV vaccination for boys

Lords discussed the merits of rolling out a comprehensive vaccination programme for adolescent boys this week, with the Royal College of Surgeons quoted during the debate. Baroness Gould highlighted a recent RCS statement which made clear the strong evidence backing HPV vaccination in boys as a means of reducing a number of cancers, such oropharynx, tongue and tonsil.

The Government Minister, Earl Howe, said that such decisions are guided by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, which is currently considering the cost-effectiveness of a HPV immunisation programme for boys.