Index of cancer survival for CCGs

Index of cancer survival for Clinical Commissioning Groups in England: adults diagnosed 2001 to 2016 and followed up to 2017
ONS 1 April 2019

• 1-year cancer survival by CCG for all-cancers combined, three cancers combined, breast, colorectal and lung. 1-, 5- and 10-year index of cancer survival estimates are also available by Sustainability and Transformation Partnerships and Cancer Alliances.

Implementing the NHS Long Term Plan

Implementing the NHS Long Term Plan
NHS England 28 February 2019

• More detail on the legislative changes to help implement the Long Term Plan. Consultation on these proposals closes on 25 April 2019.
• The proposals include the suggestion that legislation enables NHS England to enter into formal joint commissioning arrangements with CCGs about specialised services including providing the ability to pool budgets.  
• See Health and Social Care Committee inquiry into these suggestions.

A common-sense guide for surgeons to support regional clinical networking in revision knee surgery.

Revision knee complexity classification-RKCC: a common-sense guide for surgeons to support regional clinical networking in revision knee surgery. [PubMed]
Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc. 2019 Apr;27(4):1011-1017.

• The revision knee complexity classification has been proposed that offers a common-sense approach to recognize the increasing complexity in revision TKR cases. It provides a methodological assessment of revision knee cases and support regional clinical networking and triage of appropriate cases to revision units or specialist centres.

Abstract

Pancreatic Cancer National patient survey

Pancreatic Cancer National patient survey 
Pancreatic Cancer UK, March 2019

• A survey of the care experiences and support needs of 274 people with pancreatic cancer has found that 49% of respondents had one or more unmet support needs considered either high or moderate in severity.
• Half of patients with deadliest common cancer have unmet support needs, first ever UK survey reveals Picker 25 March 2019

NHS waiting times for elective and cancer treatment

NHS waiting times for elective and cancer treatment
NAO 22 March 2019

• This review presents data on the NHS’s performance against current waiting times standards for elective and cancer care in England, and some of the factors associated with that performance.
• " It is hard to see how the NHS will be able to recover its position on waiting times in the near future without significant investment in staffing and infrastructure."

Report conclusions

Cancer services profiles

Cancer services profiles
PHE updated March 2019

• This tool contains data on cancer services at GP and CCG level collated by the National Cancer Registration and Analysis Service (NCRAS). It replaces the GP Cancer Profiles that were previously contained within the Cancer Commissioning Toolkit.
• Data on cancer incidence and screening, diagnostic services, Two Week Wait referrals, emergency presentations and admissions.

Population screening: access for people with severe mental illness

Population screening: access for people with severe mental illness
PHE 15 March 2019

• Information for commissioners and screening providers, to help improve access to screening for people with severe mental illness.
• Appendix 1 is a list of mental health service providers across England.

Specialised services quality dashboards update

Specialised services quality dashboards
NHS England 14 March 2019

• 2019/20 Metric Definitions sets have been published.

Clinical review of NHS access standards interim report

Clinical review of NHS access standards interim report
NHS England 11 March 2019

• In 2018 Professor Stephen Powis, NHS National Medical Director, was asked to carry out a clinical review of standards across the NHS, with the aim of determining whether patients would be well served by updating and supplementing some of the older targets currently in use. In this interim report, Professor Powis sets out his recommendations for doing so in mental health, cancer, urgent and emergency care, and elective care.
• For background see: Clinical review of NHS access standards

Cochlear implants for children and adults with severe to profound deafness - assessing benefits

Cochlear implants for children and adults with severe to profound deafness [TA566]
NICE Technology appraisal guidance 7 March 2019

• This guidance has been updated after a review of the criteria for defining severe to profound deafness and for assessing adequate benefit from acoustic hearing aids. No other sections of the guidance have been updated, so these are the same as in the original guidance. 
• Commissioners have 3 months from publication to implement these recommendations.
• "Currently around 1,260 people in England receive cochlear implants each year. These updated recommendations could lead to a 70% increase in that number, to 2,150 people, once a steady state is reached in 2024/25" - from NICE news item discussing the impact of the change, including costs.

London hospital launches specialist centre for robotic surgery

London hospital launches specialist centre for robotic surgery
Medical Technology 20 February 2019

• The London Clinic has created The London Clinic Centre for Robotics to support consultants to deliver surgical outcomes for patients in varied specialty areas such as urology, orthopaedics, gastrointestinal, colorectal, ENT and gynaecology, with supporting services such as on-site pathology laboratories, 3T MRI, CT scanners and pain control.

Neurosurgery (adults) service specification

Neurosurgery (adults)
NHS England 15 February 2019

• Service specification for the provision of adult neurosurgery.

Improving the care of patients living with Chronic Kidney Disease

Improving the care of patients living with Chronic Kidney Disease
North London Partners’ 7 February 2019

• A virtual healthcare model to improve the care of patients living with chronic kidney disease through provision of an integrated service between primary and specialist care, reducing waiting times and unnecessary hospital visits. Consultants can access patients’ GP records in real time to provide GPs with advice and guidance and a written comprehensive care management plan.
• See also Development and evaluation of a renal learning health system across inner east London, Health Foundation December 2018

The effectiveness of robotic hip and knee arthroplasty on patient-reported outcomes: A systematic review

The effectiveness of robotic hip and knee arthroplasty on patient-reported outcomes: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Int Orthop. 2018 Sep 15. doi: 10.1007/s00264-018-4140-3

• This systematic and meta-analyses indicates that functional outcomes for patients undergoing active robotic total hip and knee arthroplasty were comparable to conventional surgery. Whether semi-active or active robotic hip or knee arthroplasty is effective in improving post-operative pain, quality of life and satisfaction with surgery is unclear. 

Abstract