User-generated quality standards for youth mental health in primary care

"The development of patient-generated quality standards may offer a more formal method of incorporating the views of service users into quality improvement initiatives. This method can be adapted for generating quality standards applicable to other patient groups."

User-generated quality standards for youth mental health in primary care: a participatory research design using mixed methods
T Graham, D Rose, J Murray, M Ashworth, A Tylee
BMJ Quality and Safety 2014;23:857-866

Read more here.

New NICE website

A new version of the NICE website was launched last month, with improvements in usability. Information about the NICE quality standards and  the Quality and Outcomes Framework can now all be found on the one page at: www.nice.org.uk/standards-and-indicators

A list of NICE Quality Standards can be found here.

The Into Practice webpage contains links to Commissioning Support, Audit and Service Improvement tools, and more.

NICE are welcoming your feedback on the new site - leave your comments here.

Quality Standards: care of adults with acquired brain injury

"Quality Standards aim to improve the quality of services for adults with acquired brain injury and help to answer the question: “For each service, how will I know that national guidance and evidence of best practice have been implemented?” The Quality Standards are suitable for use in self-assessment, monitoring by commissioners and providers, and peer review visits." 

Quality Standards: care of adults with acquired brain injury
West Midlands Quality Review Service
July 2014

Read more here.

7 Day Services self assessment tool

"The 7 day self-assessment tool is an evolving development. Its aim is to enable organisations to baseline their provision of seven day services in order to understand local needs and support local decision making, by assessing your current level of seven day service provision, using nationally agreed definitions and the seven day services national clinical standards."

7 Day Services self assessment tool
National Clinical Analysis and Specialised Applications Team, NHS Improving Quality

Access the tool and all the resources here.

Fundamental standards for health and social care providers

"This document sets out our approach to introducing new fundamental standards, the Duty of Candour and the fit and proper persons requirement. It provides a combined response to three separate consultations recently carried out by the Department of Health:

• Introducing fundamental standards: consultation on proposals to change CQC registration regulations 
• Consultation on the fit and proper persons regulations 
• Introducing the statutory Duty of Candour" 

Consultation outcome: fundamental standards for health and social care providers
Department of Health
July 2014

Read more here.

Improving diabetes care through examining, advising, and prescribing

"We will conduct a two-armed cluster randomised controlled trial in 44 general practices in the North East of England to evaluate a theory-based behaviour change intervention. We will target improvement in six underperformed clinical behaviours highlighted in quality standards for type 2 diabetes"

Improving diabetes care through examining, advising, and prescribing (IDEA): protocol for a theory-based cluster randomised controlled trial of a multiple behaviour change intervention aimed at primary healthcare professionals
J Presseau, G Hawthorne, FF Sniehotta, N Steen, JJ Francis, M Johnston, J Mackintosh, JM Grimshaw, E Kaner, M Elovainio, M Deverill, T Coulthard, H Brown, M Hunter, MP Eccles
Implementation Science, 2014, 9: 61

Read more here.

Sentinel Stroke National Audit Programme interactive results maps

"These interactive maps allow you to find information about stroke services for your local provider. You can compare different standards of care within your team, and compare your local provider to other providers and against regional and national averages."

SSNAP clinical audit: interactive results maps
Royal College of Physicians
May 2014

Access the maps here.

Ophthalmology quality standard assessment tools

"The College's Quality Standards Group has updated its suite of simple self-assessment tools for the following clinical services: cataract, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy (England, Wales and Northern Ireland), diabetic retinopathy (Scotland), age-related macular degeneration (AMD), vitreoretinal surgery, oculoplastics,  paediatric services, and for patients with learning disabilities."

Quality Standards
The Royal College of Ophthalmologists

Read more here.

The Francis Report: one year on

"Many senior leaders of the acute trusts said that the publication of the Francis Report had prompted them to reflect in greater depth on the quality of care being delivered in their organisations." 

The Francis Report: one year on: The response of acute trusts in England
R Thorlby, J Smith, S Williams, M Dayan
Nuffield Trust
February 2014

Read more here.

National audit of intermediate care

"As in 2012, the 2013 audit has highlighted wide variation in the extent of multi-agency commissioning, the scale of services provided and how intermediate care sits within the full range of health and social care services within each local area."

National audit of intermediate care
NHS Benchmarking Network
November 2013

Read more here.

Quality Standard: Headaches in young people and adults

"NICE quality standards describe high-priority areas for quality improvement in a defined care or service area. This quality standard covers the diagnosis and management of the most common primary headache disorders (tension-type headache, migraine and cluster headache) and medication overuse headache in adults and young people aged 12 years and older."

QS 42: Headaches in young people and adults
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence
August 2013

Access the quality standard here.

Using NICE guidance and quality standards to improve practice

"This guide aims to help and support health and social care provider organisations to implement National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance and use NICE quality standards to achieve improved quality of care in their local settings."

Using NICE guidance and quality standards to improve practice
NICE
April 2013

Read more here.

NICE Pathways: guidance at your fingertips

"NICE Pathways is an online tool provides quick and easy access, topic by topic, to the range of guidance from NICE, including quality standards, technology appraisals, clinical and public health guidance and NICE implementation tools."

Access the pathways here.