NEWS DIGEST


Report urges better recognition of sepsis


AN NHS England report into the death of a young boy from septicaemia following a chest infection is urging better recognition of signs and symptoms of the condition by NHS staff. The report on the 2014 death of William Mead from Cornwall identified numerous missed opportunities to diagnose his condition by GPs and NHS 111 advisers. Lindsey Scott, director of nursing with NHS England in the South West, is quoted on the BBC News website, saying: “Everyone involved in this report is determined to make sure lessons are learned from William’s death, so other families don’t have to go through the same trauma.” She added that staff at the local NHS 111 service had since been given extra training to recognise when cases might be more complex and need referring up. A range of clinical toolkits for doctors


and other healthcare professionals can be found on the UK Sepsis Trust website. New NICE guidelines on the recognition, diagnosis and management of severe sepsis are due out in July 2016.


Tighter EU rules to bar “rogue” professionals


NEW rules governing the free movement of health professionals within the European Union have come into effect, including a warning system to guard against “rogue” doctors and dentists practising in the UK. Healthcare regulators across the EU


will now have to warn all other member states when a health professional is banned or their practice restricted. The new rules are intended to prevent “rogue” professionals from “job shopping” around Europe. The Mutual Recognition of Professional Qualifications (MRPQ) Directive also introduces stronger language controls and updated minimum training requirements for healthcare practitioners. The updated legislation, which governs the free movement of professionals around the EU, will make it easier for qualified healthcare


● SCREENING IN BOWEL CANCER Bowel cancer is more likely to be detected early by screening than with GP referral or as an emergency presentation, according to a new study published by Cancer Research UK and Public


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professionals to practise in other member states, while ensuring they are competent to do so through appropriate checks and procedures. The Department of Health is


currently considering new UK law which will underpin these changes. Elisabetta Zanon, Director of the NHS Confederation’s European Office, said: “More than any other country in the EU (with the tiny exception of Luxembourg) the UK relies on doctors, nurses and other health professionals trained elsewhere. We couldn’t run the NHS without them. So we welcome moves to cut red tape and encourage people to relocate. “It’s vitally important that patients are


protected from unsafe practitioners as people’s lives are in their hands. That’s why the NHS European Office fought hard for this legislation to include a warning system. It means that, in future, regulatory bodies across the EU will have to alert each other within three calendar days about any registrant who has been banned from practising, even temporarily.”


Vigilance needed in non- prescription medicines


A RECENT study has highlighted the need for clinicians to be mindful of the potential abuse of non-prescription medicines (NPMs), particularly among patients with chronic pain. Researchers in Aberdeen surveyed 1,000 individuals and found a lifetime prevalence of NPM “misuse” of over 19 per cent and “abuse” at 4 per cent. Predicative factors for misuse/abuse of NPMs were younger age, long-standing illness requiring regular NPM use and ever having used illicit drugs or legal highs. Dependence was reported with analgesics, sleep aids and nicotine products. The study published in the Journal of Public Health concluded: “Given the


Health England. It was found that 37 per cent of cases picked up by bowel screening were caught at Stage 1 with eight per cent at Stage 4. This compared to 22 per cent of diagnoses being Stage 4 after referrals from GPs and 40


increasing emphasis on


self-care and empowering the public to manage their health with


non-prescription medicines, the findings highlight the need for


improved pharmacovigilance of these medicines to maximise benefits with minimal risk.”


GDC reforms aim to reduce stress and cost


THE introduction of case examiners in dental fitness to practise procedures should lead to reduced stress for some dentists and dental care professionals (DCPs) subject to GDC complaints. This is the intention behind planned reforms by the regulator now out for consultation. Case examiners will be empowered to


agree undertakings with some dentists and DCPs where this is proportionate and in the public interest, thus avoiding full practice committee hearings. Such undertakings might involve an agreement to help a registrant meet the required standards through additional training, allowing the person to practise under supervision of another registered dental professional or by allowing them to work if they meet certain conditions. Applicable cases will still be subject to hearings but the GDC estimates that reducing the number of such cases could generate savings of £1.8 million per year. Commenting on the plans, Director of Fitness to Practise at the GDC, Jonathan Green, said: “The consultation is a further


per cent at Stage 4 on emergency presentation. Access the full study at tinyurl.com/h87w9by ● BRUSH TIME A new programme to teach proper tooth brushing technique to nursery and school children has been launched


by the British Dental Health Foundation. Brush Time has been developed to help nursery and school staff teach children how to brush their teeth correctly and offer effective oral health lessons. Access at www.dentalbuddy.org/


SUMMONS


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