“Admission to a secure unit is an opportunity to reduce smoking” says guidance

A stubbed out cigarette

In this blog, Caroline De Brún and André Tomlin look at new guidance from Public Health England, to help commissioners and service providers instigate smoking cessation programmes and smoke-free secure mental health units.

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Toolkit for GP practices on reasonable adjustments to support people with learning disabilities

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The past few years has seen the publication of a number of national reports which have highlighted the often poor response to people with learning disabilities by health services, (‘Death by Indifference’, ‘Healthcare for all’ ‘Six Lives’ investigation) which led to a number of key recommendations for improvement, including the need for reasonable adjustments in [read the full story…]

Getting it Right Toolkit for commissioners to support good practice in the light of Winterbourne View

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The abusive practices by staff  at Winterbourne View has led to a number of investigations, reports and recommendations, including serious case review.  The need for change in was set out in the Department of Health’s publication of the final report on Winterbourne view – ‘Transforming Care: A national response to Winterbourne View‘ In the West [read the full story…]

Is ‘Evidence’ a dirty word in education?

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Many of us are frustrated by the lack of improvement in pupil outcomes relative to spending. Educational reforms have come and gone, with vast sums of money being spent, but research shows little or no improvement in outcomes. This can be exasperating for those who strive to raise standards in our schools. However, have those [read the full story…]

New suicide prevention toolkits for community, emergency and general practice staff

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The prevention of suicide in inpatient mental health settings has long been a focus for clinicians and managers. Understanding what can be done in community, emergency and general practice settings to reduce the number of suicides has presented more of a challenge. This briefing introduces the National Patient Safety Agency’s (NPSA) new suicide prevention toolkits [read the full story…]

New guidance from BMA to help doctors protect vulnerable adults

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The British Medical Association have published a toolkit for GPs, which provides practical advice to doctors on promoting and protecting the wellbeing of vulnerable adults. Although principally aimed at GPs, any professional working in health care settings with vulnerable adults will find it useful. The term “vulnerable adults” covers an extremely wide range of individuals, [read the full story…]