The safer management of controlled drugs annual report 2010

Published by the CQC, this report shows improvements in the way that controlled drugs are managed and how organisations share concerns, but also includes some recommendations.

NHSLA General Standards

Two new criteria in Standard 4, Screening (4.3), and Diagnostic Testing (4.4) are being piloted this year. Template documents have been developed to assist organisations in managing these risk areas and are available via the NHSLA website

Over half of stroke patients admitted directly to specialist units

Over half of all patients with suspected stroke were admitted directly to a specialist acute stroke unit and assessed for thrombolysis, in line with NICE's stroke quality standard, latest figures reveal. Published by the Royal College of Physicians, the figures look in detail at how hospitals in England performed on a series of 12 indicators covering the first 72 hours of stroke care

Providing equity of critical and maternity care for the critically ill pregnant or recently pregnant woman

This document summarises, in one place, existing standards and recommendations relevant to the care of the pregnant or recently pregnant critically ill woman. There was no remit to make new recommendations.

New project to help reduce deaths from asthma

The project aims to review all deaths across the UK from asthma in children and adults for one year, beginning in February 2012. Hospitals and GPs will be asked to participate, and all confirmed cases of death from asthma will be included in an in-depth multidisciplinary confidential enquiry

24-hour blood pressure monitoring, in radical update to NICE guidelines

In a change to the existing guidelines, NICE now recommends that a diagnosis of hypertension should be made using 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM). This should be offered to patients if the clinic blood pressure is 140/90 mmHg or higher.

Implementation of patient safety alerts

This report shows that nearly 50% of trusts have failed to comply with at least one alert. Of nine extra-urgent rapid response report alerts issued in 2010, not a single one had been complied with by every trust