Journal of Advonced Nursing, 1995, 21, 1034-1036

N E W S

SECOND NURSING HISTORY CONFERENCE IN 1996

Following the success of the First International Conference on 'Nursing, Women's Health and the Politics of Welfare' at the University of Nottingham, England, in 1994 (reported in the Journal of Advanced Nursing, 1994, 19, 609-612), a second conference has been arranged for 1996. The provisional dates are 18-20 September 1996, in Nottingham. Further information is available from Sarah Smith, Department of Nursing and Midwifery Studies, Room B50, Medical School, Queen 's Medical Centre, Notting- ham NG7 2LrH, England. Telephone: (0115) 970-9265. Fax: (0115] 970-9955.

MINIMALLY INVASIVE THERAPY SOCIETY

The Seventh International Conference of the Society for Minimally Invasive Therapy will be held in Portland, Oregon, USA, 21-23 September 1995. Further enquiries should be directed to: Dotter Interventional Institute, Oregon Health Sciences University, L-342, 3181 Sam Jackson Park Road, Portland, Oregon 97201, USA. Telephone: (503) 494-3918, Fax: (503) 494-4258,

U S A ONCOLOGY NURSING SOCIETY HOSTS FIFTH ANNUAL FALL INSTITUTE

The Oncology Nursing Society (ONS), USA, hosted the Fifth Annual Fall Institute, 4 -6 November 1994 in Pitts- burgh, Pennsylvania, USA, at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center. The institute, entit led 'The Changing Colors of Oncology Nursing', focused on clinically relevant topical issues that were addressed intensively at both the advanced and basic levels. More than 1100 oncology nurses participated.

Participants were able to choose four ses- sions to attend out of a selection of 32 topics. Sessions included topics such as heal th care reform, uncommon malignan- cies, gone therapy, symptom management, unproven methods and advanced radi-

afion. Sessions were representative of diverse patient and family care concerns, practice roles and settings. The faculty was selected from oncology nurses and other health care professionals who exemplify excellence in clinical practice, adminis- tration, education and research.

LAUNCH OF TREATMENT FOR HEPATITIS C IN THE UNITED KINGDOM

Roche Products have announced the first United Kingdom launch of a licensed treat- ment for Hepatitis C Virus, Roferon-A, an alpha interferon. At least one in 500 of the UK populat ion are thought to be infected with Hepatitis C and half of these people will go on to suffer chronic hepatitis, with a further 20% progressing to cirrhosis of the liver. Worldwide, studies have been undertaken with some 1800 patients and a complete response to therapy within 90 days has been reported in between 81% and 96% of patients. A permanent and sus- tained response once treatment has been discontinued can be expected in up to 44% of patients.

St Mary's Hospital, London, England, has been one of the key centres studying the use of Roferon-A in this area. This unit has achieved sustained response rates of up to 25%. Commenting on the licensing of Roferon-A for Hepatitis C, Professor Howard Thomas from the Liver Unit, Department of Medicine at St Mary's said: 'We are making progress in the manage- ment of this difficult disease. Diagnosis and targeting therapy to the "at risk" patients is a major factor in ensuring long- term treatment success. Individual agents such as Roferon-A can be successful in pre- venting the progression towards irrevers- ible cirrhosis, and we hope that the future will yield combinations of therapies which can push these success rates still higher'.

Educating patients on the correct admin- istration of the drug is also vital to ensure compliance and thus Roche supports a small team of Roferon nurses on whom both hospital and community health pro- fessionals can call to help advise patients on their Roferon treatment. For further information on R~feron and the Roferon

nurses, heal th professionals should con- tact: Janine Baker, Product Communicat- ions Manager, Syntex House, St Ires Road, Maidenhead, Berkshire, England.

ROYAL SOCIETY COMMENTS ON THE RESEARCH SCRUTINY REVIEW

The Royal Society, London, England, has publ ished its response to the scrutiny review of the public sector research estab- lishments. The society concludes that the standard scrutiny review procedure is quite inappropriate for this sort of activity and that few if any of the review's rec- ommendat ions should be implemented. The scrutiny review addresses none of the important policy issues that affect the ability of public sector research establish- ments to contribute fully to national objec- tives. It focuses primarily on reducing public expenditure but, as the society's response points out, there is no evidence that the review's proposals would actually lead to a reduction in public expenditure.

The society recognizes that the team car- rying out the review was faced with an impossible task; the way the review was set up, with the solution {privafization} specified in advance of any analysis of the problem (how to maximize the efficiency and effectiveness of public sector research establishments}, virtually guaranteed a poorly thought-out result. All the major proposals in the review are seriously flawed, in the society's view.

SUPPORT FOR CARERS STILL INADEQUATE IN THE UNITED KINGDOM

Support for caters is still not adequate and improvements have been slow, since the introduction of the NHS and Community Care Act in 1993, says Carers Impact, based at the King's Fund Centre, London, England. However, community care agenc- ies such as the health service, social ser- vices and the voluntary sector are now more aware of caters' needs and carers themselves are expressing their views more strongly. Carers Impact, an alliance of national caring organizations, believes there needs to be a radical change in

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attitude amongst senior managers in health, social services and the voluntary sector before caters' needs are properly t~ken into account.

Michael Powell, project manager of Carers Impact, says: 'In the past, support for caters has been seen as a peripheral activity, with services for carers largely being established as an add-on project. We feel that adequate support for carars will only become a reality when mainstream community care services such as home care, day care and community nursing ser- vices recognize the role of carers and see support for them as an integral and essen- tial part of service design and delivery'.

CUSTODY AND CARING

A conference on 'The Nurse's Role in the Criminal Justice System' will be held on 2-3 November 1995 in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. Further infor- mation is available from: Continuing Nursing Education, University of Saskatch- ewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 3WO, Canada. Fax: (306) 966-7673.

CHAIR IN BIOMEDICAL SYSTEMS ENGINEERING

Smith & Nephew plc has announced its funding of a chair in biomedical systems engineering at Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, London, England. The chair will be held by Professor Richard Kituey. Initial sponsor- ship including the post is worth £300 000. Imperial College is a leading academic institution in the UK in the field of medical visualization and medical information technology, which allows surgeons to use computerized imaging techniques for diag- nosis, without surgery, by investigating and photographing in order to aid the repair of specific medical conditions.

LAUNCH OF GUIDELINES TO PROTECT ELDERLY PEOPLE

Parkside Health NHS Trust, together with Brent and Harrow Family Health Service Authority and Brent Social Services in England, have launched a set of guidelines on abuse of elderly people. The guidelines address this serious problem and provide information and support to staff working together to protect older people suffering from actual or potential abuse at home. The guidelines give crucial information on what constitutes abuse, the key indicators of physical, financial, sexual and emotional abuse and offer advice on how

to proceed if there is suspected or actual abuse. The guidelines will be reviewed and updated on a regular basis and will be a valuable support to those working in this difficult area.

ENGLISH NATIONAL BOARD REPORT 1 9 9 3 - 1 9 9 4

The annual report for 1993-1994 of the English National Board (ENB} for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting focuses on the board's core corporate objectives and identifies the outcomes relevant to both the purchase and provision of health care and education. In the changing culture of pro- fessional education, the board has actively established effective working relationships with key individuals and organizations. Regular meetings with the purchasers and providers of education have ensured that education programmas meet the needs of service and the standards of the United Kingdom Central Council.

The ENB is pleased that it has achieved the aim that all new preragistration nurs- ing education programmas are offered through diploma of higher education regis- tered nurse progranunes. Eighty per cent of 18-month post-registration midwifery, education programmes are also now deliv- ered at a minimum of diploma level. The newly constituted research and develop- ment group has been active in developing procedures for awarding research contracts and for monitoring the progress of its com- missioned research programme. A number of professional advisory networks have also been established to ensure that the board's work remains informed by compre- hensive and up-to-date advice, on matters relating to practice, management, edu- cation and research.

The English National Board for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting's Annual Beport 1993-1994 is published by the English National Board and is available from: Publications, ENB, Victory House, 170 Tottenham Court Road, London WIP 0HA, England. Price £5.00, including post- age and packing.

REVISION OF ACCIDENT REPORTING REGULATIONS DELAYED TO APRIL 1996

The Health and Safety Commission, London, England, has announced that its proposed revision of the regulations for reporting workplace accidents and dis- eases has been postponed to April 1996. This is because the public consultation in 1994 brought nearly 400 responses and

more time is needed to give full regard to each of the comments. Responses have come from employers' organizations, employers, employees and their represen- tatives and individuals. The delay will also give the Health and Safety Executive more time to prepare user-friendly guidance, in consultation with industry. It will also give industry plenty of time to prepare for the new regulations.

BRITISH RED CROSS CARE IN CRISIS AWARDS

The British Red Cross Care in Crisis Awards, sponsored by Zeneca, the biosci- ence group, offer the chance to say thank you to someone whose kindness or quick thinking prevented a crisis becoming a catastrophe. The 1995 awards are part of a year of celebration for the British Red Cross as the society reaches its 125th birthday. This important year will be an opportunity to examine the vital contribution the British Red Cross has made over the years and is still making today, from providing protection to victims of war and other vul- nerable people, to its skilled response to every type of emergency and crisis, large or small. For the last 2 years, the national awards have been presented by HRH The Princess of Wales.

KING'S FUND 1994 PARTNERSHIP NURSING AWARDS

The King's Fund, London, England, has awarded the 1994 Partnership Award to the Department of Nursing Education Sociology Theme Team at the Avon and Gloucester College of Health in Bristol, England. The award is made to organiza- tions which show evidence of good prac- tice in nursing education. Their work must be innovative, practical, involve users of the service and improve patient or client care. It must also be responsive to the needs of minority ethnic groups and have been tested out. The sociology team was chosen from 29 applicants for its power, policy and practice module in the diploma of higher education in nursing.

The module gives a theoretical frame- work to help students understand how policy is developed and to examine the effect of power on policy and practice. It also encourages them to look at the impact of power on relationship between different care teams, professions and patients. The team received the award because of their innovative and practical approach to power issues. They demonstrated that they had consulted users of services and that

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their learning would have direct impact on improving patient and client care. It was responsive to the needs of those from min- ority ethnic groups and addressed issues of disability, sexual orientation and class.

NEW NURSING DEGREE LAUNCHED IN MALAYSIA

Anglia Polytechnic University, Chelms- ford, England, has launched the first part- time BSc(Hons) degree in professional studies (nursing) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Twenty senior nurses are enrolled on the modular course which will be delivered in partnership with the Emile Woolf College of Malaysia.

The Malaysian deputy minister of health, Y.B. Date Mohd Farid Ariffin, has welcomed the opportunity for nurses to undertake the part-time degree course. Professor Justus Akinsanya FRCN, pro vice-chancellor (international develop- ments) at the Anglia Polytechnic Uni- versity, has described the introduction of the degree in partnership with Emile Woolf College of Malaysia as an imaginat- ive response to Malaysia's emerging lead- ership role in the Asia-Pacific region.

STANDARDS IN NURSING HOMES

Nursing homes in East Sussex, England, risk losing business unless they keep up high standards, a conference in Eastbourne was told on 24 November 1994. Richard Ryland, quality assurance director for East Sussex Health Authority, and the person with ultimate responsibility for inspecting and registering nursing homes in the county, gave this message to the annual conference of the Registered Nursing Homes Association's East Sussex Branch at the Grand Hotel, Eastbonrne, England.

He pledged the health authority's will- ingness to work with the private sector, especially on standards and staffing levels in nursing homes. He stressed the impor- tance of maintaining the trust of local people. 'Standards in East Sussex nursing homes are good', he said, 'and it is import- ant that you make sure it stays that way.

Nursing homes must keep improving qual- ity, must make sure that there is no abuse of patients and that the industry is clean'.

Mr Ryland pointed out that there was increasing evidence of a move towards companies owning chains of nursing homes, larger nursing homes, better qual- ity, and more attention to quality control. But, he pointed out that there was also a tendency on the part of health authorities and social services authorities to try to maintain people in their own homes for as long as possible.

VIDEO ON A N GI N A

Rotherham General Hospital's NHS Trust has produced a video entitled 'Take it to Heart' which is a short (12 minutes) film about angina. It provides advice on how to cope with angina - - and how to avoid it. The video cassette is available for £21.99, plus postage, from: the Marketing Manager, Healthcare Contracts Depart- ment, Rotherham General Hospital, Moor- gate Road, Oakwood, Rotherham, South Yorkshire $60 2UD, England. Telephone: (01709) 820-000. Fax: (01709) 824-000.

REPORT ON DEPRESSION HIGHLIGHTS NEED FOR GREATER RECOGNITION AT PRIMARY CARE LEVEL

A new report, Impact of Depression, a Multi-Disciplinary Review of Depression, has been published. Drawing upon a wide range of health care professionals, the report stresses the need for heightened awareness and better treatment. The report emphasizes the importance of early recog- nition as the best way of ensuring that the depression does not become a chronic and potentially life-threatening disease. Whilst educating patients to recognize their depression is vital, improving the detec- tion skills of the general practitioner is of key importance. The report highlights the correlation between good interviewing skills and detection of depression and rec- ommends that training concentrates upon this area.

The report recognizes the importance and value of treating depression in general practice and highlights several key advan- tages over specialist care. Impact oJ Depression concludes that the current management of depression in the UK at primary care level is too fragmented and recommends that a more rounded approach involving the general prac- titioner, practice nurse, social worker, community psychiatric nurse and com- munity pharmacist would greatly improve patient outcomes in general practice. The report also looks at the place of drugs in the treatment of depression and argues for new improved treatment. Copies of the report are available from Clarinda Cuppage at Burson-Marsteller, 24-28 Bloomsbury Way, London WCIA 2PX, England. Telephone: (0171) 831-6262.

EDITOR JOINS NEW JOURNALS' INTERNATIONAL ADVISORY BOARDS

The editor of the Journal of Advanced Nursing, Professor James P. Smith OBE FRCN, has been appointed a member of the International Advisory Boards for Nursing Inquiry (editor: Professor Judith Parker) and the International Journal of Nursing Practice (editor: Professor Alan Pearson FRCN).

Both journals are published by Blackwell Science in Australia. Nursing Inquiry was launched in November 1994 and the International Journal of Nursing Practice will be launched in November 1995.

MEDICALLY QUALIFIED VOLUNTEERS WANTED

The Children's Country Holidays Fund needs medically qualified volunteers to carry out medical checks in July and August on children aged between 5 and 12 years old prior to sending them on a summer holiday. If you can help, please telephone Bob McKeown on (0171) 928-6522 or write to: CCHF, 42/43 Lower Marsh, London SE1 7RG, England.

1036 © 1995 Blackwell Science Ltd, Journal of Advanced Nursing, 21, 1034-1036