Government response to the first report of the Health Committee, HC 151-I, session 2009-10 (ISBN 9780215543004)

Government response to the Committee's 5th report, HCP 184-I, session 2007-08 (ISBN 9780215522009). Dated October 2008

This paper presents the Government's response to the North Report on Drink and Drug Driving and the Transport Committee's report on Sir Peter North's recommendations. It outlines measure the Government intends to introduce. The prescribed alcohol limit for driving will not be changed, with the focus instead on improving enforcement and education to tackle the drink and drug drivers who put lives at risk. Other measures on drink driving include: revocation of the right for people whose evidential breath test result is less than 40% over the limit to opt for a blood test (the 'statutory option') - the breath testing equipment used in police stations is now very accurate and technically sophisticated so a blood sample is not needed to confirm the breath test; a more robust drink drive rehabilitation scheme; closing a loophole used by high risk offenders to delay their medical examinations; streamlining the procedure for testing drink drivers in hospital. On drug driving the Government will: approve preliminary drug-testing equipment - initially for use in police stations, and at the roadside as soon as possible; allow custody nurses to advise the police whether or not a suspected driver has a condition that may be due to a drug, removing the need to call out police doctors and so speed up the testing process; examine the case for a new specific drug driving offence - alongside the existing one - which would remove the need for the police to prove impairment on a case-by-case basis where a specified drug has been detected.

Previously published as The Specialist Registrar and New Consultant Handbook, these completely revised and reconfigured volumes reflect the changing everyday work of specialist trainees, registrars and consultants. The two volumes of The Doctors Handbook are an essential reference for all doctors, from specialist trainees to consultants.

Dated March 2005. Government response to the Committee's 3rd report, HCP 61-I, session 2004-05 (ISBN 0215021487)

To maximise the effectiveness of their work, NHS employees need a clear understanding of the structures and systems of the organisation in which they work. However, this information can be widely spread, hard to access and difficult to gain a working overview of, and the pace of changes and initiatives can seem almost dizzying. This book draws together a clear picture of the modern NHS, from funding and governance to reports, inquiries and overarching legislation. The book is clear and easy to understand and crucially includes full references to provide a one-stop point of access to the most detailed and up-to-date information available. This book is essential reading for workers in the NHS at all levels, including managers, administrators and clinical professionals. It is vital reading for managers and staff at commercial companies working with the NHS. It will also be of interest to campaigners, patient interest groups, researchers and journalists with an interest in the NHS. Specialty registrars and consultants can also find the information from the book, and much more, in The Doctor's Handbook Parts 1 & 2, by the same author. 'Rather than long narrative histories or complex explanations, the author signposts readers to sources of further information, making this book the quick guide so many of us need' - from the Foreword by Sir Ian Carruthers

User involvement is now official policy throughout the health and social care system. Does this mean that user involvement practices are unproblematic? Has it lost its radical edge as it has become an accepted part of service delivery, research and policy making? This important text offers a critical stocktake of the state of user involvement, comprising contributions from both user activists and leading academics. The contributors consider different contexts in which involvement is taking place, both in the groups involved and the activities they are engaged in, and includes different and sometimes conflicting perspectives on issues such as whether we should measure the impact of involvement. This valuable collection will be a crucial resource for students in health and social care and in social work, for researchers developing participative research practice, and for user activists seeking to learn how others have developed distinctive ways of challenging professional perspectives. Book jacket.

In recent years, the reduction of alcohol-related harm has emerged as a major policy issue across Europe. Public health advocates, supported by the World Health Organisation, have challenged an approach that targets problem-drinking individuals, calling instead for governments to control consumption across whole populations through a combination of pricing strategies, restrictions on retail availability and marketing regulations. Alcohol, Power and Public Health explores the emergence of the public health perspective on alcohol policy in Europe, the strategies alcohol control policy advocates have adopted, and the challenges they have faced in the political context of both individual states and the European Union. The book provides a historical perspective on the development of alcohol policy in Europe using four case studies – Denmark, England, Scotland and Ireland. It explores the relationship between evidence, values and power in a key area of political decision-making and considers what conditions create – or prevent – policy change. The case studies raise questions as to who sets policy agendas, how social problems are framed and defined, and how governments can balance public health promotion against both commercial interests and established cultural practices. This book will be of interest to academics and researchers in policy studies, public health, social science, and European Union studies.