Supporting General Practice to manage lipids according to the NICE-approved lipid management pathway

The updated NICE-approved lipid management pathway was published in December 2021 (and has been updated again since). New NHS England service requirements for Primary Care Networks for the management of lipids and identification of familial hypercholesterolaemia came into effect, reflecting the updated NICE guidance.

Eastern AHSN (Academic Health Science Network) is responsible for supporting the adoption of the updated lipid management pathway across the East of England. The AHSN commissioned SPH to carry out a survey of General Practices in the region to help understand and develop future support for practices. Alongside this, Eastern AHSN commissioned SPH to produce an evidence map identifying published evidence about the effectiveness of tools that assist in lipid management and familial hypercholesterolaemia identification.

You can read the reports here:

Lipid management tools_evidence map_for Eastern AHSN_two page summary

Lipid management tools_survey of GP practices_for Eastern AHSN 15th Aug 2022_final

Evidence Reviews
Non-invasively lengthened spinal rods for scoliosis
Rituximab for acquired haemophilia
Appraisal of screening for depression
Screening for osteoporosis in postmenopausal women
Intravenous iron for the treatment of iron deficiency anaemia
Functional endoscopic sinus surgery for chronic rhinosinusitis and nasal polyps
Occlusion of the left atrial appendage to prevent stroke in people with atrial fibrillation
Management of eating disorders in children and young people: In-patient, specialist out-patient or community child and adolescent mental health services
Repair of asymptomatic or minimally symptomatic inguinal hernias in adults
Transformal epidural injections for the diagnosis and management of sciatica
Case Studies

Improving allocative value decision-making in the stroke pathway (STAR tool)

The Mid and South Essex stroke stewardship group wanted to better understand which of the interventions they delivered were high value and which were low value to inform decision-making on use of resources and investment. Arden & GEM’s Healthcare Solutions team provided training and support to enable the group to use the Socio-Technical Allocation of Resources (STAR) process in value based decision-making. As a result, the MSE stroke stewardship group has the insight needed to improve the allocation of their existing resources and improve outcomes for their patients. SPH were part of the project team, conducting a librarian review of economic evidence relating to cost-effectiveness of the stroke interventions to feed into the first workshop. This comprised a review of existing economic cost-effectiveness assessments (ideally by NICE as these are recognised as the guiding authority within the NHS). Where an economic assessment had not been undertaken then this was noted for further consideration. More detail here

Health Needs Assessment for Children & Young People

SPH carried out a Health Needs Assessment for a local authority that was recommissioning its Healthy Child Programme (HCP). The purpose was to review whether existing provision and service configuration of the HCP was meeting the needs of children and young people in the county, and to identify gaps and potential options for improvement. This is a preventative programme which includes Health Visiting and School Nursing Services, Family Nurse Partnership (FNP) Programme and healthy start vouchers and vitamins, linking with childhood immunisation services, community paediatrics, speech and language, services for children with a learning disability and complex needs and child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS), among others. The HNA was carried out jointly by SPH and the local authority, with the epidemiological needs assessment and service description provided by the local authority. The report was compiled using a range of publicly available and locally collected epidemiological and service use data. In addition, SPH carried out a consultation of key corporate stakeholders as well as children and young people, their parents and carers. This included semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders in a range of organisations, a survey of a wider range of staff who work with children and young people and a survey of children and young people, their parents and cares which was distributed through the services.
Testimonials