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Bulletin
for allied health professionals February 2002
Issue 6
Introduction
Welcome to the fifth
edition of the AHP bulletin. I hope it continues to be filled with helpful
information and contacts.
A great deal of change
is necessary as part of the modernisation agenda, so I thought it would
be helpful to point out to you two key speeches that the Secretary of
State has made recently which encapsulates his vision for the NHS of the
future. If you haven't read them I would encourage you to do so, to ensure
you have the new strategic direction clearly in your minds. I do hope
that it will give you a helpful context for many of the developments around
you.
The two speeches are:
Please also note the
first National AHP Conference on 13 March, where I hope we will give some
of you both an AHP and a Leadership perspective to the modernisation programme.
We get a number of
very positive comments from readers, but please continue to help us make
these bulletins as helpful to you as possible by telling us what you think
of them and how they might be improved. For example:
- Does the bulletin
provide useful information? If not, what sort of material would you
find helpful?
- Is it easy to use?
- Are there any other
improvements you'd like to see?
- Is it the right
frequency?
Please send your comments
and suggestions to: Alan.Robson@doh.gsi.gov.uk
Avril Imison
Head of Policy - Allied Health Professions
Contents:
Update on Meeting
the Challenge
-
First
National Allied Health Professions Conference Healthcare Leadership
in the 21st Century
-
Redefining
the National Health Service - Speech by Rt. Hon Alan Milburn MP
-
The
Health Professions Council (HPC)
-
Recent
Developments at the NHS Leadership Centre
-
Formation
of Service Improvement and Directorate of Service Redesign
-
Modernisation
Agency Associates
Health and
Social Care interest
-
DfES
0732/2001, DoH HSC 2001/019, LAC (2001) 27 Access to Education for
Children and Young People with Medical Needs
-
HSC
2002/001: LAC (2002)1 Guidance on the Single Assessment Process for
Older People
-
Resource
Pack Supporting the Implementation of Patient Advice and Liaison Services
-
Involving
Patients and the Public in Healthcare: Response to the Listening Exercise
-
Coronary
Heart Disease (CHD) Information Strategy
-
HSC
2001/024 Health Authority Revenue Resource Limits 2002/2003
-
NHS
Emergency Pressures - Making Progress
-
Annual
Report of the Chief Medical Officer 2001
-
National
Service Framework for Adult Mental Health - Workforce Action Team
(WAT)
-
HSC
2001/026 Diabetes National Service Framework: Standards
-
Capital
Allocations 2002-03
-
New
health authority boundaries in England
-
NHS
Modernisation Board's Annual Report
-
Getting
Ahead of the Curve
-
Valuing
People: A New Strategy for learning disability for the 21st Century
- Towards Person Centred Approaches.
-
Building
Care Capacity Grant - Second Year Allocation of £200M
-
Statement
of Principles Agreed by Organisations that Review Risk Management
in NHS Bodies in England and Wales
NHS interest
-
Funding
of Silicone Cosmesis Covers for Artificial Limbs
-
Learning
the Lessons: The Department of Health's Response to the Bristol Royal
Infirmary Inquiry Report (Kennedy Report)
-
HSC
2001/023 Good Practice in Consent: Achieving the NHS Plan Commitment
to Patient-centred Consent Practice
-
Informed
Consent - An update from Sarah Bazin - Therapy Services Manager, Birmingham
Heartlands and Solihull NHS Trust (Teaching) - AHP representative
on the Department of Health Good Practice Advisory Group
-
Agenda
for Change - Modernising the NHS Pay System
-
NHS
Cancer Plan: Making Progress
-
Withholding
Treatment from Violent and Abusive Patients in NHS Trusts (HSC 2001/18)
-
Changing
the Outlook, a Strategy for Developing and Modernising Mental Health
Services in Prisons
-
Copying
Clinicians' Letters to Patients Update
-
Electronic
Booking Systems: Outline Business Case
Social Care
interest
-
LASSL(2001)13
Personal Social Services (PSS) Funding: 2002-03
-
Care
Standards Act Regulations
-
Supporting
People - What are Home Improvement Agencies?
AHP Human Resource
issues
-
Research
Report: Team Working and Effectiveness in Health Care
General issues
-
NHS
Magazine
-
First National
Allied Health Professions Conference
One of the key
elements of Meeting the Challenge: A Strategy for the Allied Health
Professions, was around the development of leadership skills for
AHPs. To support this major strand of the strategy, there will be
a one-day conference on 13 March at the London Arena. The conference
- HEALTHCARE LEADERSHIP IN THE 21st CENTURY - is aimed at Allied
Health Professions (AHP) and Healthcare Scientists (HCS) in senior
and middle clinical and managerial roles. AHP and HCS are fundamental
to achieving the ambition of a modernised, responsive, patient centred
health service. The progression of leadership skills within these
professions is essential for influencing and implementing changes
for modernising the NHS.
Key speakers attending
the event include the Secretary of State for Health, David Fillingham
and Penny Humphris from the NHS Modernisation Agency, and Avril Imison
and Sarah Mullally from the Department of Health.
For further information,
please contact RS Live conference helpline on 0121 777 1001 or email:
leadership@rslive.co.uk
or email Colette Jones at colette.jones@doh.gsi.gov.uk
-
Redefining the
National Health Service - Speech by Rt. Hon Alan Milburn MP
The Secretary
of State for Health gave a speech to the New Health Network on 15
January 2002 which addressed the reasons for change in the health
service, the need to put patients first and the relationship between
patients and the health service and the health service and government.
For a full transcript of the 'Redefining the National Health Service'
speech visit:
www.doh.gov.uk/speeches/jan2002milburnnhn.htm
-
The Health Professions
Council (HPC)
The new Health
Professions Council (HPC) will be formally established on 1 April
2002, subject to the approval of legislation. The new body will initially
regulate 12 professions - arts therapists, chiropodists, clinical
scientists, dietitians, medical laboratory technicians, occupational
therapists, orthoptists, paramedics, physiotherapists, prosthetists
and orthotists, radiographers and speech and language therapists.
The purpose of
the Council will be to ensure the fitness to practise of members of
these professions. It will set professional standards for education
and training, practice and conduct, keep a register of those who meet
the standards, and take remedial action where those standards are
not met. It will have power to require registrants to demonstrate
their continuing competence. The HPC will modernise, strengthen and
improve professional self-regulation for the benefit of patients.
There will be
special transitional arrangements for those people who have been practising
one of the professions but who have never been registered with the
CPSM. Although this applies mainly to chiropodists, it may be relevant
to other professions as well. The transitional pathway to registration
is open to those who can demonstrate that they have been practising
safely and effectively for a sustained period, or that their qualifications
and experience are comparable to the current requirements for registration.
In either case, the HPC may (but need not) require them to pass a
test of competence.
These arrangements
will be in force for two years following the opening of the new Register.
We expect the new Council to be developing and consulting on the standards
for registration and the titles to be protected during its first year
with a view to the new Register being opened by April 2003.
The Shadow HPC
is already working with those organisations which represent chiropodists
whose current education and training does not lead to state registration
so that decisions can be taken about comparability.
Further information
is available from Joan Arnott at the Department of Health. Telephone
number (0113) 254 5789 or Email Joan.Arnott@doh.gsi.gov.uk.
-
Recent Developments
at the NHS Leadership Centre
Those AHPs involved
with the AHP Leadership development programme through projects such
as LEO will be interested to know that Penny Humphris, formerly Health
Authority Chief Executive in Isle of Wight, Portsmouth and South East
Hampshire, has joined the Leadership Centre as interim Director from
the end of January. A Management Team has also been put in place within
the Leadership Centre. This team will be leading forward a major review
of the Centre's work, which will encompass:
- Strategic Direction:
exploring issues such as the difference between Management Development
and Leadership Development;
- what kind of
leaders we need in the NHS; and
- how Leadership
development can take place, not just through programmes, but by
giving NHS staff structured experience through succession planning
and career development.
The organisation
structure and ways of working in the Leadership Centre will be considered
and developed in the light of this.
Strong links will
be established to other Modernisation Agency Programmes and to other
bodies, such as the Workforce Development Confederations and the University
of the NHS.
-
Formation of
Service Improvement and Directorate of Service Redesign
One further change
at the Agency will be the renaming of ‘NPAT'. ‘NPAT' will
be renamed as the Directorate of Service Improvement. There are a
number of reasons for this, not least that there are a number of new
teams joining the directorate in addition to the founding members
of NPAT. These include the NHS Collaboratives, under the leadership
of Kevin Cottrell, and the new National Institute for Mental Health
(NIMH) under Antony Sheehan. The change also reflects the widening
role of the team as part of the Modernisation Agency.
-
Modernisation
Agency Associates
The NHS Modernisation
Agency is piloting a new scheme to introduce Associates to the Agency.
A Modernisation Agency Associate is someone who plays a leadership
role in NHS modernisation and who is an enthusiast and champion for
change. Their role will be to assist the NHS Modernisation Agency
in its core role of helping NHS organisations and communities to improve
service to patients.
Health and Social
Care Interest
-
DfES 0732/2001,
DoH HSC 2001/019, LAC (2001) 27 Access to Education for Children and
Young People with Medical Needs
This guidance
sets out minimum national standards for the education of children
who are unable to attend school because of medical needs.
Link
to document (warning - this is a large file, approx. 9Mb)
Paper copies of
this publication can be obtained from (please quote ref:- 0732/2001):
DfES Publications, PO Box 5050, Sherwood Park, Annesley, Nottingham
Tel: 0845 6022260. Fax: 0845 6033360. Textphone: 0845 6055560. e-mail:
dfes@prolog.uk.com
PP3/D21/1001/253
ISBN 1 84185 622 3
-
HSC 2002/001:
LAC (2002)1 Guidance on the Single Assessment Process for Older People
Guidance is published
on the internet on the single assessment process for older people
under cover of a health services circular / local authority circular
- HSC 2002/00 : LAC (2002)1. The guidance comprises eight documents:
key implications for older people, social workers, nurses, therapists,
GPs, and geriatricians and old age psychiatrists; guidance for local
implementation; and annexes to the guidance.
The guidance can
be accessed at either www.doh.gov.uk/publications/coinh.html
or www.doh.gov.uk/scg/sap
-
Resource Pack
Supporting the Implementation of Patient Advice and Liaison Services
A resource pack
is now available to support the implementation of patient advice and
liaison services in trusts. The pack is a practical guide in setting
up and getting the best from PALS and is based on the experiences
of pathfinder PALS. The pack also includes core standards to clarify
the role of PALS. Copies will be sent to all NHS trusts, health authorities
and CHCs. Copies are also available at www.doh.gov.uk/patientadviceandliaisonservices
-
Involving Patients
and the Public in Healthcare: Response to the Listening Exercise
The NHS Plan set
out a high-level vision to change the way we involve people in shaping
NHS services. We are well on the way to establishing Patient Advice
and Liaison Services and this service will be available in all NHS
trusts and PCTs from April 2002. The new system for patient and public
involvement is a key component for developing the national performance
ratings, which will be backed-up by the new trust-based patients'
survey.
The Department
of Health has published its plans (16 November), Involving Patients
and the Public in Healthcare: Response to the Listening Exercise,
on how patients and the public will play a much greater role in the
shaping of their health services. This can be found on the Department's
website at: www.doh.gov.uk/involvingpatients
The proposals
were developed following a listening exercise involving the public,
patient representatives, voluntary organisations, local authorities
and NHS staff about how they think patients and the public can best
become involved in the NHS. Some elements of the new system for patient
and public involvement are already contained in the Health and Social
Care Act 2001:
-
a statutory
duty on all NHS organisations to involve and consult patients
and the public;
-
a new role
for local authority Overview and Scrutiny Committees to scrutinise
the NHS;
-
a new duty
on Secretary of State to provide an Independent Complaints Advocacy
Service.
Further provisions
are included in the 'National Health Service Reform and Health Care
Professions Bill'.
The timetable
for implementation is, in part, dependent on legislation. However,
all NHS Trusts and PCTs should be working to establish PALS by April
2002. We envisage establishing the Commission for Patient and Public
Involvement in Health, its local networks and Patients' Forums at
the beginning of 2003 and CHCs and ACHCEW to ceasing to operate in
April 2003. We also envisage commencing the provisions in the Health
and Social Care Act 2001, with regard to Overview and Scrutiny Committees,
their new powers at the beginning of 2003.
-
Coronary Heart
Disease (CHD) Information Strategy
The Department
of Health has published the Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) Information
Strategy to support the CHD NSF and the NHS Plan. Building on the
NHS Information Strategy, Information for Health, it identifies
the requirements for CHD information systems and services to support
modern cardiac care and outlines the national and local actions required
to deliver the strategy.
The aim of the
strategy is to ensure that everyone involved in cardiac care has timely
access to the information they need in the formats they find most
useful. Its objectives are to build and support:
-
access to
consistent information about effective healthcare for patients,
the public, health (and where appropriate social care) commissioners
and providers,
-
integrated
information systems to support the delivery of co-ordinated patient
care through CHD networks, and
-
the provision
of robust information to develop and plan services and monitor
their quality.
Roger Boyle, National
Director for Heart Disease, outlined the importance of the CHD information
strategy: "CHD is one of this country's biggest killers. Tackling
it requires the quality of care that can only be delivered through
the availability of quality information."
Further details
of the strategy can be found at: www.doh.gov.uk/ipu/strategy/nsf/3.htm
-
HSC 2001/024
Health Authority Revenue Resource Limits 2002/2003
HSC 2001/024 notifies
Health Authorities of their 2002/2003 initial revenue resource limits.
It can be seen at www.doh.gov.uk/allocations/2002-2003
and on the 'What's New' page at the Department's website www.doh.gov.uk/new.htm
-
NHS Emergency
Pressures - Making Progress
This report summarises
the progress made by the NHS and its partners in local government
and the private and voluntary sectors in improving emergency care
in the last 12 months. This places the health service in a better
position to deal with extra emergency pressures.
Locally the NHS
and their partners now plan their capacity on a year-round basis.
This autumn has seen the launch of a major initiative - backed by
£300 million over this year and next year - to tackle delays in transfers
of care. An additional £50 million over the next few months will allow
an extra 27,000 NHS patients to be treated, with two thirds of these
patients receiving their care in the private sector.
Report
www.doh.gov.uk/capacityplanning/makingprogress.htm
-
Annual Report
of the Chief Medical Officer 2001
This report identifies
selected health issues, aiming to provide a new perspective to some
familiar topics and a reminder of their importance and how commitment
must be sustained if problems are to be overcome.
Areas covered
include health inequalities, high blood pressure, liver cirrhosis,
E.Coli O157 and epilepsy.
Annual report
www.doh.gov.uk/cmo/annualreport2001
-
National Service
Framework for Adult Mental Health - Workforce Action Team (WAT)
An interim report
setting out the results of the exercise to map the education and training
being commissioned and provided in mental health, matched against
the Capable Practitioner document, has now been published on the NSF
website at www.doh.gov.uk/nsf/mentalhealth.htm
WAT Report:
www.doh.gov.uk/mentalhealth/watmapexfinalreportdec2001.pdf
-
HSC 2001/026
Diabetes National Service Framework: Standards
The Diabetes
National Service Framework Standards contains standards covering
the prevention, identification and management of diabetes across the
range of patient groups and care settings.
Detailed information
on the interventions, rationale, key interventions and an analysis
of the implications for planning services can be found on the Diabetes
NSF website, alongside the proposed service models and performance
indicators on which we are seeking views.
The second part
of the NSF, the National Service Framework for Diabetes: Delivery
Strategy will be published in summer 2002. It will take account of
the comments received on service models and performance indicators
and will set out the action to be taken by local health and social
care systems, milestones, performance management arrangements and
the underpinning programmes to support local delivery. A Diabetes
NSF Implementation Group is being set up to steer the development
of the National Service Framework for Diabetes: Delivery Strategy,
and can be contacted at diabetes.nsf@doh.gsi.gov.uk
or Diabetes NSF, Department of Health, Room LG01, Wellington House,
133-155 Waterloo Road, London SE1 8UG
Link to HSC, NSF
and press notice www.doh.gov.uk/nsf/diabetes/index.htm
Link to Expert
Patient (35 page PDF, 202Kb) www.doh.gov.uk/healthinequalities/ep_report.pdf
-
Capital Allocations
2002-03
The Secretary
of State has recently announced the Capital Allocations for 2002-03.
The details are contained in HSC 2001/027. Secretary of State has
also written to members of all clinical teams in acute trusts, drawing
to their attention the £110m Local Capital Modernisation Fund. This
fund is aimed at front-line clinical staff, and it is expected that
they will have a key role to play in determining the priorities for
this investment within each acute trust.
Letter and circular
available at: www.doh.gov.uk/capitalallocations
-
New health authority
boundaries in England
Subject to progress
with the NHS Reform and Health Care Professions Bill, the 28 new Health
Authorities are expected to become Strategic Health Authorities (StHAs)
by next October. The creation of these StHAs is part of the Government's
programme to shift the balance of power within the NHS away from Whitehall
and towards front line clinical staff and their patients. This restructuring
will result in at least £100m for investment in frontline NHS services.
From April 2002,
covering an average population of 1.5 million, the main functions
of the new Health Authorities will include:
- supporting
PCTs and NHS Trusts in delivering the NHS Plan in their area; and
- building capacity
and supporting performance improvement across all their local health
agencies.
Link
to press notice
-
NHS Modernisation
Board's Annual Report
The NHS Modernisation
Board, set up to oversee the implementation of The NHS Plan,
has published its first annual report.
The NHS Plan
- A Progress Report examines the progress that has been made in
modernising health and social care during the Board's first year.
It highlights
key achievements that are bringing real benefits to patients but also
underlines the challenges that still face the NHS in meeting NHS Plan
targets.
The full report
can be found at www.doh.gov.uk/modernisationboardreport
-
Getting Ahead
of the Curve
The Chief Medical
Officer, Professor Sir Liam Donaldson, has announced plans for a new
National Infection Control and Health Protection Agency to streamline
the services involved in the prevention and control of infectious
diseases. The move is a major recommendation of the first ever infectious
diseases strategy.
Other proposed
actions include:
- A national
expert panel to assess the threat from new and emerging infectious
diseases;
- A strengthened
and expanded system of infectious disease surveillance;
- A programme
of new vaccine development;
- A new Inspector
of Microbiology;
- A set of action
plans to intensify control measures for specific diseases.
Report: www.doh.gov.uk/cmo/idstrategy
-
Valuing People:
A New Strategy for learning disability for the 21st Century - Towards
Person Centred Approaches
New guidance has
been produced on the implementation of Valuing People. Published last
year, Valuing People was the first White Paper on learning
disability services for 30 years. It takes a cradle-to-grave and cross-Government
approach to improving life chances for people with learning disabilities
and their families. Proposals are based on the key principles of legal
and civil rights, independence, choice and inclusion.
The guidance is
produced in three parts: a summary version for partnership boards,
full version for implementation groups and an accessible version for
people with learning disabilities. All versions will be available
on the learning disability website, www.doh.gov.uk/learningdisabilities
-
Building Care
Capacity Grant - Second Year Allocation of £200M
The Government
announced on 8 January the allocation of £200m to councils, to end
unnecessary delayed discharges from hospital by April 2004. This is
part of a £300m investment announced by the Government in October
2001.
Full details can
be found at www.doh.gov.uk/jointunit/delayeddischarge
-
Statement of
Principles Agreed by Organisations that Review Risk Management in
NHS Bodies in England and Wales
The main organisations
involved in NHS reviews, audit or inspections have formed the NHS
Reviews Coordination Group. Their aim is to rationalise reviews of
risk management in health bodies by better coordination and reducing
duplication.
The group has
set out its principles at http://www.chi.nhs.uk/eng/cgr/risk_management.pdf
NHS Interest
-
Funding of Silicone
Cosmesis Covers for Artificial Limbs
Earlier this year
HSC
2001/008: LAC (2001)13 announced that funding had been made available
nationally to support the introduction of silicone cosmesis in the
NHS. Tendering and negotiations have now been completed with five
manufacturers of silicone cosmesis prescribed by Disablement Services
Centres (DSCs). Health Authorities that commission DSCs will need
to take action, if they have not already done so, to ensure that the
identified funding is made available to support this new activity.
Link
to letter
-
Learning the
Lessons: The Department of Health's Response to the Bristol Royal
Infirmary Inquiry Report (Kennedy Report)
The Department's
Response to the Bristol Royal Infirmary Report was published on Thursday
17 January. The full response and the executive summary can be found
on the Department of Health's website www.doh.gov.uk/bristolinquiryresponse
Professor Sir
Ian Kennedy was asked to inquire both into the management of paediatric
cardiac services in Bristol between 1984 and 1995 and to make recommendations,
which could help to secure high quality care across the NHS. The analysis
contained in the Kennedy Report demonstrates the need for a fundamental
reform of the relationship between government, the healthcare professions
and the public - and the structural framework which support that relationship.
The central message is the need to change the culture of the NHS so
that patients are able to become active partners in care.
The Government
has accepted the broad approach set out in the Kennedy Report. Many
of its 198 detailed recommendations were anticipated in the NHS Plan.
Other recommendations which require primary legislation (relating
to the role of the Commission for Health Improvement, strengthening
patient and public involvement in the NHS and the regulation of healthcare
professionals) have already been included in the provisions of the
NHS Reform and Health Care Professions Bill introduced in November
2001.
-
HSC 2001/023
Good Practice in Consent: Achieving the NHS Plan Commitment to Patient-centred
Consent Practice
This HSC contains
the implementation requirements of the NHS Plan commitment to patient-centred
consent practice. It is accompanied by the good practice in consent
implementation guide, which contains the model consent forms that
the NHS will be expected to introduce by April 2002, and the model
consent policy which should be introduced by October 2002. Reference
guide on consent when working with older people, children, and those
with a learning disability has also been published and can be accessed
below.
All materials
are available at www.doh.gov.uk/consent
See also item
27 below
-
Informed Consent
- An update from Sarah Bazin - Therapy Services Manager, Birmingham
Heartlands and Solihull NHS Trust (Teaching) - AHP representative
on the Department of Health Good Practice Advisory Group
A Good Practice
Advisory Group on Informed Consent has been set up by the Department
of Health and is chaired by Dr Sheila Adam, Deputy Chief Medical Officer.
The group was established in response to the Bristol/Rodney Ledwood/Harold
Shipman cases, to look at informed consent across all aspects of NHS
healthcare in England. Issues around consent and guidance resulting
from the work of the Group are to be rolled out over the next few
months, and changes in its implementation within the NHS will be monitored
by CHI during their visits.
The first two
publications are "12 key points on consent: the law in England", which
is to be distributed to all Allied Health Professionals, and "Reference
Guide to Consent for Examination or Treatment", available from the
DOH.
Copies are available
from the Department of Health, PO Box 777, London, SE1 6XH
Response Line
telephone number 08701-555 455 or website www.doh.gov.uk/consent
Other publications
which are available on the subject include:
- "Consent -
what you have right to expect", July 2001 (leaflet for patients,
with versions for adults, children/young people, people with learning
disabilities, parents and relatives/carers)
Published in November
2001:
- "Good practice
in consent implementation guide: consent to examination or treatment"
- "Seeking consent:
working with children"
- "Seeking consent:
working with older people"
- "Seeking consent:
working with people with learning disabilities"
Since the information
in November there has been a change in expectation of who should get
consent and the need to document all risks and benefits of treatment.
Your attention
is particularly drawn to Section 3 (page 14, paragraph 4) which talks
about a phased approach to obtaining consent. This obviously will
have impact on the time spent with patients in the outpatients clinic
and with GPs who gain consent for surgical procedures such as endoscopy,
with the second part of the process taking place at the time of booked
admission to day surgery.
Section 4 (page
17) talks about the provision of patient information and will really
need to drive the development of patient information for all conditions.
Section 5 - Responsibility
for obtaining consent - asks us to ensure that the person who gives
the patient information about the risks and benefits of the procedure
is a person who is competent to undertake the procedure or has received
adequate and appropriate training.
It should also
be noted that the guidance highlights that all health professionals
have a duty of care to provide the patient with information relating
to benefits and dangers of the procedure to be undertaken, even though
they may state that they trust the professional and do not wish to
hear the information.
-
Agenda for Change
- Modernising the NHS Pay System
The third Joint
Statement of Progress on Agenda for Change has now been agreed by
the four Health Departments, the NHS Confederation, and all the unions
and staff organisations recognised for negotiating purposes by the
NHS following publication of the White Paper Agenda for Change
- Modernising the NHS Pay System.
The Statement
has been posted at www.doh.gov.uk/agendaforchange/progressnov2001.htm.
If you have any questions/queries relating to this Statement please
email them to: rebecca.wallace@doh.gsi.gov.uk
or max.liversuch@doh.gsi.gov.uk
-
NHS Cancer Plan:
Making Progress
The NHS Cancer
Plan sets out a comprehensive national strategy for cancer. It has
four broad aims:
- to save more
lives;
- to ensure people
with cancer get the right professional support and care as well
as the best treatments;
- to tackle the
inequalities in health that mean unskilled workers are twice as
likely to die from cancer as professionals;
- to build for
the future through investment in the cancer workforce, through strong
research and through preparation for the genetics revolution, so
that the NHS never falls behind in cancer care again.
This report sets
out the progress that has been made over the past year.
Link to report
http://www.doh.gov.uk/cancer/makingprogress.htm
-
Withholding Treatment
from Violent and Abusive Patients in NHS Trusts (HSC 2001/18)
As part of applying
a zero tolerance on violence against NHS staff, all NHS Trusts must
consider the need to develop a local policy on withholding treatment
from violent and abusive patients. (Such policies and procedures
should be in place by April 2002). Guidance circulated with HSC
2001/18 on 2 November provides a policy framework to help trusts develop
and implement their own local policies.
Whilst the withdrawing
or withholding of treatment is a last resort, it is an option available
to managers and staff working in the NHS.
The guidance is
available at www.nhs.uk/zerotolerance
and the HSC by clicking the link HSC
2001/18 or from the NHS Responseline telephone: 08701 555455
For further information
contact: Meena Paterson, or Eileen Calline NHS Employment Policy,
e-mail: meena.paterson@doh.gsi.gov.uk
or eileen.calline@doh.gsi.gov.uk
Telephone: 0113 2545758 or 0113 2546131
-
Changing the
Outlook, a Strategy for Developing and Modernising Mental Health Services
in Prisons
Changing the Outlook,
a Strategy for Developing and Modernising Mental Health Services in
Prisons, offers a vision of where prison mental health care should
aim to be in 3-5 years' time. Grounded in the National Service Framework
for Mental Health, the document is not a "how to do it" manual but
aims to set out the direction of travel and raise some of the issues
that will need to be tackled to get there.
An electronic
copy of the strategy is available on the Department of Health Prison
Health Policy Unit and Task Force website at http://www.doh.gov.uk/prisonhealth/mhstrategy.htm
-
Copying Clinicians'
Letters to Patients Update
The NHS Plan made
a commitment to copying clinicians' letters to patients as of right.
Your Guide to the NHS also states that, in future, this
will happen routinely.
The Department
of Health set up a Working Group in July 2001 to advise officials
on how best to take forward this policy initiative. The Working Group
is expected to produce guidelines by the summer of 2002. NHS organisations
will then be encouraged to undertake pilot projects. Full implementation
of the initiative will be expected by April 2004.
The Working Group
is chaired by Barbara Meredith, Policy and Communications Manager,
Age Concern London. Its membership includes patients, doctors, nurses,
hospital information/records staff, representatives from patient groups,
information scientists researchers, etc. Further information can be
obtained from Sue Sharples, secretary to the Working Group at the
following address:
Department of
Health, Room 1N13, Quarry House, Quarry Hill, Leeds LS2 7UE or her
email Sue.Sharples@doh.gsi.gov.uk
-
Electronic Booking
Systems: Outline Business Case
A framework for
electronic booking has been developed to support the NHS Plan targets:
- The NHS Plan
says that 'by the end of 2005, waiting lists for hospital appointments
and admission will be abolished and replaced with booking systems
giving all patients choice and convenience'.
- The NHS Cancer
Plan says that every cancer patient must receive pre booked care
by the end of 2004.
- The NHS Plan
also says there will be electronic booking by 31 December 2005.
Electronic booking
systems are necessary to support wider the adoption of booking throughout
the NHS.
The new framework
allows local communities the freedom to implement locally based solutions
within a common national framework. It also builds on the national
information and IT infrastructure.
See the guidance
at www.doh.gov.uk/nhsplanbookingsystems/
Social Care Interest
-
LASSL(2001)13
Personal Social Services (PSS) Funding: 2002-03
This letter sets
out the main aspects of the 2002-03 local government finance settlement
which are relevant to the funding provided for social services.
LASSL
(2001)13
-
Care Standards
Act Regulations
The following
final Care Standards Act Regulations have now been made by Jacqui
Smith MP, the Minister of State for Health:
- Care Homes
Regulations 2001
- Children's
Homes Regulations 2001,
- Private and
Voluntary Health Care (England) Regulations 2001,
- National Care
Standards Commission (Registration) Regulations 2001,
- The National
Care Standards Commission (Fees and Frequency of Inspections) Regulations
2001.
These can be found
on the National Care Standards Commission website at www.doh.gov.uk/ncsc/regulationsandstandards.htm
Further details of the key changes will be available soon. Final printed
copies of the regulations will be available from the Stationery Office
shortly.
-
Supporting People
- What are Home Improvement Agencies?
Providing the
help that people require to enable them to live safely and independently
in their own homes has been the driving force behind the work of Home
Improvement Agencies (HIAs) for the past 15 years. Working predominantly
with older home owners, HIAs help people to carry out repairs, improvements
and adaptations to their homes enabling them to stay at home in greater
comfort, security and independence.
HIAs will be funded
through Supporting People from April 2003. A handy A5 leaflet on the
role of HIAs has been published by DTLR to promote this preventative
service in the run up to 2003.
Copies of Supporting
People - what are Home Improvement Agencies are available from:
Department for
Transport, Local Government and the Regions
PO Box 236, Wetherby, West Yorkshire, LS23 7NB Tel 0870 1226 236 Email
dtlr@twoten.press.net
AHP Human Resources
Interest
-
Research Report:
Team Working and Effectiveness in Health Care
The Department
of Health has recently published the findings from a major piece of
research into team working in the NHS, undertaken by the Universities
of Aston, Glasgow, Leeds and Sheffield.
The research provides
an evidence base for the effectiveness of teams and also advises on
how to stimulate and support more good teamwork. The research output
is designed to be of practical use to NHS staff in implementing teamworking.
The report is also accompanied by workbooks for team members and for
managers. The research summary and workbooks are available on http://www.aston.ac.uk,
or on request from a.m.harris@aston.ac.uk.
These documents are supported by a full report of findings which is
available from the University of Aston (Tel 0121 359 3611 extn 5045).
For further information
about this work or the HR R&D Programme please contact either
John Wilkinson or Steve Gosling at Quarry House, Leeds (tel. 0113
254 6161 or 5853)
General issues
-
NHS Magazine
If you are interested
in keeping up to date with developments across the NHS, you might
find NHS Magazine a useful read. The magazine contains analysis and
discussion of health care and health management issues and aims to
engage people at the forefront of change and service modernisation
locally. It is available free of charge to anyone in the NHS or social
care. If you would like to be on the regular mailing list e-mail your
name and address details to neil.cussons@doh.gsi.gov.uk
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