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Contents:

NHS and social care interest

1. Performance and development review training for chairs and chief executives
2. Clarification of section (12)2 of the Mental Health Act (1983)
3. Launch of the wheelchair services collaborative
4. Identification of Caldicott Guardians to authorise access to the cancer waiting times system

NHS interest

5. Changes to the national pay & conditions of service for NHS staff
6. Requirement for trust estates development strategies
7. GP golden hello scheme
8. GP Returners Scheme
9. GP flexible careers scheme
10. Criminal Records Bureau (CRB)
11. Surveys on the resource to support implementation of the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000 and the public sector duty to promote race equality

Social care interest

12. Incentives to improve freedoms for social services

NHS and social care interest

1. Performance and development review training for chairs and chief executives

A programme of performance and development review training is being scheduled for all chief executives and chairs in strategic health authorities, NHS and primary care trusts as well as for NHS appointments commissioners and regional directors of health and social care. Training will be provided locally on a one-to-one basis and will start in January. Further information will be available soon.
Contact: Neil Offley, programme director, NHS Leadership Centre on 020 7725 2609 or temp5@doh.gsi.gov.uk

In the wake of the Devolution Reforms (STBOP) clarification has been issued concerning arrangements for approving doctors under Section 12(2) of the Mental Health Act (1983) - post 1 April 2002. Details can be found at www.doh.gov.uk/mentalhealth/approvingdoctors.htm

For further information contact Helena O'Neill on 020 7972 4694 or helena.o'neill@doh.gsi.gov.uk

3. Launch of the wheelchair services collaborative

The collaborative, launched on 27 November, will support teams in reducing delays, maximising efficiency and making sure that every user gets the right service at the right time. The Department of Health is working in partnership with the NHS Modernisation Agency involving those employed in the wheelchair service, manufacturers and suppliers, as well as users and carers.

Those who could not be included in the 45 first wave partners will be invited to the third programme event.

For further information, contact Sally Howard on 07884 473261

FAO: CEOs in acute trusts, PCTs, care trusts, strategic health authorities and directors of health and social care

We have details of most Caldicott Guardians already, but analysis shows that this data has not been maintained. We are now requesting details of your Caldicott Guardian in order to establish a validated register. Please see www.nhsia.nhs.uk/cancer/pages/waiting/default.asp for a letter and form for completion.

For further information contact Phil Milverton on 01392 206700

5. Changes to the national pay & conditions of service for NHS staff

Changes to the national pay and conditions of service of hospital medical and dental staff and doctors in public health medicine and the community health service, which come into effect from 1 December 2002, are authorised in a letter at www.doh.gov.uk/hrinthenhs/doctorstermsandconditions/index.htm

It also authorises changes to the incremental date on promotion for those senior house officers who are financially disadvantaged on promotion to specialist registrar.

The revised version of the combined terms and conditions can be found at www.doh.gov.uk/hrinthenhs/doctorstermsandconditions/index.htm.

For more information, contact Corrin Shepherd on 0113 254 5724 or corrin.shepherd@doh.gsi.gov.uk

6. Requirement for trust estates development strategies

On 21 March 2002, the National Audit Office published a report followed by a Public Accounts Committee (PAC) hearing in which concern was expressed at the number of trusts that do not have an estate strategy. The PAC was advised that by 31 December 2002 all trusts would have a board-approved estate strategy that had regard to Developing an Estate Strategy (published by NHS Estates in December 1999 and available at www.nhsestates.gov.uk/download/estatestrategy.pdf

The combined estates strategy proforma and estates strategy checklist, which has been approved by the Review of Central Returns Steering Committee (ROCR), is available at www.doh.gov.uk/nhsestates/surplusproperty.htm and should be completed and returned to NHS Estates by Friday 18 January 2003, unless your trust confirmed in the September exercise that you already have a board-approved strategy. Either send a signed copy by post or an email with a signed copy to follow. This is the final data collection following the interim collection in September 2002.

Please e-mail returns to mike.bellas@doh.gsi.gov.uk (0113 254 7046) or lynda.archer@doh.gsi.gov.uk (0113 254 7180). Hard copies can be forwarded to Head of Performance and Estates Analysis, 1 Trevelyan Square, Boar Lane, Leeds, LS1 6AE.

The Golden Hello scheme has been revised as follows:

• extending eligibility to qualified GPs not working in general practice (except as a GP locum) who return on or after 24 September 2002 to take up a NHS GP post
• an increase in the extra payment for all doctors taking up posts in under-doctored areas to a new maximum of £7,000. The revised amount will apply from 29 November 2002 onwards.

Full details of the scheme are available at www.doh.gov.uk/pricare/goldenhello.

Any queries should be directed to Debi Nicholson on 0113 254 5218 or debi.nicholson@doh.gsi.gov.uk or Katie Cusick on 0113 254 5850 or katie.cusick@doh.gsi.gov.uk.

On 29 November, a scheme to encourage qualified GPs to return to the NHS was launched. Dedicated return co-ordinators are available within every postgraduate deanery and are on-hand to offer GPs wishing to return with support and advice, organising salaried refresher training where appropriate.

A Returners Hotline - 0845 60 60 345 - has been set up for GPs interested in returning.

Further information for PCTs is available at www.doh.gov.uk/pricare/fcs

The GP flexible careers scheme (FCS) was introduced on 29 November and to increase the number of flexible and part-time posts available within general practice.

Employers of FCS GPs receive a contribution towards the cost of employing the doctor up to a maximum of 50 per cent. PCTs or GP practices can employ FCS GPs.

PCTs are responsible for reimbursing employers of FCS GPs. Further information, including an SFA amendment and accompanying guidance is available at www.doh.gov.uk/pricare/fcs

Information is also available by calling 0845 60 60 345

Please note that the guidance on CRB checks by NHS bodies has now been revised and consolidated on the DH website. The guidance covers:

• the circumstances in which checks should be made and the appropriate level of disclosure
• Protection of Children Act checks and fast track arrangements for making such checks
• checks on students and health care trainees
• checks on staff recruited abroad
• advice on making appointments prior to CRB checks being completed
• information on the protection of vulnerable adults scheme.

Guidance www.doh.gov.uk/crb/

For further information contact Gordon Fleck on 0113 254 6575 gordon.fleck@doh.gsi.gov.uk or Karen Lea on 0113 254 7351.

• All listed public bodies were required under the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000 to produce a Race Equality Scheme by the 31 May 2002. The Department of Health commissioned a resource pack to provide ideas and support to the NHS. This was published on the DH web site under the title Putting Race Equality to work in the NHS, available at www.doh.gov.uk/race_equalityresource/index.htm

We are now seeking your views on the usefulness of this material and what future support, if any, can be provided. This survey is voluntary but your views would be helpful.

The questionnaire has been endorsed by the Review of Central Returns (ROCR) and is available at www.doh.gov.uk/race_equality/

• You will also have received a questionnaire from the Commission for Racial Equality which has commissioned diversity consultants Schneider-Ross to undertake a major survey of public authorities' activities to promote race equality. This survey will be a major assessment of the nature, extent and quality of responses from public authorities to the new statutory duty to promote race equality.

You are encouraged to complete and return your organisation's questionnaire by Monday 16 December. The results of the survey are due to be published in spring 2003.

If you have any queries or need further information on either of these surveys contact Alison Beedie on 020 7972 4339 or alison.beedie@doh.gsi.gov.uk

Social care interest

12. Incentives to improve freedoms for social services

A document setting out the freedoms available to the best performing social services is published today at www.doh.gov.uk/scg/pssperform/incentivesimprove.htm

The freedoms are linked to the social services star rating. Some freedoms are already in place, with the rest being implemented for 2003/04. These are in addition to those available related to the comprehensive performance assessment of all local government services, also published today by the Audit Commission at www.audit-commission.gov.uk

For further information contact Peter Steele at MB-PSS-Performance@doh.gsi.gov.uk.

The documents in this bulletin are Crown copyright but may be reproduced by NHS and Local Authority staff without formal permission or charge for personal or in-house use - ©2002

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copyright: © | Last updated: 12 December, 2002