Chief
Executive Bulletin 9-15 February 2001
Issue 53
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Chief
Executive Bulletin 9-15 February 2001 |
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Contents:
NHS interest 1. The NHS Plan - Investment and reform for NHS Staff - Taking forward the NHS Plan 3. Nurses, Midwives, Health Visitors & Pams Pay For 2001/2002 And New Cost Of Living Supplements 4. Electronic Transmission Of Prescriptions & consultation on amendment to Prescription only Medicine Order 5. General Anaesthesia For Dental Treatment 6. Workforce Development Confederations 7. Decision of the NHS Tribunal 8. MET Office Workload Forecasts NHS and Social Care interest 9. CI(2001)1 "Detained" - SSI National Inspection Of Compulsory Mental Health Admissions 10. SAFETY NOTICE - MDA SN 2001(04) Temporary Cardiac Pacing Leads with Shrouded Connector Pins. Social Care interest 11. Advance Notice Of Changes To The System For Charging For Residential Accommodation - Introducing The 3-Month Property Disregard And The New Capital Limits. 12. LAC(2001)3 Support Grant For Social Services For People With HIV/AIDS: Financial Year 2001/2002: Supplementary Credit Approvals For HIV/AIDS Housing Related Expenditure: Financial Year 2001/2002 13. 2000/01 Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children's Grant 14. Keep Warm Keep Well Guidance 15. Mental Health Supplementary Credit Approvals 2001/2002 NHS interest 1. The NHS Plan - Investment and reform for NHS Hospitals - Taking forward the NHS Plan A document 'Investment and reform for NHS hospitals - taking forward the NHS Plan' was published today alongside a statement in Parliament from the Secretary of State. It sets out proposals for the next waves of the hospital building programme. The NHS Plan set out a commitment to build over 100 new hospital schemes by 2010. The new programme covers 29 major hospital developments with a value of £3.1 billion. It also describes the planned investment in Diagnostic and Treatment Centres, designed to help increase the number of people that can be treated in a single day or with just a short stay. Copies of the document are available on the DH website at www.doh.gov.uk/investmentreform 2. The NHS Plan - Investment and reform for NHS Staff - Taking forward the NHS Plan Investment and Reform for NHS Staff – Taking forward the NHS Plan which set out the Governments progress in delivering the commitments to increase the number of staff in the NHS Plan was published on 15 February. The document sets out the Governments agenda for increasing staff numbers, recruitment and retention, changing the way staff work, modernising workforce planning and investing in staff. The document can be found at www.doh.gov.uk/invandreform Enquires about the document should be addressed to Keith.Baggs@doh.gsi.gov.uk Copies are available by emailing doh@prolog.uk.com 3. Nurses, Midwives, Health Visitors & Pams Pay For 2001/2002 And New Cost Of Living Supplements Advance Letter (NM) 1/2001: Nurses And Midwives Pay For 2001/2002 Following the Government's announcement about increases in pay for staff covered by the Review Body for Nursing Staff, Midwives, Health Visitors and Professions Allied to Medicine, agreement has been reached on revised salaries for nursing and midwifery staff employed in the NHS on national terms and conditions. These salaries will be payable from 1 April 2001. Employers must ensure that the new pay scales are implemented quickly to allow staff to receive their increased salaries in April. Senior Nurses and Senior Midwives are not covered by this agreement. Cost of Living Supplements With effect from the 1 April 2001 a new cost of living supplement will be introduced for all qualified nurses, midwives and health visitors, (Grade C and above including nurse midwife and health visitor consultant posts) working in London and designated parts of the South of England. Ref. 23264. Will be mailed to HA & NHS Trust Directors of Finance and Human Resources w/c 19/2/01 Advance Letter PAM(PTA) 1/2001: Professions Allied To Medicine And Related Grades Of Staff - Pay For 2001/2002 Following the Government's announcement about increases in pay for staff covered by the Review Body for Nursing Staff, Midwives, Health Visitors and Professions Allied to Medicine, agreement has been reached on revised salaries for staff employed in the NHS on national terms and conditions. These salaries will be payable from 1 April 2001. Employers must ensure that the new pay scales are implemented quickly to allow staff to receive their increased salaries in April. Cost of Living Supplements With effect from the 1 April 2001 a new cost of living supplement will be introduced for all qualified PAMs (basic grade and above) working in London and designated parts of the South of England. Ref. 23267. Will be mailed to Will be mailed to HA & NHS Trust Directors of Finance and Human Resources w/c 19/2/01 4. Electronic Transmission Of Prescriptions & consultation on amendment to Prescription only Medicine Order Information for Health states that by the end of 2001, a project will be established to explore ways of using the NHSnet to link all computerised GP practices to local community pharmacies. Both these groups would link to the Prescription Pricing Authority (PPA). The electronic transfer of prescriptions (ETP) between GPs, community pharmacies and the Prescription Pricing Authority is one of the key elements of 'Pharmacy in the Future', the programme for pharmacy announced by Lord Hunt at the British Pharmaceutical Conference on September 12, 2000. ETP is expected to introduce significant benefits for patients, including fewer trips to the GP surgery to collect repeat prescriptions and an end to illegible and incomplete prescriptions.
We are therefore beginning a four week consultation week commencing 12 February on a proposed amendment to the Prescription Only Medicines (POM) Order. The amendment is essential to allow full electronic transmission of prescription (ETP) pilots to go ahead in England on a legal footing later this year. The proposed POM Order amendment will allow certain authorised prescribers who are participating in the pilot schemes to sign prescriptions digitally in place of ink signatures, and to transmit the prescription by electronic means. A consultation letter and draft amendment order can be viewed at www.doh.gov.uk/pharmacy/etp.htm The deadline for responses is 16th March 2001. 5. General Anaesthesia For Dental Treatment Following Ministers acceptance of the recommendations in the report "A Conscious Decision" new requirements are being put into law in relation to the provision of general anaesthesia for dental treatment in both the public and private sectors. Action is required from Health Authorities to implement the new requirements. Guidance is available which:
Applications to register under the Registered Homes Act may be made from 19 February 2001. Dentists who already provide NHS general dental services and who wish to provide general anaesthesia for dental treatment under NHS arrangements should notify their Health Authority within fourteen days from 19 March 2001. The letter and the Technical Guidance can be downloaded from the DoH website at www.doh.gov.uk/dental/consciousguidance1.htm 6. Workforce Development Confederations Consultation on the Workforce Planning Review document A Health Service of all the talents closed in June 2000. In October following Ministers decision to set up the new Workforce Development Confederations from April 2001 guidance was issued concerning their aims and functions, to enable forward planning with the promise of further detailed guidance to follow. The further guidance is now available on the Department of Health's web site. Since publication of the October guidance. Ministers have agreed that there will be 24 Workforce Development Confederations and Regional Offices are currently seeking to fill the post of chief executive of each of these Confederations. This further guidance is intended to complement that issued in October last year and should be used by the Workforce Development Confederation Chief Executives and key stakeholders to ensure a smooth transition to Confederations. Guidance Enquires about this guidance should be addressed to Keith.Baggs@doh.gsi.gov.uk 7. Decision of the NHS Tribunal: Please note that a decision of the NHS Tribunal can be found on the NHS Web at: http://nww.doh.nhsweb.nhs.uk/nhs/nhstribunal.htm 8. MET Office Workload Forecasts WEST and the Met office are issuing twice weekly workload forecasts, which will bring together the following information:
There are two levels of information:
We expect all those involved in responding to winter demand both in trusts and primary care to use the information as part of the management data-set when planning their organisations continued response to winter pressures. The forecasts can be obtained on the NHS web on the following address: http://nww.doh.nhsweb.nhs.uk/winter/forecasts.htm NHS / Social Care interest 9. CI(2001)1 "Detained" - SSI National Inspection Of Compulsory Mental Health Admissions This report is based on inspections in ten council areas to assess the service received by and outcomes for users who are compulsorily detained under the Mental Health Act. It took place at a time when the Mental Health Act was under review and the Government had published its new Strategy for Mental Health followed by a National Service Framework for Mental Health. The report provides a series of questions that can be used by councillors and managers to evaluate their own services; a number of good practice examples are included to encourage further development of services. Report Ref. CI Letter 23145, Report 23144, Summary Leaflet 23146. Hard copies mailed to CEs of Local Authorities with PSS Responsibilities, Directors of Social Service, CEs of Has and NHS Trusts. 10. SAFETY NOTICE - MDA SN 2001(04) Temporary Cardiac Pacing Leads with Shrouded Connector Pins. This Safety Notice was issued on 8 February 2001 to NHS Trust and Health Authority Chief Executives. As usual, it was also issued to NHS Trust and Health Authority liaison officers for action and for onward distribution as specified in the Notice. For further information on the role and nomination of liaison officers e-mail us on: bs@medical-devices.gov.uk http://www.medical-devices.gov.uk Electronic versions of the SN 2001 (01) can be found at: www.medical-devices.gov.uk/sn2001(01).htm Social Care Interest 11. Advance Notice Of Changes To The System For Charging For Residential Accommodation Introducing The 3-Month Property Disregard And The New Capital Limits. This notice will enable councils with social services responsibilities to prepare for the introduction of the 3-months property disregard and the new capital limits, which were announced in the NHS Plan. www.doh.gov.uk/scg/anresidential.htm It is important that the Advance Notice is brought to the attention of Directors of Social Services and their residential care/finance officers as soon as possible. Hard copies will be mailed. For further information please contact Social Care Group 020 7972 4238 12. LAC(2001)3 Support Grant For Social Services For People With HIV/AIDS: Financial Year 2001/2002: Supplementary Credit Approvals For HIV/AIDS Housing Related Expenditure: Financial Year 2001/2002 This circular explains arrangements for continuation in 2001/2002 of the AIDS Support Grant. Authorities are invited to submit expenditure plans for 2001/2002 against the indicative allocations attached at Annex B as soon as possible but no later than 16 March 2001. Authorities are also invited to bid for a Supplementary Credit Approval for HIV/AIDS related housing projects. Ref. 23278. Hard copies available. 13. 2000/01 Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children's Grant The Home Office has written to all Directors of Social Services in England inviting them to claim for the 2000/01 unaccompanied asylum seeking children's grant. The reference is INDLAL(01/01). It is important that this is dealt with quickly, or local authorities will not be able to receive reimbursement of costs associated with caring for unaccompanied asylum seeking children. If Directors have not received a copy, they can obtain one by emailing ann.burke@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk or ringing her on 020 8633 0044.14. Keep Warm Keep Well Guidance This guidance is for local councils (social services and housing directorates) health authorities and PCTs. The guidance aims to identify ways in which action at local level can complement the national Keep Warm Keep Well campaign and support councils' Affordable Warmth Strategies to tackle fuel poverty. The guidance will highlight the lessons for local action arising from research commissioned by the Department of Health in preparation for the winter 2000/01 Keep Warm, Keep Well campaign. The guidance can be found on the Keep Warm, Keep Well website at www.doh.gov.uk/kwkw 15. Mental Health Supplementary Credit Approvals 2001/2002 The guidance inviting CSSRs (Councils with Social Services responsibilities) to bid for Mental Health Supplementary Credit Approvals (SCAs) from 2001/02 was published on 29 January 2001 and was sent to CSSR Directors and Directors of Finance and HA Directors of Finance. £15.6m of SCAs are available to fund capital projects, which assist the development of comprehensive social care mental health service for aduts. The deadline for bids is 28 February 2001. 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 - ©2000 Back to Chief Executive's Bulletin Home Page |
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