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Chief
Executive Bulletin 12 - 18 October 2001 |
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Hard copy versions of these publications can be ordered from the NHS Responseline 08701 555 455. Contents: NHS interest 1. Using Patient Indentifiable Data NHS and Social Care interest
13. Chief Executive
Sounding Board - message from Nigel Crisp Social Care interest 15. LASSL(2001)7
The Disqualification for Caring for Children Regulations 2002: Consultation
Document NHS interest There has been widespread concern about the need to comply with legal requirements and professional guidelines, notably the need in certain circumstances to obtain patient consent prior to disclosure and use of patient identifiable data. Attention has focussed, erroneously, on 24 October 2001 as a deadline for compliance. Whilst it is clear that current NHS practice does not always meet required standards, the NHS is dependent on information collected from and about patients and the Department of Health policy is to encourage and support the necessary improvements without disruption to important NHS and related work. The General Medical Council, the Information Commissioner, and many others, are working with the Department to ensure that reasonable and managed progress is made but it is clearly in no-one's interests for any aspect of health service provision to be impaired. The Department of Health will shortly publish a strategy document that will set out a programme of change to deliver the government's goal of a patient centred service based on partnership and informed consent that fully meets the requirements of law, ethics and policy. Details will also be provided of new powers provided under section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2001 that can be used to support key uses of patient information where there are particular concerns. Further information about these issues can be found at www.doh.gov.uk/nhsexipu/confiden. 2. NHS Prescriptions for Viagra, Uprima & Other Impotence Treatments Ministers announced on Friday 12 October that the current arrangements introduced in July 1999 for the prescribing of drug treatments for impotence will not change. The relevant drug treatments are Viagra, Caverject, MUSE, Viridal, and from 1 November, Uprima. Please ensure that GPs and community pharmacists are made aware of the announcement. GPs are reminded that men who not eligible for NHS prescriptions may be given private prescriptions - the rules are explained in HSC 1999/148 3. Code of Practice for NHS Employers - Involved in the International Recruitment of Healthcare Professionals 12/10/01 - The overriding purpose of this Code is to promote high standards in the recruitment and employment of health care professionals from abroad. This Code is also concerned with the protection of developing countries and seeks to prevent targeted recruitment from developing nations who are themselves experiencing shortages of health care staff. The Code does however, promote the structured exchange of health care personnel for the mutual benefit of the National Health Service and health care systems around the world. NHS employers are strongly commended to adhere to the Code of Practice in all matters concerning the international recruitment of health care professionals across all disciplines. www.doh.gov.uk/international-nurse/code.htm Ref. 25504. Hard copies available from Responseline The NHS plan included a commitment to pilot the use of team bonuses in a number of NHS organisations from 2001 with a view to extending more widely in light of evaluation of the results. The schemes are intended to provide incentives for all types of staff who work together in a variety of settings across the country. Expressions of interest were sought from NHS Trusts and PCTs on 3 May. The 10 sites selected have been chosen from the 53 expressions of interest received and represent a broad range of Trusts, team types and reward schemes. Haygroup management consultants were appointed in the summer, following a competitive tendering exercise, to help with the selection process, to assist the pilot sites in implementation and to evaluate the outcomes. Bids for a second wave of pilot sites will shortly be invited. These will be for 3 star acute Trusts only and are likely begin in April 2002. 5. New Powers for HAs and PCTs to Discipline FHS Practitioners Issue 83 set out the framework of the new system and the timetable for its introduction. The Health and Social Care Act 2001 (Commencement No.3) (England) Order 2001 (2001/3294) established the new Family Health Services Appeal Authority (FHSAA) from 1 October 2001 for administrative purposes, and from 1 December 2001 for other purposes. The Order is a priced publication available from the Stationery Office www.the-stationery-office.co.uk Directions on behalf of the Secretary of State have been issued to the existing FHSAA (which is now to be known as the FHSAA(SHA), and to NHS Trusts, as follows:
These Directions are known as The Supply of Services and Facilities to the FHSAA Directions 2001. They can be found on the Department of Health website at www.doh.gov.uk/gpdiscipline/servicesdirections A new report which will be used to inform discussions on the annual appraisal system for GPs. The Report was commissioned by the Department of Health from the School of Health and Related Research at the University of Sheffield (ScHARR). It sets out how an appraisal system for GPs might work and provides guidance on best practice. It also highlights the benefits in appraisal for GPs, patients and the NHS. Printed copies will shortly be available from: The Secretary, Primary Care Support Unit, School of Health and Related Research, University of Sheffield, Regent Court, 30 Regent Street, Sheffield S1 4DA. Tel: 0114 222 0718, e-mail: pcsu@sheffield.ac.uk Document includes CMO Foreword, SchARR Report and Executive Summary and is available at: www.doh.gov.uk/gpappraisal 7. Care Trusts - Draft Regulations
on Applications and Consultation Draft regulations for Care Trusts on application and consultation, together with regulations for membership and procedure for NHS Trusts and Primary Care Trusts have been published by the Department on Wednesday 17 October 2001. Comments are invited by 26 October 2001. These are working drafts and are subject to ongoing change. Copies of the draft regulations can be obtained from: www.doh.gov.uk/caretrusts 8. The Renal National Service Framework: We Want To Hear Your Views! Please pass this information to all staff in renal units, A&E departments, intensive care units, diabetes clinics, transplant co-ordinators, pharmacists, dieticians, counsellors, renal service commissioners, community nurses, relevant enquiries/information sections The Department of Health is developing a National Service Framework (NSF) to improve renal services, and we have launched an interactive website on www.doh.gov.uk/nsf/renal.htm. You will find information there about the scope of the NSF, and who is on our External Reference Group. More importantly, you can give us your views, by contributing to the discussion area, or by suggesting a standard for inclusion in the NSF. We would like to hear all points of view, whether you provide the service, use it, or just feel strongly about some aspect of it. To help promote the NSF, the website 'Bulletins' section also includes a printable poster/handout for display. So please, visit our website, and have your say! 9. Consultation Text of the Draft Additional Protocol to the Council of Europe Convention on Human Rights and Biomedicine on Biomedical Research The Council of Europe Convention on Human Rights and Biomedicine, which was agreed in 1997, is an overarching and broad ranging Instrument which sets out general principles of human rights protection in the field of biomedicine. The Convention will be supplemented by a range of protocols addressing specific issues. This protocol is one such addition, the attached draft text is open for a period of consultation. The covering letter from Sir John Pattison explains the consultation process, and views are welcomed. The consultation is open until the 31 December 2001. A hard copy is required can be obtained from Samantha Fox. Tel: 020 7972 5074 or email samantha.fox@doh.gsi.gov.uk Consultation text, Draft Additional Protocol and covering letter are available at: www.doh.gov.uk/research/whatsnew.htm 10. ADVANCE LETTER ( PTB) 2/2001 Professional and Technical Staff - Advanced Biomedical Scientist Practitioners in Cervical Cytology This Advance Letter sets out the agreement reached on the creation of a new Advanced Biomedical Scientist Practitioner in cervical cytology grade. The agreement sets out the grading criteria, qualifications required, remuneration, and the arrangements for filling these new posts, where employers establish the need for such a post. Link to Advance Letter(PTB)2/2001 Back to Top11. HAZARD NOTICE - MDA HN2001(04) Single Use Electrosurgical
(diathermy) Forceps for Tonsil and Adenoid Surgery. This Hazard Notice was issued on the 10th of October 2001
to NHS Trusts and Health Authority Chief Executives. As usual it was also
fast faxed to Trust and Health Authority Liaison Officers for immediate
action and for onward distribution as specified in the Notice. For further information on the role and nomination of Liaison Officers
e-mail us at: 12. The National Standards of Cleanliness for the NHS
In order to help you implement the National Standards of Cleanliness for the NHS within your Trust, there are a series of Regional Workshops planned.
In the meantime, you might like to revisit the standards, which can be downloaded from www.cleanhospitals.com, and to begin to put together your internal monitoring team. This team should be led by the board nominee for cleanliness, and should include representatives from:
Further details are available from Helen Bourner, tel: 0113 2547153 or email helen.bourner@doh.gsi.gov.uk Back to TopNHS / Social Care interest 13. Chief Executive Sounding Board - Message from Nigel Crisp The Chief Executive Sounding Board will consist of:
I am just finalising the membership with the Local Government Association and will announce the names next week. I have drawn them from the volunteers from the Chief Executive conference and tried to make them as representative as possible. May I thank the many others who volunteered but whom I can't include at this stage. I am asking half the members to serve for 12 months and the other half for 18 with 12 month rotations thereafter. I hope this will give me the opportunity to keep in touch with a lot of people. We will be holding a first meeting in November and will agree our terms of reference then. Back to Top14. HSC(2001)20/ LAC(2001)28 The Quality Protects Programme:Transforming Children's Services 2002-03 Quality Protects is the £885m five-year programme to transform children's services. LAC(2001)28/HSC(2001)20 sets out the requirements for 2002-03 Quality Protects Management Action Plans (MAPs). MAPs must be signed off corporately by local councils and health agencies and submitted to the Department by 31 January 2002. The full circular is available at www.doh.gov.uk/qualityprotects/year4.doc and also on the Quality Protects website www.doh.gov.uk/qualityprotects. Hard copies of the summary version of the circular are being sent to Directors of Education, Housing and Leisure Services. Back to TopSocial Care Interest 15. LASSL(2001)7 The Disqualification for Caring for Children Regulations 2002: Consultation Document The Care Standards Act 2000 (CSA) introduces major changes to the regulation of children's services. As a result of the changes, the Disqualification for Caring for Children Regulations (DCCR) 1991 are out of date and new Regulations are needed for April 2002. This letter attaches for consultation the proposed draft Regulations. The introduction to the consultation document explains the basis on which we are suggesting changes to the 1991 Regulations. Consultation document www.doh.gov.uk/ncsc/dccr.htm Ref LASSL 25460, Consultation Document 25459. Will be mailed to Local Authority Chief Executives and Directors of Social Services w/c 22/10/01. Back to Top16. Publication of the first Adoption & Permanence Taskforce Annual Report The first Adoption & Permanence Taskforce Annual Report will be published on Thursday 18 October. It is available electronically on the Adoption website at www.doh.gov.uk/adoption/annualreport.htm. Back to Top
17. Statistical Return - OC3 (Care Leavers on their 19th Birthday) - Due May 2002 A copy of the OC3 form and Notes of Guidance for its completion have now been placed on the Department of Health's web site at: www.doh.gov.uk/stats/forms.htm This return is due for completion and submission by 31 May 2002. In addition to the above documents, an interactive XL workbook for electronic submission of the data is available via the above link. This spreadsheet is our strongly preferred method of submission. It includes a number of validation checks and enables data for your care leavers to be submitted in a single file. A set of Frequently Asked Questions designed to supplement to Notes of Guidance will be placed on the web site shortly. 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 - ©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 - ©2001 Back to Chief Executive's Bulletin Home PagePublished by the
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