Chief
Executive Bulletin 15-21 December 2000
Issue 46
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Chief
Executive Bulletin 15-21 December 2000 |
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Hard copy versions of these publications can be ordered from the NHS Responseline 08701 555 455. Contents:NHS and Social Care interest 1. Implementation Programme for the NHS Plan 2. Reforming The Mental Health Act 5. Stepping Away from the Edge - Improving services for deaf and hard of hearing people NHS interest 7. HSC 2000/037 Project Connect - connecting NHS staff to NHSnet 8. The Government's Response to the Health Select Committee's Report into Mental Health Services 9. Statements for Mental Health Review Tribunals for Restricted Patients 10. MET Office Workload Forecasts 11. The Race Relations (Amendment) Act 12. Nicotine Replacement Therapy - Consultation 13. Safety Notice - MDA SN2000(26) - Provider 5500 Infusion Pumps: Risk of Over Infusion 14. Hugh Taylor moves to new post Social Care interest NHS / Social Care interest 1. Implementation Programme for the NHS Plan (Emailed 20/12/00 to CEs and directors of social services). The Programme sets out the key targets and provisional milestones for the NHS and social care for 2001-02. The document describes the overall framework within which the NHS Plan should be implemented and explains the methodology that has been used to develop the programme. It outlines the purpose and role of Taskforces and sets out the financial underpinning for the implementation of the NHS Plan and the performance management arrangements that will apply. The Implementation Programme is at www.doh.gov.uk/nhsplanimpprogramme Hard copies will be publishing in the New Year and will be sent to CEs and directors of social services. Technical guidance for the SaFF process and further information on allocations will follow shortly. This will then provide everything you need to ensure that the planning process is successfully undertaken in the New Year. 2. Reforming The Mental Health Act The White Paper sets out the Government's plans for new mental health legislation which will: New mental health legislation will provide a single framework for the application of compulsory powers for care and treatment. This will include: But within that overall framework, a wide range of different services and approaches is required. The two parts of this White Paper recognise what is perhaps the most important of these distinctions, by setting out the arrangements for the high risk group separately. Link to 'Reforming the Mental Health Act' web pages, giving access to introduction and links below. Direct link to summary www.doh.gov.uk/mentalhealth/summary.htm (web pages) or pdf version www.doh.gov.uk/mentalhealth/whitepapersummary.pdf Direct link to White Paper part one - 'The new legal framework' www.doh.gov.uk/mentalhealth/whitepaper1.pdf Direct link to White Paper part two - 'High risk patients' www.doh.gov.uk/mentalhealth/whitepaper2.pdf Hard copies should be distributed within the next two weeks. Further hard copy summaries available, free of charge, from NHS Responseline, ref 23013 Copies of the White Paper are available from The Stationery Office Ltd, general enquiries 0870 600 5522. Part one - Cm 5016-I; part two - Cm 5016-II. Adoption: a new approach sets out comprehensive reforms to provide many more looked after children who cannot return to their families with a fresh start: the opportunity to live in, and be part of, a new family. It includes the Government's plans for the most radical reform of adoption law for 25 years and a comprehensive overhaul of the court system for children's proceedings. The Government will put in place a major programme of action, with the interests of children paramount: Links to White Paper and other associated documents (including summary, LASSL 2000/17, Draft National Adoption Standards for England, Scotland and Wales - Consultation document - www.doh.gov.uk/adoption/whitepaper Direct link to summary www.doh.gov.uk/adoption/whitepaper/summary.htm Hard copies should be distributed within the next two weeks. Further hard copy summaries available, free of charge, from NHS Responseline, ref 23018 Copies of the White Paper are available from The Stationery Office Ltd, general enquiries 0870 600 5522. Cm 5017 4. Provision of Speech and Language Therapy Services to Children with Special Educational Needs (England): Report of the Working Group This is the report of the working group established by the DfEE in conjunction with the Department of Health, to consider issues associated with the provision of speech and Language Therapy (SLT) to children with special educational needs (SEN). The report is a joint DfEE/DoH publication, launched in November, which makes a number of recommendations for action. The report which is available on the DH Website www.doh.gov.uk/slt. Hard copy is also available from DfEE Publications, PO Box 5050, Sherwood Park, Annesley, Notts NG15 ODJ Tel - 0845 60 222 60, email - DFEE@prologistics.co.uk. When ordering, please quote Ref. DFEE 0319/2000. 5. Stepping Away from the Edge Improving services for deaf and hard of hearing people This booklet is a practical tool for social services departments aiming to provide the best possible services for people who are Deaf, deafened or hard of hearing. It offers practical guidance and examples of current positive practice in services for adults who are hearing impaired. The information and ideas shown here should be especially useful to social services staff and those from other agencies who provide: The booklet also offers essential guidance to councillors and to senior managers who are determining the level of resources they will allocate to this area of work. www.doh.gov.uk/scg/steppingaway.htm NHS interest 6. Pay for Nurses, Midwives, Health Visitors, Professions Allied To Medicine, Doctors and Dentists for 2001/2002 (Emailed to CEs and HR directors 18 December 2000). The Secretary of State for Health today announced pay rises for staff covered by the independent Pay Review Bodies. The pay recommendations of the Review Bodies will be payable in full from the 1April 2001. A copy of the Press release outlining further details is available on the web at www.doh.gov.uk/cebulletin/pr0746.htm. Please note this contains lots of detailed information about the effect of the pay award for staff in various grades. Individuals may wish to refer to this to determine impact on particular pay. For this reason please ensure that this information is cascaded to all nursing, PAMs and medical and dental staff as soon as possible. Further information Copies of the full reports can be purchased from The Stationery Office (general enquiries tel 08706 005522) or they may be available on the internet in due course. Please speak to Geoff Winnard on 0113 254 5765 (for nurses, midwives, health visitors and PAMs) or Hester McLain on 0113 254 6182 (for Doctors and Dentists ). 7. HSC 2000/037 Project Connect - connecting NHS staff to NHSnet The HSC provides an update on improvements made to NHSnet during the course of the last year, and sets out the action now required to ensure that relevant NHS staff have desktop access to NHSnet to support them in their daily tasks. Key action points are: 8. The Government's Response to the Health Select Committee's Report into Mental Health Services As part of the Government's response to the Health Select Committee's Report into Mental Health Services the Department of Health was tasked with writing to all Chief Executives of mental health services drawing their attention to Recommendation B of the report. Recommendation B concerned the provision of information to people discharged from specialist mental health services on how they can easily re-access them should their condition deteriorate. In line with this government commitment, a letter has been sent by Dr Jenny Bywaters (Project Manager for Severe Mental Illness) to all mental health trust Chief Executives asking them to ensure that this recommendation is implemented in their area. The full text of the Government's Response to the Health Select Committee's Report into Mental Health Services is available at www.doh.gov.uk/mentalhealth/govresp.htm . 9. Statements for Mental Health Review Tribunals for Restricted Patients Further to a judicial review in the case of R v MHRT for West Midlands and North West ex parte concerning the status of the nearest relative in a restricted case please see the following advice from the departments solicitor. When a detained patient makes an application to a tribunal, or the patient's case is referred, the responsible authority must send a statement about the patient to the tribunal (rule 6 of the Mental Health Review Tribunal Rules 1983). The Rules say what information must be given in the statement. One requirement is to give the name and address of the patient's nearest relative or of any other person exercising that function (paragraph 11 of Part A of the statement in Schedule 1 to the Rules). However, if the patient is a restricted patient the responsible authority should not name a nearest relative in part A of their statement for the tribunal. This was clarified in the recent case of R v The Mental Health Review Tribunal for West Midlands and North West Region ex parte H. The Court held that on a true construction of the Mental Health Act and the Rules restricted patients do not have nearest relatives who have functions under the Act. Therefore responsible authorities must ensure that when a statement is prepared for a restricted patient no nearest relative is named. Please ensure this is information is brought to the attention of those within the trust or hospital who are responsible for drawing up the Responsible Authorities Statement (RA Statement). 10. 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: nww.doh.nhsweb.nhs.uk/winter/forecasts.htm 11. The Race Relations (Amendment) Act has just finished its passage through Parliament. Further information about the obligations that this legislation places on the NHS, and about the enforcement powers that it gives to the Commission for Racial Equality, is available on the following web page: www.doh.gov.uk/race_equality This information will be updated periodically. Action: Chief Executives should: 12. Nicotine Replacement Therapy - Consultation A period of consultation on proposed changes to the list of products which cannot be prescribed by GPs on the NHS. Schedule 10 to the National Health Service (General Medical Services) Regulations 1992 lists those products which may not be prescribed by General Practitioners. Link to details www.doh.gov.uk/nrtconsultation 13. Safety Notice - MDA SN2000(26) Provider 5500 Infusion Pumps: Risk of Over Infusion This Safety Notice was issued on 12 December to NHS Trust, Health Authority and Primary Care Trust Chief Executives. As usual it was also issued to Liaison Officers of Trusts and Health Authorities for action and for onward distribution as specified in the Notice. Electronic version of SN 2000(26) can be found at: www.medical-devices.gov.uk/SN2000(26).htm For further information on the role and nomination of Liaison Officers e-mail us at: bs@medical-devices.gov.uk http://www.medical-devices.gov.uk 14. Hugh Taylor moves to new post Hugh Taylor wrote to directors of human resources on 15 December to say that he will be moving to a new post in the Department of Health - Director of External and Corporate Affairs - in which he will be supporting Nigel Crisp in driving through the modernisation of the Department and overseeing the development of relationships across Government and with other external stakeholders. Hugh will remain in post until a successor is appointed. In the meantime he will continue to work with colleagues in pressing ahead with the implementation of the programme of work on HR issues set out in the NHS Plan. Social Care Interest 15. LASSL(2000)18 Personal Social Services (PSS) Funding 2001-02, Quality Protects, Children's SSA and Special Grant This letter sets out revised indicative allocations of the Children's Special Grant for individual councils. It follows on from LAC (2000)22 and LASSL(2000)13 and amends some of the information in them in light of the decision to delay implementation of the Children (Leaving Care) Act 2000 until 1 October 2001. 16. Towards a Common Cause - 'A Compact for Care' Inspection of Local Authority Social Services and Voluntary Sector Working Relationships Local social services and the voluntary sector have a long history of working together. These relationships have evolved over time and not always in a planned way. They are now the focus of increased attention as the Government places great emphasis on breaking down barriers between the public, private and voluntary sectors in order to effect lasting change in the relationship between the individual and the community. As part of this commitment, the Government launched a 'Compact' with the voluntary and community sectors in England in November 1998. Last year the Social Services Inspectorate inspected the working relationships between seven councils and their local voluntary sector. This inspection provided a timely opportunity to assess the effectiveness of cross-sector partnerships in delivering results. It focused on the particular working relationships between social care services and the voluntary sector. However, the local councils' corporate commitment and the roles of other council departments, the NHS and other agencies affect the way these relationships develop and whether they provide efficient and effective policies and services which benefit local citizens. The report, which includes information about the 'Compact' and provides a series of questions to enable councillors and managers to evaluate local working relationships, is available online at: www.doh.gov.uk/scg/tacc_vol.htm Link to covering letter CI(2000)23) Copies mailed 14/12/00. Ref. Report 22895; summary leaflet 22896; CI(2000)23 22894 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 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 |
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