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Chief
Executive Bulletin
The documents in this bulletin are Crown copyright but may be reproduced by NHS and Council staff without formal permission or charge for personal or in-house use - ©2002 Contents:NHS and Social Care interest 1. LAC (2002) 8 Young People's Substance Misuse Planning
Grant: 2002/3 NHS interest Social Care interest 20. LAC(2002)9 Support Grant for Social Services for People
With HIV/AIDS: Financial Year 2002/2003 NHS / Social Care interest 1. LAC (2002) 8 Young People's Substance Misuse Planning Grant: 2002/3 This circular sets out arrangements for a grant to support the implementation of an integrated local plan for young people's substance misuse services. This work is part of the Drugs Strategy Tackling Drugs to Build a Better Britain. The circular covers: Background for the grant: Young People's Substance Misuse Plan; grant allocations and payment arrangements; and grant conditions and audit requirements. Ref. 27330 www.doh.gov.uk/drugs/planninggrantyoungpeople02.htm 2. Care Standards Act 2000: A guide for registered providers Care Standards Act 2000: A guide for registered providers and the covering letter that accompanied it was sent to all registered providers on 8 March 2002. It covers the topics of the NCSC, the CRB, the GSCC and includes a checklist for provider action. The appendices detail addresses of NCSC offices, registration fees and inspection frequency, categories of establishments and appeals to the tribunal. There were a few errors made but these have now been noted and corrections put on the website. At the back of the booklet is an order form for registered providers to order one free copy of the relevant standards. This has been removed in the electronic version to prevent multiple orders. For further information contact Chris Hume, Programme Manager Tel 020 797 24247 Guidance document and covering letter on POINT Corrections: www.doh.gov.uk/ncsc/infopack.htm NHS interest 3. HSC 2002/005 Cancer Waiting Times - Guidance on Making and Tracking Progress on Cancer Waiting Times The NHS Cancer Plan set new cancer waiting time targets. Improvements have begun, through the Cancer Services Collaborative and local work to meet and monitor the 2000 and 2001 targets. This guidance focuses on the further action that now needs to be taken towards delivering the 2002 and 2005 targets in line with the Priorities and Planning Framework by:
Ref. 27315. Will be mailed to NHS Trust Directors of Information w/c 25/3/02. 4. Advance Letter (PH)1/2002 New Salary Scales for Healthcare Pharmacists for 2002-03 Agreement has been reached on increases in national salary scales for healthcare pharmacists for 2002/03. Advance Letter (PH)1/2002 contains full details of the agreement. Employers must ensure that the new pay scales (in the Advance Letter attached) are implemented quickly to allow staff to receive their increased salaries in April. Advance Letter (PH)1/2002 on COIN 5. Advance Letter DOS 1/2002 - Community Dental Services/salaried Personal Dental Service Provides information on:
Primary Care Trusts and NHS Trusts are asked to give effect to the changes highlighted in this letter as soon as possible. Directors of Finance and Clinical Directors of the Community Dental Service/salaried Personal Dental Service should also have sight of this letter. They are also asked to bring it to the attention of all clinical dental staff of those services. Advance Letter DOS 1/2002 on COIN 6. Advance Letter DOS 2/2002 - Pay and Conditions of Service for Dental Public Health Staff Provides information on:
Health Authorities, Primary Care Trusts and NHS Trusts are asked to give effect to the changes highlighted in this letter as soon as possible. Directors of Finance, Directors of Public Health and Consultants in Dental Public Health should also have sight of this letter. They are also asked to bring it to the attention of all dental public health staff. Advance Letter DOS 2/2002 on COIN 7. Consultants Fixed and Flexible Sessions Following queries, we have been asked to clarify the circumstances under which additional payments may be made to consultants for extra work, for example, waiting list initiatives. Essentially this covers work not covered by the consultant’s standard contract of employment.
Any queries should be directed to jonathan.firth@doh.gsi.gov.uk 8. State Registered Pathology Staff Clinical Pathology Accreditation (UK) Ltd, which conducts peer-review inspections of medical laboratories to assess compliance with quality standards, has brought to the Department’s attention a worrying trend; the employment of non-state registered staff to undertake duties associated with a registered title. On these grounds, CPA has the right to refuse a laboratory accreditation. We therefore suggest that you ensure all new staff in state registered posts have their CPSM numbers and respective registration documents checked, and be found suitably fit to practise. For further information, please contact Paul Clegg in the Pathology Modernisation Team, on 020 7972 4302 or at paul.clegg@doh.gsi.gov.uk 9. Health Authority Drugs Education and Prevention Funding 2002/3 The letter (via the link below) notifies health authorities of a non-recurrent addition to their 2002-3 revenue resource limit for the purpose of Section 97AA of the National Health Service Act 1977 as amended. The addition is listed in column C of Appendix A in the attached letter. This funding is intended to help you implement the NHS plan requirement to work with other local agencies to reduce the proportion of people under the age of 25 reporting the use of class A drugs by 25% by 2005. The funding should be used to deliver interventions targeted at people in vulnerable groups including young offenders, truants, looked after children, children excluded from school, homeless people and children of drug users. It is important that funding is used in ways that are supported by the available evidence base, details of which can be found in the resource pack Drug Prevention 2001 sent to HAs late last year. Letter at www.doh.gov.uk/drugs/preventionfundingmar02.pdf Resource pack at www.doh.gov.uk/drugs/resourcespack.htm 10. Prepayment, Maternity and Medical Exemptions: FP92/96 Statistical Returns Please copy to directors of finance For Action A covering letter and questionnaire are attached (via link below) for collection of data about prescription charge exemptions, i.e. in respect of medical or maternity exemption certificates (FP92) and prescription pre-payment (PPC) certificates (FP96) issued for the period 1 April 2001 to 31 March 2002. Please forward the questionnaire and covering letter to the person(s) responsible for issuing these certificates within your authority (or agency if applicable). We have collected this data for a number of years, last year we updated the questionnaire data and the feedback from health authorities has been positive. However, can we remind you that information about any PPCs issued by pharmacists must be included. The questionnaire may be returned by e-mail, post or FAX to DH, the address is on the form. Please continue to collect this data for the period 1 April 2002 onwards. As you may know the arrangements for the issue of PPCs and other certificates are to change form October 2002. We will contact you about 2002/03 data as soon as possible Questionnaire and covering letter on POINT Guidance is issued today on the dedicated Department of Health Private Finance Initiative (PFI) website covering four areas in which the PFI procurement process is to be improved. These are as follows:
Action The guidance must be observed by all PFI schemes due to issue OJEC notices, and those in the process of pre-qualifying or otherwise selecting bidders. This guidance applies to build schemes only; not IM&T. Trusts applying elements of this guidance relating to streamlining procurement should ensure that specialist legal advice is sought. These measures amend and supersede the relevant sections in the PFI guidance manual Public Private Partnerships in the National Health Service: The Private Finance Initiative. The full text of the guidance is available on the DH PFI website www.doh.gov.uk/pfi/improveprocure.htm The guidance on post project evaluation Learning lessons from PPE is also available www.doh.gov.uk/pfi/goodpracticeguide.htm Contact Andy Stubbings Tel: 0113 254 5358 12. Dissemination of MDA Safety Warnings – From 1 April 2002 Following the disestablishment of the existing health authorities from April 1 2002, MDA Safety Warnings will no longer be sent to health authorities for onward distribution by their liaison officers. From 1 April 2002 distribution of MDA Safety Warnings to private and voluntary healthcare providers registered under the Care Standards Act 2000, will be taken over by the National Care Standards Commission, which has undertaken to electronic fax MDA Safety Warnings to all relevant registered premises direct from their headquarters. Distribution to medical device users in primary care will continue to be the responsibility of primary care trusts, to whom MDA already issues Safety Warnings. A note will also be issued directly to MDA liaison officers in health authorities, giving this information and thanking them for the contribution they have made to patient safety through the prompt dissemination of MDA Safety Warnings in the past. Please contact Mike Peel or Lisa Robery at MDA on 0207 972 8349 or 0207 972 8297 if there are any queries regarding these arrangements. We have been reviewing the arrangements for disseminating urgent information to individual clinicans and others and have carried out an audit to see how quickly the MDA Hazard Notice on single use electrosurgical (diathermy) forceps for tonsil and adenoid surgery (HN2001(04)) was seen by liaison officers and others to whom it was addressed. The arrangements in some NHS trusts do not seem to work as well as they ought and Alan Doran, Director of Operations is writing to their chief executives. NHS Trusts are reminded that hazard notices contain important safety information that should be acted upon with the minimum of delay. The treatment of MDA notices is the subject of Criterion 21 of the Medical Devices Management Controls Assurance Standard. Chief executives should ensure that they have satisfactory and robust arrangements for promulgating such urgent advice to all those who need it. Chief executives are also responsible for ensuring that they have in place arrangements for follow up to ensure implementation of recommendations contained in notices. 14. National Primary and Care Trust Development - Providing Organisational Development Support for Primary Care Trusts A new web-based self assessment tool has been launched to support primary care trusts in the creation of robust, fit for purpose organisations. The Organisational Competency Framework has been developed by the National Primary and Care Trust Development Team in conjunction with PCT leaders and sets out a blueprint of core competencies for primary care organisations. The aim of the online resource is to assist primary care trusts in developing the organisational and personal skills to deliver Shifting the Balance of Power modernisation agenda. The framework can be viewed online at www.natpact.nhs.uk A briefing sheet and demonstration CD Rom are available from the NHS Response Line. Refs. Briefing sheet 26957, CD Rom 26958. 15. Governance in the NHS– Statement on Internal Control and Controls Assurance Returns 2001-2002 Reporting Year and Beyond Action for all Accountable Officers As part of their mandatory governance responsibilities, accountable officers of all NHS organisations are required to submit a Statement on Internal Control as part of their annual financial statements from 2001-2002. This statement combines the Statement on Internal Financial Control and the Controls Assurance Statement and should be the resultant of a review of the effectiveness of their organisation’s system of internal control. Guidance on the new Statement on Internal Control together with more
detailed Supplementary Guidance and a new core (Controls Assurance) Governance
Standard are released today on the Controls Assurance website Statement on Internal Control Guidance and detailed Supplementary
Guidance Governance Standard and the other underpinning Controls Assurance
Standards and reporting spreadsheet Notice posted by Lorraine I Thomas lorraine.thomas@doh.gsi.gov.uk For more controls assurance information link to: http://www.controlsassurance.info 16. The Strange Case of Penny Allison - Starring Hugh Laurie & Imelda Staunton The National Blood Service has produced a video to highlight the most common causes of error in blood transfusion. Hugh Laurie plays six different hospital characters and Imelda Staunton plays two different patients. Both donated their services. The video is intended as a training vehicle for all hospital staff and could ideally be used at induction and may help to address the need in trusts for repeating such training at frequent intervals. All hospitals supplied by NBS have had a copy sent to their blood transfusion department and extra copies are available for £10 each. To purchase further copies contact: usha.mistry@nbs.nhs.uk Deaths and near misses caused by patients receiving the ‘wrong blood’ are all too common. Hopefully this video will help reduce the incidence. 17. HAZARD NOTICE - MDA HN2002(01) LMA Pro-Seal® Instruction Manual: Drug Dosage Error This hazard notice was issued on 15 March 2002 to NHS trusts and health authorities chief executives. As usual it was also faxed to liaison officers of trusts and health authorities 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 at: bs@medical-devices.gov.uk http://www.medical-devices.gov.uk 18. NICE Guidance on Rheumatoid Arthritis NICE is issuing guidance on the use of etanercept and infliximab for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in adults and etanercept for juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) in children, on Friday 22 March. The Institute is recommending the selective use of these drugs for this condition. The guidance is available on line at the NICE website www.nice.org.uk NICE will be issuing the following guidance over the next two weeks
This rapid sequence of guidance is the result of appeals and the need for additional evidence, delaying the implementation of some appraisals. Social Care Interest 20. LAC(2002)9 Support Grant for Social Services for People With HIV/AIDS: Financial Year 2002/2003 The AIDS Support Grant (ASG) Circular, issued on 20 March, contains indicative grant allocations to 150 English local authorities. The purpose of the grant is to encourage local authorities to develop strategic plans to respond to HIV infection and to develop and implement operational plans for the provision of social care services to meet the needs of those infected, their partners and families Ref. 27378 21. LAC(2002)10 Teenage Pregnancy Local Implementation Grant 2002/03 LAC(2002)10 informs top tier local authorities of the terms and conditions for the new Teenage Pregnancy Local Implementation Grant; confirmation of the allocations to each local authority, payable from April 2002; and the payment and audit arrangements. During 2001-2 this funding was made available through health authorities. However, to facilitate delivery of local authority based strategies and in light of the modernisation of the NHS, the funding is being re-routed through the local authority. The change in the funding route does not alter its purpose which is to support the implementation of agreed local teenage pregnancy strategies and ensure that robust arrangements are in place to continue the coordination and delivery of agreed local action plans. Ref. 27446. Will be mailed to Local Authority and Social Services Directors of Finance w/c 25/3/02. 22. CI(2002)2 Getting the Best from Best Value – Experience of Applying Best Value in Social Care This report has been prepared by SSI and the Joint Review team in partnership with the Association of Directors of Social Services. It brings together the key messages learned over the last 18 months about the effective use of Best Value. It has been designed to help social services use Best Value to achieve continuous improvement and deliver on the modernisation agenda for social care. www.doh.gov.uk/ssi/gettingbestvalue.htm Ref 26970 23. Update of Key Indicators Graphical System (KIGS), Revised 2000-2001 Data and Mid 2001-02 Data on Social Services Performance An update of the Key Indicators Graphical System (KIGS) was released on Thursday 14 March. KIGS contains data from 1990-91 to 2000-2001, where available, for some 300 indicators relating to local authority Personal Social Services (PSS) and enables charts to be produced comparing one or two of these at a time for any combination of local authorities in England. Copies on CD-ROM are being sent to the KIGS contact in each council with social services responsibilities. Further copies, price £20, are available from jeff.palmer@doh.gsi.gov.uk (telephone 020 7972 5602). Jeff can also let you know who the KIGS contact in a council is. Further information is available in a letter to KIGS users, contacts and directors of social services. This KIGS Update includes revised 2000-2001 data for a number of PSS Performance Assessment Framework (PAF) indicators; mid 2001-02 data for seven of the indicators are also available but not included in KIGS. Covering
letter on POINT 24. Personal Social Services Expenditure and Unit Costs 2000-2001 Statistical Bulletin 2002/08 (Personal Social Services expenditure and unit costs: England: 2000-2001) was published on Thursday 14 March. It provides data on social services expenditure and unit costs in 2000-2001 for councils in England and some comparable information for preceding years. The data are taken from the new PSS EX1 return, introduced for 2000-2001 and replacing the CIPFA Actuals return and the detail on the DTLR RO3 expenditure return. The main results are available in a press release Copies of the bulletin are being sent to directors of social services departments and are available at http://www.doh.gov.uk/public/sb0208.htm More detailed local authority tables are available at http://www.doh.gov.uk/public/pss_stat.htm The unit costs are consistent with those included in the PAF indicators but allow further comparisons e.g. between own provision and provision by others. 25. Dissemination of MDA Safety Warnings – From 1 April 2002 From 1 April 2002 responsibility for the distribution of MDA Safety Warnings to private and voluntary healthcare providers, registered under the Care Standards Act 2000, will be taken over by the National Care Standards Commission, which has undertaken to electronic fax MDA Safety Warnings to all relevant registered premises direct from their headquarters. MDA Safety Warnings will still be issued to social services departments as necessary for distribution to other medical device users in the social services sector. A note will also be issued directly to MDA liaison officers in social services departments giving this information. Please contact Mike Peel or Lisa Robery at MDA on 0207 972 8349 or 0207 972 8297 if there are any queries regarding these arrangements
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