Chief
Executive Bulletin 15-22 February 2001
Issue 54
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Chief
Executive Bulletin 15-22 February 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. HSC 2001/02 NHS Professionals Flexible Organisations, Flexible Staff 3. Performance Management of Medicines Management in Hospitals 4. A Health Service of all the talents: Review of workforce planning results of consultation 6. Funding For Section 36 Local Development Schemes 7. Starting Dates For PRHOS and SHOS 8. Cancer Commissioning Pilots 9. Consultant Contract - Negotiating Proposals 10. Payment of travelling and other allowances to NHS board and committee members 11. MET Office Workload Forecasts NHS and Social Care interest 12. HSC 2001/004 : LAC(2001)5 Mental Health Grant 2001/2002 13. "Action On" Programmes - Funding For 2001/02 14. The New Promoting Independence Grant, 2001-02 Social Care interest 15. CI(2001)3: Developments In The Work Of The Social Services 16. Social Services Inspectorate - Code Of Practice
NHS interest
1. HSC 2001/002 NHS Professionals Flexible Organisations, Flexible Staff NHS Professionals was launched in November - a new direction and approach to managing and providing temporary staffing services. NHS Professionals represents a new national approach to raising standards, reducing costs and improving working lives. NHS Professionals is a central feature of the wider strategy to promote successful recruitment, retention and return to practice -in all staff groups. Improving recruitment and retention will reduce the need for temporary solutions - however, NHS Professionals will always have a valuable role in making sure that clinical services are efficient and effective - and that the NHS deserves the reputation of being known as a good employer.
Ref. 23292 Mailed to HA, NHS Trust and Primary Care Trust Chairs, Nurse Directors and Primary care trust Medical Directors 20/2/01.
2. HSC 2001/005 Governance in the new NHS : Controls Assurance Statements 2000/2001 and Establishment of the Controls Assurance Support Unit This Health Service Circular (HSC) sets out the key actions required to be taken to meet the controls assurance requirements for the 2000/2001 reporting year and introduces a new standard on Decontamination of Medical Devices. The circular also advises of the establishment of a new support unit based at Keele University. This circular should be read in conjunction with
This document can be found at http://www.doh.gov.uk/riskman.htm and/or on nhs web http://nww.doh.nhsweb.nhs.uk/nhs/riskman.htm in the Publications and Bulletin pages. Additional copies of the CD-ROM (Controls Assurance : CD-ROM volume 3) will be available from the NHS Responseline telephone 08701 555 455 or by emailing doh@prologistics.co.uk Ref. 23327. Will be mailed to NHS chairs, Finance Directors w/c 26/2/01.
3. Performance Management of Medicines Management in Hospitals In line with the commitment made in "Pharmacy in the Future", the modernisation programme for pharmacy services, launched in September, a self-assessment tool is being rolled out by Regional Offices over the next few weeks. The self-assessment tool (available for information at http://nww.doh.nhsweb.nhs.uk/hospmedsman) addresses the clinical and cost effective use of medicines in hospital and complements the Controls Assurance Standard on the Safe and Secure Handling of Medicines in NHS Trusts. Good medicines management is an organisation-wide issue in which managers, prescribers and pharmacists need to work together. It requires a strategic approach linking decisions at policy and individual patient level to decision support, audit, information analysis and reporting.
4. A Health Service of all the talents: Review of workforce planning results of consultation This document summarises the response to the consultation document A Health Service of all the talents: Developing the NHS workforce launched by Ministers on 6 April 2000. The Government's plans for modernising the NHS workforce can be found in the document Investment and reform for NHS Staff - Taking forward the NHS Plan published on 15 February. Enquiries concerning this document should be addressed to Keith.Baggs@doh.gsi.gov.uk Link to document http://www.doh.gov.uk/wfprconsult/index.htm
The Essence of Care, released under the cover of CNO/Professional Letter 2001/2, offers a practical toolkit for organisations to use as part of their quality improvement programmes. Developed by patients, consumers and professionals it provides best practice guidance in 8 fundamental aspects of care. Areas covered include: principles of self care; personal and oral hygiene; nutrition; continence and bladder and bowel care; pressure ulcers; safety of clients with mental health needs; record keeping; privacy and dignity. It can be an integral part of clinical governance at local level, helping practitioners to ensure that the basics of care are right Can be found from Friday 23 February on http://www.doh.gov.uk/essenceofcare/index.htm Ref. PL/CN/2001/2 23258, Essence of Care Pack 23255.
6. Funding For Section 36 Local Development Schemes This joint letter from Neil Mckay, the Departments' Chief Operating Officer, and John Chisholm, Chairman of the BMA's General Practitioners Committee, reminds Health Authority and PCT/G Chief Executives of the opportunities presented by Local Development Schemes in delivering the NHS Plan in primary care and asks that every opportunity be taken to encourage and fund them.
7. Starting Dates For PRHOS and SHOS Please bring this note to the attention of all Trust medical staffing departments who require this information for the preparation of contracts for PRHOs and SHOs from August 2000 onwards. It updates information previously provided under cover of EL(94)1. The dates for the PRHO years starting in August and the starting dates for SHOs on first appointment for the next 3 years are shown below. The dates shown in italics are the relevant start dates for newly qualified PRHOs commencing in February: PRHO - Tuesday 31 July 2001
to Tuesday 6 August 2002 PRHO - Tuesday 6 August 2002
to Tuesday 5 August 2003 PRHO - Tuesday 5 August 2003
to Tuesday 3 August 2004 Please ensure these dates are used in the contracts for PRHOs and SHOs.
8. Cancer Commissioning Pilots In both the NHS Plan and the Cancer Plan we announced our intention to pilot innovative new approaches to commissioning in cancer services. Cancer networks have now been invited to submit their proposals on how they will pilot new approaches to commissioning. The aim is to engage all the players in the networks, pooling PCG/T experience of their populations with the expertise of the cancer providers. This will involve networks looking at the total pathway of care and how total resources are best used to support this. Each cancer network is being asked to consider whether they wish to be one of eight new commissioning pilots who are going to design and test new ways to improve local cancer services by taking greater control of local budgets for cancer care. Deadline for applications is Tuesday 21 March and the pilots will run for two years from April. Letter http://www.doh.gov.uk/cancer/cancompilot.htm
9. Consultant Contract - Negotiating Proposals You will be aware that the Department of Health published its negotiating proposals for the new consultant contract on 21 February. These build on the commitments set out in the NHS Plan to a consultant delivered service, supported by a contract which gives the greatest rewards and recognition to those making the greatest contribution to the NHS. Also published yesterday was the Department of Health consultation document Rewarding Commitment and Excellence in the NHS: proposals for a new consultant reward scheme which incorporates the distinction award and the discretionary points schemes in a single new system. We have also prepared Frequently Asked Questions on both the documents which you, or your Medical Director may find useful in answering queries, available on the NHS Web at: http://nww.doh.nhsweb.nhs.uk/nhs/hr/consultantcontractproposals.htm and http://nww.doh.nhsweb.nhs.uk/nhs/hr/nhsclinicalexcellenceawardscheme.htm Copies of the summaries and the full documents are available on the web at http://www.doh.gov.uk/nhsclinicalexcellenceawardscheme/index.htm and http://www.doh.gov.uk/consultantcontractproposals/index.htm
This message was sent to all Chief Executives yesterday in its fuller form.
10. Payment of travelling and other allowances to NHS board and committee members New guidance, "Payment of travelling and other allowances to NHS board and committee members" has just been published. It includes details of new and revised rates of allowances payable from 8 January 2001 together with comprehensive guidance on expenses payments. www.doh.gov.uk/nhsexec/travel_allowances.htm Chairs remuneration - Bandings for 2000/2001 Revised bandings for 2000/2001 of Health Authorities and NHS trusts are now available. They should be used for calculating the remuneration payable to all new NHS trust and Health Authority chairs. The new NHS trust banding should be substituted the old one set out in paragraph 5 of the Schedule to the determination order already circulated as HSC 1999/196. The new Health Authority banding should be substituted for the old one included as paragraph 5 of the Schedule to the determination order already circulated as HSC 1999/197. Chairs appointed before 1 April 2000 will not be affected by the new bandings. A small number of those appointed on or after that date will be. They will be contacted directly. www.doh.gov.uk/nhsexec/travelallowances/habandings.htm www.doh.gov.uk/nhsexec/travelallowances/nhsbandings.htm
11. 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
NHS / Social Care interest
12. HSC 2001/004 : LAC(2001)5 Mental Health Grant 2001/2002 The Mental Health Grant 2001/02 circular sets out the conditions attached to the core grant and individual CSSR's (Councils with Social Services Responsibilities) allocations. It also provides the forms required for the administration of the mental health grant for 2001/02 and the final audit forms for 2000/01 and 2001/02. Ref. 23329. Will be mailed to Local Authority Finance Directors with PSS Responsibilities w/c 26/2/01.
13. "Action On" Programmes - Funding For 2001/02 A further £75 million is being provided for funding the "Action on" programmes in 2001/02. Regionally this will be allocated on a fair share basis, thereafter health communities within a region are asked to bid for funding. Allocations are likely to be in the region of £0.5m to £1m. Successful schemes will demonstrate the objectives of the "Action On" Programme and show a commitment to the principles of the NHS Plan. Link to Capital funding letter
14. The New Promoting Independence Grant, 2001-02 The New Promoting Independence Grant replaces the previous Partnership and Prevention Special Grants from 2001-02. The new grant will have broadly similar aims and conditions to the Partnership and Prevention grants. A summary of the main aims and conditions of the new grant can be found from Friday, 23 February on www.doh.gov.uk/scg/independencegrant This summary is intended to be helpful to local councils planning provision for 2001-02. The Department plans to publish the detailed grant conditions by the end of March. An enquiry point is included in the summary.
Social Care Interest
15. CI(2001)3: Developments In The Work Of The Social Services (published February 22 2001) This Chief Inspector Letter informs Directors of Social Services in England of changes in the way that SSI will organise its work in future. Specifically:
16. Social Services Inspectorate - Code Of Practice SSI works closely with other Best Value Inspectorates through the Best Value Inspectorates Forum. This tries to ensure that we act consistently and co-ordinate our work more effectively. As part of this process we have adopted a common Code of Practice. In SSI, this Code of Practice will cover all the activities of SSI including inspection and performance monitoring. http://www.doh.gov.uk/scg/ssicode.htm Ref. CI Letter 23259, Code of Practice 23260. Mailed to Chief Executives of Local Authorities with PSS Responsibilities.
The Chief Executives' Bulletin is sent to NHS and Local Authority Chief Executives and Directors of Social Services. It is e-mailed weekly on a Thursday. The Bulletin tells you of all circulars and other material published, where to find them and whether hard copies have been mailed. This e-mail alerts you to the latest Bulletin but does not have "live" links to individual documents. Please use the link below to access a web version with direct links to individual documents http://www.doh.gov.uk/http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Bulletins/theweek/Chiefexecutivebulletin/index.htm You can either print copies of documents from the website or order items appearing in the Bulletin from the Responseline 08701 555 455, unless individual items give alternative arrangements. If you would like to amend e-mail details please send an e-mail to: email-addresses@doh.gsi.gov.uk
If you have any difficulties or would like to comment on the Bulletin please let Philip Jepson know by e-mail to pjepson@doh.gsi.gov.uk, by faxing 0113 254 5800 or by writing to: Communications Directorate, Department of Health, Rm 3N34A Quarry House, Quarry Hill, Leeds LS2 7UE. 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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