Chief Executive Bulletin 20 - 26 October 2000 Issue 38

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Contents: NHS interest 1. The NHS Plan: Building Commitment Locally 2. Whole Systems Capacity for Winter 3. Influenza Vaccine for Front-Line Staff 4. Health Service Commissioner - "Completed Investigations" Report - April To July 2000 5. Land And Buildings In PFI Schemes 6. Positively Diverse Conference 2000: Positively Diverse Programme 7. List of Optical Practices 8. Dental point of treatment checks NHS/Social Care interest 9. Fuel crisis - contingency planning for supply shortage 10. Identifying and Assessing People with Sensory Impairment Social Care interest 11. New Directions for Independent Living - Inspection of Independent Living Arrangements for Younger Disabled People - ref. CI(2000)19 (report). NHS interest 1. The NHS Plan: Building Commitment Locally 20/10/00 - letter by E-mail from Neil McKay Acting Chief Executive to HA, Trust and PCT CEs. I know much work is taking place within Health Authorities and Trusts to make sure that we seize the opportunities which the NHS Plan gives us for improving the range and quality of health services. We are embarking on building lasting momentum to help make sure that the NHS undergoes a root and branch transformation to make it fit for the new century. To do this we must tell people about what is in the Plan and give stakeholders an opportunity to debate it and listen to their views. [Letter continues] Link to letter 2. Whole Systems Capacity for Winter 24 /10/00 - letter by E-mail from Neil McKay Acting Chief Executive to HA CEs I am writing to re-inforce earlier messages about the very high priority the Secretary of State attaches to ensuring that there is sufficient capacity within local health and social care economies to cope with pressure in the coming winter. Denise Platt and I wrote to NHS Executive Regional Directors and Assistant Chief Inspectors in Social Care regions on 20 June about the development of intermediate care plans. We said then that successful delivery for winter depended on ensuring that there was sufficient capacity in place within whole systems to manage anticipated increases in emergency demand, cope with peaks in demand and deliver increased elective activity to meet targets. This message was reinforced by the further letter I sent jointly with David Gilroy and David Amos on 9 August about the use of the additional £63m provided to expand capacity for winter, avoid delayed discharges and ease difficulties with recruitment. We are concerned that the proposed expansion in intermediate care is not yet in place throughout the country. [Letter continues] Link to letter 3. Influenza Vaccine for Front-Line Staff 23/10/00 - by E-mail from Alan Doran Acting Deputy Chief Executive to NHS trust CEs The Secretary of State places great importance on the making sure that we prepare well for winter. One action that every Trust has been asked to consider is to notify all of its front-line staff that they can be vaccinated against influenza. You will know that your local Health Authority has been co-ordinating a campaign aimed at over 65s and at risk groups in the community. They are also in a position, should you need it, to assist you put in place arrangements for your staff. The decision to opt for vaccination is, of course, for individuals. However, it is important that staff know that influenza vaccination is readily available. [Letter continues] Link to letter 4. Health Service Commissioner - "Completed Investigations" Report - April To July 2000 The Health Service Commissioner published today (26 October) his "Investigations Completed" report covering the period April to July 2000. The report (in two volumes) is available on the Commissioner's website (www.ombudsman.org.uk). These reports are an invaluable source of information for the NHS both for improving services and as a training resource. Chief Executives urged to consider carefully how they might best be used within their organisation. The Commissioner has raised in the Foreword some key themes emerging from his investigations - support and supervision of doctors in training, record keeping and complaints handling. Record keeping and complaints handling are issues that the Commissioner has highlighted consistently over recent years and it is disappointing to see them feature again. Chief Executives should take this opportunity to remind all staff of the importance of good record keeping for patient care. Conveners in particular will find the cases highlighted in the section on complaints handling useful in flagging up potential problem areas and Chief Executives should ensure that all Conveners are made aware of the Commissioner's report. For further information contact: Adrian Landon, Complaints and Clinical Negligence Policy Unit, Tel: 0113 254 5679, E-mail: alandon@doh.gov.uk 5. Land And Buildings In PFI Schemes This guidance sets out the principles which apply when assets are included in PFI deals. It supersedes HSC 1999/022 (Land and Buildings in PFI Deals) and replaces the existing guidance in the NHS Executive's guidance manual on the PFI (Public Private Partnerships in the National Health Service: The Private Finance Initiative, Section 3 Technical Issues, Chapter 8). The guidance has been updated to reflect the approach outlined in Treasury Technical Note No.1 Revised (July 1999), the current NHS Capital Accounting Manual (March 2000) and Sold On Health (NHS Estates' paper on modernising the operation and disposal of the NHS estate - May 2000). Action The guidance represents the NHS Executive's recommended approach to accounting for land and buildings in PFI schemes. However, it is ultimately up to the Trust and its external auditor to agree upon the appropriate accounting treatment. The following actions are recommended: Trusts with existing PFI schemes should follow this guidance for the year ending 31 March 2001, and future years. Trusts with prospective PFI schemes should take account of the guidance in VFM and affordability calculations. The guidance is available from 26 October on the web at www.doh.gov.uk/pfi under the icon 'Land and Buildings in PFI schemes'. Hard copies are available from: Private Finance Unit, Room 3W54, Quarry House, Quarry Hill, Leeds LS2 7UE. Telephone - 0113 254 5420 6. Positively Diverse Conference 2000: Positively Diverse Programme Positively Diverse is a key NHS initiative designed to support NHS Trusts and Health Authorities in valuing and managing diversity in the workforce. It is strategically placed to help achieve the Improving Working Lives Standard and HR Performance Framework Targets. For the past two years the Programme has been working with over 30 Trusts and HAs to develop and pilot an approach to improving equality of opportunity and promoting diversity within the organisation. This has led to direct benefits to staff and to improvements in the services they provide. We have also built up the largest set of data relating to how staff really feel about the NHS as an employer. We are now ready to launch our approach across the NHS at our National Conference on November 22nd Ref. 22652. Copies will be despatched to HR Directors of Has and NHS Trusts w/c 30/10/00. 7. List of Optical Practices We e-mailed all Directors of Finance in HAs on 16 October 2000 requesting their lists of optical practices so that we could inform them of up-and-coming publicity campaigns that will affect them, and to send them guidance documents and related publicity materials. To date we have had a response from approximately 50 HAs. We would be grateful if you could send a general reminder to Directors of Finance asking those who have not responded to our request to do so by Friday 3rd November. An Excel or Access file would be ideal and can be sent by e-mail to dohopticians@broadata.com. Alternatively, please fax the details to 01628 645 120, marked for the attention of David O'Sullivan. 8. Dental point of treatment checks We would like to inform you of the new checking pocedures when patients claim entitlement to exemption from or remission of dental charges. A letter is attached advising you of these checks. For your information we also attach a copy of the introductory letter to dentists working in the General Dental Services. We will be sending you copies of all the publicity materials next week when we undertake a mailing to dentists. LInk to HA letter Link to dentist letter NHS / Social Care Interest 9. Fuel crisis - contingency planning for supply shortage 26/10/00 - Action and information for to NHS and LA CEs and Directors of Social Services from Neil McKay and Denise Platt. Not otherwise circulated by e-mail or hard copy. The recent fuel emergency demonstrated the importance of a partnership approach to dealing with emergencies on a national scale. This letter begins with a message of thanks to all staff who contributed to the response then and whose efforts ensured that those most in need continued to receive essential services. The crisis placed new and significant demands on our emergency planning arrangements. In many areas emergency planning arrangements plugged in without difficulty, often using systems developed for the Millennium and Winter Planning . However, almost everyone, at local and central level, felt frustrated by the slowness of communication of essential messages. Significant improvements have now been made to the Government's plans and systems which must be reflected by those responsible for delivering health and social care. Attached to this letter are: a list of the priority purposes agreed by the Government for use in case of disruption. It includes the provision of health and social care. [Annex A]. a description of the forecourt verification arrangements [Annex B] draft standard letters authorising priority access to fuel supplies [Annex C] [Letter continues] Link to letter Link to annex A Link to annex B Link to annex C 10. Identifying and Assessing People with Sensory Impairment 30 October 2000 - Joint letter to HA CEs, CEs of Councils providing Personal Services for People with Sensory Impairment and Directors of Social Services Departments from Sheila Adam (Health Services Director, Deputy Chief Medical Officer) and Denise Platt (Chief Inspector of Social Services Inspectorate) This Joint letter emphasises the role of form BD8, the need to ensure that role is explained to patients entitled to register as blind or partially sighted and the importance of ensuring that BD8s forms are fully completed and dispatched promptly. Registration of people with visual impairment is voluntary and should not be a prerequisite for service provision. The effective date of registration should be taken as the date of certification on the BD8 form. Information about the implications of registration and services should be available in large print and in other accessible formats. There should also be clear arrangements for putting those people in need of urgent service provision or counselling in contact with the relevant agency promptly. Social services should give priority to making contact with those patients also identified as having a hearing loss. The Department no longer requires Part 5 of the BD8 form to be sent to the Office of National Statistics, as alternative methods are being considered for collecting epidemiological information on sight loss. Link to letter A copy of this letter will also be included on the DH website under http://www.doh.gov.uk/eyes. Ref.22451. Copies will be sent to LA Chief Executives with PSS and Directors of Social Services w/c 30/10/00. Social Care Interest 11. New Directions for Independent Living - Inspection of Independent Living Arrangements for Younger Disabled People - ref. CI(2000)19 (report). An SSI National Inspection report based on inspections in ten Councils to assess how far councils promoted and supported independent living arrangements for young disabled people aged 18 to 65, particularly through the introduction of direct payments. There is also a short 'key messages' summary leaflet for practitioners and first-line managers. This report is also available online at www.doh.gov.uk/scg/indlive.htm 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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This page last updated 19 October 2000