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Contents:

NHS and social care interest
1. Dealing with child abuse (Operation Ore)
2. Continuing Care - Ombudsman report
3. Teenage pregnancy local implementation grant

NHS interest
4. Guidance on reasonableness
5. Action On bids invited for general surgery
6. Introduction of supplementary prescribing
7. Your Guide to Local Health Services 2003
8. GPs absent in a national emergency
9. Guidance to support Section 11 of the Health and Social Care Act
10. Medical devices alerts

Social care interest
11. Revised Personal Social Services (PSS) Funding 2003-04 LASSL (2003)1
12. Nurses agency regulations and national minimum standards - transitional arrangements

NHS and social care interest

1. Dealing with child abuse (Operation Ore)

Cases of health care workers alleged to have accessed internet paedophile sites should be considered on an individual basis.

Trusts, local education and social service departments should have arrangements in place for dealing with child abuse under the provisions of Working together to safeguard children available at www.doh.gov.uk/pub/docs/doh/safeguard.pdf

Trusts should follow existing procedures and guidance. A reminder for action has been sent to HR directors.

Contact: Katharine McDonnell on 0113 2545001 or katharine.mcdonnell@doh.gsi.gov.uk

2. Continuing Care - Ombudsman report

The Ombudsman's report on continuing care was issued on Thursday 20 February. This report contains potential implications for Strategic Health Authorities. Further information is available at http://www.doh.gov.uk/jointunit/ccc.htm

Contacts: William Vineall at william.vineall@doh.gsi.gov.uk or Monica Acheampong at monica.acheampong@doh.gsi.gov.uk

The draft local authority circular on the teenage pregnancy local implementation grant, which supports the implementation and co-ordination of local teenage pregnancy strategies, has been issued for consultation.

It is proposed that from 2003-04 the grant will include allocations to the existing twenty Sure Start Plus pilot programmes. Chief executives are invited to comment on the proposed grant terms and conditions.

The consultation document

Please send comments by Friday 21 March to: Angela Edwards on 020 7972 6532 or angela.edwards@doh.gsi.gov.uk

NHS interest

4. Guidance on reasonableness

The Department's Access Directorate Branch has issued waiting times guidance on reasonableness for written and verbal offers of appointments and admission offers. Further information is available on the news section at www.doh.gov.uk/waitingtimes/2002/news.html

Contact: Matthew Birkenshaw on 0113 2545554 or at matthew.birkenshaw@doh.gsi.gov.uk

The NHS Modernisation Agency is inviting bids from health communities to become pilot sites for Action On general surgery. Revenue funding is available for the duration of the pilot site projects (generally about 18 months). Guidance on how to bid and an application form are at http://www.modern.nhs.uk/scripts/default.asp?site_id=30&id=8926

Deadline: 16 May 2003.

Contact: Annie Jefferies on 07775 927 782 or annie.jefferies@npat.nhs.uk

The Department of Health plans to introduce supplementary prescribing from April 2003. Nurses have begun training, while pharmacists will begin to train from Spring 2003.

The introduction of supplementary prescribing by nurses and pharmacists may drastically alter the pattern of care provision for many patients with long term health conditions. It has the strong backing of ministers. CEs should ensure that action is taken forward within their trust/PCT as quickly as possible.

A guide for implementation of supplementary prescribing is at www.doh.gov.uk/supplementaryprescribing/index.htm

Contact: Martin Teff on 0113 254 6318 or martin.teff@doh.gsi.gov.uk

Guidance to support PCTs in developing their local information leaflet - Your Guide to Local Health Services 2003 - was issued to all PCT communication leads last week. The guidance, and supporting information is also at www.nhs.uk/syndication/ It sets out the core minimum requirements for PCTs to produce and distribute their leaflet locally between 1September and 17 November 2003.

There have been several enquiries from PCTs about arrangements should a GP be called up for national service.

Provisions exist for PCTs to arrange temporary medical services for patients of GPs in this situation. Details can be found at www.doh.gov.uk/pricare/gpnatservice.htm

Contact: Debi Nicholson on 0113 2545218 or debi.nicholson@doh.gsi.gov.uk

Strengthening Accountability Involving Patients and the Public will be available from 28 February at www.doh.gov.uk/involvingpatients/index.htm

It will outline policy and practice guidance to support the new duty on the NHS to implement Section 11 of the Health and Social Care Act 2001.

Hard copies will be sent to PPI leads in SHAs, PCTs and NHS trusts in March.

Contact: Jenny De Ville on 020 7210 5841 or at jenny.deville@doh.gsi.gov.uk

• Ultraviolet (UV) Phototherapy cabinets - MDA/2003/006)
• Endofit Endoluminal Aortic Stent Graft - MDA/2003/005)
  
  These alerts were issued on 21 February 2003 to NHS trust chief executives, primary care trust chief executives and National Care Standards Commission head quarters. They were also issued to liaison officers of NHS and primary care trusts and National Care Standards Commission for action and onward distribution as specified in the alert.

Further information on the role and nomination of liaison officers is available from bs@medical-devices.gov.uk

www.medical-devices.gov.uk

Social care interest

11. Revised Personal Social Services (PSS) Funding 2003-04 LASSL (2003)1

This local authority social services letter notifies authorities of some minor changes in PSS FSS allocations and specific grants for 2003-04. The original allocations were set out in LASSL (2002) 11.

The letter

Contact: Huda Baig on 020 7972 2766 or huda.baig@doh.gsi.gov.uk

Many authorities have not yet taken action to ensure the transition from licensing under the Nurses Agency Act 1957 to registration with the National Care Standards Commission (NCSC).

This need was originally outlined in LAC (2002) 20 which was highlighted in Chief Executive's Bulletin Issue 149 on 2 January.

Could local authority chief executives ensure that staff dealing with nurses agency licensing in their organisation take the appropriate action. The original circular and guidance, along with the regulations and standards is at www.doh.gov.uk/ncsc/nursingregulations.htm

It is imperative that transfer of registration forms are sent to the NCSC as soon as possible, and before 1 April 2003 at the latest.

Contact: Peter Jones on 0207 972 4953 or peter.jones@doh.gsi.gov.uk

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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 - ©2003

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copyright: © | Last updated: 27 February, 2003