Contents:

NHS and social care interest
No items this week

NHS interest
1. NICE fertility guideline

Social care interest
2. Guidance on overnight stays for looked after children

Further items of interest
3. Revised Personal Social Services Funding For Adults 2004-05 LASSL(2004)2
4. Management and business awards schemes suitable for NHS entries
5. New National Network contract awarded
6. Learning Disabilities and Ethnicity Framework
7. Pancreas transplants
8. Post Graduate Medical Education and Training Board (PMETB) - vision, values and main aims
9. Chief Executive Conference report
10. Non-Exec Bulletin
11. Development of out-of-hours providers conference
12. Improving teenage maternity services
13. Local Government Act 2003 - regulation of skin piercing businesses
14. Design for patient safety
15. NHS prescription charges increase
16. MEDICAL DEVICE ALERT - MDA/2004/008

NHS interest

1. NICE fertility guideline (Gateway reference 2845)
NICE's guideline on NHS fertility treatment services was published on 25th February. The Secretary of State has welcomed the guideline and advises as follows:

• the Department will be looking to PCTs who provide no IVF treatment to meet a minimum national level of provision of one cycle of IVF by April 2005
• in the longer term he would expect the NHS to make progress to full implementation
• the priority is to help those in greatest need - that must mean couples who have no children living with them.

Read the related press release > and further details at www.nice.org.uk/cat.asp?c=104435
Contact gwen.skinner@doh.gov.uk tel 020 7972 6512.

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Social care interest

2. Guidance on overnight stays for looked after children (Gateway reference 2847)
Circular LAC(2004)4 "Guidance on the delegation of decisions on 'overnight stays' for looked after children" addresses concerns expressed by many looked after children that overnight visits to friends' houses are often impeded by local requirements for criminal records checks on adults also residing in the house overnight. It sets out Local Authorities' requirements in this respect and aims to clarify the legal position in relation to decisions about overnight stays for children in care, both in foster care and residential accommodation. It also sets out guiding principles and good practice for making decisions about overnight stays.
Read the Letter > or www.children.doh.gov.uk/choiceprotects/headlines.htm

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Further items of interest

3. Revised Personal Social Services Funding For Adults 2004-05 LASSL(2004)2 (Gateway reference 2836)
This Local Authority Social Services Letter sets out the revised figures for personal social services formula spending shares and grant allocations for adults where available.
Read the letter >
Contact brian.blagbrough@doh.gsi.gov.uk on 020 7972 2717.

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4. Management and business awards schemes suitable for NHS entries (Gateway reference 2857)
To help NHS organisations win the accolades much of their work deserves, the Chief Executive's Development Team has identified some awards schemes open to the public and private sector which recognise areas such as customer service, innovation and people management. These awards are all suitable for, and winnable by, NHS organisations. More information >

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5. New National Network contract awarded (Gateway reference 2848)
BT has been awarded a contract to provide and manage a broadband network to link all NHS organisations in England.
The New National Network will provide a fast, reliable network on which to run the systems being delivered by the National Programme for IT.

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6. Learning Disabilities and Ethnicity Framework (Gateway reference 2760)
This framework will assist statutory bodies to meet their obligations under the Race Relations Amendment Act and help deliver on the Valuing People commitment to ensure that people from minority ethnic communities are fully included in the delivery of the White Paper. Available at www.valuingpeople.gov.uk/latestnews.htm
Contact martin.routledge@doh.gsi.gov.uk

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7. Pancreas transplants (Gateway reference 2837)
Change to funding of pancreas transplants for the residents of England from 1 April 2004. Full information >

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8. Post Graduate Medical Education and Training Board (PMETB) - vision, values and main aims (Gateway reference 2851)
Activity since October and plans for interaction and communication as PMETB move towards assuming statutory powers in October 2004. Further information >

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9. Chief Executive's Conference report
The speeches from and summaries of the conferences on 3 and 10 February are at
www.dh.gov.uk/news Click on "Conference and events reports" and then click on "Conference Reports".

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10. Non-Exec Bulletin (Gateway reference 2850)
The February edition of the Non-Exec Bulletin for chairs and non-executive board members produced jointly by the NHS Appointments Commission and the Department of Health is now at www.publications.doh.gov.uk/nonexecbulletin/index.htm

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11. Development of out-of-hours providers conference (Gateway reference 2849)
Organised by the National Association of GP Co-operatives, Mutuo, and the Department of Health, this conference takes place on March 4-5, 2004, at the Novotel Hotel, Hammersmith, London. PCTs, SHAs, ambulance trusts and other providers of unscheduled care are invited.
Details on request by e-mailing manager@nagpc.org.uk tel 0113 2782381.

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12. Improving teenage maternity services (Gateway reference 2568)
Teenage parents face specific health problems including higher infant mortality rates and smaller babies. A new guide Teenage parents: who cares? provides best practice examples for planning and delivering appropriate maternity services. Order copies from doh@prolog.uk.com reference 34415 or download from www.info.doh.gov.uk/tpu/tpu.nsf click on "Resources" then "Guidance and publications" then "Better support for teenage parents".

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13. Local Government Act 2003 - regulation of skin piercing businesses (Gateway reference 2658)
The Department has published guidance for local authorities on the new provisions that enable them to regulate businesses providing cosmetic body piercing or micropigmentation and similar procedures such as semi-permanent make-up and temporary tattooing. More information >

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14. Design for patient safety (Gateway reference 1741)
The Department of Health has been working with the Design Council to identify how a design-led approach can identify further opportunities for improved patient safety. The jointly commissioned Design for Patient Safety report provides a framework to help achieve safer NHS decision making. Further information at www.designcouncil.org/publications

15. NHS prescription charges increase (Gateway reference 2790)
NHS prescription charges will increase from 1 April 2004. Leaflet HC12 sets out the new charges. Pharmacists, appliance contractors and dispensing doctors have been notified direct.
Download the leaflet >

16. MEDICAL DEVICE ALERT - MDA/2004/008 (Gateway reference 2846)
SAS™ One-Step pregnancy test.
This Medical Device Alert was issued on 18 February 2004 to NHS trusts for immediate action. Further information can be found at www.mhra.gov.uk

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 - ©2004

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copyright: © | Last updated: 27 February 2004