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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. National child and adolescent mental health service-mapping tool
2. Minimising attrition from NHS-funded pre-registration healthcare courses
3. Health & Social Care Change Agent Team - delayed discharges
4. Non-NHS employment - doctors and dentists in training grade posts
5. Reducing health inequalities - health actions plans (HAPs) for people with learning disabilities
6. Local pharmaceutical services pilots
7. New arrangements for the performance management and commissioning of high security psychiatric services
8. Children's National Service Framework conferences

NHS interest

9. Action On ENT events
10. Repeat dispensing pathfinder sites
11. Critical care provision and activity in outpatients, accident & emergency, NHS day care and imaging departments - latest statistics
12. Trauma Audit and Research Network (TARN)
13. NHS national Shared Services Initiative - special health authority status granted
14. Hazard Notice - MDA HN2002(04) - blood pressure and vital signs patient monitors DINAMAP PRO 100-400 series and PRO 1000

Social care interest

15. Research governance framework - implementation in social care
16. Social services performance ratings (CI(2002)13)
17. Publication error - tackling health inequalities through local public service agreements (LPSA)

1. National child and adolescent mental health service-mapping tool

A national child and adolescent mental health (CAMH) service-mapping tool has been under development for the last 18 months by a team of clinicians and practitioners from health, social services and education. Following approval by the Review of Central Returns Steering Committee the exercise is now ready to be set up nationally.

The exercise collects basic information about specialist CAMH services tiers 2 to 4 (Health Advisory Service 1995). Due to the predominance of health staff at this level, NHS trusts and CAMH service managers are asked to co-ordinate the process. The exercise needs to be completed by 15 November and is based on September 2002 activity.

Its purpose is to improve the mental health of children and adolescents by building up a comprehensive picture of services and, through an annual exercise, map the changes in services over time. Historically, there has been no data collection of this type and as a consequence the bid for resources at a local and national level has been limited. The exercise aims to rectify this and support CAMH services to implement the National Service Framework for Children.

This item is for information only. We will be communicating with your service managers directly to implement the practical aspects of the exercise. Visit http://www.dur.ac.uk/service.mapping/ChASM/brief.php for full details of the process, time involved and support mechanisms in place.

For further details contact Claire Hartley on 020 7972 4857 or claire.hartley@doh.gsi.gov.uk

Comments are invited by 25 October on proposals for a common definition of student attrition from NHS-funded education and training.

The National Audit Office (NAO) report Educating and Training the Future Health Professional Workforce in England found wide variations in the loss of students from NHS-funded courses and limited understanding of the reasons for this. The NAO recommended the development of a common definition of attrition. It also suggested attrition rates could be improved through national studies of why students join, drop out or transfer from programmes. Good practice should then be shared locally.

The current proposals have been produced as part of wider reviews of NHS funding for learning and development. They contain a common definition of attrition and a common performance monitoring system. A link is included to previous work by Pay & Workforce Research for the Department of Health to identify key drivers of attrition and good practice.

The proposals can be found at www.doh.gov.uk/minimisingattrition/index.htm

Comments should be sent to Jan Parkin on 0113 254 5546 or MPET@doh.gsi.gov.uk

More information is now available on the second phase of the Health and Social Care Change Agent Team work programme. Three 'Learning and Service Improvement Networks' will be established to share information about what does and doesn't work and to carry out development locally. The networks will cover care pathways, integrated discharge planning, intermediate care and housing-based models of care, including alternatives to hospital care.

The letter detailing this work can be found at www.doh.gov.uk/jointunit/workprogletteraug02.htm

For further details contact Roy Harry on 020 7210 5005

Instructions have been issued to deaneries and employing authorities to guarantee continuity of service for doctors and dentists working in non-NHS organisations as part of their formal training. The development of "lead trust" arrangements is recommended to achieve this.

An advance letter AL (MD) 3/02 outlines the instructions

An additional paragraph attached as Annex A to the letter should be incorporated in the handbook as amendment (MD) No 30.

For further details contact enquiry-box@doh.gsi.gov.uk or 0113 254 5710.

Good practice guidance on HAPs and health facilitation was published in July as part of a series of good practice guidance to support Valuing People - a white paper strategy for addressing the health inequalities of people with learning disabilities. Information on decision-making and person-centred planning has already been issued.

The HAP guidance is produced in three parts:

• a summary version for partnership boards which is accessible to all members, including those with a learning disability
• a booklet for people with learning disabilities
• a detailed version to help those directly involved in implementation.

All versions and a flyer with details of where to obtain hard copies can be found at www.doh.gov.uk/publications/pointh.html and www.doh.gov.uk/learningdisabilities/healthactionplans.htm.

For further information contact Elaine Cooper at elaine.cooper@doh.gsi.gov.uk

The second set of regulations for local pharmaceutical services (LPS) pilots came into force on 20 August. They cover application to become a health services body, ceasing to be such body and right of return for pharmacists who leave national contract arrangements to become LPS providers.

Details of principles referred to in section 4 of the statutory instrument will be available shortly on the LPS website.

The regulations can be found at www.hmso.gov.uk/si/si2002/20022016.htm

Information and guidance about LPS is available at www.doh.gov.uk/localpharmaceuticalservices/index.htm

For further information contact Theresa Prendergast on 020 7210 5408.

This report sets out arrangements for the devolution of performance management of high security services to strategic health authorities and revised arrangements for commissioning these services.

The report is the result of a review of current arrangements carried out to reflect Shifting the Balance of Power. It also takes account of the increasingly demanding change, development and investment programme for secure services.

A copy of the letter and report can be found at www.doh.gov.uk/mentalhealth/highsecurityservices.htm

Seven national conferences are being run for the children's National Service Framework. Professional staff and key colleagues working in children's health and social care are invited to attend to share their views on the standards.

The conferences will test the feasibility of the emerging standards, canvas views on priorities, discuss issues and listen to ideas. Other invitees will be parents and carers and representatives from voluntary organisations and education.

Please discuss with your colleagues who lead the work on children's services about nominating a key person to attend and ask them to return their application form by 25 September.

For further details contact June Boggis on 020 7972 4659 or june.boggis@doh.gsi.gov.uk

NHS interest

9. Action On ENT events

The first Action On ENT nursing seminar, 'Innovations in ENT' will be held jointly with the RCN in London on 16 September. It is offered to nurses working in ENT on both primary and secondary care.

The ENT Good Practice Guide will be launched in London on 1 October and Bolton on 3 October. This will be an opportunity to share the experience of the Action On ENT pilot sites. It is open to all clinicians, managers and other health professionals involved in the delivery of ENT and audiological services across primary and secondary care.

A seminar to explore the developing role of GPs with a special interest in ENT will be held in Leicester on 19 November. It is open to providers and commissioners of ENT services in primary and secondary care.

For more details and to book places visit the Action On web site

The Action On ENT team has also published recommended baseline standards for local health economies. These are intended to help plan and organise patient care. They can be found on the Action On web site

For hard copies contact Genaya Playford on 020 7972 2965.

Details of the proposed arrangements for repeat dispensing and the intention to start the scheme in around 30 pathfinder sites this Autumn have previously been released. (CE bulletin 14-20 June Issue 122). While the regulations are still to be made, PCTs are invited to submit an expression of interest to be in the first wave of pathfinder sites.

PCTs are asked to ensure all contractors are aware of this initiative and to take into account expressions of interest they receive from contractors.

Background on repeat dispensing and the application form can be found at www.doh.gov.uk/nhsrepeatdispensing/applicationpathfinder.htm (please ensure that this amended version of the form is used).

Completed forms should be submitted, preferably by email, to MB-Repeat-Dispensing@doh.gsi.gov.uk

Where email is not possible paper version to be sent to: Repeat Dispensing, Department of Health, Room 163 Richmond House, 79 Whitehall, London, SW1A 2NS.

Closing date for applications is noon Wednesday 11 September 2002.

For further details contact Susan Grieve on 020 7210 5747 or susan.grieve@doh.gsi.gov.uk

The following statistics will be published on Friday 30 August:

• census of open and staffed adult critical care beds at 16 July 2002
• attendances at consultant outpatient clinics, 2001-02
• attendances at A&E departments and minor injury units, 2001-02
• attendances at NHS day care facilities, 2001-02
• examinations and tests at imaging and radiodiagnostic departments, 2001-02

The census of critical care beds was carried out on 16 July 2002 by acute trusts providing level 2 or level 3 care. The remaining statistics were collated from returns KH05, KH09, KH12 and KH14 from NHS trusts and primary care trusts about services provided during the period April 2001 to March 2002.

Spreadsheets containing the published data can be found at http://www.doh.gov.uk/hospitalactivity/

For further information contact, 0113 254 5522, hospitalactivity@doh.gsi.gov.uk, fax: 0113 254 6423

The Trauma Audit and Research Network (TARN) was established in 1990 to audit and research injury and systems of care for trauma patients. The overall aims of TARN fit well with the clinical governance agenda. In particular, trusts are required to put in place arrangements for monitoring and improving the quality of health care they provide. Continuous trauma audit is an integral part of this process. Currently, participation in TARN runs at 49 per cent of trauma-receiving trusts. Chief executives of those remaining trusts are urged to consider using this very useful audit tool.

Details of how to become a member of TARN can be found at www.tarn.ac.uk

For further details contact Paul Woods on 020 7972 4811 or paul.woods@doh.gsi.gov.uk

The Shared Services Initiative is to be established as a special health authority (SHA). This new legal status is planned to come into effect in April 2003. The proposed name for the SHA is the NHS Shared Services Authority.

The main reason for changing the arrangement for the Shared Services Initiative is to provide a formalised system of accountability, with the governance benefits of a board representing stakeholders, an audit committee, and an employing body. Being an SHA will provide a more robust framework to cope with the evolution, development and range of the shared services concept.

The approval of SHA status is particularly welcome after the months of hard work in putting together the proposal. It reflects the value of the commitment and progress that the Shared Services Initiative has made to date.

For more information visit http://www.doh.gov.uk/sharedservices

The web-site will be regularly updated to keep you informed of changes and progress over the coming months.

For further information contact Hester Cleghorn on 0113 254 7713 or hester.cleghorn@doh.gsi.gov.uk

This device alert was issued on 21 August 2002 to NHS trusts, primary care trusts chief executives and National Care Standards Commission head quarters. as usual it was also faxed to liaison officers of trusts, primary care trust and National Care Standards Commission for action and onward distribution as specified in the notice.

For further information on the role and nomination of liaison officers e-mail bs@medical-devices.gov.uk

http://www.medical-devices.gov.uk

Social care interest

15. Research governance framework - implementation in social care

The Research Governance Framework for Health and Social Care (RGF) was published in March 2001. Its aim is to ensure that research is carried out ethically and to the highest standards.

The RGF is currently being implemented in the NHS, but has not yet been extended into social care. The Department of Health is committed to its implementation in social care, but recognises that much less is known about the nature and volume of social care research and about existing arrangements for its governance.

To produce an implementation plan for the RGF in social care the Department is undertaking a 'baseline assessment' of current arrangements for research in Councils with Social Services Responsibilities (CSSRs) and their ability to meet the requirements of the RGF. One objective of the survey is to identify what support is needed to implementat the RGF in social care. It is anticipated that arrangements for research governance will be more varied than in the NHS.

A hard copy of the baseline assessment form has been posted to all CSSRs and can be found at
www.doh.gov.uk/research/documents/rd2/baselineformsocialcare.xls.

The Research Governance Framework for Health and Social Care can be found at www.doh.gov.uk/research/rd3/nhsrandd/researchgovernance.htm

For further information contact J.M.Pahl@ukc.ac.uk

The process which will be used to update the social services performance ratings (England) this Autumn has been issued by the Social Services Inspectorate.

Letter outlining the process
Guidance note

For further details contact Jacqueline Whittle on 020 7972 4300

The Department of Health is preparing guidance for local authorities who wish to adopt an LPSA target on health inequalities. An early version of the guidance was published in error in the chief executive bulletin issue 131, 22 August. This should not have happened as the guidance is still being developed. The final version will be available shortly.

For further information contact Tim Hepburn on 020 7972 3709 or Tim.Hepburn@doh.gsi.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 - ©2002

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copyright: © | Last updated: 29 August, 2002