Chief Executive Bulletin 27 October - 2 November 2000 Issue 39

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Hard copy versions of these publications can be ordered from the NHS Responseline 08701 555 455. Contents: NHS interest 1. Tissue Banking In The NHS 2. Workforce Development Confederations: Guidance NHS and Social Care interest 3. For The Benefit Of Patients: A Concordat with the Private and Voluntary Health Care Provider Sector. Social Care interest 4. CI(2000)21 Information for Social Care NHS interest 1. Tissue Banking In The NHS Following extensive consultation, both informal and formal, over the last two years, the Department of Health is introducing an accreditation scheme for tissue banks which will be in place from the beginning of April 2001. The Medicines Control Agency (MCA) is to be responsible for administering the scheme, including inspections of tissue banks. Once the scheme is fully operational, NHS Trusts will be expected to obtain human tissues for transplantation only from accredited banks. More information about the scheme is given in the attached letter. You are asked to provide the information about the location of tissue banks and the use of tissue asked for in the enclosed questionnaire so that MCA can plan the allocation of appropriate resources to the scheme. The collection of this data has been approved by the Review of Central Returns Steering Committee. Letter and questionnaire 2. Workforce Development Confederations: Guidance A Health Service of all the Talents: Developing the NHS workforce, published as a consultation document in April 2000, recommended the establishment of local Workforce Development Confederations. Workforce Development Confederations will start performing their core functions from April 2001. In view of this time scale, a brief guidance note has been issued which sets out the functions and aims of the new confederations and configuration criteria, in order to enable NHS Executive Regional Offices, in consultation with all interested parties at a local level, to determine the best arrangements within their areas. This guidance note was sent to consortia managers and CEs, RO education leads and Regional Directors of education and training on 16th October. Further more detailed guidance will be issued in November covering the financial instructions, standing orders and suggested protocols. A full communication setting out the response to the consultation document A Health Service of all the talents: Developing the NHS workforce, and plans for implementation of the recommendations, will be circulated shortly. This guidance on Workforce Development Confederations is available from the Workforce Development Branch at the NHS Executive (e-mail Anna.Robinson@doh.gsi.gov.uk) or from consortia CEs/managers. The Workforce Planning Review consultation document A Health Service of all the talents: Developing the NHS workforce is available at http://www.doh.gov.uk/wfprconsult.htm. NHS / Social Care interest 3. For The Benefit Of Patients: A Concordat with the Private and Voluntary Health Care Provider Sector. There should be no organisational or ideological barriers to the delivery of high quality healthcare free at the point of delivery to those who need it, when they need it. The Government has entered into this concordat with the Independent Healthcare Association to set out the parameters for a partnership between the NHS and private and voluntary health care providers. It describes a partnership approach that enables NHS patients in England to be treated free in the private and voluntary health care sector. The key tests for any relationship between the NHS and private and voluntary health care providers is that it must represent good value for money for the tax payer and assure high standards of care for the patient. The involvement of private and voluntary health care providers in the planning of local health care services at an early stage will enable the NHS to use a wider range of health facilities within their locality. To achieve this Health Authorities in their strategic leadership role will be expected to ensure that local private and voluntary health care providers are involved in the processes designed to develop the local Health Improvement Programme as appropriate. The concordat focuses initially on three areas of joint working: elective care; critical care; intermediate care facilities; This is not meant to be an exhaustive list nor interfere with existing working relationships and further partnerships locally may follow. http://www.doh.gov.uk/commissioning/guidance.htm#concordat Ref. 22474. Will be mailed to Ha chief Executives and Directors of Social Services w/c 6/11/00. Social Care Interest 4. CI(2000)21 Information for Social Care Information for Social Care has been developed by the Department of Health in collaboration with the ADSS Information Management Group. It is intended to provide a practical toolkit to help local authority social services in collaboration with their partner agencies and the Department of Health address the social care information management agenda and develop local information strategies. The executive summary, which was sent to Directors under CI(2000)21, provides an overview of the main themes and the issues that need to be tackled. The document is being issued at this stage for consultation. We want your views on the content and coverage of the framework. We also want confirmation that a toolkit of this type will be of use in local planning to improve information management. We are also seeking examples of good practice that can be shared with others in later releases of this toolkit. This is designed to be a living document that will be regularly updated. The main document and the executive summary can be downloaded from http://www.doh.gov.uk/scg/information.htm Circular Ref. 22671 Copies sent to Directors of Social Services 1/11/00. Hard copies available. 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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