Chief Executive Bulletin 27 April - 3 May 2001 Issue 64

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Hard copy versions of these publications can be ordered from the NHS Responseline 08701 555 455. Contents: NHS interest 1. Investing in Primary care 2. Advance Letter (PH) 1/2001 - Error in Appendix E 3. NHS Performance Indicators: A Consultation 4. Non-UK Residents : Charges For Hospital Treatment 5. The National Renal Survey 6. Guidance on Trust Connections to NHSnet 7. NHS Team Bonus Pilots NHS and Social Care interest 8. Local Modernisation Reviews 9. Draft guidance - Carers Grant 2001/2002 NHS interest 1. Investing in Primary care From April 2001, at least £100 million is available for Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) and Primary Care Groups (PCGs) to work directly with general practices and primary care professionals to promote new ideas and to continue to improve patient services. The intention is to incentivise and invest in local initiatives that lead to real sustainable improvements in service delivery. Investments should contribute to implementation of the NHS Plan and the delivery of local Health Improvement Programmes HImP). PCT/Gs are free to include other local incentive schemes and payments within this arrangement. Details: www.doh.gov.uk/pricare/investment Ref. 23815. Mailed to Primary care Trust Executive Chairs, Primary Care Groups Chairs, Health Authority Directors of Finance and regional Directors of Finance and Performance Management. Back to Top 2. Advance Letter (PH) 1/2001 - Error in Appendix E Employers are asked to note an error in Appendix E of Advance Letter (PH)1/2001, published on 8 March 2001. This Appendix stated incorrectly that for the purposes of reporting management costs, pharmacists should be classed as clinical staff and therefore do not require reporting. The correct position, is set out in paragraph 34 of Annex C to the definition of Management Costs in NHS Trusts. Full details are set out in the attached amendment to Advance Letter (PH) 1/2001. A replacement page to Appendix E is also attached. Advance letter AL(PH)1/2001 Amendment and replacement to Appendix E Definition of management costs - www.doh.gov.uk/managementcosts/ Ref. 23816. Will be mailed to NHS Directors of Finance and Human Resources 4/5/01. Back to Top 3. NHS performance indicators: a consultation A wide ranging, public consultation process will be launched on Tuesday 8 May 2001, aimed at developing the most balanced and useful set of NHS Performance Indicators possible, from the most relevant and reliable performance information. This consultation establishes an annual cycle which will lead to the development of a much wider range of indicators, for both local and national use, which presents a fully balanced view of NHS performance in the round. Alongside the consultation document, there will be a series of national and regional consultation seminars, and a consultation website will be on the internet from 8 May. The website address will be: www.doh.gov.uk/piconsultation Back to Top 4. Non-UK Residents : Charges For Hospital Treatment A review of the regulations and guidance concerning charges to non-UK residents (or overseas visitors) is currently underway. This will replace guidance last issued in 1988. As part of that review a series of visits to trusts has established that not all trusts have adequate arrangements in place to identify people who are not entitled to free hospital treatment. Trusts are reminded that they have a responsibility to identify such people and to charge them in accordance with The National Health Service (Charges to Overseas Visitors) Regulations 1989. Further information is available from the DH website at www.doh.gov.uk/overseasvisitors or by email from margaret.stanton@doh.gsi.gov.uk Back to Top 5. The National Renal Survey Please pass this on to staff in renal units, or concerned in planning/commissioning renal services: The most recent National Renal Survey has now been published, providing data on adult patient numbers, renal unit facilities and processes of care. It forms Chapter 3 of The UK Renal Registry's Third Annual Report, December 2000, and can be found on the website www.renalreg.com (or contact The Renal Registry, Southmead Hospital, Southmead Road, Bristol BS10 5NB, tel 0117 959 5665, to obtain the whole 300 page report in hard copy). The survey, commissioned by the Department of Health, provides information based on data for 1998 on patient numbers and characteristics, treatment modalities, renal units and staffing which will be of great value in planning the provision of renal replacement therapy, and monitoring service development and delivery. Back to Top 6. Guidance on Trust Connections to NHSnet We announced at the end of March that a further £50m capital was being made available for IM&T investment. That addition is aimed at the target of connecting clinicians in NHS Trusts to common e-mail browsing and directory services by March 2002. The first detailed guidance on national and local actions required to meet this target can be found at: www.doh.gov.uk/nhsexipu/whatnew The capital will be allocated once the arrangements for maximising value for money are in place. Back to Top 7. NHS Team Bonus Pilots The Department of Health is looking for expressions of interest from NHS Trusts and Primary Care Trusts in participating in team bonus pilots from later this year and seeking further information about any team bonus schemes that are already in operation or are being planned. We are looking to select up to around 25 sites as pilots, most of which will run from October 2001. A full copy of the invitation, NHS Team Bonus Pilots, is available on the POINT database on the Department of Health website at www.doh.gov.uk/publications/pointh.html. Further information about the pilots (in Q&A format) can be found in the document, Team Bonus Pilots: Questions and Answers, also on POINT. Invitation and Q&A document NHS / Social Care interest 8. Local Modernisation Reviews Bulletin 6 provided an outline of the forthcoming Modernisation Reviews. Since then, we have received feedback from the pilot sites and discussed the proposals with the Modernisation Board. Their views have significantly shaped our thinking and provided a clear framework for the reviews. The key messages people have given us are: the timescales need to be extended if the LMRs are to properly and meaningfully engage front-line clinicians and service users the process should be 'light-touch' in terms of reporting back to the centre: it should be an exercise by the NHS and its partners for the NHS and its partners while there should be a clear framework for the reviews, there should be flexibility on how they are conducted locally the reviews need to build on existing work, e.g. on NSF implementation, HimPs and other local planning activity and signal the start of a new approach to operational planning as well as establishing an approach to delivering the NHS Plan targets locally, the reviews should also ensure that targets are delivered in a way that is responsive to the needs of service users, and address health inequalities including access to consistently high standards of clinical care. Building on these messages, have agreed that the outcomes from the process should be: confidence at national, regional and local level that robust plans are in place to underpin delivery of the NHS Plan a clear understanding of the challenges and strategies to manage them a diagnosis of the development needs in the service from which Regional Offices can agree support programmes with the Modernisation Agency A sound basis locally from which to move into the 2002/03 SaFF round. The process should consider the structures most appropriate to deliver Plan objectives and how a managed transition will take place. Approach to LMRs There will be a two stage approach to the LMRs. From June to the end of July the NHS, working with its social services and other partners will be expected to: conduct baseline assessments and risk analyses of all PSA targets, NHS Plan deliverables and, if necessary NSF standards and milestones. The risk analysis will need to identify those targets and enabling strategies (capacity, capability and infrastructure) that pose the greatest risk locally draw up plans for engaging staff and service users in the development of local measures of success of a user-responsive service that address inequalities provides access to consistently high standards of care. From August to November the service will be expected to develop actions plans that set out local solutions to delivering high risk targets and implement supporting strategies through investment and reform. Reporting to centre will be kept to a minimum. At the end of July, local Modernisation Boards will need to submit a letter to their Regional Director. This letter will provide assurance that the process has been conducted in a robust and consultative manner and outline: the key successes locally; the main areas of risk; and the development needs identified within the local health system. A similar sign off letter will be required in November. Peer review will be used at region and HA level to ensure a robust approach and share learning. For social services reporting will be co-ordinated with the information collection by the SSI Social Care Regions in the Spring and Autumn monitoring statement. Supporting the process In order to support LMRs the centre will issue a framework for the reviews and a range of tools to be used locally if considered appropriate. Regional Offices will agree with local health systems the support and facilitation they can expect from the RO and the Modernisation Agency. Regions will hold facilitated events at the end of each stage in order to draw out the key issues for the region. Action required In order to be ready to start LMRs at the beginning of June, local health systems need to: identify a dedicated LMR lead build teams around this person with the necessary range of skills including expertise in analysis, redesign, facilitation, user and staff involvement and communication. identify key stakeholders and plan for their involvement ensure mechanisms for staff and user involvement are in place. Back to Top 9. Draft guidance - Carers Grant 2001/2002 A draft grant determination and guidance for councils on meeting the conditions attached to the Carers Grant in 2001/2002 have been issued by Department of Health today 03 May 2001. The material is available at www.carers.gov.uk/grantguidance.htm. The draft grant determination for the Carers Grant 2001/2002 contains information at Annex A setting out the carers grant allocation by local council. Annex B sets out conditions for the payment of the grant. The web site also includes draft guidance for local councils on meeting the conditions that are attached to the grant in 2001/2002. The guidance details the procedure for submitting evidence of compliance with the conditions to the Department of Health and reproduces the spread-sheets that should be used. These will be sent to the relevant social services contacts on Tuesday 15 May by the SSI SCR (for return by 31 May 2001). The final grant determination and guidance will replace the draft guidance at this web site early next week. The issue of a final determination and guidance will be notified on Thursday 10 May in the Chief Executives Bulletin. Back to Top 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 - ©2001 Back to Chief Executive's Bulletin Home Page

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This page last updated 4 May 2001