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Chief
Executive Bulletin
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. HSC 2002/006 LAC (2002)12 Mental Health Supplementary
Credit Approval guidance 2002/04 NHS interest 5. Ambulance Radio Re-Procurement Social Care interest 13. Carers And Disabled Children Act 2000 – Vouchers For Short Term Breaks NHS / Social Care interest 1. HSC 2002/006 LAC (2002)12 Mental Health Supplementary Credit Approval guidance 2002/04 In 2002/04 £15.6 million of supplementary credit approvals has been made available to fund capital projects which support the development of IT systems and or assist the development of comprehensive social care mental health service for adults. The purpose of the Mental Health Supplementary Credit Approval in 2002/04 is to prioritise the development of IT systems and capacity. The guidance setting out CSSR indicative allocations for Mental Health Supplementary Credit Approvals for use of IT development and inviting bids for other capital projects has been published and sent to CSSR Directors of Finance. The deadline for action is 3rd May 2002. Ref. 27537. Will be mailed to health authority and local authority finance directors w/c 8/4/02. 2. The Mental Health Review Tribunal Biennial Report The Mental Health Review Tribunal Biennial report contains information on the number of applications received and heard, details of the membership and a basic report on the overall cost of delivering the service. The information is provided by the secretariat from the MHRT database records. The remainder of the report is a commentary from each of the Regional Chairmen (including Wales) on their region, and a report from the Chairmen of the National Training Committee. The MHRT is the largest of the four tribunals sponsored by the Department. It deals with over 24,000 applications each year from patients who are subject to compulsory detention for treatment under the Mental Health Act 1983. The Tribunal sits where the patient is detained. It is a travelling court providing patients with access to a statutory right to review. The work of the tribunal is interdependent on the co-operation of health care professionals in hospitals and the legal and medical professions. The functions and administration of the Tribunal will alter substantially under new legislation proposed in the white paper published in December 2000 "Reforming the Mental Health Act" Ref. 27531. Mailed to chief executives NHS trusts. Report 3. Department of Health Drug Education Funding 2002/3
Standards Fund Grant 308: Education Health Partnerships For the first time DfES is issuing this funding, on behalf of DH, through the Standards Fund to Local Education Authorities to further develop local education and health partnerships. The funding will be paid as a top up to existing allocation for Education Health Partnerships under the DfES Standards Fund Grant 308. The local healthy schools programme coordinator (HSPC) has responsibility for planning drug education activity (funded from this allocation), with support from local partners including local education authorities, primary care group(s) (or where they have been set up, primary care trusts) and drug action teams, as well as specialist service providers. The local HSPC will be required to report to DH on how this money is used. All drug education activity funded through this allocation should also be reflected in the:
Letter: 4. Medical Devices Agency Safety Notices SAFETY NOTICE - MDA SN2002(10) Baxter Colleague 1 and 3 Volumetric Infusion Pumps: Unwanted "Power On" or "Power Off" Due to Fluid Ingress This safety notice was issued on 26th of March to NHS trusts, primary care trusts chief executives, National Care Standards Commission Headquarters and Directors of Social Services. As usual it was also issued to liaison officers of trusts, primary care and health authorities for action and for onward distribution as specified in the notice. SAFETY NOTICE - MDA SN2002(11) Benchtop Vacuum Steam Sterilizers – the "Prion Cycle" This safety notice was issued on 25th of March to NHS trusts, primary care trusts chief executives, National Care Standards Commission Headquarters and Directors of Social Services. As usual it was also issued to liaison officers of trusts, primary care and health authorities for action and for onward distribution as specified in the notice. SAFETY NOTICE - MDA SN2002(12) DR-70 General Cancer Test This Safety Notice was issued on 26th of March to NHS trusts, primary care trusts chief executives, National Care Standards Commission Headquarters and Directors of Social Services. As usual it was also issued to liaison officers of trusts, primary care and health authorities for action and for onward distribution as specified in the notice. For further information on the role and nomination of
Liaison Officers e-mail us at: NHS interest5. Ambulance Radio Re-Procurement
This message is aimed at chief executives of NHS ambulance trusts and to chief executives of strategic health authorities, PCT's and directors of health & social care regions for information Following the Ministerial announcement made by Hazel Blears, Parliamentary Under Secretary for Health, at the AMBEX Conference last year, a project has been established to take forward the procurement of a new national digital radio network for ambulance services. Under the direction of the Minister, the Department of Health's Winter and Emergency Services Team (WEST) has been given overall responsibility for the Ambulance Radio Re-Procurement Project (ARRP). The purpose of this note is to keep you up to date with developments in this area. As many of you know, detailed project plans have now been developed by the NHS Information Authority working closely with the Department of Health, the Ambulance Services Association (ASA) and NHS ambulance trust users. In addition, a User Requirement Specification has been developed and circulated to all ambulance trusts for final comment. The ARRP itself has also been included as an integral part of the NHS Connect Programme. For further information please see the NHS Web site at: http://nww.nhsia.nhs.uk/ambulance/ or http://www.nhsia.nhs.uk/ambulance/ As this work progresses, you will continue to receive updates from the ASA, NHS Information Authority and Steve Spurling. If you have any questions about this letter, please do not hesitate to
contact the ARRP Project Manager: 6. Public Health Files from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) The Public Health Mortality File and the Public Health Births File are
used to support direct patient care. ONS has up to now provided these
as a service to health authorities who wished to pay. From April it will
be available to all strategic health authorities. For a short period no
commitment to pay for the service will be required by ONS. To provide
the service, ONS needs a contact point in each strategic health authority
to receive the files by e-mail. ONS also require chief executives to take
responsibility for the individual records on the files. Chief executives
are therefore invited to nominate a suitable contact point and either
send the details to Sue Dewane at Further details of how to obtain the service 7. National Staff Opinion Survey Update Trusts should, by now, have received their National Staff Opinion Surveys, which were distributed last week. The questionnaires and reply envelopes were sent to the chief executive or the nominated liaison officer (as stated in response to Issue 28 of the HR Directors’ Bulletin). Chief executives are reminded to return as soon as possible the certificate confirming that the surveys have been distributed. We have been informed that some trusts experienced a delay in receiving their surveys. As a result we have extended the deadline by one week for the receipt of completed surveys. We would be grateful if this information could be passed onto staff should they query the return date. For more information: e mail Julie Topping at Julie.Topping@doh.gsi.gov.uk 8. Frequently Asked Questions and Further information relating to HSC 2001/022. National Guidance on the Safe Administration of Intrathecal Chemotherapy Guidance to the service was issued on 06 November 2001 under cover of HSC 2001/022. The guidance required all NHS Trusts where intrathecal chemotherapy is administered to ensure that they are fully compliant with "National Guidance on the Safe Administration of Intrathecal Chemotherapy " by 31 December 2001. Further to publication of the guidance several questions have arisen, and to ensure national consistency a Q&A has been prepared. Chief Executives are asked to ensure that this Q&A is cascaded to Trust Medical Directors, Clinical Governance leads and all relevant clinicians. The Q&A and further information is available at www.doh.gov.uk/intrathecalchemotherapy/qa.htm For further information please see HSC 2001/022 National Guidance on the Safe Administration of Intrathecal Chemotherapy at www.doh.gov.uk/intrathecalchemotherapy/ 9. Sale of Goodwill of Medical Practices from 1 April 2002 Abolition of the Medical Practices Committee (see also CE Bulletin 108) means that from 1 April consideration of sale of goodwill becomes a function of the Secretary of State for Health. Information on how such applications will be dealt with is in www.doh.gov.uk/pricare/workforce/goodwillsale.htm Cost Rent Scheme – Prescribed Percentages Each quarter the Prescribed Percentages applicable to the Cost Rent Scheme for GMS premises are reviewed by NHS Estates. The latest figures can be found at www.nhsestates.gov.uk/capital_procurement/index.asp Please ensure that the relevant personnel at all primary care organisations are informed of this update. Future updates to this and other primary care premises issues may be found at the same site. For information please contact Bill Fone. Tel: 0113 2547075. Email bill.fone@doh.gsi.gov.uk Appraisal for GPs was introduced on 1st April. It is intended to be a formative and developmental process for individual clinicians, aimed at supporting good patient care and high standards of clinical practice in the NHS. It is about identifying development needs, not performance management and is an important building block in the clinical governance culture. The purpose of appraisal needs to be clear for all involved. Its implementation must be based on the national appraisal framework, tailored to local circumstances. The Department, together with the NHS Alliance, have therefore asked Medical Management Services to organise a series of practical and interactive workshops, to enable local GPs and primary care organisations to understand, undertake and get the most out of the new appraisal process. The workshops, which have been endorsed by the National Primary and Care Trust Development Team and which cover all the new strategic health authority boundaries in England, will run between April and July 2002 – the full programme is attached. There will be no charge for attendance. If you wish to attend the workshops, please contact Medical Management Services at workshops@medman.co.uk or by telephone on 01225 333711. Workshop programme 12. Taking Action. Meeting the Milestones for Physical Activity in the National Service Frameworks. National Conference, 20 May 2002, Kensington Town Hall, London The Department of Health is holding a special conference for chief executives and directors of public health to discuss the milestones for physical activity and exercise in the National Service Frameworks, and the work that needs to be done to ensure that they are met effectively. Exercise is an important component of primary and secondary prevention in the NHS Plan and National Service Framework for Coronary Heart Disease, along with the NSFs for Older People, Mental Health, and Diabetes. Yvette Cooper, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Health, will
be addressing the conference. A programme and invitation letter from the
Minister is available from: To register for the conference contact Angela Lyons at Health Links, Windsor House, 11A High Street, Birmingham B14 7BB, telephone 0121 248 3399, or email alyons@health-links.fsnet.co.uk Social Care Interest13. Carers And Disabled Children Act 2000 – Vouchers For Short Term Breaks Section 3(1) and section 7(1) of the Carers and Disabled Children Act 2000 provide power to the Secretary of State to make provision in regulations for local authorities to issue vouchers for short term breaks. Vouchers for children's services can only be issued for services provided under s17 of the Children Act 1989. The recent Lambeth judgment established that it was not lawful for councils to provide accommodation under s17 of the Children Act 1989. Consequently it is intended to amend s17 to include within that section a power for councils to provide accommodation. The commencement date of the voucher regulations is likely to coincide with the date on which the amendment to s.17 comes into force. The consultation documents:
have been made available on the Government website for carers: www.carers.gov.uk. Stakeholders are invited to send any comments they may have to Patience Holland at the address below by end of June 2002. This meets the Government's code of practice on written consultation which requires 12 weeks to be the standard minimum period for a consultation. To inform debate, the Department may wish to make publicly available copies of, or details from, the responses received to this consultation. Please indicate in your reply, therefore, if you wish all or part of it to remain confidential. Where possible, electronic responses would be preferred. Department of Health Consultation documents 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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