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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. Review into commissioning arrangements for specialised services
2. Together from the start
3. Publication of the national sexual health and HIV strategy implementation action plan
4. Performance monitoring: 2002/3 quarter 1 service & financial framework return (SaFFR):
Introduction:
5. Timetable changes for the issue and implementation of the final regulations and national minimum standards for residential family centres
6. Consultation with PCT's over proposed merger between DAT's and CDRP's

NHS interest

7. HSC 2002/009 Better blood transfusion, appropriate use of blood
8. Delivering the NHS plan - strengthening accountability appropriate use of ambulance services
9. Shared services taskforce - update
10. National audit office (NAO) studies
11. Changes to the statement of fees and allowances and revision of General medical practice premises - a commentary
12. NHS Estates Quarterly Briefing
13. Reducing Burdens on GPs

Social care interest

14. Charges for residential accommodation guide (CRAG)

NHS / Social Care interest

1. Review into commissioning arrangements for specialised services

Earlier this year health minister John Hutton announced a review into commissioning arrangements for specialised services. The review will recommend the framework to ensure effective commissioning and provision of specialised services in line with the principles of Shifting the Balance of Power.

In particular the review is canvassing views on how to integrate the current eight Regional Specialised Commissioning Group (RSCG) arrangements with the four Health and Social Care regional boundaries to ensure highly specialised services covering large geographical areas are properly planned, funded and monitored.

RSCGs are being asked to seek the views of their local providers, commissioners and patients'/carers' representatives on the review questions and submit their overall RSCG response to the Department by September 30th. Further details on the review process plus a background paper on commissioning specialised services can be accessed on: http://www.doh.gov.uk/commissioning/reviewintocommarr.htm.

Responses to the review's questions may be submitted directly to the Department but it is expected that views from local bodies will be gathered by RSCGs and incorporated in their overall RSCG response.

In addition, a small review group consisting of national representatives of commissioners, providers and patients/carers will meet in September to consider the review questions.

DH contact Julia Stallibrass at julia.stallibrass@doh.gsi.gov.uk

This consultation document contains guidance for professionals working with disabled children aged 0 to 2 and their families. It was developed by a multi agency working party and jointly issued by the Department of Health and the Department for Education and Skills. The central themes within the guidance are:

• active partnership with parents and communicating news of disability in a sensitive way
• prompt and co-ordinated assessment of needs leading to a written family service plan
• the importance of keyworkers.

The guidance is available on DFES website www.dfes.gov.uk/consultations/active/index.cfm?CONID=177 or from DFES publications, PO Box 5050, Sherwood Park, Annesley, Nottingham, NG15 ODJ. (ref no. DFES 0184/2002)

The sexual health and HIV strategy implementation action plan was published on the Department's website on Monday 24 June 2002. This follows the consultation exercise undertaken on the National Strategy for Sexual Health and HIV last year. Both the implementation plan and strategy can be found at www.doh.gov.uk/sexualhealthandhiv

Printed copies of the action plan will be widely distributed to the NHS, local Government and the voluntary sector over the next few weeks.

We are still awaiting copies of the baseline review and data collection exercise on sexual health and details of PCT sexual health leads from a number of areas. Additional funding of £16,000 was given to each of the old health authorities in December 2001 to complete this exercise for each PCT in their area.

If you have not already done so, please can you arrange for your area's baseline review and PCT lead to be sent to Phillip Morrison, Department of Health, Room 580D, Skipton House, 80 London Road, London SE1 6LH, or e-mail to phillip.morrison@doh.gsi.gov.uk as soon as possible.

The Service and Financial Framework Return (SaFFR, formerly known as Common Information Core or CIC) is used to monitor progress against a number of the key targets in the 2002/3 SaFFs, and other targets included in the NHS Plan and national service frameworks.

From 2002/3 primary care trusts (PCTs) and NHS trusts are responsible for completing and returning SaFFRs. Chief Executives of PCTs and NHS trusts are asked to ensure Quarter 1 2002/3 SaFFR forms are returned to the Department of Health by 12 July 2002.

More details about the SaFFR process, including forms and guidance, can be found at:
http://194.189.27.190/saffs/saffsquart.nsf/Main?ReadForm or by emailing: SaFFR@doh.gsi.gov.uk

Thank you in advance for your help with supplying this information.

If you have any queries please contact the SaFFR information line on 0113 2546777

The following letter issued by Tessa Ing (COS-C-(CN1B)) is notification of agreed timetable changes for the issue and implementation of the final Regulations and National Minimum Standards for Residential Family Centres by the National Care Standards Commission (NCSC).

DH contact Wendy Hooper at wendy.hooper@doh.gsi.gov.uk

Copy of the letter

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The Home Office is carrying out a consultation on the merger of Drug Action Teams and Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships. This has implications for partnership working at a local level, particularly as it would see PCTs established as responsible authorities from 2004. The detail of what this will mean in practice is still being worked out, but it is expected that PCTs will play a lead role in the new organisation.

The Home Office has organised a consultation to get organisation' views on this proposed merger and how they see it working in practice. PCT chief executives and professional executive committee chairs were sent details on this consultation on the 8 April 2002. You can also access details on www.homeoffice.gov.uk. In order that we ensure that the views of PCT's are adequately represented in this process, DH have engaged Berring Hine to carry out a further consultation. This will focus on 50 PCT's and will consist of an email and telephone survey. You will be contacted shortly if you have been selected to take part.

For further information please contact Sarah Clein on 0207 972 5151 or email Sarah.Clein@doh.gsi.gov.uk

7. HSC 2002/009 Better blood transfusion, appropriate use of blood

The Department of Health is issuing new guidance today for action by NHS trusts on Better Blood Transfusion and the appropriate use of blood - an important public health and clinical governance issue to ensure the safe and effective use of donor blood and alternatives. This new guidance replaces HSC 1998/224 Better Blood Transfusion and sets out a programme of action for the NHS to:

• ensure that Better Blood Transfusion is an integral part of NHS care
• as part of clinical governance responsibilities, make blood transfusion safer
• avoid unnecessary use of blood in clinical practice
• provide better information to patients and the public about blood transfusion.

This new guidance and action plan continues the CMO's initiative on better blood transfusion and the CMO's Better Blood Transfusion conference in October 2001.

A toolkit to help trusts implement this guidance is being developed and will be placed on a revised Better Blood Transfusion website.

For further information contact Amal Rushdy on 0207 9725376 or at Amal.Rushdy@doh.gsi.gov.uk .

Ref. 28471. Will be mailed to Regional Nurse Directors and regional and Health Authority Directors of Public Health w/c 8/7/02.

Copy of the circular HSC 2002/009

"Delivering the NHS Plan" published on 18 April 2002, set out the Government's next steps on investment in, and reform of, the NHS. This made clear that all patients have a right to expect access to services that are improving, that are free at the point of use and that are based on clinical need and informed choice. It also made clear that, as citizens, we all have a responsibility to ensure that we use health resources fairly and appropriately. As we improve the rights and experiences of patients, we must also do more to strengthen the recognition and acceptance of these responsibilities.

As a result a document has been produced that gives advice and guidance on both national actions proposed and the local actions that ambulance trusts should be pursuing in connection with their NHS and social care partners at a local level. The guidance deals with hoax/malicious calls, 999 calls that are obviously inappropriate and 999 calls from frequent callers and locations. It is available at the following web address: www.doh.gov.uk/ambulanceservice/index.htm

This guidance was announced in the speech given by PS(H) to AMBEX International on Friday 28 June 2002, at Harrogate.

Contact Karl Blackshaw on 0113-254-5212.

A new Shared Services brochure has been produced by the Shared Services Taskforce. The purpose of this document is to provide a stock-take of the progress Shared Services is making, to chart its plans for the coming months and to emphasise the key role that staff are playing in the success of Shared Services. A PDF copy can be found on the Shared Services web-site at (www.doh.gov.uk/sharedservices) and an electronic version of the brochure will be sent out to NHS DoFs this week.

If you would prefer to receive a hard copy of this document, please contact Hester Cleghorn (Communications Assistant) on hester.cleghorn@doh.gsi.gov.uk or 0113 254 7713. If you would like to provide comments or feedback please contact Fiona Barr (Head of Communications) on fiona.barr@doh.gsi.gov.uk or 0113 254 7712.

Achieving Change through clinical governance
The NAO is carrying out two surveys to gather evidence for this study:

1. A census survey of all NHS secondary and tertiary health care and ambulance trusts that is intended to deliver data on the progress trusts have made in implementing the strategy and the benefits that have flowed from it. A brief feedback report will be provided to all participating NHS Trusts. Questionnaires are due to be despatched on or around 5 July. Enquiries should be addressed to Helen Beachy at the Manchester Centre for Healthcare Management on 0161 275 2926, or helenb@fs1.dev.man.ac.uk.

2. A survey of NHS board members and senior managers at 100 NHS Trusts. The NAO will produce a brief feedback report for all participating NHS Trusts. Questionnaires were despatched on 31 May and were due for return within two weeks. Your co-operation is requested in achieving a high response rate for this survey. Enquiries should be addressed to Tim Freeman at the Health Services Management Centre, Birmingham on 0121 414 7050, or t.freeman@bham.ac.uk.

Management of health and safety risks to staff
For the census of hospital and ambulance trusts the NAO has received 195 complete responses, and 26 partial returns to its six part audit questionnaire. The NAO appreciates all the efforts your staff have made to answer these questions and would like to thank the co-ordinators for achieving the tight deadline. If your trust has any outstanding questionnaires please complete and return them by 10 July. Enquiries should be addressed to Clare Lambley on the TNS helpline, 020 8332 8513, or at clare.lambley@tnsofres.com.

Managing suspension of hospital clinicians
The NAO is refining the survey questions and will be despatching the questionnaire at the beginning of September. Enquiries should be addressed to Alison Terry at the National Audit Office on 020 7798 7191, or at alison.terry@nao.gsi.gov.uk.

The discharge of older people from acute NHS hospital care
The NAO has sent questionnaires to the Chief Executives of all NHS trusts with acute beds, and of PCTs established on or before 1 April 2001. This survey will provide information on the extent and causes of delayed discharge and an opportunity to identify successful ways of tackling this issue. Completed questionnaires should be returned by 19 July (trusts with acute beds) and 26 July (PCTs). Enquiries should be addressed to Clare Lambley or Emma Newcombe on the TNS helpline, 020 8332 8513/8554, or at naosurvey@tnsofres.com.

The framework agreement for the new GP Contract announced that the premises schedule at paragraph 51 of the Statement of Fees and Allowances (SFA) and the General Medical Practice Premises - A Commentary would be revised. This work has now been completed and the revisions agreed with the GP profession. The new arrangements provide standards that reflect changes in the range and the way general and personal medical services are delivered. The building cost maxima and the timescales to repay improvement grants have also been revised.

A copy of the changes are available on the NHS Estates web site in the primary care pages). Chief Executives are asked to advise their GP-PC premises staff of these changes and that they replace the existing SFA arrangements and Commentary. Copies should also be made available to all GPs. While the SFA relates to the provision of general medical services, PMS pilots and PCTs can agree to refer by analogy to the premises the arrangements contained in the statement.

NHS Estates contact Jim Latta at jim.latta@doh.gsi.gov.uk

Quarterly Briefing is an NHS Estates publication with sections on: specialist NHS Estates programmes such as Better Hospital Food, Clean Hospitals and Consumerism; latest information on estates and facilities matters including targets and mandatory requirements; primary care estates and facilities; health & safety and environment and construction statistics and information.
The Construction Information and Statistics section includes:

1. Indices/future outlook

• Tender price indices - the MIPS index series - essential when preparing business cases.
• Expert health sector outlook on tender prices in general.
• Independent forecasts of future trends in index movements as used by the Department of Health project monitors.

2. Regional Location Factors

Health related location factors for use in tender reconciliation exercises, to enable comparison with national average tender price indices as used in departmental cost allowance guides. Building cost indices for use on projects likely to be let on a VOP basis are also given.

3. Other index series

• Equipment prices.
• Maintenance costs and prices.
• Details of recently published departmental cost allowance guides.

The latest issue, volume 11 no. 4, is now available to be viewed on the NHS Estates website: http://www.nhsestates.gov.uk/publications_guidance/index.asp under heading Quarterly Briefing

Hard copy editions are distributed to NHS Trust estates and facilities personnel free of charge.

The second "Making a Difference" report to reduce burdens and unnecessary paperwork on GPs was launched on Tuesday 25 June. The Cabinet Office Regulatory Impact Unit and the Department of Health have worked together with doctors, nurses, managers, professional bodies and other government departments and agencies to ensure that 19 new cumbersome procedures are reduced or removed. This will potentially free up 3.2 million appointments and 2.7 million additional hours each year.

A copy of the full report has been sent to all PCTs with a number of summary sheets for distribution to GP Practices in the area.

Further information is available at
www.cabinet-office.gov.uk/regulation/PublicSector/Index.htm Additional copies can be downloaded from this Cabinet Office web site or hard copies can be sent by post. Please email the Cabinet Office with your request at psinfo@cabinet-office.x.gsi.gov.uk or telephone 020 7276 2194.

Social Care Interest

14. Charges for residential accommodation guide (CRAG)

Directors of social services and other stakeholders are asked to note that there were some clerical omissions in the latest CRAG issued in April 2002. The paragraphs that were omitted are 6.028 and 6.030A on CJD payments from LAC 2001(11). Also sections 4.003A and 4.004 which deal with couples should state that the upper capital limit is £19,000 and not £18,500.

All of the above changes will be amended on the Internet version from 8 July 2002. It can be accessed at http://www.doh.gov.uk/scg/crag. We will confirm these corrections in a future local authority circular.

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: 4 July, 2002