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Contents:

NHS and social care interest

1. Hepatitis B immunisation

NHS interest

2. Raising Standards - improving performance in the NHS
3. Monitoring cancer waiting times
4. NHS complaints reform
5. Managing dental lists
6. NHS design champions

Social care interest

7. Building Care Capacity Grant (BCCG)

Further items of interest

8. Development of treatment foster care programmes
9. CHD progress report
10. 3M capital hip care programme
11. NHS Estates Building Better Healthcare Awards
12. Revised guidance on local pharmaceutical service pilots
13. Duty to manage asbestos in premises

NHS and social care interest

1. Hepatitis B immunisation of short-term foster carers and their families
The Department of Health is distributing £750,000 to PCT's in 2003 - 2004 by resource and cash limit adjustments to facilitate, in collaboration with local authority social services departments the hepatitis B immunisation of short-term foster carers.

Contact: Helen Christmas at helen.christmas@doh.gsi.gov.uk or on 020 7972 6061

NHS interest

2. Raising Standards - improving performance in the NHS

On 6 May the Department of Health published Raising standards - improving performance in the NHS, which sets out the support which will be available to individual trusts and PCTs to help them reach high standards of performance.

Each trust and PCT will be expected to agree a programme of targeted support with its SHA by autumn 2003. As part of this process acute and specialist trusts will be expected to set a local timetable for achieving NHS Foundation Trust status.

£200 million will be available to support improvement programmes in trusts and PCTs between 2004-2005 and 2007-2008.

The document is at www.doh.gov.uk/raisingstandardsnhs/

Contact: Tim Baxter at tim.baxter@doh.gsi.gov.uk

3. Monitoring cancer waiting times

At present many trusts are not inputting data to the new Cancer Waiting Times database (CWTdb). Chief executives are requested to ensure that the data on cancer waiting times is inputted as required by dataset change notice (DSCN) 22/2002.

Until data on the CWTDb is robust and complete, the use of the quarterly monitoring of cancer waits (QMCW) returns is to be continued and extended as detailed in DSCN 15/2003.

DSCN's are at www.nhsia.nhs.uk/dscn/pages/

Contact: Sian Gordon Brown on 020 7972 4906 or sian.gordon-brown@doh.gsi.gov.uk

4. NHS complaints reform - making things right

The Department of Health has published NHS complaints reform - making things right setting out proposals to improve management of complaints building on the existing procedure.

The document is at www.doh.gov.uk/complaints/makingthingsright.pdf

Because of the need for primary legislation to implement elements of the programme, comprehensive reform of the NHS complaints' procedure will not take place before April 2004.

In the meantime, the current complaints' procedure will continue to operate, supported by new initiatives designed to bring about improvement in the whole approach to managing complaints.

Contact: Carolyn Heaney at carolyn.heaney@doh.gsi.gov.uk

5. Managing dental lists

Should it become necessary for a PCT to suspend a dentist from its dental list, or an assistant dentist from a supplementary list, that dentist is entitled to payments in consequence of suspension.

Details of the Secretary of State's Determination: Payments in Consequence of Suspension by a PCT is at www.doh.gov.uk/sdr/index.htm

Contact: core.business.unit@doh.gsi.gov.uk

6. NHS design champions

In November 2001 health secretary Alan Milburn requested that all trusts nominate a design champion to ensure that health care buildings provide high quality, patient-focused environments. Nominations would are welcome from any trust that has not yet nominated a design champion.

NHS Estates, the Commission for Architecture & Built Environment (CABE) and the Prince's Foundation provide design champions with support including training events. The next event for all design champions is in Manchester on 20 June 2003.

To register your interest, nominate a design champion or for further information email designchampions@doh.gsi.gov.uk

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Social care interest

7. Building Care Capacity Grant (BCCG)

The BCCG 2002 - 2003 audit form and details of the reports to be submitted to the Department of Health are available at www.doh.gov.uk/jointunit/delayeddischarge/bccg.htm

Contact: Monica Acheampong at Monica.Acheampong@doh.gsi.gov.uk

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Further items of interest

8. Special grant for the development of treatment foster care programmes LASSL (2003)3

Councils with social services responsibility (CSSRs) wishing to develop a treatment foster care programme are invited to bid for a pump-priming grant.

Local authorities will only bid if they can meet the criteria identified in the circular.
Details at www.info.doh.gov.uk/doh/coin4.nsf/circulars?readform

Contact: Sue McFarlane on 020 7972 4284 or at sue.mcfarlane@doh.gsi.gov.uk

9. CHD progress report - A multidisciplinary challenge: Improving services for people with Coronary Heart Disease' is at www.modern.nhs.uk/chd/ under what's new.

10. 3M Capital Hip Care Programme

From 1 October 2003 the 3M Capital Hip Care Programme will close. All future treatment of patients with a capital hip implant will be through the NHS in the normal way. Guidance is at www.doh.gov.uk/capitalhipcare/index.htm
Contact: Paul Woods on 020 7972 4811 or Paul.Woods@doh.gsi.gov.uk

11. NHS Estates Building Better Healthcare Awards

Information about entering is at www.nhsestates.gov.uk/news_update/content/awards.html
Closing date for submissions is 11 July 2003

12. Revised guidance on local pharmaceutical service pilots is at: www.doh.gov.uk/localpharmaceuticalservices/guidance.htm

13. Duty to manage asbestos in premises - A new legal duty to the Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations 2002 will come into force May 2004. Due to the extent of the task trusts are advised to start planning their compliance strategy now. Details at www.nhsestates.gov.uk/news_update/index.asp

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 - ©2003

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copyright: © | Last updated: 8 May 2003