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Chief Executive Bulletin - 2 - 8 November 2001 Issue 91

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Hard copy versions of these publications can be ordered from the NHS Responseline 08701 555 455. Contents: NHS interest 1. Bed Census on 30 November: Urgent action needed by 16 November 2. HSC 2001/18 Withholding Treatment from Violent and Abusive Patients in NHS Trusts 3. HSC 2001/022 National Guidance on the Safe Administration of Intrathecal Chemotherapy 4. National PCT Development Programme 5. GP Recruitment & Retention/ Improving Working Lives 6. Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) Calendar Year Development 7. Energy Management Network for Hospital Energy Managers: Energy Sharefair 8. Meningitis : Important public health advice for Muslim travelling to the Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca). Social Care interest 9. LASSL(2001)10 Regulation Of Domiciliary Care 10. Protecting Children, Supporting Parents NHS interest 1. Bed Census on 30 November: Urgent action needed by 16 November A bed census to support winter capacity planning will take place on Friday 30 November. NHS Trusts will be asked to provide the number of general & acute beds available in their organisation on the census day. The census will cover general & acute beds in both acute and community settings so will be relevant to acute trusts as well as community trusts / primary care trusts with beds. The census will require a breakdown of general & acute beds into different categories. The bed census needs to be taken on the morning of 30 November and confirmed by a senior manager responsible for capacity / winter planning before the results are reported back to the Department of Health that afternoon. Staff will be working to collate the figures over the weekend and may need to query or clarify figures on Monday. Action needed: Nominate the members of staff who will be responsible for taking the census and confirming the results. Both should be available on Friday 30 November. Fax contact details (name, job title, telephone number, fax number and email address) to Julie Lawlor / fax 0113 2546423 by Friday 16th November. Further information and a form to record the figures will be emailed to the contacts in advance of the census day. Thank you for your help in organising this bed census at short notice. If you have any queries on the arrangements please contact: Julie Lawlor Tel: (0113) 25 45234, Fax: (0113) 25 46423 Back to Top 2. HSC 2001/18 Withholding Treatment from Violent and Abusive Patients in NHS Trusts This Health Service Circular refers to national guidelines on the withholding of NHS treatment from violent and abusive patients. As part of applying a zero tolerance on violence against staff, all NHS Trusts must consider the need for such policies and procedures. The document sent with the HSC provides a policy framework to help trusts develop and implement their own local policies and procedures by April 2002. The guidance is available at www.nhs.uk/zerotolerance and the HSC here or from the NHS Responseline telephone: 08701 555455 For further information contact: Meena Paterson, or Eileen Calline NHS Employment Policy, e-mail: meena.paterson@doh.gsi.gov.uk or eileen.calline@doh.gsi.gov.uk Telephone: 0113 2545758 or 0113 2546131 Ref. 25238. Mailed to NHS Chief executives, Chairs and Directors of Personnel. Back to Top 3. HSC 2001/022 National Guidance on the Safe Administration of Intrathecal Chemotherapy Since 1985 at least 13 patients have died or been paralysed as a result of the accidental intrathecal administration of Vincristine which was intended for intravenous administration. In accepting the recommendations of "An Organisation with a Memory", the Government agreed a target to reduce the number of patients dying or being paralysed by maladministered spinal injections, to zero by the end of 2001. Two reports on intrathecal injection errors were published in April 2001, both of which made important recommendations. As a result of these reports all NHS Trusts were required to review current arrangements for the administration of intrathecal chemotherapy and a commitment was made to produce national guidance on the safe administration of intrathecal chemotherapy. Guidance to the service has been issued today under cover of HSC---- The guidance, which is to be implemented throughout the NHS immediately, requires all NHS Trusts to confirm their current position by completion of a checklist. The completed checklist is to be returned to Regional Office Cancer Leads by 30 November 2001. By 31 December 2001 all Trusts where intrathecal chemotherapy is administered must ensure safe practice is introduced and that they are fully compliant with the "National Guidance on the Safe Administration of Intrathecal Chemotherapy ". Implementation of the national guidance will be monitored by Regional Offices, who will report to the Chief Medical Officer on compliance. The HSC is available at: http://www.doh.gov.uk/intrathecalchemotherapy For further information please see " Reference Guide to Consent for Examination or Treatment " at www.doh.gov.uk/consent Ref. 25769. Back to Top 4. National PCT Development Programme A National PCT Development Programme and Team has been established under the leadership of Dr Barbara Hakin, Chief Executive, Bradford South and West PCT. The National Primary Care Trust Development Programme (NPCTDP) will establish a programme of organisational and personal development that supports PCTs, and ultimately Care Trusts, to: Deliver on their core functions; Take on from former Health Authorities the additional responsibilities envisaged within 'Shifting the Balance of Power'; Establish inter-locking structured networks of Primary Care Trusts that will act as a forum to ensure that all PCTs, often acting in collaboration, have a sustainable infrastructure for the future. The NPCTDP will build on existing PCT development programmes and focus on four key work streams: Development programme Nine Development Teams comprising front-line staff, based on the geography of the Government Offices of the Regions (GORs) are now in place. A framework of organisational and personal competencies for a PCT and its staff is being drawn up. The Development Teams, along with other local, regional and national staff, will expand this framework, and develop its use as a self-assessment tool. Existing development programmes will be mapped, sign-posting PCTs to sources of advice and guidance. A demonstrator model of this work will soon be available to PCTs. NPCTDP will work with the Leadership Centre and the Modernisation Agency to support the development of effective PCT leaders (Chief Executives/Chairs/Clinical Leaders/Patients Champions and others). PCTs working together Discussions with PCTs and other front-line organisations suggest that there is a need for PCTs to have robust arrangements for working together in place and that building co-operative arrangements will reassure all parties. NPCTDP will support the development of structured networks of interlocking, interdependent PCTs working across Strategic Health Authorities. Other collaborative arrangements may emerge locally e.g. clinical networks, local government. Support to PCTs Programmes of structured support for PCTs to achieve organisational and personal competence will be put in place, in collaboration with the Leadership Centre. Communications. NPCTDP will support mechanisms that will enable effective two-way communications between ministers/centre and frontline clinicians and managers. If you have any questions on the work programme or would like further information on the role of the Development Team, please do not hesitate to contact the Project Manager, Nick Hall, via e-mail on npctdp@doh.gsi.gov.uk, alternatively you can visit our website: http://www.doh.gov.uk/pricare/pctdp.htm Back to Top 5. GP Recruitment & Retention/ Improving Working Lives Guidance on the procedures for making "Golden Hello" payments to "qualifying" newly appointed GPs working under the national GMS or local PMS arrangements. They include: A commitment on the pay of trainee GPs to ensure their pay rises in line with that of junior hospital doctors. An increase in locum cover for family doctors on maternity, paternity and adoptive leaves - effective from 2 November 2001. The extension of a £100m NHS childcare provision initiative to cover primary care. A move to ensure practice nurses receive pay-awards that are comparable to their colleagues working in hospitals. Further details are available at www.doh.gov.uk/pricare/practicenursepay The rolling out of the "Golden Hello" scheme that will give £5,000 to every GP who joins the NHS, with an extra payment of up to £5,000 if they work in an under-doctored area. A package comprising guidance to Health Authorities and Primary Care Trusts, together with the underpinning changes to the GMS Statement of Fees and Allowances and PMS Implementation Directions has been issued. It sets out the procedures for GPs to apply for and HAs or PCTs to pay "Golden Hello" payments to new GPs or GPs returning to practice from the GP retainer scheme on or after 1 April 2001. It includes a form for GPs to apply for a golden hello payment. Health Authorities and PCTS are asked to return completed forms to the DOH to facilitate monitoring and review of the scheme and to secure RLAS/CLAs in respect of payments to qualifying PMS GPs. The payment of a 'golden hello' of up to £10,000 to each qualifying GP was announced in March by the Secretary of State for Health. It forms part of a series of initiatives to improve the recruitment and retention of NHS primary care staff. Health Authorities and Primary Care Trusts should make the first payments for qualifying GPs as soon as possible. The guidance is available at the Department of Health Website at http://www.doh.gov.uk/pricare/goldenhello If you require further information please contact Katie Cusick on 0113 254 5850 or email katie.cusick@doh.gsi.gov.uk Back to Top 6. Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) Calendar Year Development The major new development for HES is the creation of a Calendar Year view of the HES data. HES data years run from 1 April to 31 March, and we collect, process and store the in-patient data received from Trusts and PCTs in the same way. The current timetable for Performance Indicators (PIs) states that the Department of Health is committed to producing the Indicators and performance ratings annually in early summer. Creating a calendar year of HES data - achieved by amalgamating data for quarters 1-3 (April-December) of a given HES data year with quarter 4 (January-March) of the previous HES data year - will enable us to meet the PI deadline. For example, to create the 2001 calendar year, we will add quarter 4 of HES data year 2000-01 to quarters 1-3 of HES data year 2001-02. The same process will be used to create calendar year views of 2000 and 1999 data. In order to make this process viable, it is essential that data for the first three quarters (April-December) has been sent to the NWCS by 25 January 2002. Please note that we will be obtaining a fresh copy of all data submitted for the period April to December at this time. We are aware that this is a particularly busy time for the NHS, as it coincides with Christmas and winter pressures, and that this may be reflected in lower than usual coverage and completeness of the quarter 3 data, particularly in relation to the clinical coding. However, we would urge you to make the quarter 3 submission as complete as possible. We would also ask you to take the opportunity between now and then, if necessary, to refresh quarters 1 and 2 of the 2001-02 data. Time will then be very tight to produce the calendar year view, so it will not be possible to delay the January deadline or do any manual cleaning to the data. If you have any queries about the HES Calendar Year, please contact Steve Price (Tel. 020-7972-5683 e-mail Stephen.Price@doh.gsi.gov.uk or Kate Liffen (tel. 020-8771-5470 e-mail Kate.Liffen@doh.gsi.gov.uk Back to Top 7. Energy Management Network for Hospital Energy Managers: Energy Sharefair 22 November 2001 10.00 A.M. - 4.00 P.M. - Birmingham The Network is based on the principle of learning and building on what other hospitals have already done and achieved thus avoiding wasted effort and duplication. Receive the benefits of learning from experience and sharing best practice about what actually works for NHS Trusts. For more information please visit NHS Estates Agency website at www.nhsestates.gov.uk under News Update. To register for this FREE event download the registration form or contact BRE on tel: 01923 664 751/fax: 01923 664 097/e-mail: hussains@bre.co.uk Back to Top 8. Meningitis : Important public health advice for Muslim travelling to the Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca). The Chief Medical Office launched this campaign on Monday 5th November, with the support of Muslim community leaders. It highlights the very serious risks of contracting a virulent strain of meningistis at Hajj, strongly advises travellers to get the new quadrivalent (ACWY) vaccine, and offers helpful health tips whilst on pilgrimage. Please cascade these details to health professionals in your authority, especially to those involved in working in Muslim communities. Publicity materials are being made widely available in GP surgeries, Mosques and other outlets in Muslim communities and to accredited Hajj travel agents. A leaflet, Guard against memingitis and save lives at Hajj or Umrah this year, available in English, Arabic, Bengali, Gujarati, Somali, Turkish and Urdu can be ordered by faxing 01623 724 524, emailing doh@prolog.uk.com or by writing to The Department of Health, P O Box 777, London SE1 6XH. Pilgrims are also advised that if they would like more information that they should speak to their doctor or practice nurse or call NHS Direct on 0845 46 47. Further health advice is at www.doh.gov.uk/traveladvice/hajj.htm and travel advice for Saudi Arabia on www.fco.gov.uk/travel/countryadvice.asp?SC Back to Top Social Care Interest 9. LASSL(2001)10 Regulation Of Domiciliary Care On 31 October 2001 the Department of Health published its consultation document "Domiciliary Care, National Minimum Standards, Regulations, Consultation Document" on the regulation of personal domiciliary care services. The document outlines the Department's proposals, which for the first time will introduce regulations and national minimum standards into this sector. A partial regulatory impact assessment is included in the material. The consultation period ends on 31 January 2002, with implementation of the final arrangements due in July 2002. The document is available on the Department of Health website by visiting www.doh.gov.uk/domiciliarycare Ref. LASSL 25826, Consultation Document: Domiciliary Care Standards 25825. Will be mailed to Local Authority Chief Executives, Directors of Social Services, NHS Trust Chief Executives and Health Authority Directors of Public Health, Primary Care and Nursing. Back to Top 10. Protecting Children, Supporting Parents Responses to the consultation on the Physical Punishment of Children Last year, the Government consulted on a range of proposals to change the law relating to the physical punishment of children. A consultation took place in both England and Wales. The aims of the consultation were twofold. First, in the context of family policy in a responsible society, to seek views on where the line should be drawn in relation to acceptable physical punishment of children within the family setting. Second, to seek views on how that position could be achieved in law. http://www.doh.gov.uk/scg/pcspresponse/index.htm 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 Published by the Department of Health © Crown Copyright 2001 This page last updated 8 November 2001