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Chief
Executive Bulletin 3 - 9 August 2001 |
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Hard copy versions of these publications can be ordered from the NHS Responseline 08701 555 455. Contents: NHS interest 1. Chief Medical Officers' Initiative on Better Blood Transfusion 2. Modernising Regulation in the Health Professions - Consultation Document 3. General Anaesthesia for Dental Treatment 4. NHS Dental Care for Patients not Registered with an NHS Dentist 5. Taxation of Motor Mileage Allowances Paid at National HMDS Rates for Travel in Employees Own Cars 6. Draft Cancer Registry Standards for Consultation 7. Implementing NICE Guidance: a practical handbook for professionals NHS and Social Care interest 8. Fair Access to Care Services 9. Taking Care Social Care interest 11. National Adoption Standards for England 12. Children's Social Services Core Information Requirements Version 2 NHS interest 1. Chief Medical Officers' Initiative on Better Blood Transfusion All Trusts that are users of blood are requested to click through to blood.co.uk/pages/bbtlet4.pdf to complete a questionnaire, returning it to the National Blood Service by Friday 14th September. The four Chief Medical Officers are hosting a conference on 29th October to develop recommendations on how to extend safe and effective blood transfusion practice throughout the NHS. This will have implications for blood safety, availability and cost. The attendees will be invited experts from clinicians, managers, patients and other interest groups. To inform their recommendations the CMOs' would like to review the implementation of the first Better Blood Transfusion initiative (HSC 1998/224). The Department of Health has asked the National Blood Service to manage this process. 2. Modernising Regulation in the Health Professions - Consultation Document 9/8/01 - The NHS Plan published in July 2000 proposed the formation of an UK Council of Health Regulators to co-ordinate and act as a forum for the particular bodies which regulate individual health professions. The Report of the Bristol Royal Infirmary Inquiry (the Kennedy Report) supported the concept of an overarching body for the regulation of health professionals and recommended the establishment of a Council for the Regulation of Healthcare Professionals. In making his preliminary response to the Kennedy Report's recommendations the Secretary of State for Health announced on 18 July 2001 in the House of Commons that he would take action on this recommendation following consultation, alongside proposals to reform the General Medical Council. This document sets out the Government's proposals in this area and seeks the views of all interested individuals and organisations. Consultation document: www.doh.gov.uk/modernisingregulation Ref. 24717. Mailed to NHS Medical and Public Health Directors.3. General Anaesthesia for Dental Treatment The report "A Conscious Decision" recommended that by 2002 general anaesthesia for dental treatment should be restricted to a hospital setting with critical care facilities. Ministers accepted the recommendation and work is in hand to implement this. Guidance was issued on the 31st of May in a letter from the Chief Dental Officer, which sets out what is meant by "hospital setting" and "critical care facilities" (available at www.doh.gov.uk/dental/ or see Chief Executive's bulletin Issue 69). A letter is attached below in respect of private providers of general anaesthesia for dental treatment who are presently registered under the Registered Homes Act. They are asked, voluntarily, to stop providing general anaesthesia for dental treatment outside a hospital setting by 31 December 2001. Chief Executives are asked to ensure that this letter is drawn to the attention of all those registered under the Registered Homes Act for the provision of general anaesthesia for dental treatment 4. NHS Dental Care for Patients not Registered with an NHS Dentist When you register with an NHS dentist, that entitles you to NHS care and treatment for the next 15 months. If you are not registered with a dentist you can still receive essential NHS care and treatment on an occasional or emergency basis, but remember, not all NHS dentists offer this service. NHS Direct (on 0845 46 47) or your local Health Authority will be able to provide information on NHS dentists offering this service in your area. More information available at: www.doh.gov.uk/dental/unregistered.htm 5. Taxation of Motor Mileage Allowances Paid at National HMDS Rates for Travel in Employees Own Cars The Inland Revenue has been in contact with NHS Executive HQ about the tax treatment of the increase in HMDS mileage rates from 1 July 2000. The amount of the increase was agreed in late March 2001, with the result that backdated payments of arrears from July 2000 will normally have been made in the current tax year - 2001/02. The following paragraphs summarise the Inland Revenue`s view about how the backdated payments relating to the 2000/01 tax year, but not paid until after 5 April 2001, should be taxed. This guidance relates to arrears payments made to top up the original reimbursement for business mileage to the rates that apply from 1 July 2000. It is not intended to displace normal arrangements for dealing with payments relating to mileage driven at the end of the tax year and not reimbursed at all until the following tax year. The information is only relevant where mileage payments are made at the nationally agreed HMDS rates. 6. Draft Cancer Registry Standards for Consultation The Draft Cancer Registry Standards have been developed as a key recommendation following the publication of the Action Programme for Cancer Registration earlier this year. The standards are intended to replace the existing National Core Contract in order to ensure consistent and high quality performance across all Cancer Registries. The standards have been developed in a similar format to the Cancer Services standards to ensure that a consistent approach is adopted to all aspects of cancer services monitoring. As described in the Action Programme an additional £2 million has been made available for this year and the 2 subsequent financial years for the development of Cancer Registries. Part of this funding will be used to appoint a National Co-ordinator for Cancer Registries. The remaining funding will be allocated against actions plans for implementation of the Cancer Registry standards. It is hoped that final standards can be agreed by September/ October this year and funding made available by November. It should also be noted that this document does not take full account of the changes highlighted within "Shifting the Balance". We shall build in more on this in subsequent versions as the impact of the changes becomes clearer. The draft standards document is available on at www.doh.gov.uk/cancer/registrystandards.htm. If you would like to comment on the Standards or wish further clarification on the process please contact Jill Anderson, Cancer Policy Team jill.anderson@doh.gsi.gov.uk or 0207 972 4816 Room 339, Wellington House, 135 -155 Waterloo Road, London SE1 8UG. Please note that comments on the standards should be received by 27 August. The Standards have also been circulated to: Regional Directors of Public Health 7. Implementing NICE Guidance: a practical handbook for professionals' A new handbook to help health service clinicians and managers effectively implement NICE guidance locally, was launched on 8th August. This handbook, from the National Prescribing Centre (NPC), has been developed with significant input from a wide range of NHS staff working at the coal-face and has also received full support from the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE). A range of key NHS professionals, including health authority and primary care group / trust chief executives, are being sent copies by the NPC this week. The handbook is also accessible on the NPC's websites www.npc.co.uk (Internet) and nww.npc.ppa.nhs.uk (NHSNet). NHS / Social Care interest 8. Fair Access to Care Service Directors of Social Services and other stakeholders are asked to comment on the draft "Fair Access to Care Services" policy guidance and the accompanying draft "General Principles of Assessment for adult social care". The documents also include a paper giving a brief background to FACS and the consultation process, and a form setting out the particular consultation issues and questions that have emerged during the drafting of the guidance. The form should be completed and returned to the Department of Health by 12 October 2001 Comments can be returned to either of the following addresses: M S Sayad, Department of Health, Room 221, 133-155 Waterloo Road, London SE1 8UG. Email: msayad@doh.gsi.gov.uk Consultation background and processes General principles of assessment It is always a difficult time, when parents are told that their child has a disability. They want support and information. Taking Care is a book for all parents of disabled children, which has just been revised. It can be a valuable reference guide to parents and professionals who have contact with parents of disabled children. More information available at: www.doh.gov.uk/scg/takingcare.htm 10. Amendment: Guidance for General Practitioners - Medical Examinations and Medical Recommendations under the Mental Health Act 1983 Notice of the publication of the above guidance was given in Issue 74: 6 - 12 July edition of this Bulletin. Reported difficulties in downloading the guidance may have resulted in errors in the content of some of the forms. This has now been rectified and we would encourage everyone who has downloaded the forms before 9 August to download the forms once more to replace the earlier versions. Available at: www.doh.gov.uk/mhact1983/ Social Care Interest 11. National Adoption Standards for England LAC(2001)21: Paving the Way - The 'Catch Up' Exercise For The Adoption Register The Health Minister, Jacqui Smith, launched the Adoption Register for England and Wales on 7 August 2001. The three year contract to run the Register on behalf of the Department of Health and the National Assembly for Wales has been awarded to Norwood Ravenswood. The Register will be a national database containing information on all children waiting to be adopted and all approved adopters. This information will be used to suggest links between children and families. A list of possible links will be sent to the child's social worker, and it will be for them to investigate further. There will be no charge for using the Register. LAC(2001)21 'Paving the Way' sets out the arrangements to be put in place to prepare for the Adoption Register, and requires councils to take part in the 'catch up' and provide information to the Adoption Register under section 7(i) of the Local Authority and Social Services Act. LAC(2001)21 and the four associated forms can be accessed through the DH adoption website at: www.doh.gov.uk/adoption/register.htm LAC(2001)22: National Adoption Standards for England The Health Minister, Jacqui Smith, launched the National Adoption Standards for England on 7 August 2001. The Standards set out clearly what children, prospective adopters, adoptive parents and birth families can expect. Many of the Standards are already required either by primary legislation, regulations or statutory guidance. The remaining Standards are ambitious, and significant improvements in the adoption service will be needed over the coming years to meet them. The Government has made it clear that it intends to legislate to overhaul and modernise the legal framework for adoption. Should the Adoption and Children Bill become law, regulations and statutory guidance will be introduced. Meeting all the Standards will ultimately become a statutory duty for local councils and Voluntary Adoption Agencies. This guidance introduces two new requirements under section 7 of the Local Authority Social Services Act 1970. It is essential that councils begin planning to improve their services to meet the Standards now. The Department of Health will be monitoring the implementation of the Standards. Circular and mailing update form Also available through the DH adoption website at: www.doh.gov.uk/adoption LASSL(2001)5 Draft Practice Guidance to Support The National Adoption Standards - England Draft Standards And Practice Guidance - Adopted Adults And Their Birth Siblings The Department of Health has finalised the National Adoption Standards for England after a consultation exercise. Professionals will need access to a range of practice information to help them to deliver the Standards. To this end, the Department of Health has published today for consultation draft Practice Guidance to support the National Adoption Standards. A copy of the draft Practice Guidance is enclosed. You are encouraged to consider the proposals and submit your comments by Friday 30 November. The responses to the Adoption Standards consultation exercise gave a clear message that there should be standards to cover adopted adults. We have therefore produced a further set of draft Standards and Practice Guidance on Adopted Adults and their Birth Siblings which have been published today for consultation. You are encouraged to consider the proposals and submit your comments by Friday 30 November. Circular, consultation documents and feedback forms Draft Practice Guidance to Support the National Adoption Standards - England Draft Standards and Practice Guidance - Adopted Adults and their Birth Siblings Also available through the DH adoption website at: www.doh.gov.uk/adoption 12. Children's Social Services Core Information Requirements Version 2 This notice announces the availability of version 2 of the Children's Social Services Core Information requirements at the following website address: www.doh.gov.uk/qualityprotects/info/publications/coreinformationreq.htm These documents set out the core information that underpins the delivery of children's personal social services by councils with social services responsibility. The Process Model is designed to be accessible to social services managers. The Data Model is more technical and designed primarily for IT systems experts. The Executive Summary is the best way into this material. Version 2 has been produced following the consultation on version 1. All the suggestions were considered and most have been taken on board. The Executive Summary explains how version 2 differs from version 1. Minor changes to the document will be made as required and these will be identified as version 2.1, 2.2 etc. In this way we hope soon to introduce a version with some flow diagrams that were requested but we were unable to incorporate within our deadline. We anticipate issuing version 3 in 2002. This will incorporate the information potential of the Integrated Children's System and reflect new regulatory requirements stemming from the implementation of the Care Standards Act. We are undertaking a dissemination strategy designed to draw the attention of key interested parties to this material. You can help in this strategy by passing on this information through your contacts. There is no formal consultation on version 2 but as a "living document" we anticipate the need for comment, suggestion and change. To facilitate this we have opened up a mailbox at this address: For those of you that cannot access the documents easily through the website, limited numbers of hard copies can be obtained via the mailbox. 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
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