A-Z site index | Search
| Links |
Contact
DH | Help
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
 |
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
|
Full proposals for the new NHS pay deal – Agenda for Change – have now been published for consultation. As well as outlining the new pay system, the document highlights the measures which will be introduced to support career development for staff. Negotiations between the four UK health departments, NHS employers and staff organisations were completed last November. Now members of staff organisations will be asked whether they approve of the proposals. The consultation document is at www.doh.gov.uk/agendaforchange/proposedagreement.htm An NHS Job Evaluation Handbook detailing proposed pay bands for common NHS jobs is available at www.doh.gov.uk/agendaforchange/jobevaluationhandbook.htm If staff support the new structure, it is likely to be piloted across England early in the summer. HR departments in all trusts will be sent hard copies of the documents. New vision for diabetes services Improved standards in treatment, care and support for people with diabetes will be delivered under a new national service framework (NSF). The Diabetes NSF Delivery Strategy, launched on 9 January, says every person with, or at risk of, diabetes will be offered regular check ups and appropriate treatment. It stresses the emphasis on patient focused care and the need for structured education for patients. Nurses will be central to improving services for people living with diabetes, and enabling them to care for themselves better. Nurses working in both primary and secondary care will be key to ensuring NSF targets are met. Chief nursing officer Sarah Mullally said: "Nurses are in a very strong position to help improve diabetes services for patients. It is planned to increase the number of diabetes nurse specialists to enhance local services. "In addition, nurses working in primary care will be encouraged to lead dedicated diabetes clinics where these don’t already exist." The delivery strategy emphasises the need for diabetes care to be centred on services within primary care. Another specific target says that by 2007, all PCTs will provide eye screening services. The vision for diabetes services over the next ten years also stresses the importance of putting patients at the centre of their care, helping them manage their condition and preventing the development of complications. There are 1.3 million people with diabetes in England and every year the number of people with the disease increases. The delivery strategy follows the NSF for Diabetes: Standards published in December 2001. The NSF can be found at: www.doh.gov.uk/nsf/diabetes/ Can these bullets be in a box as you did for the GP bulletin? Diabetes NSF – supporting programmes
Good practice in diabetes education Newly diagnosed diabetes patients in Portsmouth are receiving expert advice and training to help them take control of their own care. They spend a whole day learning about the condition, how it will affect their lives and how best to manage it. A series of workshops has been organised for people with type 2 diabetes. A learning programme is also being developed for patients who discover they have type 1 diabetes. Consultant nurse in diabetes care Sue Cradock – who works across Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust and Portsmouth City PCT – said: "We’ve got a lot of experience in primary care nurse-led clinics but when we held patient meetings we realised there was a gap and that we needed good information and education. "My role is to raise the profile of patient education and develop structured education programmes." Further developments for enhancing patient involvement in Portsmouth include plans for a chronic disease self-management training centre, covering diabetes and other chronic diseases. "We also have a network across the three PCTs in Portsmouth for any nurse interested in diabetes," said Sue, a diabetes nurse for 18 years. "This helps to maintain their interest and enthusiasm and recognises the valuable contribution they are making to diabetes care."
News in Brief A review of staffing methods used in general nursing has been published by the Department of Health. This is in response to the November 2001 Audit Commission report Ward Staffing. The new report uses a range of good practice examples to provide an overview of different staffing techniques to help improve the available skill mix. A programme of workshops is being run to help convey these ideas. A summary of the department’s findings has been sent to all NHS trust directors of nursing and PCT lead nurses – see Skill mix tools for matrons and ward managers CNO PL (2003) 1. The aim is to help matrons and ward managers make the best use of the staffing budgets devolved to them – see Ward staffing budgets CNO PL (2002) 3. These documents are on the COIN database at www.doh.gov.uk/publications/index.html Full details at: www.nuffield.leeds.ac.uk/content/research/health_social_care_systems/main.asp
Electronic Library for Health update The National electronic Library for Health (NeLH) has launched a new section aimed at providing the NHS with a national point of access for sharing clinical protocols and integrated care pathways - www.nelh.nhs.uk/carepathways The section also includes a new guidance document – Protocol-Based Care: underpinning improvement – explaining the roles of protocols and care pathways. This can be downloaded at www.nelh.nhs.uk/carepathways/cdrom The NeLH is a free digital library available to NHS staff, patients and the public. It provides professionals with access to up-to-date information to support health care-related decisions. Contact: Colin Gordon on 07881 625146 or colinngordon@aol.com Local reviews of heart services will take place in 2003/04 as part of a national progress report on the implementation of the Coronary Heart Disease National Service Framework (NSF). They will be co-ordinated by the Commission for Health Improvement (CHI) and Audit Commission. The aim of the reviews is to support the NHS in improving services for patients with heart disease. Each review will focus on a local population and the PCTs, hospitals, ambulance services and local authorities that serve them. One community in each strategic health authority will be selected for review, with the first wave starting in April 2003. Local reports and a national overview will be produced. Details at www.chi.nhs.uk/eng/nsf/chd/index.shtml New staff recruitment campaign The 2003 NHS recruitment campaign begins on 17 February. Trusts are encouraged to use this national focus to support local recruitment initiatives. Around 50,000 people contacted NHS Careers as a result of last year’s campaign. More than 2,000 of those wanted to find out more about careers in nursing, midwifery, health visiting and the allied health professions. This year’s drive will highlight flexible working, increased pay, access to childcare and the NHS pension scheme as positive reasons for joining the NHS. A resource pack to support local recruitment activities will be available from mid-February at www.nhscareers.nhs.uk (User name: nhscareers. Password: resources) Information on the campaign is available through your local workforce development confederation (WDC) at www.wdc.nhs.uk/wdconfeds This month, chief nursing officer Sarah Mullally talks about the pay deal for NHS staff and the new-style CNO Bulletin. Rewarding staff fairly for the work they do is now at the top of the agenda with the recent publication of the full Agenda for Change pay proposals. The negotiations concluded on the proposed pay deal in November last year. This new document includes further details of how the system will be implemented. Agenda for Change is designed to ensure you are rewarded for the work you do and that as you develop your role, you are appropriately paid. The system promotes career progression, recruitment and retention of nursing staff, recognises competence in meeting patient needs and supports a range of different career pathways. To support the consultation process, the first edition of an NHS Job Evaluation Handbook has been made available which offers guidance on the job evaluation scheme and demonstrates how staff will fit into the new pay structure. If you are part of an NHS staff organisation, you will soon be asked for your views on the proposals and whether they should be taken forward. If Agenda for Change is approved, 12 ‘early implementer’ sites will start using the new pay system in June with full implementation starting in October 2004. I hope you will take the opportunity to read about Agenda for Change, discuss it with colleagues and feed your thoughts into the consultation process. As you can see, the February edition of The CNO Bulletin has been redesigned. This is part of my commitment to continually improve the way we communicate with you, by ensuring that the most relevant information is easily identifiable and that information is presented in a more digestible way for what I know is a very busy readership. I’m extremely keen to here your comments on the content and layout of this bulletin. Please send your thoughts to CNO-Bulletin@doh.gsi.gov.uk Sarah Mullally
Have your say ……………. We also want to hear your views on the subjects covered in the bulletin - for example, this month, on the Diabetes NSF Delivery Strategy launch. You can email chief nursing officer Sarah Mullally direct at We'll use your feedback to develop and shape future bulletins. It will also contribute to understanding better the views of NHS employees on current issues. Please be assured that all feedback is confidential and that any opinions quoted will be featured anonymously.
Email is the fastest and most cost-effective way for us to send The CNO Bulletin to you. Anyone with access to an email address can subscribe and we want to encourage more readers. How to subscribe:
Please provide the email address you would like to use, your name, job title, full name of organisation, full postal address with postcode, plus phone and fax numbers. These details will be stored on a database held by the Department of Health database for future mailings of this bulletin. Did you see the news about…? If you missed an announcement or new development of interest to you, the chances are it could be listed in The Digest. Each month The Digest features subjects of note including where to obtain more information. CNO’s 10 key roles – report summaries The chief nursing officer’s 10 key roles initiative has highlighted some leading examples of innovative nursing practices. Last November, nurse executive directors and lead nurses were asked by CNO to provide summaries of matrons’ reports on implementation of these key roles. These summaries have demonstrated many new nurse or midwife-led services which have led to better care for patients. Outstanding responses to the CNO’s request should be forwarded as soon as possible. This will help provide a comprehensive picture of nursing and midwifery innovation across the NHS which will be put forward in a report to the secretary of state. The 10 key roles document is at www.doh.gov.uk/newrolesfornurses CNO’s letter requesting the summaries is at – PL CNO (2002) 5 – is at www.doh.gov.uk/cno/letters.htm#keyroles Extra support for nurse prescribers Web-based information is being made available to support the increasing role of nurses in prescribing. Current Problems in Pharmacovigilance – a bulletin published jointly by the Medicines Control Agency (MCA) and the Committee on Safety of Medicines (CSM) – is available on the internet. It contains up-to-date information on drug safety issues and advice on using medicines safely. See www.mca.gov.uk/mca/homemain.htm and click on post licensing. Information on the ‘Yellow Card’ drug reactions monitoring scheme is at www.mca.gov.uk/yellowcard Increased funding for nursing care in care homes comes into force from April. The three nursing care bands will be raised from £35 to £40, £70 to £75 and £110 to £120. From April, the NHS will be involved with all care home residents who receive care from a registered nurse. Around 42,000 people benefited from free nursing care when it was introduced in October 2001. www.doh.gov.uk/jointunit/nhsfundednursingcare Maternity certificates – reminder of changes Form MATB1 (maternity certificate) can be signed by a GP or midwife from 20 weeks before the expected week of confinement. This enables GPs and midwives to align issuing the certificate with scheduled antenatal appointment times, eliminating the need for an extra appointment. Midwives who complete the form should give the expiry date of UKCC registration as well as their UKCC pin number. The revised MATB1 form reflecting these changes is available to from Secure Printing Systems by faxing 0161 6832450. Orders should be submitted on headed paper. For further information contact Judith Guest on judith.guest@doh.gsi.gov.uk Pregnant women should be warned to avoid close contact with sheep during forthcoming lambing periods. They should also avoid handling clothing or boots which have been in contact with sheep. Infections can pose a serious risk to them and their unborn child. A free leaflet for midwives and GPs – While you are pregnant: How to avoid infection from food and from contact with animals – is available from doh@prolog.uk.com or 08701 555455 Health checks for new NHS workers Draft guidance on health checks for workers new to the NHS has been put out to consultation. The guidance proposes extra health checks for serious communicable diseases such as HIV and hepatitis C. The measures are not intended to prevent health care workers infected with blood-borne viruses from working in the NHS, but are designed to restrict them from working in clinical areas where their infection may pose a risk to patients in their care. The consultation document is available at www.doh.gov.uk/healthclear/ Publication of chief executive’s report The Chief Executive’s Report to the NHS was published in December 2002. It shows that the number of nurses increased in 2001 by 14,430 and early information suggests it has increased a further 14,000 in 2002. The number of acute and general beds has increased by 789 in 2001 and a projected 1,100 in 2002. The report also highlights a rise in calls to NHS Direct, increased use of walk-in centres, reductions in maximum waiting times and growth in activity across health and social care services. The report is at www.doh.gov.uk/nhsreport/ A statistical supplement is at: www.doh.gov.uk/nhsreport/statsupp.htm Cardiac care nurses can find all the latest news about coronary heart disease (CHD) services in a regular newsletter. Newsbeat – produced jointly by the Department of Health and the NHS Modernisation Agency’s CHD Collaborative – also contains a range of good practice case studies. Newsbeat is at www.doh.gov.uk/heart/newsbeat Hard copies from: newsbeat@doh.gsi.gov.uk Eliminating mixed sex accommodation New figures show that 98 per cent of NHS trusts are now providing single-sex sleeping accommodation. A total of 93 per cent of trusts are also ensuring properly segregated bathroom and toilet facilities for men and women. A further two percent plan to deliver this standard by the end of March 2003. The NHS target was for 95 per cent of trusts to deliver separate sleeping
areas and separate toilet and washing facilities by December 2002. Education quality assurance – new DH team A quality assurance team has been appointed within the Department of Health HR directorate to streamline, integrate and improve the impact of external quality assurance on education. Sandy Goulding leads the team, supported by four senior quality assurance co-ordinators representing the North, Midlands, London and South. The team will work with stakeholders to develop a shared framework for quality assurance. www.doh.gov.uk/hrinthenhs/learning/section3/aboutus Education quality assurance – reviews published Prototype reviews of six NHS-funded education programmes have been published. The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA), under contract with the Department of Health, conducted reviews of nursing and allied health professional education in higher education institutions. The department is now working with the nursing and midwifery council,
health professions council and NHS workforce development confederations
to build the results into the national quality assurance programme. A guide to NHS foundation trusts has been published. It explains how they will be run, the freedoms they will have from Whitehall and local accountability arrangements. The new trusts will be able to recruit and employ their own staff and offer rewards for improvements in productivity. www.doh.gov.uk/nhsfoundationtrusts A new £4m public information campaign has been launched to raise awareness of the risk of sexually transmitted infections among 18-30 year-olds. The two-year drive ‘Don’t play the sex lottery – use a condom’ is aimed at young adults on low incomes, highlighted as high risk. A web site www.playingsafely.co.uk has been developed to provide information to the target group. The campaign is part of the national strategy for sexual health and HIV. The strategy can be found at www.doh.gov.uk/sexualhealthandhiv/index.htm Invitation to tender on next wave of DTCs Independent health care providers are being invited to work with the NHS to develop a new wave of 11 locally-driven diagnosis and treatment centres (DTCs). The providers will either work in a joint venture with the NHS or alone, creating capacity to provide 39,500 extra operations a year by 2005. DTCs provide ring-fenced capacity for elective surgery and test. Ten DTCs are already open with another 19 in development. www.info.doh.gov.uk/doh/intpress.nsf/page/2002-0529?OpenDocument Guidance has been published aimed at helping NHS trusts comply with the European Working Time Directive (EWTD) for doctors in training. Pilot projects are being launched in NHS trusts to develop and test solutions to implementing the EWTD. Many of these involve innovative and existing roles for nurses and other non-medical staff. Nineteen pilots have been agreed, further ones are being discussed. Guidance is at www.doh.gov.uk/workingtime Queries to EWTD@doh.gsi.gov.uk Guidance contact: Shain Clarke. Pilot contact: Jackie Howard. A scheme to encourage innovation and good practice in specialities with long waits has been expanded. Action On, run by the NHS Modernisation Agency, has already achieved success in ophthalmology, dermatology, ENT and orthopaedics. Now it is being expanded to cover general surgery, plastic surgery and urology. Health communities are being invited to bid to become plastic surgery
and urology pilot sites. Funding of up to £75,000 is available. Health care workers are to benefit from a £45 million upgrade to the NHSnet. The network, which carries over 100 million messages a month, is to be transferred to broadband access. This will speed up online appointment booking and prescription transfers. It will also improve access to electronic health records. The bandwidth upgrade is due to be completed by March 2004. www.nhsia.nhs.uk/nhsnet/pages/connecting/bandwidth/upgrades.asp A three-year package of £148 billion will be paid directly to 304 PCTs for the first time in April. This is a cash increase of almost one third. The figure means no PCT will receive less than a 28 per cent increase in funding. The average PCT budget is expected to grow by almost £42 million. The allocation will put 75 per cent of the NHS budget under the control of primary care. www.info.doh.gov.uk/doh/IntPress.nsf/page/2002-0520?OpenDocument Price freeze for generic drugs The maximum price scheme for generic drugs will not change this year following consultation with manufacturers. The Department of Health says the scheme has contributed significantly to price stability. It estimates that pegging the price has saved the NHS £330m a year since it was introduced in August 2000. www.doh.gov.uk/generics Details of the role and remit of the Commission for Healthcare Audit and Inspection (CHAI) are expected to be published soon. The new watchdog will combine inspection work of the Commission for Health Improvement (CHI), the value for money work of the Audit Commission and the private health care inspection duties of the National Care Standards Commission. CHAI will be chaired by Sir Ian Kennedy, whose report into children’s heart surgery in Bristol called for a more integrated inspection process. www.chi.nhs.uk Discharge from hospital - good practice guide Discharge from Hospital: Pathway, Process and Practice is a good practice guide that updates and builds on the 1994 Hospital Discharge Workbook. It is at www.doh.gov.uk/jointunit/delayeddischarge/index.htm Hard copies from doh@prolog.uk.com Contact: John.Crook@doh.gsi.gov.uk or Jenny.Mudge@doh.gsi.gov.uk
Diary Conference info Sharing good practice in nurse recruitment A major conference this month will focus on making the national nurse recruitment campaign work at a local level. The event – at the QEII Conference Centre, London, on 6 February – is designed to help local recruitment teams use resources more effectively. The day’s programme will combine presentations and practical workshops. Aimed at everyone in the NHS responsible for local recruitment, the conference will provide the opportunity to:
The conference – Successful recruiting – making the national campaign work for you locally – is subsidised by the Department of Health with fees starting at £50 plus VAT for NHS employees. Conference hotline 020 8334 4525 or www.chamberlaindunn.com Modernising cancer services conference The Cancer Services Collaborative (CSC) is hosting a major conference, Modernising Cancer Services – Excellence in patient care, on 7 March at the International Conference Centre, Birmingham. Around 1,500 delegates are expected from the CSC, NHS Modernisation Agency, and the wider NHS. Chaired by Jonathan Dimbleby, speakers include: Hazel Blears MP, national cancer director Professor Mike Richards, NHS Modernisation Agency director David Fillingham, CSC national clinical lead Professor David Kerr, director of the Commission for Health Improvement (CHI) Dr Peter Homa and CSC national director Janet Williamson. Further information and bookings at www.modern.nhs.uk/cancer or http://195.40.181.94/cscconference/home.asp Cardiac care nurse consultants A meeting for cardiac nurse consultants takes place on 18 March in London. The meeting aims to provide an update on key policy issues and to help develop a consultant cardiologist nurse network. Extra delegates will be accepted up to 14 March. Contact: Maree.Barnett@doh.gsi.gov.uk Events Nurses Day Nurses Day 2003 will be held on 12 May – the anniversary of Florence Nightingale’s birth. The aim of the annual event is to provide a positive image of modern day nursing. Activities in the past have included school visits by nurses, competitions and nurse-themed lesson plans. A key objective for this year is to provide a better understanding of how the NHS is relevant to children and families. The information gathered from local activities will help create more child-focused services and influence the Children’s National Service Framework. Details at www.nursesday.co.uk and www.learnaboutnursing.org Feedback on how these websites can be improved is welcome. Please send your thoughts to Robert Tunmore on 020 7210 5079 or CNO-Bulletin@doh.gsi.gov.uk by 14 February.
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||
You
are here: