Treating
NHS patients overseas
In August
last year the Secretary of State announced that NHS commissioners
could commission healthcare from outside the UK. This followed
European Court rulings the previous month.
The first
nine patients travelled to Northern France for treatment on 19
January, as part of a pilot project based in the South East of
England. Around 200 patients from East Kent, Portsmouth and West
Sussex/East Surrey are likely to follow them over the next few
weeks to hospitals in France and Germany.
The Department
of Health is considering how best to manage the process of commissioning
treatment for patients overseas in the context of the need to
broaden patient choice and reduce waiting times. The process raises
serious clinical, quality and legal issues. Guidance will be published
shortly.
In the meantime,
any patients enquiring about the possibility of treatment abroad
should be advised that the pilot is still at an early stage. GPs
might also wish to discuss with their PCG/PCTs any anticipated
need to access overseas capacity in future, as part of local efforts
to reduce waiting times.
For more information,
contact Peter Huntley (Peter.Huntley@ekentha.nhs.uk),
chief executive of Channel PCG, who is coordinating the pilot
project, or Tim Baxter (tbaxter@doh.gsi.gov.uk),
who leads on this work in the Department of Health.
 Top
Shifting
the Balance of Power - Update
Announced
by Secretary of State in April 2001, Shifting the Balance of Power
is the programme to empower frontline staff, the public and patients
in the running of the NHS.
A discussion
period revealed much support for the aims of the programme. One
of the concerns raised was the capacity and capability of Primary
Care Trusts to handle the functions to be devolved from the existing
Health Authorities after April 2002. A comprehensive development
programme is now in place to address this, ensuring PCTs are enabled
to successfully take on their new agenda.
In December,
the boundaries of the new Health Authorities (to be called Strategic
Health Authorities from October 2002, subject to legislation)
were announced. There will be 28 of these organisations, each
serving a population of approximately 1.5 million people. Their
role will be to create a strategic framework and develop and performance
manage the local health service.
January 2002
has seen the publication of 'Shifting the Balance of Power - The
Next Steps', which sets out the way forward, including details
of the PCT development programme. See www.doh.gov.uk/shiftingthebalance.
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Golden
Hello Application Form - Update
The NHS GP
Golden Hello scheme was rolled out on 2 November 2001. The scheme
gives up to £5,000 to new NHS GPs and those returning to general
practice from the GP Retainer scheme, with an extra payment of
up to £5,000 if they work in an under-doctored area.
The application
form for claiming Golden Hello payments has recently been updated.
New applicants should use the new version. This can be found,
along with guidance on the scheme, at www.doh.gov.uk/pricare/goldenhello.
Any queries to Katie Cusick on 0113 2545850 or email at katie.cusick@doh.gsi.gov.uk.
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GP
Pay Award Announced
Pay rises
for all NHS staff covered by the independent Pay Review Bodies
were announced on 17 December. All the rises are to be paid in
full, without staging.
For GPs this
means:
- A 4.6%
overall rise in the feescale (more than twice the underlying
rate of inflation).
- A 19.5%
increase in the pay of a typical GP registrar.
This year
the DDRB, at the request of the Government, concentrated its recommendations
for GPs on the feescale (the money GPs actually receive for pay
and expenses). This is a one-off approach intended to cover the
transitional period before the introduction of the new GMS contract.
For the second
year running the recovery of the past overpayments (the balancing
mechanism) has been suspended. Handling of the cumulative debt
will now be discussed as part of the ongoing contract negotiations.
The increase
will come into effect from 1 April. The new rates for the fees
and allowances will be announced before then.
For enquiries
please contact Katy Lindfield on 0113 2546337 or email katy.lindfield@doh.gsi.gov.uk
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Electronic
Booking Systems
A framework
for electronic booking has been developed. This will support achieving
the targets set out in the NHS Plan, which pledged that booking
systems will replace hospital waiting lists by the end of 2005.
The framework
allows local communities the freedom to implement local solutions
within a common national framework. It can be found at
www.doh.gov.uk/nhsplanbookingsystems
For further
details, please contact Deborah Harrison (tel 0113 2546110) or
Martin Moffat (0113 2545317), or email MB-NHS-PLAN-BOOKING-SYSTEM@doh.gsi.gov.uk
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Skills
for Life
GP surgeries
and local health care organisations are being asked to help support
a national campaign to improve adult literacy and numeracy skills.
Up to 7 million
adults in England have literacy skills at or below those expected
of an average 11 year-old; this includes around 1 million who
do not have English as their first language. Even more have a
problem with numeracy.
As part of
a national strategy, Skills for Life, the Department for
Education and Skills (DfES) has launched a publicity campaign.
This is targeted primarily at people who have weak literacy, numeracy
or English language skills and who are not in any form of learning.
GP surgeries and local health and social care organisations are
ideal places within which literature and/or the motivational video
promoting basic skills development moght be displayed. Additionally,
Health Action Zones could potentially play a useful role in promoting
adult literacy and numeracy skills as part of their wider remit
of tackling inequalities in health.
For more information,
contact:
Alternatively,
for more information about the Department of Health's involvement
in promoting/implementing the Skills for Life strategy,
please contact Karen Teal on 0113 2546147 or e-mail karen.teal@doh.gsi.gov.uk.
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Better
Services - Better Working Lives
Suggestions
for local action to improve health and education services for
women — whether they work in them or use them — are
featured in a new report by the Women and Equality Unit. 'Better
Services - Better Working Lives' offers over 30 examples of flexible
and responsive services that are being provided in schools and
health centres.
See the report
at www.womenandequalityunit.gov.uk.
For a hard copy, write to DfES Publications, PO Box 5050, Sherwood
Park, Annesley, Nottinghamshire, NG15 0DJ; call 0845 60 222 60
or email dfes@prolog.uk, and
quote ref. WEU/PS1
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Copying
Clinicians' Letters to Patients - Update
The NHS Plan
made a commitment that in future letters written between clinicians’
about patients will be copied to the patient concerned. The
Department of Health set up a Working Group in July 2001, which
is expected to produce guidelines by the summer of 2002. NHS organisations
will then be encouraged to undertake pilot projects. Full implementation
is expected by April 2004.
The Working
Group is chaired by Barbara Meredith, Policy and Communications
Manager, Age Concern London. Its membership includes patients,
doctors, nurses, hospital information/records staff, representatives
from patients groups, information scientists' researchers, etc.
Further information can be obtained from Sue Sharples, secretary
to the Working Group at the following address:
Department
of Health, Room 1N13, Quarry Hill, Leeds LS2 7UE or email ssharple@doh.gsi.gov.uk
Top
Initiative
to reduce number of GP appointments
The Department
of Health and the Department of Work & Pensions has commissioned
the Doctor Patient Partnership to undertake a publicity campaign
to cut requests for sicknotes, which account for 2.4 million GP
appointments per year. Employees only need statutory sicknotes
when they have been off work for over 7 days, but many companies
demand them for periods as short as one or two days. The new campaign
targets employers to stop them requiring their employees to go
to GPs for short-term sickness certification.
For more information
on managing absence log onto www.managingabsence.org.uk.
It offers employers access to comprehensive information about
good practice in managing absence.
Contact: Patient
Partnership: Pamela Prentice, 020 7383 6144, 0780 33 99 826 (after
6pm and weekends) fax: 020 7554 6966, or Marianne Smith 0207 383
6828
DPP Internet
site: http://www.doctorpatient.org.uk
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NHS/University
for Industry conference, Birmingham, 12 March
An opportunity
for senior NHS staff interested in the Lifelong Learning and workforce
development agenda to hear first-hand about the Department of
Health-supported pilot project involving 16 NHS organisations
in England and the University for Industry (learndirect),
which specialises in "e-learning".
The aim of
the conference is to explain the project aims and objectives,
explain the University for Industry (learndirect) and
hear from participants about their experiences. The day is an
ideal opportunity to consider this in the context of the Lifelong
Learning Framework, Working Together Learning Together (www.doh.gov.uk/lifelonglearning).
For further
information please contact the conference organiser: Ros Suttle,
Conference Project Manager, ALPHA, Block 2, Ida Darwin, Fulbourn,
Cambridge, CB1 5EE. Tel 01223 884811 Fax 01223 884801, email ros.suttle@lifespan-tr.anglox.nhs.uk
Top
Online
PGEA courses on the NHS Net
Over 1,000
hours of PGEA-accredited courses have been launched on the NHS
Net at nww.doctoronline.nhs.uk
Internet site
- www.doctoronline.nhs.uk
GPs who are
seeking to complete courses for either PGEA or PPDP can now do
so at work or at home, by simply downloading one of a vast range
of courses.
The Royal
College of General Practitioners accredited the courses for a
total of 30 Disease Management hours per year. These range across
the clinical spectrum — from 20 common eye problems to skiing
and snowboarding injuries; from praying with patients to managing
infantile colic; and from bio-terrorism to controversies in the
management of otitis media.
The advantages
of online education are clear: GPs can study when and where they
like, without paying for accommodation, travel, or locums to sit
in on missed surgeries. They can then request their Certificates
of Completion online and simply submit these to their health authority
to claim their £3,000 allowance.
Top
Allergy
education courses
The British
Allergy Foundation’s programme for 2002 includes a 7 module
e-learning web course from Oct 2002- Apr 2003 leading to the Diploma
in Allergy (e-mail rosiebaf@nascr.net),
and a 2 day clinical skills course for health professionals (21/5
& 9/7), (11/9 & 6/11). It also features one-day allergy
awareness roadshows in Belfast (15/5), Edinburgh (17/7), Bristol
(25/9), and Nottingham (13/11). For all courses, CPD accreditation
is sought from the appropriate bodies.
For details
and application forms, contact Rosemarie Skinner at The British
Allergy Foundation, Deepdene House, 30 Bellegrove Road, Welling,
Kent, DA16 3PY (tel 020 8303 8525; fax 020 8303 8792; www.allergyfoundation.com
Top
MDA
Safety Notices
|
DEVICE ALERTS
|
|
|
DA2001
(07):
|
Recall
of Baxter A and AF Series Dialysers |
|
DA2001
(09):
|
LCx
Chlamydia trachomatis Assay
|
| SAFETY
NOTICES |
|
| SN2001
(27): |
Programmable
Hydrocephalus Shunts: Risk of Reprogramming during Magnetic
Resonance Imaging (MRI) Procedures |
| SN2001
(28): |
Compatibility
of Medical Devices and Reprocessing Equipment with Decontamination
Agents |
| SN2001
(30): |
Recall:
Maersk Medical Defibrillation Pads |
|
SN2001
(31):
|
Invacare
Powered Wheelchairs. Risks of Drive Wheels Becoming Detached
from Wheelchair during Use
|
|
SN2001
(33):
|
Manual
Resuscitators/Self-inflating Resuscitation Bag: Risk of
Misassembly following Cleaning
|
|
SN2001
(34):
|
Matechana
Minicave Model 21Le Vacuum Benchtop Steam Sterilizer
|
How to
report adverse incidents
Incidents
relating to medical devices must be reported to the Medical Devices
Agency as soon as possible. Further information and printed report
forms are available from: MDA Adverse Incident Centre, Medical
Devices Agency, Hannibal House, Elephant & Castle, London
SE1 6TQ Telephone 020 7972 8080 (an answerphone service operates
outside normal office hours); or fax 020 7972 8109; or E-mail
aic@medical-devices.gov.uk;
or the MDA Internet site (http://www.medical-devices.gov.uk).
Top
The Bulletin in
Portable Document Format 
|
