This week, read about the launch of the adult social care engagement exercise, find out what a ’Ready Reckoner’ is and learn how you can participate in a consultation on the responsibilities of doctors in protecting children and young people.
Download ‘the week’: issue 214, 9 – 15 September 2011 (PDF, 41K)
Download ‘the week’: issue 214, 9 – 15 September 2011 (RTF, 512K)
On the agenda
Adult social care engagement exercise launched
(Gateway reference number: 16633)
On 15 September 2011, the Government launched ‘Caring for our future: shared ambitions for care and support’ – an engagement exercise with people who use care and support services, carers, local councils, care providers and the voluntary sector about the priorities for improving care and support. The discussion will inform will inform a Government White Paper on social care reform and a progress report on funding reform that will be published in spring 2012.
For further information, see Caring for our future
Policy news
1. NHS support for social care: provision of support for memory services
2. Equality Act Specific Duties approved by Parliament
Consultations and evaluations
3. Protecting children and young people: the responsibilities of doctors
Publications
4. Developing Clinical Senates and Networks
5. Release of the ‘Ready Reckoner’ CCG running costs tool
6. Benchmarking of in-patient prescription charts
7. Publication of Organisation Patient Safety Incident data
Conferences and events
i. what’s new
No news this week
ii. places still available
No news this week
Patient safety alerts
Refer to website below
Extra notes
Chief executives are reminded that all communications requiring the attention of NHS and local authority management must include a Gateway reference number. In order to streamline the number of communications issued by the Department, these will continue to be summarised in ‘the week’ every Thursday.
Policy news
1. NHS support for social care: provision of support for memory services
(Gateway reference number: 16406)
Following publication of the first national audit of dementia services, the Department is providing £10m of additional support to social care via PCTs for memory services. Following agreement of areas of investment and the outcomes expected, PCTs should transfer the funding to the relevant local authority.
Action: PCT chief executives will wish to work with local authority colleagues to agree appropriate areas of investment and expected outcomes.
2. Equality Act Specific Duties approved by Parliament
(Gateway reference number: 16590)
To help public bodies perform the public sector Equality Duty (PSED) more effectively, regulations were approved by Parliament last week that require public bodies to publish information to demonstrate compliance with the PSED at least annually starting by 31 January 2012 and to prepare and publish equality objectives at least every four years starting by 6 April 2012. Earlier this year, the Equality Delivery System (EDS) was rolled out to the NHS to help it meet the PSED and the two specific duties.
Action: NHS and local authority chief executives will wish to ensure their organisations provide timely responses and consider using the EDS to help them do so.
More information:
- the regulations – The Equality Act 2010 (Specific Duties) Regulations 2011
- from the Home Office on Public sector Equality Duty
- EDS
Consultations and evaluations
3. Protecting children and young people: the responsibilities of doctors
(Gateway reference number: 16625)
The General Medical Council (GMC) is consulting on draft guidance entitled ‘Protecting children and young people: the responsibilities of doctors’. The consultation closes on 14 October 2011. The GMC is interested in views of organisations, doctors, nurses, social workers, young people, parents, carers and others who have a role in child protection.
Action: NHS and local authority chief executives, directors of Children’s Services and others who wish to participate in the consultation should note the closing date of 14 October 2011.
Publications
4. Developing clinical senates and networks
(Gateway reference number: 16614)
Following the publication of the Future Forum report and the Government’s response, there has been a great deal of interest in proposals for new clinical senates and the role of clinical networks in the new system. This letter from Kathy McLean, Medical Director, East Midlands, sets out her new role in developing these proposals and opportunities to contribute.
Action: SHA and PCT cluster chief executives will wish to consider the opportunities to get involved with the development of clinical senates and networks.
Read more about developing clinical senates and networks
5. Release of the ‘Ready Reckoner’ CCG running costs tool
(Gateway reference number: 16585)
The Department has released the ’Ready Reckoner’, an interactive running costs tool for clinical commissioning groups (CCGs). The tool allows CCGs to consider the financial implications of different commissioning support arrangements and staffing structures and allows them to work through the potential impact that their population coverage has on resources.
Action: SHA and PCT cluster chief executives will wish to consider the use of the tool and are encouraged to engage CCGs in local discussions.
Read more on the ’Ready Reckoner’
6. Benchmarking of in-patient prescription charts
(Gateway reference number: 16496)
Trusts should consider benchmarking their in-patient prescription charts against guidelines recently published by the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges. This letter explaining the work was sent from the NHS Medical Director, the Chief Pharmaceutical Officer and the Chief Nursing Officer.
Action: NHS chief executives, in discussion with their chief pharmacists, will wish to consider their current stationery and benchmark against recommended guidelines.
Read the guidelines for design of in-patient prescription charts
7. Publication of Organisation Patient Safety Incident Reports data
(Gateway reference number: 16627)
On 13 September 2011, the National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA) published the Organisation Patient Safety Incident Reports data. High levels of incident reporting provide an indication of an increased safety culture within the organisation.
Action: NHS chief executives will wish to view their organisation’s performance data and compare with similar organisations.
Read the sixth release of the Organisation Patient Safety Incident Reports
Conferences and events
i. what’s new
No news this week
ii. places still available
No news this week
Patient safety alerts
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has sent the NHS the latest medical device alerts in the link below. NHS trusts are expected to take the specified action by the date given.
Unless otherwise stated, guidance referred to in the bulletin has not been commissioned or endorsed by the Department of Health – it is evidence that organisations and professionals may find helpful in improving practice. The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence is the Department’s provider of accredited evidence and guidance, which can be found on the Institute’s website
