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Concerned about a colleague's performance?

AHPs concerned or worried about a colleague's performance are urged to study a new leaflet outlining what action they can take.

Produced by the National Clinical Assessment Authority (NCCA), it tells staff how they can report any concerns about the professional performance or conduct of a colleague and where they can go to for support.

Aimed mainly at NHS primary care staff, Concerned about the performance of a colleague? has been produced with input from national and local stakeholders.

Examples include poor management or administration, harassment, not complying with employment law and poor clinical performance. Other topics covered include the responsibilities of PCTs and confidentiality.

Free copies are available by e-mailing NCAA, stating your name, position, address and the number of copies requested.

• mailto:ncaa@ncaa.nhs.uk (opens new window)

Physiotherapists' registration - urgent reminder

Physiotherapists only have until 14 May to renew their professional registration with the Health Professions Council (HPC).

Failure to re-register by the new date will result in their professional registration being lapsed.

To renew, all physiotherapists MUST pay their registration fees (or the first instalment if paying by direct debit) AND sign a renewal form.

More information, including replacement renewal forms which can be downloaded from the HPC website

You can also telephone 0845 3004 472, fax 0207 840 9801 or e-mail the HPC

Any physiotherapists who appear on the HPC's online register as 'registered until 1/5/2006' can ignore this message.

• http://www.hpc-uk.org/registrants/renew/ (opens new window)
• mailto:registration@hpc-uk.org (opens new window)

New Healthcare Commission launched

Improving care for all patients is the aim of the new Healthcare Commission, which launched on 1 April.

It will inspect health services, review performance and publish results. It will also work with other bodies to reduce the bureaucracy of regulation.

Covering the NHS and private and voluntary sectors, it takes over from the former Commission for Health Improvement, part of the National Care Standards Commission and the work on achieving value for money in health, previously carried out by the Audit Commission.

First-year priorities include reviewing primary care and mental health trusts' clinical governance arrangements and licensing private and voluntary health care organisations.

Chairman Professor Sir Ian Kennedy said: "We aim to tailor our approach so that, when care is good, we get out of the way, but when we have concerns, we can address them quickly and effectively."

More at

• Healthcare Commission (opens new window)

Better experience - by design

Hospitals across the NHS are using creative ways to improve patient visits to accident and emergency (A&E).

An NHS Estates progress report published by A&E patient experience clinical director Jonathan Asbridge highlights good lighting, comfortable seating, children's play areas and food and drink facilities as just some of the inventive ways in which hospitals are improving the patient experience.

He said: "People in A&E are often in pain and under great stress. Meeting the needs of this wide mix of adults, children and older people all at the same time is a major challenge. This report shows some of the inventive and unique ways in which we can improve everybody's experience of A&E."

The Department of Health has allocated £10,000 to every A&E department in England where a modern matron is in post to help make A&E a more pleasant experience.

More at

• Estates and Facilities Knowledge and Information Portal (KIP) (opens new window)

Hospital food

A national menu for NHS hospitals came one step closer after a meeting of culinary experts and patient representatives.

The panel, which included health minister Lord Warner and celebrity chef Loyd Grossman, will decide what dishes should be made available on hospital menus as part of the Better Hospital Food programme. This was established to ensure that the £500 million currently spent annually on food by the NHS is used to produce nutritious and high-quality meals for patients.

Mr Grossman said: "Ensuring patient nutrition is a crucial component of health care and making sure the food provided looks and tastes good is an important part of the process."

More at

• Better Hospital Food Website (opens new window)

Screening for malnutrition

A screening tool which enables nurses to identify malnourished patients is now available.

The Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool 'MUST' is a five-step flowchart for nurses in hospitals, the community and care homes.

It helps nurses to identify those at risk of malnutrition and to plan an appropriate nutritional support programme.

Nursing managers may wish to access the evidence-based MUST report to support their frontline staff.

MUST has been launched by the Malnutrition Advisory Group, a standing committee of the British Association for Enteral and Parenteral Nutrition (BAPEN).

It is supported by the British Dietetic Association, Royal College of Nursing and Registered Nursing Home Association.

Download a free copy of the explanatory booklet and report executive summary from the BAPEN website or buy the tool, booklet and report by calling 01527 457 850 or e-mailing association@sovereignconference.co.uk

Value of nutrition

Dietitians say nutrition is an important factor in why white European men are getting taller, as a new study suggests.

The University of Munich's Dr John Komlos examined the heights of male groups spanning 200 years including Crimean War soldiers, American slaves and present-day Norwegians.

He concluded that while Europeans were getting taller, American men had effectively 'stopped growing'.

During the American War of Independence in 1775, the average US male was 5ft 9ins tall, about two inches taller than the average British man. Now, at 5ft 10ins, they lag half an inch behind the British and an inch behind the average Dutchman.

Dr Komlos said it reflected a gradual increase in obesity rates, along with different countries' health and welfare services.

"There is much concern about the obesity epidemic in the US, because of health consequences," he said.

British Dietetic Association (BDA) spokesperson and registered dietitian Amanda Wynne said: "Many things will influence height - including genetics - but nutrition is an important factor.

"People in the USA have good access to food - they are not deprived of nutrition. But what's important is the quality of our diet and ensuring an optimal nutrition intake, rather than just thinking about calories."

• http://www.bda.uk.com/ (opens new window)

NSF for Long-term Conditions - update

An advisory group has been set up to test the feasibility of proposals for the National Service Framework for Long-term Conditions.

It will advise the NSF external reference group on whether these proposals can work and will suggest ways they might be implemented.

The external reference group is working on its vision for improved services, where it might need to set standards and how to deliver them. These will form the NSF which is due to be launched by the end of the year.

The vision for improved services is being shaped by input from a range of voluntary and professional organisations across the health and social care professions, patients, families and carers.

Service users have listed their priorities as:

The external reference group will submit its advice to the health secretary later this spring.

The NSF will specifically focus on neurological conditions but many standards will be relevant to other long-term conditions.

More at

• Long term conditions

Community health initiatives

AHPs in Barnsley are at the forefront of several new community initiatives to improve the health of local people.

Work has started on three new health and social care centres through the NHS Local Improvement Finance Trust (LIFT) partnership, which marks the biggest investment in primary and community health care ever in Barnsley.

The £10 million health centres will include state-of-the art medical facilities including community-based physiotherapy and chiropody.

Barnsley Primary Care Trust wants to create greater access and choice and enhanced care that is tailored to patient need.

Local play therapist Lesley White has become one of the first in the country to be officially approved as a group leader by the American Dinosaur School programme developed to help children with behaviour problems.

Healthy Living Barnsley is a new three-year partnership which brings together voluntary and community groups who are running eight projects to help renew disadvantaged communities.

More at

NHS Live 2004

NHS Live 2004 is a national learning programme and event for NHS and social care staff and patients.

The first meeting for NHS Live 'Leaders' was held in April where delegates learned more about the purposes and aims of NHS Live and how each organisation can be involved. Over 350 organisations are already actively participating in the programme.

The NHS Live event will take place at ExCeL, Royal Victoria Dock, London, on 7 July, with masterclasses, workshops, a plenary session and an exhibition, as well as the high profile Health and Social Care Awards ceremony.

Presided over by the health secretary, the awards are the most important opportunity within the NHS and social care to identify and recognise excellence in the provision of care at the frontline.

• Health and Social Care Awards 2004 (opens new window)

Patient information toolkit

This toolkit, newly-launched by A&E patient experience clinical director Jonathan Asbridge, offers practical support and guidance to help health professionals provide for patients in emergency departments.

It is intended for anyone involved in providing information for patients, or in making decisions about how your trust communicates with them.

Patients Association chairman Michael Summers said: "This toolkit is a useful addition to the work being done to improve the environment for patients and provide helpful information. The Patients Association welcomes this and is fully supportive of it."

• Providing patients with better information in emergency departments - Toolkit