Department of Health

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The diary

Patient Safety 2004

This National Patient Safety Agency conference aims to help equip NHS staff with everything they need to improve patient safety in their organisation. It is being held at the ICC in Birmingham on 25 February.

The NPSA's new chairman Lord Hunt of Kings Heath and the chief medical officer Professor Sir Liam Donaldson will make presentations during the interactive event.

Root cause analysis

The National Patient Safety Agency is committed to finding ways to help health care organisations understand the underlying causes of patient safety incidents and to create plans for improving safety.

Root cause analysis (RCA), is a retrospective review of a patient safety incident that is used to identify what happened and how and why and to make improvements so it does not happen again.

A series of one-day RCA foundation training events are taking place to familiarise NHS staff with the RCA process and the tools and techniques for investigation.

Register at

More information at

Developing the role of AHPs - to modernise health services

This conference is being held on 2 March at the English Heritage Centre, London.

Chief health professions officer Kay East will deliver the keynote address and the conference will include speakers from trusts and relevant organisations across the country.

The day will cover the ten key roles for AHPs, supporting new roles and ways of working, AHPs as the first point of contact and the latest developments in AHP prescribing.

To register call 0207 0175508 or visit

Moving and Handling People Conference - The Way Forward

This 10th annual conference and exhibition is based on providing useful information and workable solutions to everyday issues facing professionals involved in the moving and handling of people. It is being held at the Commonwealth Conference and Events Centre, Kensington High Street, London, on 2-3 March.

Delegates will hear an update on all new manual handling regulations, be able to try out the latest manual handling equipment and attend interactive workshops.

To view the full programme or to register visit

or contact the customer services team on 020 7505 6044 or e-mail

Leading for improvement through partnership and choice

Taking place at the Birmingham ICC on 4 March, this conference is aimed at all middle to senior managers and clinicians working in the NHS and will explore the key leadership issues facing the NHS today.

Speakers include the health secretary John Reid and the NHS chief executive Nigel Crisp. To register your interest for this conference, run by the NHS Leadership Centre, and to receive an invitation with outline agenda, please provide your name, title, organisation, mailing and e-mail addresses and contact telephone number to the events team on the phone at 020 7633 0336 or email at

Fresh Thinking: Smarter Working conference for AHPs

AHPs are being urged to attend the first Department of Health national conference dedicated to promoting their work.

Fresh Thinking: Smarter Working takes place on 31 March and will cover themes and issues including role and service redesign, career development and the Government's choice initiative.

Health minister John Hutton will address the conference about investing in the future and the importance of AHPs in the NHS and adventurer Miles Hilton-Barber will talk about how staff can break down barriers to achievement.

Delegates will be able to attend workshops from which they will be able to take away practical advice and examples of how to tackle common issues in everyday situations.

The conference, which will be held annually, will take place (this year) at the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre in London and costs £100 per delegate.

For more details contact the organisers RS Live on 01564 797620 or e-mail

Rehabilitation Conference

The University of Bath's Research and Development Support Unit, School For Health is holding a one-day Rehabilitation Conference on 20 May.

The event is for professionals interested in community rehabilitation and is being held at Menzies Waterside Hotel, Bath.

Guest speakers include Professor Pam Enderbury, professor of community rehabilitation at the University of Sheffield, and Professor Ian Swain, head of medical physics and bioengineering at Odstock Hospital.

To book contact Cathy Flower on 01225 824116, e-mail

Occupation Matters

This year the College of Occupational Therapists (COT) is celebrating the life and work of Dr Elizabeth Casson, who in 1930 founded the first school of occupational therapy in the UK. This year marks the 50th anniversary of her death.

COT's 28th annual conference and exhibition is being held at Harrogate International Centre, Harrogate from 8-11 June. More information and booking at

or contact Hampton Medical Conferences Ltd at 020 8979 8300 or email

Health Protection Agency Annual Conference 2004

Abstract submissions for oral and poster presentations at the Health Protection Agency Annual Conference 2004 are now being invited.

These presentations will form an important element of the conference, at Warwick University from 13-15 September.

The presentations will provide researchers with an opportunity to bring their projects to the attention of a wide audience within health protection and public health.

Abstracts are invited that are based on the main themes of the conference, which are child health, international health and health risk communication and other selected categories that reflect the scope of the HPA, including environmental, epidemiology, medical treatment and control strategies, methodologies and surveillance.

Deadline is 22 April.

More at

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