Website of the Department of Health

IT update

The National Programme for IT has launched a monthly programme update.

It provides stakeholders with a briefing on the programme's progress, including the NHS Care Records Service, electronic booking, electronic transmission of prescriptions and the provision of an underpinning IT infrastructure.

Read more at:

A brochure Making IT happen is also available

• Making IT happen

For more information e-mail:

• npcomms@npfit.nhs.uk (opens new window)

NHS broadband contract awarded

British Telecom has been awarded a £530 million contract to provide and manage a broadband network to link all NHS organisations in England.

The New National Network, also known as N3, will facilitate electronic patient records, electronic booking and electronic transmission of prescriptions.

• Download NHS to be first major public sector user of broadband (PDF, 226K)

Revised guidance on HIV post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP)

HIV Post-Exposure Prophylaxis: Guidance from the UK Chief Medical Officers' Expert Advisory Group on AIDS (revised February 2004) has been published.

It updates guidance on PEP following occupational exposure and incorporates new guidance on PEP for patients. It supersedes guidance issued in July 2000 and is relevant to policies for provision of PEP within trusts and to all health care staff who may be exposed to risk of HIV infection in a health care setting.

More information is available at:

• HIV post-exposure prophylaxis: Guidance from the UK Chief Medical Officer's Expert Advisory Group on AIDS

ME care boost

New centres and local support teams will improve care and access to services for patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), more commonly known as ME.

Specialists in the field will lead each centre to ensure patients have access to specialist assessment, diagnosis and advice on treating the condition.

They will also support clinical research into causes and treatments and develop staff education and training.

Twelve centres will be backed by 28 local support teams to provide patients with specialist rehabilitation programmes.

Read more about ME at:

• Planning and funding investment for people with CFS/ME

Audit to improve diabetes care

A major survey will identify how many people in England have diabetes and the quality of care they receive.

Results will provide the first national register of all patients diagnosed with the condition and highlight the annual rate of associated complications such as heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, circulation problems, nerve, kidney and eye damage. The survey starts in April and is part of a new national audit service provided by the NHS Information Authority for the Commission for Health Improvement.

More information is available at:

• Information supporting NSFs and NCASP (opens new window)

Hepatitis C payment

People contracting Hepatitis C through infected blood will be paid thousands of pounds on compassionate grounds, the Government has announced.

An initial lump sum of £20,000 could also be followed by an extra £25,000 for anyone developing advanced stages of the illness, such as cirrhosis or liver cancer.

The Department of Health will work alongside organisations including the Haemophilia Society and Hepatitis C Trust to ensure people know how to apply for payments so they can receive them quickly.

Read more about hepatitis C at:

• Hepatitis C

Revised screening practice

Revised clinical best practice on ceasing women from Pre-Notification Lists for the NHS breast and cervical screening programmes, developed and approved by the Advisory Committee on Breast Cancer Screening and the Advisory Committee on Cervical Screening is now at:

• NHS Cancer Screening Programmes (opens new window)

Cannabis reclassification

A joint Department of Health and Home Office publicity campaign is underway to clarify the legal status of cannabis use.

The possession of cannabis remains a criminal offence despite the downgrading of its status from a Class B drug to Class C.

More information is available at:

• Talk to Frank (opens new window)

Eating disorders guidance

Care for patients with eating disorders will be expanded and improved following new guidance from the National Institute for Clinical Excellence.

The guideline covers the diagnosis, treatment and management of anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and unusual eating disorders in children and adults.

The full guideline is at:

• NICE (opens new window)

Care Group Workforce Team annual reports

The Care Group Workforce Teams have recently published their workforce demand and education and training recommendations to the Workforce Numbers Advisory Board.

These findings help workforce development confederations consider workforce investment and planning within the Priorities and Planning Framework.

The reports are written for a specific purpose but have been made more widely available as they contain useful information and background.

The reports and more information are at:

• Modernising workforce planning

NHSU appointment

NHSU has appointed Jill Brunt as head of the new Patient, Public and Communities Involvement (PPCI) Unit.

Jill and her team will lead on and co-ordinate the process for consulting and involving all communities in the work of NHSU.

Academic partnerships

The University of Warwick will be NHSU's principal academic partner, following a nationwide call for collaboration last August.

The partnership will support NHSU towards achieving full university status and

• cherry.shaw@nhsu.org.uk (opens new window)

call 0800 555 550 to find out more about NHSU or visit

GP learning unit

An innovative range of courses for GPs is being released as a result of collaboration between the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) and the University of Bath.

Interactive teaching materials, using video consultations based on real patient cases, form a series of clinical update CDs.

These are being used as key materials in distance learning courses that also provide self-assessment and marked assignments.

Childcare success

Extra childcare support for parents working in the NHS is creating a more loyal and motivated workforce - and leading to better care for patients.

At the NHS Childcare Conference in York, a report by the charity Daycare Trust was released, showing that 83 per cent of all parents working in the service found the NHS childcare strategy helpful.

Nearly one in three parents on the staff said the strategy had enabled them to remain at, or return to, work.

Read more about Childcare success at:

• NHS childcare strategy

NPSA framework

The National Patient Safety Agency is building a transparent framework to assess and prioritise the work it undertakes and how it allocates resources.

Following consultation in 2003, the agency is holding regional consultative meetings, inviting GPs, other health care professionals, patients and voluntary groups.

New-look DH website

A new-look Department of Health website has been launched. The new layout and enhanced site will include improved navigation and search, a themed structure and more information about publications.

The web address is now

but if the old address is used it will redirect to the new site homepage.