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HR Directors' Bulletin, Issue 95, 20 October 2004

  • Last modified date:
    30 July 2007

This electronic fortnightly HR Bulletin is the major means of communication between the Department of Health's NHS HR Directorate and its stakeholders interested in HR and related issues in the NHS. It aims to communicate important information about implementing HR policy and practice.

Select a section

1. NHS Employers

Maggie Evans, Head of Service Engagement for NHS Employers sent a letter, information pack and nomination forms to chief executives and chairs of NHS organisations on 11 October about the elections to the new representative Assembly.

Each SHA area will have five core representatives nominated by the CE, HR and Mental Health Trust networks. Chief executive networks in each SHA should nominate 2 CEs - one from an acute trust and one from a PCT. Mental health trust networks need to nominate one director level representative for each SHA area. SHRINE networks are undertaking the nomination of 2 HR directors - again one from an acute trust and PCT.

Anyone who is eligible and interested in becoming a member of the Assembly should contact their local network lead.

There are also a number of places on the Assembly for national organisations and for professional roles. Details of the structure of the assembly, the different representatives, and how they are chosen can be found at the NHS Confederation's site.

The Electoral Reform Service are conducting the election process and nominations must be received by them by 5th November.

The success of NHS Employers will stand or fall by the extent to which the NHS believes it is an organisation responsive to their needs, and accountable to them for their decisions. The setting up of the Assembly is an important step in securing commitment and engagement.

For more information please contact Maggie Evans, Head of Service Engagement, NHS Employers (0113 254 6462) or David Thomas (0113 254 5875).

2. Mandatory criminal record checks on all new NHS staff (Gateway reference 3995)

On 13 October 2004, John Hutton announced that all eligible new recruits into the NHS must undergo checks on their criminal record to increase patient safety. Early next year, Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) checks will become mandatory for every new recruit with access to patients as part of their normal duties.

For further information, please email Adele.Bunch@doh.gsi.gov.uk or read our guidance:

3. Introduction of statutory regulation of Operating Department Practitioners (Gateway reference 3959)

On 18 October 2004, the Health Professions Council (HPC) register opened for operating department practitioners (ODPs). Anyone using the protected title of 'operating department practitioner' who is not HPC registered may be liable for prosecution and a fine of up to £5,000.

ODPs who were registered in Part 1 of the Association of Operating Department Practitioners register on 17 October 2004 will have transferred to the HPC register under arrangements made under the new legislation. There is a two year transitional period for currently unregistered practitioners without approved ODP training to apply to be assessed by HPC and gain registration if they can demonstrate they meet HPC standards.

Employers are requested to ensure that ODP employees are encouraged to apply for HPC registration from 18 October 2004. In the interests of patient safety employers are requested to ensure that posts which require ODPs are filled by either registered ODPs or ODPs who have applied for registration with HPC.

Employers can check individuals' registration status on the HPC website.

For further information please contact: Christine Holmes:

4. National Audit Office report - Improving Emergency Care in England (Gateway reference 3977)

On 13 October 2004, the National Audit Office (NAO) published the report "Improving Emergency Care in England", a national value for money study. The report contains recommendations for acute trusts, primary care trusts, emergency care networks, strategic health authorities, workforce development confederations and the Department of Health.

The report is available from the NAO website:

5. Managing Complaints for Service Improvement, a new NHSU programme to manage Patient complaints in the NHS (Gateway reference 4005)

On 25 October 2004, NHSU will officially rollout its programme, Managing Complaints for Service Improvement, to help NHS staff improve the way they handle patient complaints.

This new programme will help complaints management staff adopt a more consistent approach in investigation and reporting to help resolve the 90,000 written complaints that the NHS receives every year. It focuses in particular on improving local resolution. More importantly still, it will help meet the expectations of members of the public when they have a legitimate reason to complain.

The programme has been developed in Partnership with Middlesex University and is the only one available in the NHS that provides an accredited qualification for complaints management. NHS staff will be able to access the programme nationally from 25 October 2004 at training venues across England. It will be delivered by trained and experienced facilitators and has already received exceptionally positive feedback from NHS staff in its South West pilot.

6. New Personal Development Review toolkit launched by NHSU (Gateway reference 4004)

On 19 October 2004, NHSU launched a Personal Development Review (PDR) toolkit that will provide organisations and individuals with the information and tools to effectively participate in the personal development review process. The PDR toolkit has been developed in consultation with NHS organisations to ensure that organisational needs are met and to support staff in their annual personal development reviews, based on their NHS Knowledge and Skills Framework (KSF) post outline, a requirement laid out by the Agenda for Change (AfC) initiative. It is aimed at AfC leads, KSF leads, HR managers and Training & Development managers, and provides organisations with the resources to link appraisal, personal development reviews and the NHS KSF. It also addresses Skills for Life and Health initiatives and includes advice on where to get further information.

The PDR toolkit comprises paper-based resources, a video and a CD-Rom and will enable facilitated workshops to run from organisations. These workshops are for managers/supervisors who will review individuals and for individuals who will be reviewed against their NHS KSF outlines and organisational objectives. NHSU will be running a series of one day facilitated workshops to introduce the toolkit to organisations. The materials can then be used to cascade training within the organisation.

7. Establishment of Directorate of Health Partnerships (Gateway reference 3858)

Prof Antony Sheehan, Director of Care Services for the Department of Health sent a letter to chief executives and prison leads at SHAs and PCTs on 5 October providing details of the establishment of a new unit, the Directorate of Health Partnerships, to take forward joint working between the Department of Health and the Home Office.

The new Directorate will bring together policy and advice on Criminal Justice Systems (CJS) and health issues, reporting directly to Martin Narey, the Chief Executive of National Offender Management Service (NOMS) and Prof Sheehan as DH Director of Care Services. The partnership will include:

  • HO Mental Health Unit
  • HO DSPD Project Team
  • DH High Security Hospitals lead and functions
  • DH DSPD lead and functions
  • Joint DH/HMPS Prison Health Team
  • HMPS Psychology Group

View the letter:

8. Press Releases

All Department of Health press releases are published on the Department's web site under 'Publications and Statistics' and then the sub heading 'Press releases'. Below we include some that may be of HR interest.

NHS steps up the fight against hospital infections, 15 October 2004, press release 2004/0368

New national quality requirements for out-of-hours care, 14 October 2004, press release 2004/0367

New guidance published on choice of accommodation directions, 14 October 2004, press release 2004/0366

New equality champion for the NHS, 13 October 2004, press release 2004/0365

Mandatory criminal record checks to keep NHS patients safe, 13 October 2004, press release 2004/0364

Record number of transplant operations but more donors needed, 12 October 2004, press release 2004/0362

New pay information goes to NHS staff, 11 October 2004, press release 2004/0360

Reid gives boost to international research into new cancer treatments, 8 October 2004, press release 2004/0358

Statistical press notice - NHS waiting list figures to 31 August 2004, 8 October 2004, press release 2004/0357

More money goes to NHS staff in pay negotiations, 7 October 2004, press release 2004/0356

TB Action Plan published, 7 October 2004, press release 2004/0355

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