Website of the Department of Health

(Gateway reference 3790)

During July & August 2004, the NHS Modernisation Agency (MA) Consultant Contract Implementation Team (CCIT) posted details on the MA website of a number of resources to assist Trusts and consultants in understanding and implementing the mediation and appeal processes which come into force where it has not been possible to agree a job plan, or where a consultant disputes a decision that he or she has not met the required criteria for pay progression. Details of the mediation and appeal procedures are provided in Schedule 4 of the Terms and Conditions (Consultants) 2003.

The resources include:

All of these documents are available online at:

• Mediation and appeals (opens new window)

Please also see details of Appeal Panel training workshops in the events section of this bulletin.

For further information, please contact:

• CCITEnquiries@dh.gsi.gov.uk (opens new window)

2. Quarterly Update from Workforce Statistics Collection & Development Unit, Department of Health September 2004

(Gateway reference 3752)

The Quarterly Update of collections to be conducted by the Workforce Statistics Collection & Development Unit, Department of Health between September and December 2004 along with news of forthcoming collections and changes to existing collections is now available.

For further information please contact Richard Birmingham 0113 254 5916.

The update can be found on the DH website at:

• Dear colleague letters

3. Employment Equality Regulations 2003 (Sexual Orientation) and (Religion or Belief) Guidance

(Gateway reference 3650)

In April 2004, ACAS (the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service) produced guidance for both employers and employees on how to interpret and implement the new employment equality legislation.

The documents are available on the ACAS website.

• ACAS/EEL02: Sexual Orientation and the Workplace - Putting the Employment Equality (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2003 Into Practice (opens new window)
• ACAS/EEL01: Religion or Belief and the Workplace - Putting the Employment Equality (Religion or Belief) Regulations 2003 Into Practice (opens new window)

In March 2004, the Gay and Lesbian Association of Doctors and Dentists (GLADD) also produced guidance for NHS Trusts, general medical and dental practices, medical and dental schools and individuals dealing with discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. The guidance is available on the GLADD website:

• GLADD guidance (opens new window)

The Employment Equality Regulations 2003 (Sexual Orientation) and (Religion or Belief) make it unlawful to discriminate against someone on the grounds of either sexual orientation or religion or belief. They apply to all employment and vocational training, including recruitment, terms and conditions, promotions, transfers, dismissals and training. All NHS organisations should ensure that their employment and training policies and practices comply with this legislation and that the necessary monitoring and processes are in place to support compliance.

For further information on this or other employment equalities legislation, contact the HR Equalities and Diversity Team on 0113 254 6269.

4. NHS Appraisal Scheme for GPs

(Gateway reference 3710)

On 23rd August 2004, the Department of Health published updated guidance on appraisal for GPs. The document "Appraisal for general practioners" sets out guidance on the national appraisal scheme for GPs. The development of clinical governance in the NHS and the proposals by the GMC for revalidation of doctors, underlined the need for a comprehensive annual appraisal scheme for GPs. Appraisal is now a requirement for all GPs in England (both principals and non-principals). PCTs should already have a scheme for GP principals, and they must now introduce a scheme for GP non-principals.

For further information please contact Stuart Merritt, email:

• Stuart.Merritt@dh.gsi.gov.uk (opens new window)
• Appraisal for GPs

5. Development Programme for Primary Care Management

(Gateway reference 3795)

The National Primary Care Development Team (NPDT) and The National Clinical Governance Support Team (NCGST) have designed a development programme for primary care management with the support and input from the Royal College of General Practitioners, Institute of Healthcare Management (IHM), Association of Medical Secretaries, Practice Managers, Administrators and Receptionists (AMSPAR), NHS Alliance and National Association of Primary Care (NAPC).

The aim of the programme is to achieve a continuum of primary care management from PCTs to practices, which will support both strategic policy and personal development needs of managers, and create a resource for future primary care management using a national set of competencies and agreed evidence to meet these competencies. The programme is initially aimed at managers that have recently embarked on a career in primary care or managers who have identified areas of personal development.

The programme delivered is three phases through e-learning and optional workshops.

Phase 1 - Will provide training for the core competencies to deliver:

Phase 2 - Aimed at developing a culture of quality improvement

Phase 3 - Opportunity for vocational training

For further information please contact: Caroline Pike, NPDT caroline.pike@npdt.nhs.uk Tel. 07970836958 or Lucy Warner, NCGST lucy.warner@ncgst.nhs.uk Tel. 07795413715

• caroline.pike@npdt.nhs.uk (opens new window)
• lucy.warner@ncgst.nhs.uk (opens new window)

6. Prioritising the work of the National Patient Safety Agency

(Gateway reference 3761)

Between November 2003 and March 2004, the National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA) consulted a wide variety of stakeholders including NHS trusts, voluntary bodies, royal colleges, strategic health authorities, and regional and national public bodies involved in healthcare on a proposed process for deciding how the agency should prioritise its work in developing solutions to patient safety issues.

Following this consultation, the NPSA has determined a process for prioritising its work in developing solutions to patient safety issues. The NPSA will pilot the prioritisation process, look at how it is working and change it if necessary.

As part of the new way the NPSA prioritises its work, the agency is inviting NHS staff and the wider public to submit details of patient safety issues. The prioritisation process will involve an advisory panel whose role will be to filter topic submissions using agreed criteria.

For more information about submitting issues please visit:

• National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA): Putting patient safety first (opens new window)

7. The role of hospital design in the recruitment, retention and performance of NHS nurses in England

(Gateway reference 3796)

On 27 July 2004, the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE) launched a new research study, 'The role of hospital design in the recruitment, retention and performance of NHS nurses in England'. The research provides evidence that well-designed hospitals have a significant influence on the performance of nurses in their work and have a positive impact on their recruitment and retention. It also shows that nurses are acutely aware of the role that hospital design plays in their everyday work and, consequently, want a greater say in shaping their working environment.

CABE's ongoing Healthy Hospitals campaign calls for radical improvements in healthcare design and challenges us all to think again about the importance and value of good design in hospitals. By the time the Government's current healthcare building programme is complete - the largest for a generation, with over 100 new hospitals by 2010 - CABE estimates that one in four nurses and one in four patients in the UK will be affected.

The full report is available at:

• Healthy Hospitals (opens new window)

For further information please contact: Kate Trant, Research Advisor:

• ktrant@cabe.org.uk (opens new window)

8. Events

i. Leadership through Effective HR Management Reunion Event - AHHRM

(Gateway reference 3796)

The Association of Healthcare Human Resource Management (AHHRM) and the Department of Health would like to invite graduates of Leadership through Effective HR Management and those currently undertaking the masters programme at UMIST to a reunion dinner and exclusive morning masterclass on 28 and 29 September 2004 in Torquay. The event is scheduled to take place just before this year's AHHRM UK conference so delegates may wish to combine attendance at both events. Tickets for the reunion event (dinner plus masterclass) are available at £40 + VAT.

The masterclass will be led by world-class HR leader and role model Robert Riney, chief operating officer for the Henry Ford Health System in Michigan.

For further information or to register for the event please call 020 8334 4525 or email Lauren@chamberdunn.co.uk for a booking form.

• Lauren@chamberdunn.co.uk (opens new window)

ii. HR in the NHS Conference 2005 - Date for your Diary

The 7th Annual HR in the NHS Conference will take place at the ICC, Birmingham from Wednesday 11th to Friday 13th May 2005. Although bookings will not be taken until nearer the time, please hold the date in your diaries.

iii. Consultant Contract Appeal Panel Training Workshops

(Gateway reference 3791)

The NHS Modernisation Agency's Consultant Contract Implementation Team (CCIT), in partnership with the British Medical Association (BMA) is hosting a limited number of consultant contract appeal panel training workshops for:

These workshops will assist these panel members in understanding the appeals process for consultants who have failed to resolve their job planning & pay progression dispute through mediation.

The workshops are offered free of charge, however failure to attend without notice will incur a £50 charge. To register, please see:

• Consultant job planning toolkit roll-out workshops (opens new window)

For further information, please contact:

• CCITEnquiries@dh.gsi.gov.uk (opens new window)

9. Communications

i. Primary Care Contracting Update

The primary care contracting website has now been updated with the latest news stories. To visit the site direct go to:

• Primary care contracting (opens new window)

10. 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.

New plans to strengthen code on international recruitment of healthcare staff, 25 August 2004, press release 2004/0315.

• New plans to strengthen code on international recruitment of healthcare staff

Helping patients to leave hospital - new guidance to support NHS staff, 26 August 2004, press release 2004/0317.

• Helping patients to leave hospital - new guidance to support NHS staff

New treatment centre for Somerset will treat 11,000 patients a year, 26 August 2004, press release 2004/0318.

• New treatment centre for Somerset will treat 11,000 patients a year

Health advice for men and women in their 'prime', 31 August 2004, press release 2004/0320.

• Health advice for men and women in their 'prime'