Website of the Department of Health

Consultations and evaluations

2. £100m three-year energy fund and report announcement (Gateway reference 6663)

NHS Trusts and Foundation Trusts (FTs) are invited to submit energy/carbon emission improvement schemes against the above fund. NHS Trusts should discuss potential applications with their SHAs and FTs directly with the Department of Health. Details of the announcement can be found via energy efficency link.

Contact SHA estates managers in the first instance.

• Burnham announces £100m funding to help NHS increase energy efficiency (opens new window)
• email: Dennis.Bastow@dh.gsi.gov.uk (opens new window)
• email: Chris.Holme@dh.gsi.gov.uk (opens new window)
• NHSNet users can access the report on the Estates Knowledge and Information Portal (opens new window)
• Hard copies can be ordered from www.tsoshop.co.uk (opens new window)

Publications

3. Ofcom Update (Gateway reference number: 7632)

Lord Warner has written to PCTs to provide an update on the Ofcom announcement around the ‘03’ number, and draw attention to Central Office of Information (COI) guidance, which sets out issues to consider when choosing a telephone number.

See:

• Use of non-geographical (084) telephone numbers to contact NHS services

4. Coronary Heart Disease National Service Framework progress report (Gateway reference number 7461)

On 5 January the Department of Health publishes the Coronary Heart Disease National Service Framework progress report for 2006. Shaping the future celebrates six years of continued improvement and summarises the excellent work from around the country since the last progress report in March 2005. Report will go live on 5 January.
Policy contact: Tessa Ing.

• Coronary heart disease

5. Health inequalities commissioning tool (Gateway reference number: 7652)

The Department of Health (DH) and the Association of Public Health Observatories (APHO) have produced a health inequalities tool for Spearhead areas linking high impact interventions to deliver the life expectancy target with key LDP lines (smoking cessation, cholesterol and blood pressure management). The tool is under development and feedback is welcome.

• London Health Observatory: Health inequalities intervention tool (opens new window)

6. 18 weeks baseline exercise (Gateway reference number: 7653)

Headline results from the 18 weeks baseline exercise carried out in Autumn 2006 are now available on the 18 Weeks website. Presentations from the media briefing on 19 December are also available to download.

• About the 18 weeks programme (opens new window)

7. Chief Medical Officer’s (CMO) Update 45 (Gateway reference number: 7435)

The review of organisational arrangements that support patient safety might be of particular interest to NHS trust chief executives. Other articles include improving stroke care; care for adults with bacterial meningitis and septicaemia; help to get doctors back to work; interim guidance on PVL-associated infections; and identifying alcohol misuse.

• CMO Update 45

8. The Controlled Drugs (Supervision of Management and Use) Regulations (SI 2006/3148) (Gateway reference number: 7553)

Regulations to improve the safe use and management of controlled drugs in health and social care came into force in England on 1 January 2007.  Guidance on governance arrangements is also available from the link below.
Contact: Liz Dimond 020 7972 5397.

• Controlled Drugs

9. Revised Sure Start children’s centre practice guidance (Gateway reference number: 7458)

The Sure Start children’s centre practice guidance has been updated. It offers further research evidence and new case studies showing how services can best be delivered to meet the individual needs of all young children and their parents, wherever they live. More on:

• Sure Start website (opens new window)

10. The well-managed organisation – guidelines for boards (Gateway reference number: 7655)

Published in September 2006, in conjunction with the Work Foundation, the Cabinet Office and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), to help public sector leaders to reduce levels of sickness absence, promote health and well-being in the workplace and to lead by example.

• Download the guidelines in Portable Document Format from the HSE website (opens new window)

Conferences and events

No news this week.

Patient safety alerts

11. MEDICAL DEVICE ALERT – MDA/2006/072 (Gateway reference number: 7651)

Counterfeit condoms:
Durex fetherlite 3 pack – LOT 21405074
Durex performa 3 pack – LOT TGL4142
Durex gossamer 3 pack – LOT 21405074

This Medical Device Alert was issued on 19 December 2006 to NHS trust for immediate action.
Further information can be found at:

• MDA/2006/072 Counterfeit condoms (opens new window)

12. MEDICAL DEVICE ALERT – MDA/2007/001 (Gateway reference number: 7650)

Reporting medical device adverse incidents and disseminating Medical Device Alerts
This Medical Device Alert was issued on 2 January 2007 to NHS trusts and social services for action and update.
Further information can be found at:

• MDA/2007/001 Reporting medical device adverse incidents and disseminating Medical Device Alerts (opens new window)