Website of the Department of Health

Consultations and evaluations

2. Piloting information prescriptions: Invitation to bid (Gateway reference number: 7584)

The Department of Health (DH) is requesting proposals to pilot information prescriptions. Information prescriptions, given by health and social care professionals, will provide a list of valuable sources of information about managing and living with a long term condition.  Funding support is available - closing date for bids is 31st January 2007.  For further details telephone Clare MacDonald on 020 7210 5575 or email information.prescriptions@dh.gsi.gov.uk or see:

• Information prescriptions
• Information prescriptions email (opens new window)

Publications

3. Care and resource utilisation (CRU) (Gateway reference number: 7492)

Good practice guidance produced following consultation with the NHS Confederation PCT Network, the Improvement Foundation, and the NHS Alliance, to help PCTs and PBC Commissioners identify areas for service redesign, and apply proven techniques such as utilisation management and prior approval. It offers advice on models for clinical assessment services and referral management centres, and sets (CRU) in the context of the model contract. For more information see:

• Care and resource utilisation: ensuring appropriateness of care

4. Funding for local authorities to support the implementation of smokefree legislation (Gateway reference number: 7524)

The Department of Health is distributing £29.5 million to support first-tier local authorities to undertake new work associated with the introduction of smokefree legislation on 1 July 2007. This local authority circular sets out the background to the funding and breakdown by local authority. See:

• LAC (2006)17: Funding for local authorities to support the implementation of smokefree legislation

5. The National Childhood Obesity Database, 2005-06 (Gateway reference number: 7573)

PCTs weighed and measured children in Reception Year and Year 6 in the 2005-2006 academic year. See a report summarising the findings at:

• Analysis of the National Childhood Obesity Database 2005-06

6. Guidance on introduction of new healthcare interventions in the absence of National Institute Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidance (Gateway reference number: 7521)

The Department of Health has published guidance to the NHS that updates HSC 1999/176 relating to the introduction of new healthcare interventions in the absence of NICE guidance. It also clarifies the position on the funding direction which applies to NICE's technology appraisal guidance.  For more information see:

• Good practice guidance on managing the introduction of new healthcare interventions and links to National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) technology appraisal guidance

7. National lung cancer audit (Gateway reference number: 7588)

New evidence on the care of over 13,500 people in England and Wales; from 77 per cent of trusts, is released by the Information Centre for health and social care for the Healthcare Commission. Participation in the audit will be used in the Annual Health Check and peer review. For more details see:

• The Information Centre for health and social care (opens new window)

8. Increasing direct payments (Gateway reference number: 7579)

Our health, our care, our say identifies direct payments as key to personalised services. The Department of Health and Care Services Improvement Partnership (CSIP) have published a guide to identify solutions to the process, policy and procedural issues as part of the programme to support councils to increase uptake. For further information see:

• Increasing the uptake of direct payments

9. Changes to services being nationally commissioned by National Specialist Commissioning Advisory Group (NSCAG) (Gateway reference number: 7600)

From April 2007, four services previously commissioned by PCTs will be commissioned by NSCAG. For further details on these changes, on six other service changes and on NSCAG's transfer from the Department of Health (DH) to the NHS see:

• Changes to the portfolio of nationally commissioned services from April 2007

10. Enlargement and overseas visitors entitlements to primary care in the UK (Gateway reference number: 7587)

On 1 January 2007, Romania and Bulgaria will be joining the European Union (EU). Visitors from these countries will have the same entitlements to treatment when visiting the UK, as existing EU member states. For detailed guidance contact Neri Ineneji on 020 7972 4125 or see:

• EU enlargement and overseas visitors' rights to primary care treatment in the UK

11. Patient safety review report (Gateway reference number: 7216)

This report, commissioned by Sir Liam Donaldson, Chief Medical Officer, looked at the organisational arrangements currently in place and made key recommendations to ensure that patient safety is at the heart of the healthcare agenda.

Hard copies of the report are available from dh@prolog.uk.com quoting reference 278137.

See:

• Safety first: a report for patients, clinicians and healthcare managers
• dh@prolog.uk.com (opens new window)

12. Direction to out of hours (OOH) providers to review safety arrangement (Gateway reference number: 7583)

New directions issued by the department require PCTs to review systems currently in operation by OOH providers, to ensure that clinical notes of OOH consultations are fully recorded and accessible to appropriate healthcare professionals. An explanatory letter and the Directions can be found at:

• Review of out-of-hours information, recording and database systems

13. White paper whole system long term conditions (LTC) demonstrators (Gateway reference number: 7607)

Applications are invited from NHS/LA partnerships for whole system long term conditions (LTC) demonstrators. The demonstrators will support the independence of the frail elderly and those with complex long term conditions through provision of integrated care with Advanced Assistive Technologies. Proposal deadline is 22 February 2007. Contact whole system LTC demonstrators email below.

Further details at:

• White paper whole system LTC demonstrators (WSDs) application prospectus
• MBWPWholeSystemLTCDemonstrators@dh.gsi.gov.uk   (opens new window)

14. Infectious control - Hand-washing poster (Gateway reference number: 7562)

Good hygiene practice will have a major role to play in slowing the spread of pandemic influenza. Chief executives may like to know that a poster has been sent to all GP surgeries, to promote this good practice. For more information contact: Bridget Le Good on 020 7972 5387 or email: pandemicflu@dh.gsi.gov.uk or visit:

• Wet, Soap, Wash, Rinse, Dry
• pandemicflu@dh.gsi.gov.uk (opens new window)

15. NHS Direct Interactive rolled out onto freeview (Gateway reference number: 7568)

On Wednesday, 20 December 2006, NHS Direct Interactive was launched on freeview (channel 108), making free, quality assured health information available around the clock to a further 6.4 million homes. The service is already available to 8.4 million households with digital satellite TV. For more information see:

• NHS Direct Interactive (opens new window)

16. Factsheet 6A – Dental vocational training (Gateway reference number: 7620)

PCT chief executives may wish to know that the Department of Health has published an updated factsheet on arrangements for the organisation and funding of vocational training for dentists. Contact: Jerry Read on 020 7633 4132 See:

• Implementing local commissioning for primary care dentistry: Factsheets

17. National social care recruitment campaign 2007 (Gateway reference number: 7604)

Early March 2007 sees the launch of a four week national social care recruitment campaign. Please alert your social care, communications and HR teams and encourage them to plan coinciding local activity. A toolkit, updates and advertising schedules will be available in the new year. Contact: Melanie Newman on 07867 538 408. More at:

• Social Work and Social Care careers information website (opens new window)
• National social care recruitment campaign 2007

Conferences and events - i) what's new

18. Provider information requirements workshops (Gateway reference number: 7594)

Workshops in Leeds on January 18 and London on 23 January are planned to investigate the information needs of NHS providers in understanding and managing their “cost to serve” - the actual costs for delivering services. 20 places are reserved for provider chief executives at each event. For more information contact Emma Kean on 0113 280 6550 or email:

• providerinforequirements@nhs.net (opens new window)

19. National appraisal conference - support and scrutiny for an improving profession (Gateway reference number: 7599)

With a keynote address from Professor Martin Marshall, Deputy Chief Medical Officer, this is the first conference for both primary and secondary care, to develop UK appraisal and meet the demands of revalidation. Venue: Hilton Hotel, Leicester on 8 and 9 February, 2007.

For information email: napce@napce.net or see:

• NHS Clinical Governance Support Team (opens new window)
• napce@napce.net (opens new window)

Conference and events - ii) places still available

No news this week

Patient safety alerts

20. MEDICAL DEVICE ALERT – MDA/2006/068 (Gateway reference number: 7611)

Physiological monitor: Smiths Medical 3404 BCI ® AUTOCORR® Plus pulse oximeter/ECG/respiration monitor This Medical Device Alert was issued on 14 December 2006 to NHS trust for immediate action. Further information can be found at:

• Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency - MDA/2006/068 (opens new window)

21. MEDICAL DEVICE ALERT – MDA/2006/069 (Gateway reference number: 7612)

Wash set bowls used in Sorin Group Dideco Electa ans compact autotransfusion machines This Medical Device Alert was issued on 15 December 2006 to NHS trust for action. Further information can be found at:

• Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency - MDA/2006/069 (opens new window)

22. MEDICAL DEVICE ALERT – MDA/2006/070 (Gateway reference number: 7613)

LifeScan One Touch® Ultra ® , LifeScan InDuo ® and LifeScan PocketScan® blood glucose meters. This Medical Device Alert was issued on 15 December 2006 to NHS trust for immediate action and update. Further information can be found at:

• Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency - MDA/2006/070 (opens new window)

23. MEDICAL DEVICE ALERT – MDA/2006/071 (Gateway reference number: 7614)

Radial artery introducer sets: William Cook Europe Flexor ® Check-Flo® Micropuncture® Radial Artery Access Introducer Sets with AQ® Hydrophilic Coating. See appendix for part numbers. This Medical Device Alert was issued on 18 December 2006 to NHS trust for action and information request. Further information can be found at:

• Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency - MDA/2006/071 (opens new window)