Website of the Department of Health

Consultations and Evaluations

2. Draft guidance on health in strategic environmental assessment (Gateway reference number: 7664)

The Department of Health has published guidance for consultation until 19 June. Directors of public health will advise Responsible Authorities on the significant effects on the environment of plans and programmes, including on the population's health and well-being. This places them on the same basis as Statutory Consultation Bodies for strategic environmental assessment. See

• Draft guidance on health in strategic environmental assessment - A consultation

3. Review of parts 2, 5 and 6 of the Public Health (Control of Disease) Act 1984 (Gateway reference number: 7743)

On 28 March 2007, the Department of Health published a consultation paper on proposals for changes to Part II of the Public Health (Control of Disease) Act 1984. It proposes repeal of the sections currently in part II and their replacement with more modern and flexible provisions.  The document is available at:

• Review of parts 2, 5 and 6 of the Public Health (Control of Disease) Act 1984: A consultation

Publications

4. HRG4 Materials Published (Gateway reference number: 8037)

Chief executives may wish to know that supporting materials for the new version of Healthcare Resource Groups, HRG4, have been published on The Information Centre’s Casemix Service website. HRG4 will be used to support NHS Reference Costs processes from April 2007. HRG users can download these materials from:

• The Information Centre - Prepare for HRG4 (opens new window)

5. Computerised cognitive behavioural therapy implementation guidance launched (Gateway Reference number 8028)

The Department of Health’s Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) programme has issued new implementation guidance for PCTs to support the rollout of NICE technology appraisal TA097 on computerised cognitive behaviour therapy. See:

• Choices in Mental Health - Implementing cCBT (opens new window)

6. Statement of Financial Entitlements (SFE) (Amendment) Directions 2007 (Gateway reference number: 7982)

This SFE amendment is effective from 1st April 2007. SFE Annex C details the ‘Temporary Patients Adjustment’, but is restricted to 2006/2007. It has been amended to provide for 2007/2008. Normally, this involves rolling forward the 2006/2007 level of contractor payments. See:

• The Statement of Financial Entitlements (Amendment) Directions 2007

7. Extended Choice Network (Gateway reference number: 8041)

NHS Foundation Trusts listing services on the National Menu are reminded of the requirement that all first outpatient services advertised on the national menu must be directly bookable through Choose and Book by 31 March 2007. Trusts not meeting the requirement are asked to remove published services from the National Menu. See:

• Choice at referral: Guidance framework for 2006/7

8. Detailed Q&A on practice based commissioning: Practical implementation (Gateway reference number: 7444)

A Q&A designed to clarify aspects of the Practical implementation guidance published in November 2006, is now available.

• Detailed questions and answers on Practice based commissioning: practical implementation
• If you have any further queries, please email pbc@dh.gsi.gov.uk (opens new window)

9. Gender Equality Duty (Gateway reference number: 7559)

The Gender Equality Duty, which comes into effect on 6 April 2007, applies to all public authorities and requires NHS organisations to demonstrate that they are promoting equality for women and men and eliminating sexual discrimination and harassment. See:

• Creating a gender equality scheme: a practical guide for the NHS
• 10 steps to your SES: a guide to developing a Single Equality Scheme

10. Advance letter: Pay scales and allowances for dentists working in the salaried primary dental care services (Gateway reference number: 7255)

This circular provides details of the uplift to common pay scales and pay supplements for salaried dentists working in the PCT Dental Services and Personal Dental Service (PDS) agreements effective from 1 April 2007. See:

• AL(DOS) 2/2007: Pay scales and allowances for dentists working in the salaried primary dental care services

Conferences and events - i) what's new

11. Analysis into action roadshows (Gateway reference number: 8061)

Free, non-technical half-day events are being held in April and May for NHS managers on how to use information from the Secondary Uses Service to improve performance and support delivery of 18 week waits, practice based commissioning and payment by results. See:

• The Information Centre - SUS 'Analysis into Action' workshop (opens new window)

Conference and events - ii) places still available

No news this week

Patient safety alerts

12. MEDICAL DEVICE ALERT – MDA/2007/022 (Gateway reference number: 8054)

Device: Single-use capillary blood sampling device: Unistik 3 Normal, Unistik 3 Comfort and Unistik 3 Neonatal & Laboratory devices. Manufactured by Owen Mumford. Product codes AT1002, AT1042 and AT1052. This Medical Device Alert was issued on 14 March 2007 to NHS trust and Social Services for action. Further information can be found at

• Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency - MDA/2007/022 (opens new window)

13. MEDICAL DEVICE ALERT – MDA/2007/023 (Gateway reference number: 8055)

Device: Boston Scientific Ltd: Vitality and Assure implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) families and Contak Renewal cardiac resynchronisation therapy defibrillator (CRT-D) families (see Appendix 2 for full details of models affected). This Medical Device Alert was issued on 15 March 2007 to NHS trust and for action. Further information can be found at:

• Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency - MDA/2007/023 (opens new window)

14. MEDICAL DEVICE ALERT – MDA/2007/024 (Gateway reference number: 8056)

Device: All QUATTROcare spray cans, manufactured prior to 05 March 2007, for use in KaVo QUATTROcare dental handpiece maintenance systems. This Medical Device Alert was issued on 15 March 2007 to NHS trust and for immediate action and update. Further information can be found at

• Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency - MDA/2007/024 (opens new window)

15. MEDICAL DEVICE ALERT – MDA/2007/025 (Gateway reference number: 8057)

Device: Patient monitoring system: ApexPro/ApexPro CH telemetry system manufactured by GE Healthcare. This Medical Device Alert was issued on 19 March 2007 to NHS trust and for action. Further information can be found at

• Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency - MDA/2007/025 (opens new window)

16. MEDICAL DEVICE ALERT – MDA/2007/026 (Gateway reference number: 8058)

Device: External defibrillators: Samaritan AED manufactured by HeartSine. Models SAM001, SAM002 and SAM003. This Medical Device Alert was issued on 20 March 2007 to NHS trust and for immediate action. Further information can be found at

• Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency - MDA/2007/026 (opens new window)

17. MEDICAL DEVICE ALERT – MDA/2007/027 (Gateway reference number: 8059)

Device: Haemodialysis machine: Integra manufactured by Gambro. This Medical Device Alert was issued on 21 March 2007 to NHS trust and for immediate action and information request. Further information can be found at

• Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency - MDA/2007/027 (opens new window)

18. MEDICAL DEVICE ALERT – MDA/2007/028 (Gateway reference number: 8060)

Device: Reusable flexible laryngeal mask airway size 2.5 supplied by Intavent Orthofix Ltd. Model codes: 7125R and 7125DR. See appendix for serial numbers of affected devices. This Medical Device Alert was issued on 22 March 2007 to NHS trust and for immediate action. Further information can be found at

• Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency - MDA/2007/028 (opens new window)

19. National Patient Safety Agency Alerts 18-22 (Gateway reference numbers, 7734, 7735, 7736, 7737, 7738)

The following NPSA patient safety alerts are aimed at improving the safety of medicines in the NHS and represent the safe medication practice work programme for 2007/2008.

Patient Safety Alert 18 (Anticoagulants) Patient Safety Alert 19 (Oral medicines) Patient Safety Alert 20 (Injectables) Patient Safety Alert 21 (Epidurals) Patient Safety Alert 22 (Paediatric infusions) An introductory letter from Dr Keith Ridge, Chief Pharmaceutical Officer (England) and Carwen Wynne-Howells, Chief Pharmaceutical Adviser (Wales).

More information and letter are available from the NPSA website.

• National Patient Safety Agency - Alerts and advice (opens new window)
• National Patient Safety Agency - Improving medication safety in the NHS (letter) (opens new window)