Website of the Department of Health

2. LAC(DH)(2007)4 – Charges for Residential Accommodation – CRAG Amendment No. 26
(Gateway reference number: 8078)

This circular announces the amendments to the Charging for Residential Accommodation Guide (CRAG), which come into force on 9 April 2007.

• LAC (DH) (2007) 4: Charges for residential accommodation - CRAG amendment no 26

3. Independent Mental Capacity Advocate (IMCA) service
(Gateway Reference 8087)

The new statutory IMCA service is launched across England on 1 April 2007 together with the implementation of the first part of the Mental Capacity Act

• Independent Mental Capacity Advocate (IMCA) service

4. NHS Direct becomes NHS Trust
(Gateway reference number: 8093)

NHS Direct became an NHS trust on 1 April.  There are no changes to its core services and it plans to expand its work with PCTs and other partners to support the delivery of local services. It has also announced the appointment of Matt Tee, currently Director General Communications at the Department of Health, as its new Chief Executive.

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

5. Duncan Selbie, Director General for Commissioning Health seconded to acute trust
(Gateway reference number: 8101)

Duncan Selbie will move on secondment to become Chief Executive of an acute trust this summer.  The Department will announce in due course plans to fill the Director General Commissioning post.

6. New guidance for the PCT professional executive committee (PEC)
(Gateway reference number: 8004)

This document sets out new guidance for primary care trusts professional executive committees. This follows a full public consultation, which concluded in February. PCTs need to implement the guidance by 1 October 2007.

• Guidance for the PCT Professional Executive Committee (PEC)
• For further information, please e-mail: pecreview@dh.gsi.gov.uk (opens new window)

Consultations and evaluations

7. Making every Young Person with Diabetes Matter
(Gateway reference number: 7755)

The Making every Young Person with Diabetes Matter report will be published on 5 April. It sets out the findings of the Children and Young People with Diabetes Working Group, which was set up to identify what needs to be done to improve care for children and young people with diabetes.  More information will be available at

• Diabetes

8. Department of Health’s Winter Report 2006-07
(Gateway reference number: 8053)

The Department of Health has published the Winter Report for 2006/07, written by Professor Sir George Alberti and David Colin-Thomé.  The report congratulates NHS staff on continued high performance across the service.

• Winter report 2006-2007

Publications

9. GP Patient Survey: your doctor, your experience, your say.
(Gateway reference 8003)

Further guidance for strategic health authorities, primary care trusts and GP practices is now available on the primary care contracting page of the DH website.

The updated guidance includes information on making payments to practices once the survey results are available.

• GP patient survey- your doctor, your experience, your say - further guidance for strategic health authorities, primary care trusts and GP practices
• Contact for enquiries: GPPatientSurvey@dh.gsi.gov.uk (opens new window)

10. Maternity Matters: Choice, access and continuity of care in a safe service
(Gateway reference number: 7586)

Maternity Matters outlines a national framework for local improvements in choice, access and continuity of care in maternity services.  It highlights how the health reform agenda can be used to shape provision to meet local need.  A commissioning self-assessment tool accompanies the document.

• Maternity Matters: Choice, access and continuity of care in a safe service

11. NHS Dental Survey Programme 2007/08
(Gateway reference number: 8096)

The Department of Health and strategic health authorities have agreed that a dental health survey of 5 year old children should be undertaken in 2007/08 as part of the NHS rolling programme of dental surveys.  The Chief Dental Officer’s letter to PCT chief executives outlines the legal requirements with regard to dental surveys and their importance in the local commissioning of dental services.

• NHS dental survey programme

12. Partnerships for Older People Projects (POPP) Grant for 2007/08 (Round 2)
(Gateway reference number: 8099)

The Department of Health has issued a local authority circular setting out the conditions governing the use of this grant. The circular is brought to the attention of chief executives of the ten local authority-led partnerships including chief executives of partner PCTs.

13. ProCure21 programme: framework extended
(Gateway reference number: 8102)

Ministers have approved an extension to the ProCure21 Framework.  It was due to finish in September 2008, but will now be extended until September 2010. ProCure21 is delivering first class healthcare facilities on time and within budget.

• ProCure21 (opens new window)

14. Advance Letter: Pay scales and allowances for dental public health staff
(Gateway reference number: 8085)

This circular informs NHS employers of the changes with effect from 01 April 2007 to pay and allowances of dental public health staff including those appointed to Director of Public Health posts in PCTs.

• AL (DOS) 1 2007 Pay and allowances for dental public health staff

Conferences and events

(i) What’s new
No news this week.

(ii) Places still available
No news this week.

Patient safety alerts

15. MEDICAL DEVICE ALERT – MDA/2007/029
(Gateway reference number: 8097)

Device: Retrievable permanent inferior vena cava (IVC) filters.

This Medical Device Alert was issued on 29 March 2007 to NHS trusts and for action.

• Medical Device Alerts (opens new window)