Website of the Department of Health

2. Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act (Gateway reference number: 7353)

On 8 November the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act received Royal Assent. The Act lays the foundation for a new vetting and barring scheme, which will be phased in from Autumn 2008. See:

• Bichard vetting and barring scheme

Consultations and evaluations

3. Mass Casualties Incidents: A Framework for Planning Consultation (Gateway reference number: 7344)

Best practice guidance on planning for mass casualty incidents was published on 14 November for consultation. The guidance will help NHS organisations to plan and prepare for - and respond to - any emergency which could create an abnormal casualty situation. See:

• NHS Emergency Planning Guidance 2005 - Mass Casualties Incidents: A Framework for Planning - Best Practice Guidance: A consultation

4. Reviewing the Care Programme Approach (CPA) 2006 - Consultation (Gateway reference number: 7274)

The Department of Health and Care Services Improvement Partnership have launched a consultation to review the CPA until 19 February 2007. It introduces values and principles that should underpin implementation of the CPA. Comments on the proposals and examples of positive practice are invited.

Send your comments to:

• cpareview@londondevelopmentcentre.org (opens new window)
• Reviewing the Care Programme Approach (CPA) - on the NIMHE website (opens new window)

Publications

5. Dignity in Care campaign (Gateway reference number: 7388)

Minister for Care Services Ivan Lewis has written to key NHS & social care stakeholders drawing their attention to and asking for their support on an important new campaign to raise the profile of treating people receiving care services with dignity.

See:

• Dignity in care

6. Screening for MRSA colonisation: A summary of best practice (Gateway reference number: 7341)

Reducing the risk of infection from MRSA colonisation requires a targeted approach across all patient pathways. Trusts should review their policies for MRSA screening to ensure that risk of infection from MRSA colonisation is reduced. This summary of best practice shows the specific interventions which would reduce risk in each patient group.

See professional letter: PL/CMO/2006/4: Screening for MRSA colonisation: a summary of best practice

and guidance at:

• Screening for Meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) colonisation: a strategy for NHS trusts - a summary of best practice
• PL CMO (2006)4: Screening for MRSA colonisation: a summary of best practice

7. Diabetes Commissioning Toolkit (Gateway Reference number: 7304)

A Diabetes Commissioning Toolkit has been published to provide a useful resource to all NHS commissioners of diabetes services. It describes how to carry out a health needs assessment for a local diabetes population and provides a generic specification for diabetes care, signposting best practice quality markers.

See:

• Diabetes commissioning toolkit

8. Better Services for People with an Autistic Spectrum Disorder (Gateway reference number: 6868)

Chief executives should be aware of how existing government policy relates to people with autistic spectrum disorder. The National Director for Learning Disability and the National Director for Mental Health commissioned this document  which clarifies the nature and intent of existing government policy, and describes good practice. See:

• Better services for people with an autistic spectrum disorder: A note clarifying current Government policy and describing good practice

9. New advice for safer blood transfusions (Gateway reference number: 7173)

The National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA), the Chief medical Officer’s National Blood Transfusion Committee (NBTC) and Serious Hazards of Transfusion (SHOT) have collaborated to develop and evaluate a range of long and short-term strategies to ensure blood transfusions are carried out safety. See:

• National Patient Safety Agency: Right patient, right blood – new advice for safer blood transfusions (opens new window)

10. Directors of Public Health in PCTs - Supplementary Guidance on Appointments (Gateway reference number: 7379)

Supplementary guidance on appointments has been published, and the Very Senior Managers' Pay Framework has been updated to include Directors of Public Health in PCTs.

See supplementary guidance and the updated Framework at:

• Commissioning a patient led NHS: Primary Care Trusts: Directors of Public Health posts
• Pay framework for very senior managers in strategic and special health authorities, primary care trusts and ambulance trusts - 2006

11. Delivering 18 weeks - Maximum Impact – Shorter Pathways Tool (Gateway reference number: 7396)

A new online tool to help PCTs and acute providers shorten the patient pathway to deliver 18 weeks.  It provides tips to help improve efficiency and productivity. It pulls together learning from many key tools available to support delivery. See:

• 18 weeks - Maximum impact - shorter pathways tool (opens new window)

12. The National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA) has published it’s Quarterly National Reporting and Learning System data Summary – Autumn 2006 (Gateway reference number: 7373)

This provides an update on the 176,857 incidents reported to the NPSA’s National Reporting and Learning System from all sectors of the NHS between 1 April 2006 and 30 June 2006. The report can be accessed at:

• National Patient Safety Agency - National Reporting and Learning System data summary (opens new window)

13. Drug treatments for multiple sclerosis (Beta-interferons & Glatiramer Acetate): Risk-Sharing Scheme – HSC 2002/004 (Gateway reference number: 7399)

This briefing note asks strategic health authorities to ensure that their primary care and hospital trusts continue to fund the treatment of eligible patients with multiple sclerosis under the Risk-Sharing Scheme.

See briefing note from the Department of Health at

• Drug treatments for multiple sclerosis (beta-interferons and glatiramer acetate): risk-sharing scheme (HSC 2002/004) briefing note November 2006

Conferences and events - i) what's new

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Conference and events - ii) places still available

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Patient safety alerts

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