Website of the Department of Health

Consultations and evaluations

2. DELIVERING CHOICE: Update of the ‘Choosing your Hospital’ booklets (Gateway reference number: 6904)

The Department of Health are now updating these booklets for publication this autumn, following an extensive evaluation of the first version. At the point of referral, patients should be given the existing booklet until the updated copies are available. Trust and PCT CEO’s are asked to nominate a Board level Director to lead this work; their name should be submitted by 4 August 2006 to:

Publications

3. Healthcare professional regulation: Public consultation on proposals for change (Gateway reference number: 6856)

This consultation paper seeks views on the proposals put forward by the Chief Medical Officer in Good doctors, safer patients, and upon the options outlined in the parallel review of non-medical regulation. The deadline for responses to this consultation is 10 November 2006. See:

Conferences and events - i) what's new

4. Consultation on the role of the Emergency Care Practitioner (ECP) (Gateway reference number: 6696)

The Competence and Curriculum framework for the ECP consultation was launched on 23 June and ends on 29 September. An ECP is a healthcare professional who works to a medical model, with the attitude, skills & knowledge base to deliver holistic care and treatment within the pre-hospital, primary & acute care settings with a broadly defined level of autonomy. Details of the framework can be found at:

Conference and events - ii) places still available

5. Technical notes for extended choice (Gateway reference Number: 6614)

Following the publication of Choice at Referral – Guidance Framework for 2006/7, this note covers the detailed supplements for FTs, Wave 1 ISTCs, appointed IS providers and the principles governing removal of services from the national menu. This is a key document which will allow you to progress with implementing extended choice. Available at:

• Choice at referral: Guidance framework for 2006/7
• Technical notes

Patient safety alerts

6. Periodical Payments in Clinical Negligence Claims (Gateway reference number: 6906)

All acute, specialist and mental health/learning disability trusts in England are asked to sign an agreement with the NHS Litigation Authority in respect of their membership of the Clinical Negligence Scheme for Trusts (CNST), to ensure that courts will give approval to periodical payment regimes. Full details at: