Website of the Department of Health

2. Update on NHS infertility treatment (Gateway reference number: 8614)

This letter from Dawn Primarolo follows up Caroline Flint’s letter of 27 June 2006 asking PCTs to co-operate with the Infertility Network UK (I N UK) project. The Minister gives feedback on the project so far, announces its extension and the Department of Health’s decision to monitor IVF provision annually.

Action: Read about the survey’s progress, its extension and the Department’s plans to monitor IVF.

• NHS infertility treatment

3. Continuing care: close of retrospective review (Gateway reference number: 8594)

David Nicholson’s letter announces that, following discussions with the Health Service Ombudsman, the retrospective review process for continuing care will be drawn to a close as soon as possible.

Action: Submit any cases ‘new’ to the system (involving eligibility decisions made before April 2004 that have previously not been challenged) by 30 November 2007.

• Closing the continuing care retropsective review process

Consultations and evaluations

4. New NHS equality leads e-bulletin (Gateway reference number: 8620)

The DH Equality and Human Rights Group will launch an e-bulletin for equality leads across the NHS and social care sectors. It will provide news of relevant events, resources and case studies.

Action: Please complete the form as soon as possible with details of the equality lead for your organisation and send to

• Equality-Leads@dh.gsi.gov.uk (opens new window)
• Contacts for new e-bulletin for NHS Equality Leads

Publications

5. Learning from serious incidents (Gateway reference number: 8608)

The National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA) launched Safer care for the acutely ill patient: learning from serious incidents - the fifth report from the NPSA’s Patient Safety Observatory. Aimed at highlighting how best to respond to the needs of acutely ill patients, it contains detailed analysis of serious patient safety incidents.

Action: Reduce risks in your trust by learning from the serious incident data in the report.

• National Patient Safety Agency: Safer care for acutely ill patients (opens new window)

6. Factfile on PbR for stroke and TIA services (Gateway reference number: 8459)

This fact sheet explains payments by results (PbR) in an accessible format for those involved in the provision and commissioning of stroke and transient ischaemic attack (TIA) services.

Action: Use the guide to ensure the system operates in the best possible way for people in need of stroke care. Submit any ideas for improvement to PbR for stroke to the national stroke strategy consultation launched in issue 4 of the week

• Payment by Results (PbR) for stroke and transient ischaemic attack (TIA) services
• A new ambition for stroke - a consultation on a national strategy

Conferences and events - i) what’s new

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Conferences and events - ii) places still available

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Patient safety alerts

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