Website of the Department of Health

Consultations and evaluations

1. Child and adolescent mental health (CAMHS) dataset consultation (Gateway reference number: 8775)

The Information Centre is developing a dataset to support the National Service Framework for Children, Young People and Maternity Services. It will provide monitoring and other secondary uses information.

Action: NHS and local authority chief executives are invited to comment on the draft dataset by 12 October 2007.

• Information Centre: CAMHS Dataset Consultation (opens new window)

2. Share your views on challenges and priorities for the MHRA (Gateway reference number: 8786)

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has launched a public consultation, seeking stakeholders’ views on how to respond to the challenges facing the agency over the next five years.  The consultation can be found on the MHRA website.

Action: NHS chief executives should respond to consultation by 2 November 2007.

• Challenges and Priorities for the MHRA – Consultation (opens new window)

3. NAO Value for money examination of complaints handling in health and social care (Gateway reference number: 8795)

The National Audit Office (NAO) has sent a questionnaire about complaints handling to NHS trust complaints managers (ROCR-Lite/07/014/FT6) and will shortly be sending a similar questionnaire to local authority complaints managers.

Action: The questionnaire about complaints handling requires the contribution of NHS and local authority chief executives.

• National Audit Office: Complaints handling in health and social care (opens new window)

Publications

4. Who pays? Establishing the responsible commissioner (Gateway reference number: 8448)

Updated guidance has been published, setting out a framework for establishing responsibility for commissioning an individual's care within the NHS and determining who pays for a patient’s care.

Action: NHS chief executives and their staff should refer to the updated guidance.

• Who Pays? Establishing the responsible commissioner

5. Education and training framework (Gateway Reference Number 8774)

Creating an interprofessional workforce programme (CIPW) have produced an Education and Training Framework for Health and Social Care. A tool to spread good practice and offer guidance to educators, employers and practitioners, it aims to support effective collaboration, improve quality of care and develop their practice in line with policy.

Action: NHS chief executives can obtain hard copies of the executive summary from Lisa Hughes at:

• lisa.hughes@dh.gsi.gov.uk (opens new window)
• Creating an interprofessional workforce (CIPW) programme

6. Nominate now for the Allan Brooking NHS Travel Fellowship (Gateway reference number: 8793)

If you are a NHS Manager you could be granted up to £3,000 for travel and accommodation (within UK or abroad), to allow you to investigate innovative non-clinical healthcare management practices, in any discipline, that might benefit the wider NHS.

Actions: NHS chief executives can nominate members of staff by contacting:

• ros.clarke@aboveandbeyond.org.uk (opens new window)
• The Charitable Trusts for the United Bristol Hospitals - The Allan Brooking NHS Travel Fellowship (opens new window)

7. Speech, language and communications review launched (Gateway reference number: 8806)

A joint Departmental of Health and Department for Children, Schools and Families review into the provision of services for children and young people with speech, language and communications needs has been launched. The review will advise on how local services can work closer together so children get the support they need, when they need it.

 Action: NHS chief executives are encouraged to read more about the review.

• Government News Network: Speech, Language and Communications Review launched by Ed Balls and Alan Johnson (opens new window)

Conferences and events - i) what’s new

8. Breaking Through Conference (Gateway reference number: 8785)

The fourth national breaking through conference will be held on Monday 15 October 2007. It aims to highlight the importance of issues of race equality within the NHS workforce. Keynote addresses will be delivered by David Nicholson, NHS Chief Executive and Professor Lord Ara Darzi, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Lords).

Action: NHS chief executives can register for the conference online at the link above. 

• Institute for Innovation and Improvement: Breaking Through Conference (opens new window)

Conferences and events - ii) places still available

No news this week

Patient safety alerts

9. MEDICAL DEVICE ALERT – MDA/2007/067 (Gateway reference number: 8798)

Device: Hip resurfacing implants.
Adept acetabular cups manufactured by Finsbury Orthopaedics (see appendix for affected lot codes).

Action: This Medical Device Alert was issued on 29 August 2007 to NHS trusts for immediate action and information request.

• Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency - MDA/2007/067 (opens new window)

10. MEDICAL DEVICE ALERT – MDA/2007/068 (Gateway reference number: 8799)

Device: Hip implants for hemiarthroplasty – Austin-Moore, F.R. Thompson and Thompson Modular endoprostheses manufactured by Biomet UK Ltd.

Action: This Medical Device Alert was issued on 05 September 2007 to NHS trusts for immediate action and information request.

• Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency - MDA/2007/068 (opens new window)

11. MEDICAL DEVICE ALERT – MDA/2007/069 (Gateway reference number: 8800)

Device: Automatic external defibrillator: Lifepak 500® manufactured by Medtronic Ltd.

Action: This Medical Device Alert was issued on 05 September 2007 to NHS trusts for immediate action and information request.

• Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency - MDA/2007/069 (opens new window)

12. MEDICAL DEVICE ALERT – MDA/2007/070 (Gateway reference number: 8801)

Device: Sterile suction connecting tubing, ref number: UN30026FFM, manufactured by Universal Hospital Supplies Ltd: manufactured up to and including 14 November 2006, NHS Supply Chain code: FWP204.

Action: This Medical Device Alert was issued on 06 September 2007 to NHS trusts for immediate action and information request.

• Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency - MDA/2007/070 (opens new window)

13. MEDICAL DEVICE ALERT – MDA/2007/071 (Gateway reference number: 8802)

Device: Syringes: BD Medical Surgical Systems Plastipak™ 1ml, 2ml, 5ml and 10ml hypodermic Luer slip syringes manufactured between April 2007 and August 2007.

Action: This Medical Device Alert was issued on 10 September 2007 to NHS trusts for immediate action and information request.

• Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency - MDA/2007/071 (opens new window)

14. MEDICAL DEVICE ALERT – MDA/2007/072 (Gateway reference number: 8803)

Device: Endotracheal tubes: Microcuff paediatric endotracheal tubes manufactured by Kimberly-Clark NV/SA.

Action: This Medical Device Alert was issued on 11 September 2007 to NHS trusts for immediate action and information request.

• Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency - MDA/2007/072 (opens new window)

15. MEDICAL DEVICE ALERT – MDA/2007/073 (Gateway reference number: 8804)

Device: Electrosurgery bipolar unit: model TDB 60 manufactured by Eschmann Ltd (serial numbers with the last six digits from 5D-1201 to 7D-1273 inclusive are affected – see appendix for full list of serial numbers).

Action: This Medical Device Alert was issued on 17 September 2007 to NHS trusts for immediate action and information request.

• Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency - MDA/2007/073 (opens new window)