Website of the Department of Health

Consultations and evaluations

No news this week

Publications

1. Improving nutritional care (Gateway reference number 8813)

The Nutrition Action Plan sets out how health and social care commissioners and other stakeholders can tackle issues around nutrition, hydration and nutritional care.

Action: NHS and social care chief executives should note the suggestions on how to improve access to nutrition and nutritional care.

• Improving Nutritional Care: A joint Action Plan

2. GUM clinics’ 48-hour access target (Gateway reference number: 8930)

A joint statement from the Department of Health and the British Association for Sexual Health and HIV, provides guidance on increasing the number of patients seen within 48 hours in genito-urinary medicine (GUM) clinics to support delivery of the target.

Action: NHS chief executives can access the statement and see how the guidance can help them to achieve the target.

• Genito-urinary medicine clinics and the 48 hour access target

3. Hospital travel costs: updated guidance (Gateway reference number: 8999)

Updated guidance clarifies NHS responsibilities in promoting and administering Hospital Travel Costs Scheme (HTCS) and highlights key issues around patients’ transport options. It applies to NHS organisations and independent sector providers contracted to the NHS.

Action: NHS chief executives should ensure this guidance is followed, as HTCS is helpful in tackling health inequalities. 

• Hospital Travel Costs Scheme: guidance for NHS organisations, November 2007

4. cleanyourhands (Gateway reference number: 9010)

The National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA) has launched the third year of the cleanyourhands campaign with a clear message about the importance of hand hygiene to everyone involved in healthcare. The campaign aims to improve the hand hygiene of healthcare workers in order to help combat healthcare associated infections (HCAIs).

Action: In the efforts to combat HCAIs through good hand hygiene, chief executives of acute trusts will wish to ensure the campaign continues to be implemented effectively in their organisation.

• National Patient Safety Agency hand hygiene (opens new window)

5. Velcade Responder Scheme (Gateway reference number: 9011)

In guidance published on the 24 October, the National Institue for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) recommends Velcade for multiple myeloma, subject to a responder scheme. The manufacturer refunds the cost of the drug to the NHS for those patients who fail to respond adequately to treatment.

Action: NHS chief executives may wish to make arrangements locally to implement the scheme and can access further information via the Velcade website (user registration is required).

• Velcade (opens new window)

6. Bringing care closer to home (Gateway reference number: 9013) 

Today, the NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement launches a series of tools designed to support trusts in shifting care closer to home. The tools will enable trusts to prioritise shift opportunities, deliver overall programmes and also individual projects.

Action: In line with the White paper Our health, our care, our say, shifting care closer to home is increasingly at the heart of commissioning decisions. NHS chief executives need to be aware of this in light of local planning within their trusts.

• NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement: Care outside hospital (opens new window)

7. National Patient Choice Survey’s new design (Gateway reference number: 9014)

In order to achieve more robust response rates and ensure we engage with hard-to-reach groups, we have produced a new questionnaire for use in the remaining three waves of the survey this year. This will replace the current postcard survey.

Action: NHS chief executives are asked to note the new survey questionnaire and to ensure that staff administering the survey are aware of the changes to the guidance.

• National Patient Choice Survey: new questionnaire - waves 10, 11 and 12

8. The Bercow Review (Gateway reference number: 9020)

This review concerning children with speech, language and communication needs issued its call for evidence on 23 October.

Action: NHS and social care chief executives can contribute via the link to the review website and questionnaire.

• Department for Children, Schools and Families: Bercow Review of Speech, Language and Communication Needs - Call for Evidence (opens new window)

Conferences and events - i) what’s new

9. SUS Information Governance roadshows (Gateway reference number: 9012)

These roadshows (in November and December 2007), feature how information governance issues impact on the secondary use of health data and how Secondary Uses Service (SUS) tools support the critical to the delivery of the NHS reform agenda.

Action: NHS chief executives, information governance leads and data managers are invited to attend these events, and can register via the link above.

• The Information Centre: SUS Information Governance awareness roadshows - Registration form (opens new window)

Conferences and events - ii) places still available

10. Commissioning and System Management Conference (Gateway reference number: 8989)

Following the invite sent on 5 October, you’re reminded to book your place at the conference on 3 December, to learn more about world class commissioning, PBC, primary care and the Next Stage Review. Speakers include David Nicholson, Mark Britnell, Gary Belfield and David Colin-Thome.

Action: SHA and PCT chief executives and directors of commissioning should visit the above link for further details and to book three places per PCT.

• Primary Care Contracting Events Online - View events (opens new window)

Patient safety alerts

11. MEDICAL DEVICE ALERT – MDA/2007/080 (Gateway reference number: 9015)

Device: EMS ventilator circuits, product code W196-002 manufactured by Galemed Corporation and supplied by Smiths Medical. These are breathing systems for use with Smiths Medical emergency and transport ventilators including: Parapac, Ventipac, Rescupac and Transpac models.

Action: This Medical Device Alert was issued on 24 October 2007 to NHS trusts for immediate action and information request.

• Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency - MDA/2007/080 (opens new window)

12. MEDICAL DEVICE ALERT – MDA/2007/081 (Gateway reference number: 9016)

Device: Orthopaedic bone cement restrictor instrumentation. DePuy SmartSeal™ pressurisers- femoral and acetabular pressurisers (5 pack) manufactured by DePuy CMW.

Action: This Medical Device Alert was issued on 25 October 2007 to NHS trusts for action.

• Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency - MDA/2007/081 (opens new window)

13. MEDICAL DEVICE ALERT – MDA/2007/082 (Gateway reference number: 9017)

Device: Counterfeit Durex condoms. 

Action: This Medical Device Alert was issued on 29 October 2007 to NHS trusts for immediate action and update.

• Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency - MDA/2007/082 (opens new window)