Website of the Department of Health

Consultations and evaluations

1. National Capabilities Survey 2008 (Gateway reference number: 9220 & ROCR reference number: ROCR/OR/0176/FT6/001)

The National Capabilities Survey (NCS) 2008 was launched on 8 January 2008. The NCS is a biennial survey led by the Civil Contingencies Secretariat (CCS) of the Cabinet Office and is a cross-government measure that is intended to provide an accurate picture of national resilience.

Actions: NHS and local authority chief executives are expected to highlight the importance of this survey and need to fully support its organisation throughout its completion.

Further information:

• UK Resilience (opens new window)

2. Improving end of life care environments (Gateway reference number: 9296)

A new programme to improve environments for care at end of life. This Department of Health funded initiative follows the success of the King’s Fund’s award winning Enhancing the Healing Environment programme in England.

Actions: NHS chief executives interested in applying for the 20 available places can access further information and the application form at the link. The closing date for applications is the 22 February 2008.

• Enhancing the Healing Environment Programme

3. Advisory Committee on Clinical Excellence Awards (ACCEA) (Gateway reference number: 9303)

Vacancies exist for two employer members on the national ACCEA committee. 

Action: NHS chief executives wishing to apply for these vacancies, please access:

• Advisory Committee on Clinical Excellence Awards (opens new window)

4. EC consultation on rare diseases (Gateway Reference Number: 9323)

The DH will be responding to an EC consultation about EU-wide co-operation on the treatment of rare diseases, on behalf of the UK Health Departments.

Action: NHS chief executives may wish to contribute, via email by 25 January 2008, or directly through the EC website.

• steve.pugh@dh.gsi.gov.uk (opens new window)
• European Commission: Public Consultation regarding a European Action in the Field of Rare Diseases (opens new window)

Publications

5. Salaried dentistry – advance letter (Gateway reference number: 9309)

The letter details new pay arrangements, and terms and conditions for primary care and salaried services dentists.

Action: NHS trust and PCT chief executives should implement the new pay arrangements and terms and conditions.

• AL DOS 1/2008: Introduction of the 2007 salaried primary dental care contract (England)

6. Dialysis capacity (Gateway reference number: 9289)

The National Clinical Director for Kidney Care, Donal O’Donoghue, discusses the serious implications of insufficient dialysis capacity in the letter below.

Action: See letter that alerts PCT chief executives and specialised commissioning groups to the offer of support Donal O’Donoghue has made to SHAs in their dialysis planning, and assessment of local dialysis needs.

• Dialysis capacity: follow on from NHS Management Board

7. Dentists with a Special Interest (DwSIs) in conscious sedation (Gateway reference number: 9102)

This good practice document includes definitions, a competency framework, contract specification and monitoring, quality assessments and the scope of treatment that can be undertaken. The guidance will be of particular use to PCTs when reviewing all contracts for advanced mandatory services in conscious sedation within dentistry. 

Action: PCT chief executives will be interested in this additional guidance supporting the commissioning of conscious sedation services in conjunction with the previous guidance issued in June 2007.

• Guidelines for the appointment of dentists with a special interest (DwSI) in conscious sedation

8. Join the cleanyourhands campaign (Gateway reference number: 9305)

The campaign has already been effective in changing many aspects of hand hygiene behaviour amongst healthcare workers in acute trusts and is now being extended to other NHS organisations.

Action: Chief executives of primary care, ambulance, mental health and care trusts wishing to participate in the cleanyourhands campaign can access further information at:

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

9. Patient transport service – revised eligibility (Gateway reference number: 9319)

The best practice guidance contains an updated reference to that issued on the DH website (originally published 10 September 2007).

Action: NHS chief executives should note that their organisations consider the frequency of travel when assessing a patient’s medical need for transportation.

• Guidance on non-emergency patient transport services: response to consultation

10. Fitness for purpose – database updates (Gateway reference number: 8925)

The online database contains an overview of the data collected, which took place between May 2006 and March 2007, and launched in December 2007.

Action: PCT and SHA chief executives will be interested in accessing their own detailed trust-specific and patch-wide assessments.

• Fitness for Purpose

Conferences and events - i) what's new

No news this week.

Conferences and events - ii) places still available

No news this week.

Patient safety alerts

11. MEDICAL DEVICE ALERT – MDA/2007/100 (Gateway reference number: 9317)

Device: Volumetric infusion pump. Smiths Medical (Graseby) 500 and 505 volumetric infusion pumps – all models.

Action: This Medical Device Alert was issued on 20 December 2007 to NHS trusts for action.

• Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency - MDA/2007/100 (opens new window)

12. MEDICAL DEVICE ALERT – MDA/2008/001 (Gateway reference number: 9318)

Device: All medical devices.

Action: This Medical Device Alert was issued on 2 January 2008 to NHS trusts and social services for action/update.

• Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency - MDA/2008/001 (opens new window)