Website of the Department of Health

Consultations and evaluations

1. Decontamination of eye instruments (Gateway reference number: 9325)

The Department of Health (DH) intends to undertake a survey of decontamination of surgical instruments in centres providing neurosurgical and posterior eye surgery (subject to ROCR clearance). This will look at the whole process of use and decontamination of surgical instruments, including endoscopes, in contact with the high-risk tissues of brain and posterior eye. It follows up the NICE guidance of November 2006.

Action: Heads of these specialist centres who are keen to take part can apply by Thursday 13 March 2008 at:

• National Decontamination Survey

2. Extra care housing funds (Gateway reference number: 9526)

This document sets out the bidding process for the £80 million funding for extra care housing to be made available over the next two years.

Action: Local authority chief executives must submit bids on the published form by midnight on 12 May 2008.

• Department of Health Extra Care Housing Fund: bidding guidance 2008-2010

3. NICE guidelines for schizophrenia (Gateway reference number: 9578)

In preparation for the upcoming Healthcare Commission audit relating to the NICE guidelines for schizophrenia (ROCR-Lite/07/013), all providers of specialist adult community mental health services are required to nominate a lead. This data collection will be used to inform a new indicator in the 2007/08 annual health check, to give a more rounded assessment of mental health providers and the follow up to the 2005/06 joint review of community mental health services.

Action: An audit lead for all specialist mental health trusts providing secondary community services (including PCTs with secondary mental health services) needs to be registered online by Friday 14 March 2008.

• Healthcare Commission: 2007/2008 Audit of NICE guidelines for schizophrenia (2002) (opens new window)

4. General Medical Council reforms (Gateway reference: 9339)

The Department of Health (DH) launched a public consultation asking for views and comments on three proposed reforms in the Medical Profession (Miscellaneous Amendments) Order 2008, which will enable the General Medical Council to take forward some measures in the White Paper Trust, Assurance and Safety. This is part of the department’s ongoing process to update and reform the system of regulation in order to maintain and improve public confidence.

Action: Interested chief executives should comment by 5 June 2008.

• Consultation on the Medical Profession (Miscellaneous Amendments) Order 2008

Publications

5. Surgical instruments and CJD disease (Gateway reference: 9504)

This CMO letter highlights the need for all centres offering neurological and posterior eye surgery to urgently review their implementation of NICE guidance on patient safety and reduction of risk of transmission of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) via interventional procedures.

Action: A review of the above guidance and its implementation needs to be coordinated across all trusts.

• PL CMO (2008)2: Decontamination of surgical instruments: National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidance: Patient safety and reduction of risk of transmission of Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD) via interventional procedures

6. Sexual health one-stop shops (Gateway reference number: 9249)

In 2001, the Government published the National Sexual Health and HIV Strategy and one of the recommendations was the provision of more comprehensive and integrated sexual health services.  A commitment in the strategy was to undertake an evaluation of different models of OSSs (one-stop shops).

Action: There are key findings here to help commissioners and providers introduce integrated sexual health services:

• Evaluation of One-Stop Shop (Oss) Models of Sexual Health Provision

7. NHS foundation trust status (Gateway reference number: 9574)

Monitor, the independent regulator of foundation trusts, has released a summary of responses to their consultation on introducing service line reporting (SLR) to the assessment process. The publication provides details on how the responses have been taken into account in arriving at the outlined approach.

Action: Those chief executives keen to apply will be interested in the updated process.

• Monitor: Summary of responses to the consultation on introducing service line management to the Monitor assessment process (opens new window)

8. 084 telephone numbers (Gateway reference number: 9483)

The Department of Health (DH) is currently gathering evidence on the coverage and usage of 084 numbers and will consider whether further guidance is necessary in the spring.

Action: This Mark Britnell letter gives further details for PCT chief executives, who should alert local primary care providers to look at this when considering new contracts.

• Use of 084 telephone numbers by local NHS services

9. Toolkit for NHS and pharmaceutical industry (Gateway reference number: 9569)

This interactive toolkit will help the NHS, pharmaceutical industry and relevant commercial organisations to enter into innovative joint working arrangements to help improve services provided to patients.

Action: The toolkit can be used to initiate, where appropriate, effective joint working with industry alongside the guidance published on 1 February 2008.

• Moving beyond sponsorship: interactive toolkit for joint working between the NHS and the pharmaceutical industry

10. Disease management information (Gateway reference number: 9577)

This version of the DMIT (disease management information toolkit) updates the first version, which was published in May 2007, with the latest available HES data. DMIT is aimed at commissioners of health and social care services and provides evidence on emergency bed days and interventions.

Action: The toolkit can help health and social care organisations strengthen their management of key long-term conditions.

• Disease Management Information Toolkit (DMIT)

11. Patient safety information trends (Gateway reference number: 9584)

The National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA) has issued its quarterly publication that sets out the number of patient safety incident reports received and describes patterns and trends. It contains two thematic reviews: ‘Focus on mental health’ and ‘Medication incidents in primary care’.

Action: Current trends of incident reporting will be of value to NHS chief executives. 

• The National Patient Safety Agency NRLS quarterly data summary (opens new window)

12. Personalising social care (Gateway reference number: 9576)

A new tool will help councils better understand how to transform social care systems to a ‘self-directed support‘ model. It is the first in a suite of products to be launched in spring 2008 that brings together lessons learnt from implementing direct payments, the individual budget pilots and InControl.

Action: Directors of social care can register and complete the self-assessment tool in order to receive advice and practical support. 

• Personalisation Self-Assessment Tool - Executive Summary (opens new window)

Conferences and events - i) what's new

13. Stakeholder event on CJD transmission (Gateway reference number: 9546)

This stakeholder event on 3 April 2008 will focus on implementation of National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidance, ‘Patient safety and reduction of risk of transmission of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) via interventional procedures’ (surgery and endoscopy – November 2006).

Action: A response to this important invitation is asked for by Thursday 13 March.

• Invitation to the DH ESAC-Pr stakeholder meeting to be held on Thursday 3rd April 2008

Conferences and events - ii) places still available

No news this week

Patient safety alerts

14. MEDICAL DEVICE ALERT – MDA/2008/009 (Gateway reference number: 9564)

Device: Blood coagulation test. SmartCheck INR system manufactured by Unipath Ltd.

Action: This Medical Device Alert was issued on 28 February 2008 to NHS trusts for immediate action

• Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency - MDA/2008/009 (opens new window)

15. MEDICAL DEVICE ALERT – MDA/2008/010 (Gateway reference number: 9581)

Device: Ambulift hoist. All models manufactured by Arjo or Mechanaids.

Action: This Medical Device Alert was issued on 3 March 2008 to NHS trusts and social services for action.

• Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency - MDA/2008/010 (opens new window)

16. MEDICAL DEVICE ALERT – MDA/2008/011 (Gateway reference number: 9582)

Device: Automated peritoneal dialysis systems. Homechoice/Homechoice Pro (Baxter Healthcare Ltd).

Action: This Medical Device Alert was issued on 3 March 2008 to NHS trusts for action.

• Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency - MDA/2008/011 (opens new window)