Website of the Department of Health

Consultations and evaluations

1. Specialist alcohol treatment (Gateway & ROCR reference number: 9657 & ROCR/0072/002)

The remit of the National Drug Treatment Monitoring System (NDTMS) has been extended to collect treatment data from all specialist alcohol providers via the National Alcohol Treatment Monitoring System (NATMS).

Action: The new system will show the numbers of people receiving treatment and what this means for providing local services. 

• National Treatment Agency: Monitoring of specialist alcohol treatment (opens new window)

Publications

2. Delivering child obesity goals (Gateway reference number: 9625)

This guidance for local areas sets out what actions PCTs and local authorities could take to deliver their child obesity goals as part of the NHS Operating Framework, and deliver Local Area Agreement (LAA) targets as part of the Local Government National Indicator Set.

Action: The guidance can directly help trusts and local authorities deliver their child obesity goals

• Healthy Weight Healthy Lives Guidance for local areas

3. Working Time Directive compliance (Gateway reference number: 9656)

National Workforce Projects is offering trusts the opportunity to engage with a programme of targeted support that will enable them to achieve Working Time Directive 2009 compliance for doctors in training. 

Action: Further information is available for those who want to take advantage of this support at:

• Healthcare Workforce: Targeted WTD support for trusts (opens new window)

4. Patient safety in mental health (Gateway reference number: 9469)

The National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA) has launched good practice guidance to help improve and standardise independent investigations of serious patient safety incidents in mental health services.

Action: This approach can help improve and standardise these independent inquiries.

• NPSA: Independent investigation of serious patient safety incidents in mental health services good practice guidance (opens new window)

5. Cardiac care commissioning guides (Gateway reference number: 9629)

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has published two further commissioning guides to help the NHS in England effectively commission evidence-based care for patients. These guides cover services for heart failure and cardiac rehabilitation. Each guide is underpinned by NICE clinical guidelines and offers an indicative benchmark of activity to help commissioners determine the level of service needed locally. 

Action: The guides can help decide the level of evidence-based care required in this field.

• NICE commissioning guides (opens new window)

6. Severe mental illness support  (Gateway reference number: 9148)

Updated policy guidance on the Care Programme Approach aims to help mental health services ensure people with severe mental illness are supported across the range of their needs. It supports services to deliver consistency in applying national policy on assessment, planning, care coordination, and risk and crisis management. 

Action: Improved and consistent services to people with severe mental illness can be delivered using this guidance.

• Refocusing the care programme approach: Policy and positive practice guidance

7. Optical voucher values increase (Gateway reference number: 8081)

This letter informs PCTs, other NHS trusts, optometrists, ophthalmic medical practitioners and dispensing opticians of increases in NHS optical voucher values from 1 April 2008.

Action: Trusts should take action as requested in this letter following the new voucher value increases. 

• General Ophthalmic Services: increases to NHS optical voucher values from 1 April 2008

8. Healthcare travel costs scheme (Gateway reference number: 9602)

Updated guidance clarifies the scope of the Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme and the legal obligations of NHS organisations in connection with the scheme. It applies also to independent sector providers contracted to the NHS.

Action: Compliance is needed with the existing policy and trusts can follow this best practice guidance.

• Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme: Instructions and guidance for the NHS

9. NHS pension modernisation (Gateway reference number: 9669)

The NHS Pension Scheme is being revised from 1 April 2008. Scheme benefits and employee contribution levels are changing. NHS Pensions has provided employing authorities with guidance to ensure these changes are correctly implemented. Such material is available from NHS Pension Scheme in England and Wales.

Action: NHS bodies can use this information to prepare for the new arrangements.

• NHS Pension Scheme in England and Wales (opens new window)

10. Sleep apnoea guidance change (Gateway reference number: 9672)

On 26 March, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) published technology appraisal guidance on continuous positive airway pressure for the treatment of sleep apnoea. The funding direction for this appraisal will be amended to 12 months. The amended directions will be published in due course.

Action: Management guidance on this change is available via the attached link.

• Funding of technology appraisal guidance from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE)

Conferences and events - i) what's new

11. Regulating health and adult social care (Gateway reference number: 9667)

Three consultation events are being held for people from all health and social care sectors and others with an interest. More details are on the DH website alongside the consultation document.

Actions: Chief executives who want to attend should visit the link for further information. 

• The future regulation of health and adult social care in England: a consultation on the framework for the registration of health and adult social care providers

Conferences and events - ii) places still available

No news this week

Patient safety alerts

12. MEDICAL DEVICE ALERT – MDA/2008/016 (Gateway reference number: 9670)

Needle-free intravascular connectors. All brands.

Action: This Medical Device Alert was issued on 18 March 2008 to NHS trusts for action.

• Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency - MDA/2008/016 (opens new window)

13. MEDICAL DEVICE ALERT – MDA/2008/017 (Gateway reference number: 9671)

Oral hygiene swabs – all manufacturers.

Action: This Medical Device Alert was issued on 18 March 2008 to NHS trusts and social services for immediate action.

• Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency - MDA/2008/017 (opens new window)