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the week: issue 48, 30 May - 5 June 2008
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Last modified date:5 June 2008
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Series number:48
Published every Thursday, the week provides need-to-know news, consultations and events for chief executives and their teams. It provides links to more information and resources, highlighting areas for action
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On the agenda
New performance regime set out - Minimum standards for hospitals and trusts
New plans to drive up standards of care and tackle underperformance in hospitals and trusts have been outlined by Health Minister Ben Bradshaw.
The measures set out in the vision document 'Developing the NHS Performance Regime' will identify failing trusts, remove poor managers and bring in new management, which could potentially come from other hospitals or from the private sector. New minimum standards of quality, safety and financial management will also be established. Further information about the details of the regime will be set out later this year.
Volunteering consultation aims to raise profile - Feedback sought for national strategy
A six-month consultation with the public and third sector groups will form the basis for a new strategy aimed at improving the support for volunteers in the NHS, social care and third sector.
Aims of the consultation, ‘Towards a strategy to support volunteering in health and social care’, and subsequent strategy include to raise the esteem and profile of volunteering, help improve management and support for volunteers, and allow more investment to support involvement.
World class commissioning system launched - PCTs to measure health outcomes
A world class commissioning assurance system, which is a new approach to measuring PCT commissioning performance, has been launched this week by the Department of Health and the NHS. It is one nationally consistent system, managed locally by the SHAs, which will hold commissioners to account, reward performance, and ensure health outcomes are improving. There is an assurance toolkit to help implementation.
The assurance system will measure performance in three key areas, health outcomes, competencies, and governance. It will also include an assessment of the PCT’s potential for improvement.
Policy news
No news this week
Consultations and evaluations
1. Future of tobacco control (Gateway reference number: 9874)
A consultation on the future of tobacco control covers reducing smoking and related health inequalities, protecting young people, supporting quit attempts and those who cannot quit.
Action: Trusts can feed in their views during the consultation period which runs from 31 May to 8 September 2008.
2. User-led organisations development fund (Gateway reference number: 10011)
A second round of the User-Led Organisations (ULOs) Development Fund is available for ULOs to apply to deliver Action and Learning Sites up to March 2010. The sites will develop ways of improving their capacity and long-term sustainability, and then share learning with other organisations and groups across the country.
Action: The aim is to have a ULO in each local authority area by 2010 and chief executives can encourage ULOs in their area to apply.
3. Technology Implementation Projects (Gateway reference number: 10000)
The NHS Technology Adoption Centre invites expressions of interest from NHS trusts / PCTs to host ‘Technology Implementation Projects’. These projects involve trusts working with the centre to implement innovative but clinically proven healthcare technologies into a wide range of clinical settings. The centre has selected six projects to begin in host trusts in autumn 2008.
Action: Expressions of interest to host projects need to be submitted via this link by 5.00 pm on 25 July 2008 and grants will be available to participating trusts and PCTs. Further information and application details are available on the centre's website.
Publications
4. Stroke imaging guide (Gateway reference number: 9963)
This document has been developed by experts in the field of imaging. It provides guidance on developing imaging services for transient ischaemic attack and stroke in line with the quality markers in the national stroke strategy.
Action: This guide is a key source of information about developing imaging services.
5. Mental Capacity Act circular (Gateway reference number: 9982)
This local authority circular sets out the resources available for the year 2008/09 for the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and provisional figures for 2009/10 and 2010/11.
Action: These resources are intended to be used both to support wider successful implementation of the act and to deliver trusts’ and social care organisations’ statutory responsibilities.
6. Mortality indicators on NHS Choices (Gateway reference number: 10025)
NHS Choices plan to publish mortality indicators for acute trusts in the coming weeks. Initially these are for Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm repair and hip and knee replacement. Trusts will have an opportunity to review their data, prior to publication via the NHS Choices preview application and designated contacts will receive further details.
Action: Acute trust chief executives who want to preview the data should contact the NHS Choices team at:
7. Magnetic Resonance Imaging and low back pain (Gateway reference number: 9986)
The NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement's Delivering Quality and Value team have launched this document which highlights the ideal pathway and the key characteristics that optimise quality and value for patients requiring Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI).
Action: This report, which will help NHS organisations improve the quality and value of care for patients requiring MRI services, is available to download by registering at:
8. PCT board development specification (Gateway reference number: 10016)
PCT board development has been identified to be a key priority as part of the world class commissioning programme. A clear specification has now been produced which PCTs can choose to use locally to procure a board development programme. A framework of pre-qualified providers will be in place in August.
Action: PCT chief executives should review the specification if they want to procure a local programme in the summer.
9. Demand Management Plan for immunoglobulin use (Gateway reference number: 10013)
As the supply of immunoglobulin is limited and demand is expected to continue to exceed supply in the medium term, the objectives are to provide a process to rationalise demand, as well as increasing supply.
Action: Trusts can ensure they have appropriate supply-demand balance for their organisations.
10. Clinical guidelines for immunoglobulin use (Gateway reference number: 10012).
The document has been updated by clinicians, with support from Royal Colleges and Societies, in order to reflect new evidence for the use of immunoglobulin. The overall objectives of the guidelines are to promote consistency in patient care and promote best practice in the use of immunoglobulin across all indications, specialties and geographies based on available evidence and expert opinion.
Action: These clinical guidelines can help deliver the 'Demand Management Plan for immunoglobulin use'.
11. General ophthalmic services payments (Gateway reference number: 10009)
This letter details arrangements for payments for loss of earnings in respect of continuing education and training undertaken by optometrists and ophthalmic medical practitioners on PCT lists, and the level of payment in respect of 2007 Continuing Education Training (CET) which is payable this year.
Action: The aim of this letter is to ensure that continuing education payments validly claimed are paid.
12. General ophthalmic services’ suspensions (Gateway reference number: 10018)
Payments to persons suspended from general ophthalmic services, ophthalmic and supplementary lists. SI 2006 No. 1550 came into force on 19 July 2006 and amended existing regulations. It provides for determinations to be made and for an appeal to the Secretary of State against a PCT decision as to the amount to be paid to suspended general ophthalmic services contractors and assistants.
Action: The replaced and updated determinations, which govern how PCTs calculate the sums to be paid, can be seen via:
Conferences and events - i) what’s new
13. NHS Design Champions event (Gateway reference number: 10030)
Ben Bradshaw, Minister of State for Health, is the keynote speaker at a special event tailored for all trusts and PCTs who are, or would like to be, involved in the NHS Design Champions agenda. The event takes place on Thursday 26 June 2008 in the Great Hall, Barts and the London NHS trust.
Action: NHS trusts who are interested in booking a free place for the event (limited to two people per organisation) should email:
Conferences and events - ii) places still available
No news this week
Patient safety alerts
No news this week
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