The week's healthcare developments in Westminster, the Scottish Parliament, the Welsh Assembly and key non-Government bodies:
Parliament rose for the Easter Recess on 2 April and will resume on Monday 20 April..
Mr Mike Taylor began his re-appointment as the Health and Social Care Commissioner for the North West and West Midlands at the Appointments Commission on 1 Apr. ..
A new framework to regulate the safety and quality of health and social care services ahead of the new Care Quality Commission coming into effect on 1 April 2009 was published by the Department of Health on 30 Mar. ..
The Healthcare Commission received 85 alerts about "apparently high mortality rates" last year and pursued 42 of them, Health Minister Ben Bradshaw said in a parliamentary answer on 30 Mar..
The creation of two new NHS Foundation Trusts was announced by Health Minister Ben Bradshaw in a Ministerial statement on 31 Mar..
All recalled batches of Novartis's Meningitis C vaccine have been found to be safe, Health Minister Dawn Primarolo said in a Ministerial statement on 1 Apr..
New best practice guidance for the NHS and local authorities and on Autism treatment and services was published by the Department of Health on 2 Apr..
Key performance targets for the Office of the Public Guardian next year were set out by Justice Under Secretary Bridget Prentice in a Ministerial statement on 31 Mar..
People in hospitals and care homes who lack capacity came under the protection of the Mental Capacity Act Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards on 1 Apr. ..
Latest listings of governmental, parliamentary and associated publications. These are available from The Stationery Office at: http://www.tsoshop.co.uk/bookstore.asp?FO=38793 ..
Sixteen successful bidders for a share of £4 million funding in a pilot scheme to develop better coordination between health and social care providers were announced by the Department of Health on 1 Apr..
Doctors and dentists will get a 1.5% pay rise next year, Health Secretary Alan Johnson said in a Ministerial statement on 31 Mar..
Stoma and urology appliances and services :
New Drug Tarriff arrangements for stoma and urology appliances and services were announced by Health Minister Ben Bradshaw in a Ministerial statement on 1 Apr..
Parliament rose for the Easter Recess on 2 April and will resume on Monday 20 April.
The next Healthcare Parliamentary Monitor bulletin - issue number 477 - will be published on Friday 24 April.
Mr Mike Taylor began his re-appointment as the Health and Social Care Commissioner for the North West and West Midlands at the Appointments Commission on 1 Apr.
The Department of Health said: "He will continue to be responsible for ensuring that the best possible people from all sections of our society are recruited to serve as chairs and non-executive directors on NHS boards and national public bodies through a transparent and rigorous process.
"Mr Taylor, who has been a Commissioner at the Appointments Commission since it was established in 2001, has been reappointed as a result of his exemplary performance and consistently high quality appraisals throughout this time."
Mr Taylor graduated from Cambridge and was Commissioned in the Royal Artillery in the UK. This was followed by a 22 year management career with Shell. He went on to work as a Non-Executive Director for Walton Neurological Centre NHS Trust and was an MBA lecturer for the Open University Business School. Other positions also include Chairman of Chester Aid to the Homeless (CATH) and representing the Voluntary and Community Sector on Chester Local Strategic Partnerships. (LSP). In addition, Mr Taylor received a CBE in the 1992 Birthday Honours for his services to the military.
Mr Taylor said: "I am delighted to have been reappointed for these further two years and hope to continue working collaboratively with both North West SHA and West Midlands SHA in seeking to appoint high calibre chairs and non-executive directors to all the Trusts in those areas; as well as working with some of the very important national Department of Health bodies such as the Health Protection Agency, the National Patient Safety Agency, the National Treatment Agency and the National Institute of Innovation and Improvement."
Health Under Secretary Ann Keen said: "The Appointments Commission provides an important service to the NHS, the Department of Health and across Whitehall. I am sure Mike Taylor will continue to make an excellent contribution to the development of the Commission and to the recruitment services in the North West and West Midlands regions."
A new framework to regulate the safety and quality of health and social care services ahead of the new Care Quality Commission coming into effect on 1 April 2009 was published by the Department of Health on 30 Mar.
The Department said: "From 2010/11, the Care Quality Commission will register all providers of health and adult social care services against a single set of registration requirements that are focused on the safety and quality of care. Without registering with the Care Quality Commission, it will be illegal for health and adult social care organisations to provide services that are in the scope of the new framework. To maintain their registration, providers will need to demonstrate an ongoing ability to meet all the requirements.
"In addition, primary medical and primary dental care will also be brought into regulation by the Care Quality Commission. Given the increasing range of services offered in primary care, including minor operations and other services traditionally provided in hospitals, it is important that patients have the same degree of protection, regardless of where they receive their care. This means that, for the first time, all 8500 GP practices and 9000 high street dental practices will be required to register with the Care Quality Commission, regardless of whether they provide solely private, solely NHS services, or a mix of both.
"Although GPs and other healthcare professionals are already individually registered by their professional governing bodies, this framework will give further reassurance to patients that they are protected. The Department of Health is working with relevant stakeholders to consider further how the new registration system will interact with existing regulation in this area."
Health Minister Ben Bradshaw said: "The way that health and adult social care services are being delivered is changing. The same person may well receive care from both health and social care providers in a range of settings including at their GP surgery, community or residential settings, hospital or from a range of public or independent providers. This is the first time that one single registration framework will ensure that the health and adult social care services people receive will be safe and of a high quality regardless of which organisation is providing it."
Cynthia Bower, Chief Executive, Care Quality Commission said: "We are pleased that the response to the Department of Health's consultation is now published and we can take the draft regulations into our discussions with stakeholders to develop our methods for implementing the new registration system. The new system provides a historic opportunity and we are determined to ensure that we expand on the work done to date by the Department and build a robust framework of assurance of quality across all of health and social care."
This new system replaces the different sets of existing requirements and
standards for each different provider - whether they are from the NHS, local
authority, independent or voluntary sectors. Subject to Parliamentary approval,
the registration system will be introduced from 2010/11. For the NHS,
registration with the Care Quality Commission against requirements on healthcare
associated infections (HCAI) will be implemented from April 2009.
The new registration requirements will replace the core Standards for Better Health (which apply to the NHS), and the National Minimum Standards and Regulations (which apply to social care and independent sector health providers).
The Care Quality Commission will develop guidance setting out how it will judge compliance with the regulations and take appropriate action against those who fail to provide care that meets essential requirements on safety and quality.
A consultation on the framework for the registration of health and adult social care providers, published 25 March 2008, sought views on which services should be within the scope of the new registration system, and what requirements providers need to meet to be registered. The response was published on 30 March, together with a new consultation asking whether the proposed content of the draft regulations fulfils our stated policy aims: http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/consultations/closedconsultations/DH_083625
To ensure that the private and voluntary healthcare (PVH) sector continues to be regulated effectively under the Care Standards Act 2000, the Department of Health held a consultation from 18 March 2008 to 10 June 2008 on proposed changes to the Private and Voluntary Healthcare Regulations 2001. Its response to the consultation on Proposed changes to the private and voluntary healthcare regulations was also published on 30 March: http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/consultations/responsestoconsultations/DJ_096990 .
In a Ministerial statement on the same day Health Minister Ben Bradshaw said: "Today I am publishing a consultation document, which is the latest stage in the development of the new system we are introducing for the regulation of health and adult social care.
"The publication, response to consultation on the framework for the registration of health and adult social care providers and consultation on draft regulations sets out our response to our previous consultation, “The future regulation of health and adult social care in England: A consultation on the framework for the regulation of health and adult social care”. It describes the new registration framework for the new Care Quality Commission, to be introduced from April 2010. It also launches a new consultation on the content of the draft regulations.
"From 1 April 2009, the Care Quality Commission will take over from the Healthcare Commission, the Commission for Social Care Inspection and the Mental Health Act Commission.
"For 2009-10, the new commission will continue to regulate adult social care and private and voluntary healthcare under the terms of the Care Standards Acts 2000. Also in 2009-10, it will regulate national health service providers against regulations made under the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the 2008 Act) relating to healthcare associated infections, which were recently approved by Parliament.
"From April 2010, the commission will operate a new registration system-based on regulations to be made under the 2008 Act. It is the content of these regulations we are now consulting on.
"The draft regulations set out who needs to register with the new commission (scope of registration) and what they need to do to register and remain registered (registration requirements).
"The new approach will mean that patients and people using services will have the same level of assurance of the quality and safety of their care and treatment, whether it is being provided by the NHS, local government or the independent sector.
"The registration requirements are designed to address the concerns of people using health and adult social care services, covering the topics on which they want assurance. They provide clarity about the essential levels of safety and quality all providers must deliver for people who use their services, without being prescriptive about how providers run their services.
"The registration system will operate alongside a wider quality improvement framework that encourages not just good care, but excellent care. The commission will have a role in contributing to ongoing quality improvement as part of the wider quality framework, particularly through its publication of comparable information in periodic reviews, and its power to conduct special reviews into areas of particular interest.
"Regulation plays a vital role within the Government’s drive to make quality the organising principle of care. High quality care for all set out that vision for the NHS, but the underpinning ambition and principles apply equally across all forms of health and adult social care. The White Paper: “Our health, our care, our say: a new direction for community services” (January 2006), which is available in the Library, described the framework that is now used for promoting quality in adult social care services and set out the seven key outcomes that adult social care should deliver.
"This publication will be of interest to anyone providing or working in health and adult social care, and to patients and people using services, who are interested in how the reforms are going to improve these services.
"Today’s publication has been placed in the Library and copies are available to hon. Members from the Vote Office."
The Healthcare Commission received 85 alerts about "apparently high mortality rates" last year and pursued 42 of them, Health Minister Ben Bradshaw said in a parliamentary answer on 30 Mar.
He was asked "with reference to page 3 of the Healthcare Commission’s report on the Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust, how many alerts regarding mortality the Healthcare Commission has received in respect of each NHS organisation in each of the last five years; which alerts it followed up with the relevant trust in each year; in which such cases it decided that no further action was needed; and for what reason no further action was taken in each such case."
Mr Bradshaw answered: "We understand from the chairman of the Healthcare Commission that its system for identifying and following up ‘alerts’ about apparently high mortality rates has been in operation for less than two years. Details of the methodology used and number of alerts followed up in the first year of operation (August 2007 to July 2008), but not of the trusts concerned, are set out in the commission’s report “Following up mortality outliers”, which is published on the commission’s website at: www.healthcarecommission.org.uk/publicationslibrary.cfm?fde_id=10285 .
"Eighty-five 'alerts' were considered in the first year. After statistical analysis, 43 were not pursued with the trusts concerned. The commission pursued the remaining 42 with the trusts until it confirmed it was satisfied with the explanation for the apparently high rates and with actions being taken. When pursuing alerts with trusts the commission looks for:
"The chairman of the Healthcare Commission has commented that each ‘alert’ relates to mortality rates for a specific diagnosis or condition rather than to an overall trust-wide or hospital-wide mortality rate."
The creation of two new NHS Foundation Trusts was announced by Health Minister Ben Bradshaw in a Ministerial statement on 31 Mar.
Mr Bradshaw said: "The Chairman of Monitor (the statutory name of which is the Independent Regulator of NHS foundation trusts) has announced that, in accordance with section 35 of the National Health Service Act 2006, Monitor has decided to authorise the following NHS trusts as NHS foundation trusts from 1 April: Calderstones NHS Trust; and Hampshire Partnership NHS Trust
"Monitor’s announcement brings the total number of NHS foundation trusts operating in England to 117. A copy of Monitor’s press notice has been placed in the library.
"The Government remain committed to offering all NHS acute and mental health trusts the opportunity to attain the NHS foundation trust standard as soon as practicable. Monitor is authorising NHS foundation trusts on a monthly basis, and further groups of authorisations are set to follow."
All recalled batches of Novartis's Meningitis C vaccine have been found to be safe, Health Minister Dawn Primarolo said in a Ministerial statement on 1 Apr.
Ms Primarolo said: "On 27 February I advised the House of a recall of batches of a meningitis C vaccine, “Menjugate Kit”, and said that I would provide a further statement when test results were available.
"I am pleased to confirm that the manufacturer, Novartis Vaccines and Diagnostics, has conducted sterility tests of all recalled batches and they have proved sterile. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has also conducted its own independent tests which have confirmed the sterility of the vaccine.
"It was right, on the evidence at the time and in the interests of public health, that the recall of the “Menjugate Kit” vaccine was made, as a precautionary measure. The results of these tests are reassuring, and confirm that the vaccine used in the UK was not contaminated.
"The UK has a successful immunisation programme that protects children from serious disease. Parents should continue to have confidence in getting their children vaccinated against serious illnesses."
New best practice guidance for the NHS and local authorities and on Autism treatment and services was published by the Department of Health on 2 Apr.
The guidance - 'Services for adults with autistic spectrum conditions (ASC): good practice advice for primary care trust and local authority commissioners' - is available at http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/SocialCare/Deliveringadultsocialcare/DH_079431 .
The Department of Health said: "It provides good practice advice for NHS and Local Authority staff including:
"The guide also highlights good practice in providing autism services. For example, in Gloucester and Liverpool dedicated teams have created joined-up approaches to local services to increase access to housing, education and employment, as well as health services."
A consultation on the Government's national strategy for adults with autism will be launched later this month.
Health Under Secretary Phil Hope said: "Many people with autism are undiagnosed, misunderstood and looking for help. Today on World Autism Day I want to make clear I am fully on their side. I want the NHS to start driving improvements in services for people with autism, starting with taking this guidance to heart. It will be a small start in what I hope will be a big movement for change. People who work in the NHS and local authorities have told me they want more advice on how to provide the best possible services for adults with autism in their communities. That is where this guidance comes in. There is great work out there. Local teams in Gloucester and Liverpool are providing high quality services for adults with autism and this guidance will help other Trusts learn from their best practice. I am also looking forward to launching the first national strategy for adults with autism later this month"
Key performance targets for the Office of the Public Guardian next year were set out by Justice Under Secretary Bridget Prentice in a Ministerial statement on 31 Mar.
Ms. Prentice said: "The Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) supports the Public Guardian in discharging his statutory duties under the Mental Capacity Act 2005. The following list sets out the key performance targets that have been set for the Office of the Public Guardian for the year 2009-10.
"KPI1: Lasting Power of Attorney/Enduring Power of Attorney - Register and return 95 per cent. of applications for registration of attorneyship (LPA/EPA) within eleven weeks of receipt; improving performance to achieve 80 per cent. within eight weeks by the end of the financial year. This measure excludes applications that cannot be registered; for example where an objection is received prior to registration, or where the application is flawed and cannot be corrected. For the purposes of measurement, 11 weeks and eight weeks will be calculated on the basis of 55 and 40 working days respectively. The KPI has been simplified this year to amalgamate the registration and return processes in one target. It has been necessary to review the overall target because of the unexpectedly high volumes of applications received.
"KPI 2: Supervision of Deputies - All deputyship cases require the allocation of a supervision regime based on risk assessment. Risk criteria include: whether a deputy has been refused credit or is an un-discharged bankrupt; whether a deputy has any financial interests which conflict with those of the client; the value of the client’s estate; the relationship of the deputy to the client and any objections which were made to the appointment of the deputy. This year’s time scale to notify new deputies within 30 days has been decreased for 2009-10 to within 20 working days. This will improve service to the customer.
"KPI 3: Supervision of Deputies— Case review - A new supervision level of deputies has been introduced following the review of the implementation of the MCA. The four supervision levels are: close supervision; intermediate; light touch and minimal. Some 10,000 cases that require intermediate and light touch supervision will be subject to a case review during 2009-10 under KPI 3. Last year the target was to review 4,000 cases of this type. This year’s target will be stretching for the organisation but is achievable. A case review could be a combination of: review of annual report; carrying out a visit; review of supervision level following short-term intervention.
"KPI 4: Investigations - Upon receipt of an investigations case in the compliance and regulation unit it is allocated to a specific caseworker. At this point of allocation, the two-day target to assess risk begins. The three-month target to complete the investigation is inclusive of the two days in which the risk assessment and initial action are put in place. a) We will assess risk in 95 per cent. of cases within two days. b) 75 per cent. of investigations will be completed within three months. The assessment of risk includes taking immediate action where appropriate.
"KPI 5: Finance - Based on the statutory instrument for fees approved by Parliament, we will aim to achieve 100 per cent. full cost recovery. Full cost is defined as: The total cost of carrying out the provision of services to the taxpayer, less social subsidy/fee remission; financial losses over and above a yearly notional premium; in-year bad debts write-off and exceptional items.
"opies of the Office of the Public Guardian Framework Document and Business Plan will be available in the Libraries of both Houses and from the website of the OPG (www.publicguardian.gov.uk) from 31 March 2009."
People in hospitals and care homes who lack capacity came under the protection of the Mental Capacity Act Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards on 1 Apr.
The Department of Health said: "The new law introduces new safeguards, so that, if a care home or hospital needs to deprive someone of their liberty for their own safety or wellbeing, they must now apply for permission. The law only applies to people in care home and hospital settings who are unable to make decisions on their own care or treatment and who need to be deprived of their liberty in their own best interests to protect them from harm.
"The new safeguards only make it lawful for a person to be deprived of their liberty, based on a rigorous, standardised assessment and authorisation process. It gives people the right to challenge any decision to deprive them of liberty, a representative to act for them and protect their interests and the right to have their status reviewed and monitored on a regular basis."
Health Under Secretary Phil Hope said: "Vulnerable people will now have rights where previously they had none. Before this law came in, care homes or hospitals were able to lock someone up or sedate them without their consent, without that person having any kind of right to appeal or protest. This will improve care. The safeguards will flush out poor care and prevent people from being deprived of liberty in a care home or hospital unless it is absolutely necessary for their own safety. It is absolutely right to provide an independent legal framework so that vulnerable people are protected from potential abuse.
"This law will only be used as a last resort where it is necessary to keep a person safe and all other options have been exhausted. Protective care must be the exception and not the rule."
The Department of Health said: "These safeguards mean that, if a hospital or care home wants to deprive someone of their liberty to keep them safe from harm, they must apply to the local health trust or council for permission. This triggers a series of six assessments carried out by trained assessors. These are:
"Only if all these criteria are met will an authorisation be granted. At any stage, the person or their representative will be able to appeal against their deprivation of liberty to the Court of Protection. In an emergency, the hospital or care home can issue an urgent authorisation, for seven days, which speeds up the normal process of authorisation.
"It is expected that there may be around 21,000 applications in the first year with around 25 per cent being authorised. So twenty one thousand people are expected to benefit from the new safeguards - both those whose applications are authorised and those where there will be no authorisation. The overall benefit is more safeguards for all with enhanced scrutiny of the care people receive in care homes and hospitals.
Mark Lever, National Autistic Society (NAS) Chief Executive said: "Since a man with autism was deprived of his liberty against his will in 1997, we have been campaigning, along with his carers, to stop this kind of injustice from ever happening again. Autism affects over half a million people in the UK and many are prevented from enjoying the same rights and freedoms as the rest of society due to a lack of awareness and understanding. These new safeguards are a much needed step forward in protecting people with autism from discrimination and ensuring those affected by this complex disability have control over their own lives."
Keith Smith, Chief Executive of the British Institute of Learning Disabilities said: "The Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards are the way to give people who lack capacity the special protection they need. The British Institute of Learning Disabilities have been working with the Department of Health on this project and welcome the launch of the Safeguards as part of valuing and protecting the rights of people with learning disabilities"
Gary Fitzgerald, Chief Executive of Action on Elder Abuse said: "Action on Elder Abuse warmly welcomes the introduction of the new safeguards. We believe that they will provide an essential protection for many of the most vulnerable members of our society. We have worked closely with a number of stakeholders in the run up to this launch and look forward to continuing this work as the impact of the safeguards becomes clearer. We hope that the new safeguards will herald a fresh debate about the care we offer to adults with so called challenging behaviour. The new safeguards and the principles of the Mental Capacity Act should provide the basis by which services are commissioned, purchased and provided."
Latest listings of governmental, parliamentary and associated publications. These are available from The Stationery Office at: http://www.tsoshop.co.uk/bookstore.asp?FO=38793 .
House of Lords bills
31(f) Health Bill (HL) amendments to be moved on report. - [2]p.: 30 cm. - £1.00 - 9780108458705.
31(d) Health Bill (HL) amendment to be moved on report. - [4]p.: 30 cm. - £1.50 - 9780108458545.
31(c) Health Bill (HL) amendments to be moved on report. - [4]p.: 30 cm. - £1.50 - 9780108458514.
House of Commos bills
20 Palliative Care Bill.. - [8]p.: 30 cm. - A Bill to confer on patients a right to choose where to receive palliative care. Private members' bill published 2 April 2009. - £1.50 - 9780215518910.
House of Commons papers
56 The provision of cross-border health services for Wales fifth report of session 2008-09: report, together with formal minutes, oral and written evidence. - Welsh Affairs Committee - Hywel Francis (chairman). - [2], 61, Ev 282p.: 30 cm. - Incorporating HC 401 i-vii, session 2007-08. The Committee published an interim report on this topic in session 2007-08 (HC 870, ISBN 9780215521682). - £27.50 - 9780215529244.
Statutory instruments
144 The Health and Social Care (Reform) (2009 Act) (Consequential Provisions) Order (Northern Ireland) 2009 - 2p: 30 cm. - Enabling power: Health and Social Care (Reform) Act (Northern Ireland) 2009, s. 30 (1). - Issued: 02.04.2009. Made: 30.03.2009. Coming into operation: 01.04.2009. Effect: S.R. 2002/253 amended. - Supersedes draft S.R. (ISBN 9780337976858) issued 11.03.2009. - £4.00 - 9780337977398.
834 The Personal Injuries (NHS Charges) Amendment (No. 2) Regulations 2009 - 2p.: 30 cm. - Enabling power: Health and Social Care (Community Health and Standards) Act 2003, ss. 153 (2) (5), 195 (1) (2). - Issued: 02.04.2009. Made: 26.03.2009. Laid: 02.04.2009. Coming into force: 04.05.2009. Effect: S.I. 2009/316 amended. Territorial extent and classification: E/W. General. - This Statutory Instrument has been made in consequence of a defect in S.I. 2009/316 (ISBN 9780111474327) and is being issued free of charge to all known recipients of that Statutory Instrument. - £4.00 - 9780111477724.
589 (W.56) The National Health Service (Amendments relating to Optical Charges and Payments) (Wales) Regulations 2009 - 8p.: 30 cm. - Enabling power: National Health Service (Wales) Act 2006, ss. 71, 128, 129, 130, 203 (9) (10). - Issued: 02.04.2009. Made: 10.03.2009. Laid before the National Assembly for Wales: 11.03.2009. Coming into force: 01.04.2009. Effect: S.I. 1997/818; 1986/975 amended in relation to Wales. Territorial extent and classification: W. General. - In English and Welsh. Welsh title: Rheoliadau'r Gwasanaeth Iechyd Gwladol (Diwygiadau sy'n ymwneud â Ffioedd a Thaliadau Optegol) (Cymru) 2009. - £5.50 - 9780110919614.
631 (W.57) (C.43) The Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Commencement No. 1) (Wales) Order 2009 - 4p.: 30 cm. - Enabling power: Health and Social Care Act 2008, s. 170 (3). Bringing into operation for Wales various provisions of the 2008 Act on 06.04.2009. - Issued: 30.03.2009. Made: 11.03.2009. Laid before the National Assembly for Wales: -. Coming into force: -. Effect: None. Territorial extent and classification: W. General. - In English and Welsh. Welsh language title: Gorchymyn Deddf Iechyd a Gofal Cymdeithasol 2008 (Cychwyn Rhif 1) (Cymru) 2009. - £4.00 - 9780110919577.
118 The Regulation of Care (Fitness of Employees in Relation to Care Services) (Scotland) (No. 2) Regulations 2009. - 8p.: 30 cm. - Enabling power: Regulation of Care (Scotland) Act 2001, s. 29 (1) (2) (5) (13). - Issued: 30.03.2009. Made: 23.03.2009. Laid before the Scottish Parliament: 23.03.2009. Coming into force: 30.03.2009 except reg. 17 and 30.04.2009 for reg. 17. Effect: S.S.I. 2009/91 revoked. Territorial extent and classification: S. General. - £4.00 - 9780111003985.
124 The National Health Service (Travelling Expenses and Remission of Charges) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2009. - 4p.: 30 cm. - Enabling power: National Health Service (Scotland) Act 1978, ss. 75A, 105 (7), 108 (1). - Issued: 30.03.2009. Made: 24.03.2009. Laid before the Scottish Parliament: 25.03.2009. Coming into force: 04.05.2009. Effect: S.S.I. 2003/460 amended. Territorial extent and classification: S. General. - £4.00 - 9780111004104.
772 The South London Healthcare National Health Service Trust (Establishment) and the Bromley Hospitals National Health Service Trust, the Queen Elizabeth Hospital National Health Service Trust and the Queen Mary's Sidcup National Health Service Trust (Dissolution) Order 2009 - 4p.: 30 cm. - Enabling power: National Health Service Act 2006, ss. 25 (1), 272 (7) (8), 273 (1), sch. 4, paras. 5, 28. - Issued: 26.03.2009. Made: 23.03.2009. Laid: -. Coming into force: 01.04.2009. Effect: S.I. 1992/2530, 2533. 2535 revoked. Territorial extent and classification: E. General. - £4.00 - 9780111477175.
121 The Recovery of Health Services Charges (General) and (Amounts) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2009 - 8p: 30 cm. - Enabling power: S.I. 2006/1944 (N.I. 13), arts 2, 5 (2) (5), 12(1) to (3), 19 (3). - Issued: 26.03.2009. Made: 18.03.2009. Coming into operation: 01.04.2009. Effect: S.R. 2006/507, 536 amended. - £4.00 - 9780337977206.
750 The Western Sussex Hospitals National Health Service Trust (Establishment) and the Royal West Sussex National Health Service Trust and the Worthing and Southlands Hospitals National Health Service Trust (Dissolution) Order 2009 - 4p.: 30 cm. - Enabling power: National Health Service Act 2006, ss. 25 (1), 272 (7) (8), 273 (1), sch. 4, paras. 5, 28. - Issued: 25.03.2009. Made: 17.03.2009. Laid: -. Coming into force: 01.04.2009. Effect: S.I. 1993/2643; 1994/166 revoked. Territorial extent and classification: E. General. - £4.00 - 9780111477083.
114 (C.5) The Health and Social Care Reform (2009 Act) (Commencement) Order (Northern Ireland) 2009 - 2p.: 30 cm. - Enabling power: Health and Social Care Reform Act (Northern Ireland) 2009, s. 34 (3). Bringing into operation various provisions of the 2009 Act on 01.04.2009 in accord. with art. 2. - Issued: 24.03.2009. Made: 16.03.2009. Coming into operation: -. Effect: None. - £4.00 - 9780337977145.
Official publications
Office for National Statistics. - Health statistics quarterly - ISSN 14651645 - Quarterly 41. Spring 2009 - Carol Summerfield (editor), Myer Glickman (editor). - 76p., figs, tables: 30 cm. - Palgrave Macmillan is now the official publisher for the ONS. TSO continue to distribute ONS publications to UK government, local authorities, and the emergency services. All other customers, including public libraries, should contact Palgrave Macmillan on tel: 01256 302866, fax: 01256 330688, email: ons@palgrave.com and online: www.palgrave.com/ONS. - £35.00. Annual subscription £122.00 (2009 rate) - 9780230577152.
Sixteen successful bidders for a share of £4 million funding in a pilot scheme to develop better coordination between health and social care providers were announced by the Department of Health on 1 Apr.
The Department of Health said: "The scheme has been designed to look beyond traditional health and social care boundaries to explore how services for patients and service users can be improved. The scheme will then assess the benefits of different models of care and identify any best practice that could be used more widely.
"Each site has developed new methods to help respond to particular local health needs. The health issues being tackled in each pilot include dementia, care for the elderly, substance misuse, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and end of life care. The methods involved vary widely; they include partnerships, new systems and care pathways that span primary, community, secondary and social care."
The winners are: Bournemouth and Poole Teaching PCT - Cambridge Assura Limited Liability Partnership - Church View Medical Practice, Sunderland - NHS Cumbria - Durham Dales Integrated Care Organisation - Nene Commissioning Community Interest Company - Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust - Cornwall and Isles of Scilly PCT - NHS Norfolk and Norfolk County Council - Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust - North Cornwall Practice Based Commissioning Group - Principia Partners in Health, Nottinghamshire - NHS Tameside and Glossop - Torbay Care Trust - Tower Hamlets PCT - Wakefield Integrated Substance Misuse Service.
Health Minister Ben Bradshaw said: "We know that patients with conditions like cardiovascular disease frequently have social care needs as well as health ones. This programme provides an opportunity for clinicians - working closely with the community more widely - to use their 'on the ground' knowledge to design services that are flexible, personalised and seamless. That way, people will get the integrated health and social care they need, all in one place, to help manage their condition effectively."
Health Under Secretary Phil Hope said: "I'm particularly interested to see how these pilots can benefit older people, particularly those with dementia. I know from talking to people with dementia and their carers that they get frustrated when trying to get the right health and care services for their loved ones. The pilot sites in Bournemouth and Poole, Church View Medical Practice and Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly are among those that will benefit older people and I want to see what lessons can be learnt from them in improving care for older people around the country."
The pilots started on 1 April and will run for two years. They will be evaluated over three years against a set of national and local measures, including impact on health outcomes, improved quality of care, service user satisfaction, and effective relationships and systems.
Bournemouth and Poole Teaching PCT
This pilot will be
exploring a new model for delivering care for older people with dementia,
involving collaboration between GPs, public sector organisations and
third-sector services. It aims to provide a single point of access to an
integrated community team.
Cambridge Assura LLP
This pilot will look at how
different organisations across the health, social care and third sectors can
better communicate and co-ordinate end-of-life care to enable people to be cared
for and die in the place they choose. The pilot will also be improving public
and patient engagement to ensure services are fully sensitive to user needs.
Church View Medical Practice, Sunderland
This pilot will
improve quality of care and experience of services for the area's population of
older people. The local acute trust and GP practice will work together as an
integrated organisation, and will work in partnership with the PCT provider arm,
social services and the patient practice group. The pilot will aim to provide an
improved, personalised experience through active management of long-term
conditions.
NHS Cumbria
This pilot will be exploring a new approach
to helping patients with chronic diseases to manage their own care. It will be
focusing on increasing the collaboration between GP and patient. It will aim to
move care into a community setting and reduce hospital admissions.
Durham Dales Integrated Care Organisation
This pilot
will involve seven partner organisations working together to meet the needs of a
rural population, provide continuity of care and reduce health inequalities. It
will explore a number of different care pathways aiming to improve planning
information, move care into a community setting, increase patient/carer
satisfaction and reduce hospital admissions.
Nene Commissioning CIC
This pilot will develop new
models of long-term condition management to help patients remain independent for
longer and have more choice in their end-of-life care. It will create
personalised care plans for high-risk individuals and aim to reduce admissions
to hospital.
Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
This pilot will
provide an improved preventative service for over 60s at risk of falling by
broadening the current falls and blackout (syncope) service provision. It will
enhance provision and access to care and establish a network of
community-centred training services led by clinicians, in partnership with the
third sector and other agencies. By developing these community services the
pilot aims to reduce the number of falls and admissions to hospital.
Cornwall & Isles of Scilly PCT
This pilot will unite
primary, secondary, health and social care services by setting up a GP-led
memory clinic supported by a team of practice-based case managers and dementia
care advisers. It will seek to increase the number of people receiving an early
diagnosis, reduce admissions to hospital and care homes and see people
maintaining independent living for longer.
NHS Norfolk and Norfolk County Council
The focus of this
pilot will be on integrating care services for the elderly. Joint working
between the PCT and the County Council will identify people in need of support
and then work with them to develop personalised care plans. It aims to help
elderly people live fulfilling and independent lives and to form care plans that
meet the needs of both patients and carers.
Northumbria Health Care NHS Foundation Trust
This pilot
will be exploring a new approach to helping patients with Chronic Obstructive
Pulmonary Disease (COPD) to manage their own care. The pilot will ensure
providers work together to co-ordinate care, provide consistent information and
education and help patients manage their own care (with assistance from their
key worker).The pilot aims to increase patient satisfaction, reduce hospital
admissions and reduce the length of stay in hospital when admission is required.
North Cornwall Practice-Based Commissioning Group
This
pilot involves 10 GP practices in North Cornwall working together to integrate
Mental Health community teams, based in a rural location, with a single point of
access from GP practices. It will integrate Mental Health acute and social
services. The pilot will aim to dissolve boundaries so patients can more easily
navigate through the system and ensure they 'only have to tell their story
once'.
Principia - Partners in Health, Nottinghamshire
This
pilot is designed to help create more informed and empowered COPD patients. It
will involve partners working together through two projects to identify 'at
risk' patients, and work with teams in community wards and with other partners
involved in COPD treatment to integrate care along the clinical pathway. It is
designed to improve co-ordination of care, increase patient satisfaction and
reduce hospital admissions.
NHS Tameside & Glossop
This pilot will be seeking to
change behaviour amongst people at risk of CardioVascular Disease (CVD). It will
involve developing partnerships to identify 'at risk' residents, supporting them
with diagnosis/treatment but also promoting self-care and behaviour change. The
aim is to reduce the risk of CVD (and reduce mortality rates for patients who
have contracted it), improve the patient experience and reduce visits to
Outpatient clinics.
Torbay Care Trust
This pilot will be integrating care
for the elderly so that it is personalised and tailored to individual needs,
secures best possible outcomes and ensures best use of resources. It will
involve partner organisations across primary, secondary, social care and mental
health services focusing on the whole care pathway, seeking to deliver
high-quality, safe, and reliable services for patients across the spectrum of
care.
Tower Hamlets PCT
This pilot will be helping patients
with long-term conditions to manage their own care. It will help patients make
their own choices, with support from a range of diverse services and specialists
locally. It will aim to improve health and well-being for patients with
long-term conditions, increase uptake of services from targeted hard-to-reach
groups and reduce the expected trends in long-term conditions.
Wakefield Integrated Substance Misuse Service
This pilot
will integrate care in the context of a substance misuse and social
reintegration service for vulnerable people. It will involve a partnership of
NHS, third sector and wider stakeholders and aim to make measurable improvements
in the "care experience" for substance misusers, creating integrated pathways
that are both personalised and cost efficient.
Doctors and dentists will get a 1.5% pay rise next year, Health Secretary Alan Johnson said in a Ministerial statement on 31 Mar.
Mr Johnson said: "I am responding on behalf of my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister to the 38th Report of the Review Body on Doctors’ and Dentists’ Remuneration (DDRB), Cm 7579, which has been laid before Parliament today. Copies of the report are available in the Vote Office and the Library of the House. I am grateful to the chair and members of the Review Body for their hard work.
"The DDRB has recommended that the national salary scales for all salaried doctors and dentists, and the top and bottom of the salary range for salaried general medical practitioners, should be increased by 1.5 per cent. for 2009-10. For independent contractor general dental practitioners (GDPs), the DDRB has recommended a 0.21 per cent. increase in contract values which the DDRB intend to result in an increase in GDPs’ net income of 1.5 per cent. With regard to independent contractor general medical practitioners (GMPs), DDRB have recommended an increase in contractual payments to practices of 2.29 per cent. designed to result in an increase of 1.5 per cent. in GMPs’ average net income.
"The DDRB’s pay recommendations have been accepted in full by the Government."
New Drug Tarriff arrangements for stoma and urology appliances and services were announced by Health Minister Ben Bradshaw in a Ministerial statement on 1 Apr.
Mr Bradshaw said: "As hon. Members will be aware, the Department has been carrying out a review of the arrangements under part IX of the Drug Tariff for the provision of stoma and urology appliances, and related services, in primary care. This is to advise the House of the outcome of the review.
"Throughout phase 2, the Department's key aims have been to: maintain and, where applicable, improve patient care; ensure equitable payment to dispensing appliance contractors and pharmacy contractors for the provision of equivalent services; and achieve transparency between what is paid for services and what is reimbursed for items.
"The last consultation regarding the arrangements for the provision of stoma and urology appliances, and related services, in primary care closed in September 2008; a summary of the responses is available on the Department’s website at: www.dh.gov.uk/en/Consultations/Responsestoconsultations/index.htm.
"Our proposals have been amended, taking into account consultation responses. An overview of the new arrangements has been placed in the Library. In summary, the new arrangements look to:
"To allow these new arrangements to be implemented, amendment regulations will be laid—and amendment directions made—at least six months before they come into force. Subject to this, the new arrangements will be implemented from 1 April 2010.
"In addition to the new arrangements, the Department has decided that there will be a 4.4 per cent. uniform increase on the current on-cost percentage paid to DACs for a six-month period from October 2009 to March 2010. The increase recognises that, as the reimbursement price increase mechanism has been suspended since April 2006, the on-cost that DACs currently receive by way of remuneration for service provision, which is linked to reimbursement, has only increased in-line with related volume increases over the same period."