NHS Standard Contract 2012/13

NHS Standard Contract 2012/13: The Department of Health has published the NHS Standard Contract for 2012/13 which brings together the previous four core contracts into a single restructured contract. The contract is for use by commissioners when commissioning NHS funded acute, ambulance, community and mental health and learning disability services from all types of providers. This contract reflects the requirements set out in the 2012/13 NHS Operating Framework.

NICE funds subscription to the online version of the Lancet

NICE funds subscription to the online version of the Lancet: It has been announced that as part of the drive to provide open access to high quality evidence, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has signed a 3 year agreement to provide staff with access to The Lancet via NHS Evidence (www.evidence.nhs.uk) - the service provided by NICE. From 3 January 2012, every member of staff who is eligible for an NHS Athens password can access the latest online editions of The Lancet, as well as back copies from the last 4 years, removing the need for NHS library services and individual members of staff to subscribe to access The Lancet online - a move which will save time and money and which will provide NHS-wide access to this valued resource. The agreement will also cover healthcare students from an NHS-commissioned education programme involving practice and placement within NHS services across England.

Health Visitor Implementation Progress Report

Health Visitor Implementation Progress Report:

The Health Visitor Implementation report published today, sets out progress on key areas of the Health Visitor Implementation programme, which began in February 2011.

The Health Visitor Implementation progress report provides the latest summary of progress against the Government’s commitment. Summary progress reports will be published every quarter until 2015.

Department of Health

New NHS whistleblowers helpline

New NHS whistleblowers helpline: A free helpline for whistleblowers in the NHS and social services is to be launched, the government says. BBC News

GPs reveal IT concerns for 2012

GPs reveal IT concerns for 2012: GPs leading the move towards clinical commissioning have expressed concern that the authorisation process for clinical commissioning groups is becoming rigid and bureaucratic. EHI News

Critical care bed statistics

Critical care bed statistics: The Department of Health has published the following statistics 'Monthly critical care beds, cancelled urgent operations and delayed transfers of care, England, November 2011'. Some of the main findings for November 2011 were that there were 3,702 adult critical care beds available and 3,121 occupied giving an occupancy rate of 84.3%. This is the highest occupancy rate since January 2010, but is lower than November 2011, where the figure was 86.1%. Adult critical care bed occupancy tends to be higher in winter months.

Atlas of variation

Atlas of variation: The NHS Atlas of Variation has been published by the Department of Health to highlight the amount each Primary Care Trust (PCT) spends on clinical services and links this with the health outcomes patients see. Consisting of 71 maps, the Atlas will help commissioners learn from one other, consider the appropriateness of a service, and investigate when clinical health outcomes are not reflecting the financial investment that has been made.
DH press release: http://nds.coi.gov.uk/clientmicrosite/Content/Detail.aspx?ClientId=46&NewsAreaId=2&ReleaseID=422439&SubjectId=36
Atlas: http://www.rightcare.nhs.uk/index.php/atlas/atlas-of-variation-2011/

National audit of dementia

National audit of dementia: The Royal College of Psychiatrists has published the first full report of the National Audit of Dementia which identifies a need for significant improvements in hospital ward environments, staff training and the overall approach to care delivery for patients with dementia. The main audit looked at data collected from 210 hospitals across England and Wales. Ward level data was collected from a sample of 145 wards across 55 hospitals. This included 2,211 staff questionnaires, and 105 observations of care on the ward, carried out by hospital staff.
BBC News report: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-16206169
Report: http://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/press/pressreleases2011/nationalauditofdementia.aspx

Patients will be able to register with any GP: ministers

Patients will be able to register with any GP: ministers: Patients will be able to register with a GP miles away from where they live under Coalition plans to give them greater choice, it has been announced.
Telegraph

Scandal of NHS 'production line'

Scandal of NHS 'production line': The number of NHS patients who have to undergo emergency readmission to hospital within a month of being discharged has increased by more than three quarters in the last decade, the Daily Telegraph can disclose. Telegraph

Escalating depression crisis is costing Britain £11bn a year

Escalating depression crisis is costing Britain £11bn a year: High levels of depression are costing the country almost £11bn a year in lost earnings, in demands on the health service and in prescribing drugs to tackle the problem. Independent

Helicopter flies to rescue 100 times

Helicopter flies to rescue 100 times:

This year has been another busy one for the county’s air ambulance, which flew out to more than 100 incidents in the county. Evening Telegraph

Why 2012 is big year for the NHS

Why 2012 is big year for the NHS: A look at the challenges that lie ahead for the NHS over the next 12 months. BBC News

Political and Healthcare leaders must in 2012 persuade public to let go of "hospital-or-bust"model of care, says NHS Confederation chief

Political and Healthcare leaders must in 2012 persuade public to let go of "hospital-or-bust"model of care, says NHS Confederation chief: The head of the NHS Confederation today warns of a potential loss of confidence in the NHS unless political and healthcare leaders make a compelling case to the public for changes to the delivery of services.

NHS computer system firm in £1bn climbdown

NHS computer system firm in £1bn climbdown:

Computer Sciences Corporation admits it may have to write off entire value of its investment in the delayed Lorenzo system for health service. Computer Sciences Corporation has admitted that eight years of delays and setbacks on its disastrous NHS contract have left little or no value for shareholders, as the company prepares to write off almost £1bn.

CSC's bold writedown this week echoes similar move by fellow regional contractor BT, which is responsible for installing NHS IT systems across London. Its Global Service division wrote down £1.3bn two years ago in relation to two of its most troublesome contracts — though it never revealed how much related to its NHS work. Guardian

Record number of patients catch infections in hospitals

Record number of patients catch infections in hospitals: The number of patients who contracted life-threatening infections in NHS hospitals has almost doubled in two years to a record level, official figures have shown. Telegraph

A quarter of hospital patients 'should be discharged'

A quarter of hospital patients 'should be discharged':

One in four NHS hospital patients would be better off treated at home, the head of the NHS trusts organisation has said. Independent

Doctors sued for creating 'Valium addicts'

Doctors sued for creating 'Valium addicts':

Doctors are being sued for creating prescription drug addicts amid claims they have failed to follow safety guidelines published more than 20 years ago. Independent

Hospital site to be redeveloped

Hospital site to be redeveloped: Plans to build an NHS Resource Centre and up to 125 new homes on the site of a Victorian hospital in Northamptonshire are approved despite strong opposition. BBC Local News

That was 2011, that was

That was 2011, that was: It was the year that the government failed to implement its health bill, unveil an NHS information strategy, or finish off some of the unfinished business of the National Programme for IT in the NHS. EHI Insight

Tobacco display ban due in England

Tobacco display ban due in England: Tobacco displays in supermarkets to be removed in the next 100 days. Healthcare Today

Afghanistan and Iraq veterans set to pile pressure on health service

Afghanistan and Iraq veterans set to pile pressure on health service:

Armed forces cuts could see thousands more combat veterans needing help to cope with range of mental illnesses. Cuts to the armed forces could lead to thousands more combat veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan needing help to cope with a range of mental illnesses, including post-traumatic stress disorder, a charity has warned.

Last year a report published in the Lancet indicated that 4% of those serving in Iraq and Afghanistan reported suffering from probable PTSD, and 19.7% symptoms of common mental disorders such as anxiety. It also raised concerns over the misuse of alcohol. Guardian

NHS cuts have affected patient care say four out of five doctors

NHS cuts have affected patient care say four out of five doctors:

Exclusive poll backs up consultants' protests over bed closures and longer waiting times for surgery

The coalition's pledge to protect the NHS is in fresh doubt after four out of five doctors said they had seen patient care suffer as a result of health service cuts during 2011.

A poll of GPs and hospital doctors, carried out for the Guardian, challenges David Cameron's promise to "cut the deficit, not the NHS".

Doctors cite hospital bed closures, pressure to give patients cheaper, slower-acting drugs, cuts to occupational health support, and reductions in community health services as examples of recent cost-cutting measures. Guardian

David Cameron plans minimum alcohol price in England

David Cameron plans minimum alcohol price in England: Drinkers will pay a minimum price for alcohol of 40p or 50p a unit under PM's plans to tackle growing health crisis. Telegraph

Problem with risky French breast implants 'identified a decade ago'

Problem with risky French breast implants 'identified a decade ago': The breast implant manufacturer at the centre of an international health scare was found to be producing "adulterated" products more than a decade ago, it has emerged. Telegraph

Carers to get legal rights and support in reforms

Carers to get legal rights and support in reforms: Carers are to be given legal rights under government plans to increase the assistance available to the six million Britons who look after other people. Telegraph

GPs responsible for up to 9,000 patients

GPs responsible for up to 9,000 patients:

Local health services are coming under increasing strain as figures show that some GPs are responsible for 9,000 patients. Independent

NHS private income cap to be lifted

NHS private income cap to be lifted:

Health service reforms will pave the way for NHS hospitals to earn up
to half of their income from private work, it was reported today. Independent

Guidance supports the delivery of the NHS Operating Framework 2012/13

Guidance supports the delivery of the NHS Operating Framework 2012/13:

The published planning guidance supports the delivery of the NHS Operating Framework 2012/13 and provides more detail on accountability arrangements.

The integrated approach to planning and assurance between the Department of Health and the NHS for 2012/13 includes:

the indicative planning timetable; content of the submission; overview of the indicators process; overview of the milestones process; overview of assurance narrative and red, amber,green rating on each primary care trust cluster plan.

Strategic health authority cluster submissions on plans for 2012/13 are due in two stages: the first submission due on 27 January 2012, with the final submission due on 5 April 2012. Department of Health

Patients should have online access to medical records, says report

Patients should have online access to medical records, says report:

Changes would enable patients to view their whole medical history and study results of diagnostic tests. NHS patients will be allowed to see and edit their medical records under proposals in a government-commissioned report.

The plan is contained in a report that an expert advisory group, headed by Professor Steve Field, the coalition's NHS troubleshooter, is finalising before handing it to the Department of Health. Guardian

Hospitals being charged 'extortionate' sums by PFI sums to carry out basic DIY jobs

Hospitals being charged 'extortionate' sums by PFI sums to carry out basic DIY jobs: Hospitals are being charged "extortionate" sums by private companies for basic DIY such as £240 to replace a padlocks and £466 for new light fittings, official figures disclosed yesterday. Daily Telegraph

New pensions briefing available for RCN members

New pensions briefing available for RCN members: The Royal College of Nursing has produced a briefing on the current pensions proposals to help members and activists understand the current Government offer.

Ambulance not sent for 23 minutes

Ambulance not sent for 23 minutes:

Ambulance officials say considerable pressure on their service means they are sometimes struggling to answer the volume of 999 calls they are getting. Evening Telegraph

New £8.5m injury recovery complex at Moulton College will be one of country’s best

New £8.5m injury recovery complex at Moulton College will be one of country’s best:

AN INJURY recovery centre costing £8.5 million, which will be open to both elite athletes and the public, is set to open at a Northampton college. Chronicle & Echo

NHS merger decisions – what's the evidence?

NHS merger decisions – what's the evidence?: Candace Imison assesses what evidence is needed for NHS merger decisions (Blog, 21 Dec 2011) Kings Fund

Advice on appointing health care chaplains in hospitals

Advice on appointing health care chaplains in hospitals:

A panel of health care chaplaincy appointment advisers drawn from the different religions and faiths in England will be established from whom advisers can be recommended to trusts, who seek assistance in the complex process of appointing full time chaplains to acute and mental health hospitals.

Chief executives will wish to consider these new arrangements, and the importance of providing access to faith communities to support the spiritual wellbeing of patients and staff, when commissioning services. NHS Networks

Adult Autism Strategy: next steps in the national self assessment framework exercise

Adult Autism Strategy: next steps in the national self assessment framework exercise:

The first ever strategy for adults with autism in England, Fulfilling and Rewarding Lives, was published in March 2010. The strategy sets out a long-term vision and ambition to improve health outcomes for adults with autism.

On 1 April 2011, to help deliver the strategy, the Department invited all local authorities to complete a self assessment framework questionnaire as part of a data gathering exercise on adults with autism.

The attached letter from Bruce Calderwood, Director of Mental Health and Disability, to all directors of adult social services, sets out an additional list of questions to be included as part of the self assessment framework exercise.

The adult autism strategy fulfilling and rewarding lives: Evaluating progress – next steps in the national self assessment framework exercise

Department of Health

Health advice messages 'ignored'

Health advice messages 'ignored': Many people understand the advice on healthy lifestyle but fail to act on it, according to a report from NHS Health Scotland. BBC News

MPs launch dementia diagnosis inquiry

MPs launch dementia diagnosis inquiry: Dementia diagnosis will be investigated by a cross-party group of MPs after figures showed the number receiving a formal diagnosis in England has failed to significantly improve despite national efforts. GP Online

IT firms agree deal to extract GP practice performance data

IT firms agree deal to extract GP practice performance data: A tool set up to mine data from GP practice IT systems moved closer to implementation this week as major companies signed a deal with the NHS Information Centre. GP Online

Operating Framework for the NHS in England 2012/13

Operating Framework for the NHS in England 2012/13: NHS Confederation full briefing/summary for members on the 2012/13 NHS Operating Framework.

Healthcare network's top stories of 2011 - The Guardian

Healthcare network's top stories of 2011 - The Guardian:

The Guardian

Healthcare network's top stories of 2011 The Guardian Does the NHS need to learn lessons on locating its services from supermarkets? Health policy analyst Roy Lilley thought so in November. Many of you, however, were divided on the issue. The government announced a second wave of GP commissioning ... and more »

Early intervention: the key to reform - Public Service

Early intervention: the key to reform - Public Service:

Public Service

Early intervention: the key to reform Public Service Successful health reform requires public confidence and clinical support for moving to a different system with much more emphasis on prevention, screening and early detection, delegates at Public Service Events' NHS Reform – Managing the Transition ... The benefits of joined-up careThe Guardian all 4 news articles »

Relatives over-rule organ donor wishes of loved ones: research

Relatives over-rule organ donor wishes of loved ones: research: One in ten families of dead patients on the organ donor register still refuse to allow them to become donors, research has found. The Telegraph

Health News over the Christmas Period

Photo by JesPir

The daily health news service will continue over the Christmas period, except for the public holidays.

We would like to wish you all a very happy Christmas and a peaceful and properous 2012.

We need to make our wards more friendly for people with dementia

We need to make our wards more friendly for people with dementia Kings Fund

NHS pensions ‘heads of agreement’ reached

NHS pensions ‘heads of agreement’ reached:

As announced in Parliament today, we are outlining the Heads of Agreement on the proposed scheme design for the NHS Pension Scheme to be introduced in 2015. The next steps are that the unions have agreed to take to this to their Executives. Further work on the remaining details will take place in the new year, and Executives will consult members as appropriate.

This agreement includes a commitment to suspend any further industrial action while the final details are resolved and Unions are consulting their members.

A new calculator based on the proposed NHS Scheme specific arrangements and will be available as soon as possible

See NHS Pension Scheme Heads of Agreement

See Annex C – Verification of cost of preferred scheme design

See Andrew Lansley’s Written Ministerial Statement

UK plays down breast implant fear

UK plays down breast implant fear: British women with silicone breast implants made by a French company should not have them removed, a UK watchdog says, amid concerns over health risks. BBC News

Government reveals final offer for public sector pensions

Government reveals final offer for public sector pensions: The government's final offer for public sector pensions has been announced by chief secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander. GP Online

DH ''streamlines'' its marketing plans

DH ''streamlines'' its marketing plans: The Department of Health has claimed that it has ''streamlined'' its media agency operations Public Service

NHS Confederation says patient safety must top the agenda as rules change on mobility of workers

NHS Confederation says patient safety must top the agenda as rules change on mobility of workers: The NHS Confederation’s European Office has welcomed a number of proposals for rules governing the movement of health workers across the European Union but says there are still issues that require further clarity.

Engaging your staff during periods of change

Engaging your staff during periods of change:

Engaging staff during a period of major change is challenge for NHS organisations. This quick guide offers some tips and techniques that may be helpful. Kings Fund

Managing and supporting mental health at work: disclosure tool for managers

Managing and supporting mental health at work: disclosure tool for managers:

The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development carried out a survey of 2,000 people in employment in the UK which revealed that despite more than a quarter (26%) of employees having experienced a mental health problem while in employment, too few employers are taking positive steps to manage this increasingly business critical issue. This guidance, produced by Mind, will help employers ensure that how they manage people supports their mental wellbeing and resilience, and also encourage more employees to talk about any mental health issues they may be facing at an early stage.

• Guidance


• Survey results


• Mind - news
  

The new public health system

The new public health system:

This suite of factsheets provide more details on the design of the new public health system, including the role and responsibilities of local government in public health, the operating model for the new executive agency Public Health England and an overview of how the whole system will work.

• The new public health system: a summary


• Public health in local government


• Public Health England's operating model


• Department of Health - publications

Health and Social Care Bill: follow up

Health and Social Care Bill: follow up:
This report calls for changes to the Health and Social Care Bill to ensure that ministerial responsibility to Parliament and legal accountability for the NHS are not diluted.

• Report
• UK Parliament - news

ITT to provide occupational services

ITT to provide occupational services: East Midlands Ambulance Service would like expressions of interest to provide occupational health services and/or employee assistance programme services. Healthcare Today

Using resources efficiently

Using resources efficiently: NICE has identified recommendations that could help the NHS save millions of pounds, whist maintaining or improving the quality of care. NICE

Health MOTs to be offered by local authorities

Health MOTs to be offered by local authorities: Free health checks for over-40s are to be offered by local authorities from April 2013 after primary care trusts are abolished, it was reported today. The Telegraph

Breast implant panic spreads to UK

Breast implant panic spreads to UK:

Up to 50,000 British women with defective breast implants have been warned about their safety as the French government prepares to order the products be removed from every woman who has had them fitted. The Independent

RCN welcomes new proposals on nurses right to practise across the EU

RCN welcomes new proposals on nurses right to practise across the EU: The Royal College of Nursing has welcomed European Commission proposals to update legislation to recognise nurses’ qualifications across the European Union (EU), but has warned that patient safety must be maintained.

HPA publishes second migrant health report

HPA publishes second migrant health report: The Health Protection Agency’s (HPA) second report on Migrant Health, and the first UK-wide report is published today.

Diabetic given 10 times usual insulin dose level by Northamptonshire nurse

Diabetic given 10 times usual insulin dose level by Northamptonshire nurse:

A DIABETIC was accidentally given 10 times their normal dose of insulin by a nurse working for Northamptonshire’s mental health trust. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Telehealth trial shows early success

Telehealth trial shows early success:

The telehealth part of the study focused on three diseases, COPD, diabetes and heart disease. Data was collected over a minimum of 12 months for every participant and is undergoing evaluation by an independent team of researchers from six of the leading academic institutions in the country. NHS Networks

Call for better NHS staff checks

Call for better NHS staff checks: Nurses are stepping up their campaign to get ministers to toughen up the regulation of healthcare support staff in England. BBC News

EU directive ''may cost NHS £70m a year''

EU directive ''may cost NHS £70m a year'': A directive designed to encourage countries to reduce their energy consumption is ''too rigid and top-heavy'' Public Service

Involving children and young people in health services

Involving children and young people in health services: This report highlights the key findings and recommendations from an event held in September 2011 to discuss the key priorities for child health. NHS Confederation

How to resolve Facebook misuse

How to resolve Facebook misuse

Union signs NHS pension reform pact - The Guardian

Union signs NHS pension reform pact - The Guardian:

The Guardian

Union signs NHS pension reform pact The Guardian Responding to the progress in talks on the NHS pension scheme, Dean Royles, director of the NHS Employers organisation, said: "This significant step forward will help lift the cloud of uncertainty hanging over the NHS around pensions and industrial ... MPs updated on pension reform talksThe Press Association Public sector workers close to pension dealThe Independent Danny Alexander updating MPs on pensions row progressBBC News ifaonline.co.uk -Citywire.co.uk -Nursing Times all 652 news articles »

Patients at risk despite changes to EU rules on doctors, say regulators

Patients at risk despite changes to EU rules on doctors, say regulators:

Fury at European commission's plans that would allow EU doctors to register in UK without tests on English or skills

The UK's medical regulators have warned that patient safety is at risk because, despite changes to rules on the movement of labour proposed by the European commission on Monday, EU doctors will still be able to register in the UK without being tested on their English or medical competence.

Although the health secretary, Andrew Lansley, has already made clear he will strengthen NHS employers' powers to check on medics' language skills under measures not bound by EU laws, the General Medical Council (GMC) is furious that it will first have to recognise doctors' qualifications without giving them the same checks that are applied in the case of doctors from other parts of the world who are seeking work in Britain.

The GMC recently revealed that a foreign doctor's husband contacted them on her behalf to register her for work because she could not speak English.

The government and healthcare bodies have been pressing for changes for more than two years after the Guardian revealed how Daniel Ubani, a German doctor, accidentally killed a patient on his first UK locum shift by administering a massive overdose of painkillers. He was subsequently ruled incompetent by a coroner and struck off the UK register, although he is still able to practise in Germany.

The proposals for changes to the directive that governs the mutual recognition of professional qualifications will take years to make their way through the EU decision-making process. Member states will have to ratify them by 2014, and peers recently pointed out they might not take affect until 2017. The proposals say doctors and other healthcare professionals can face competence checks by authorities after registration although it is not clear who would carry these out on self-employed people.

The GMC's chief executive, Niall Dickson, said serious concerns remained. "It remains our view that the final directive should provide greater safeguards for patients. Over the coming months we will continue work with the UK government, MEPs, other regulators, and EU institutions to ensure that the final version of the directive focuses on protecting patients."

Lansley said: "For too long patients have been let down by lax EU rules which have allowed doctors to operate in the UK without the necessary safeguards. That's why I am bringing in new rules on checking doctors' language skills and new powers to take action against doctors who can't speak English properly."

Commission plans for better sharing of information about the doctors that come to work in the UK were "steps in the right direction", said Lansley, "but we need to understand more of the detail behind them. For example, we would need to be convinced that a common European professional card would bring tangible benefits and proper checking systems.

"Our overriding concern must be to protect patients from healthcare professionals who may not be properly skilled to do the job and we will do everything we can to work with the EU to achieve this." Guardian

New factsheet available on statement writing

New factsheet available on statement writing: New guidance on statement writing is now available for RCN members.

Message to members on NHS pensions

Message to members on NHS pensions: RCN General Secretary & Chief Executive Dr Peter Carter and Chair of RCN Council Professor Kathleen McCourt have sent the following email to RCN members about the Government’s latest position on NHS pensions:

Levels of norovirus within seasonal norms

Levels of norovirus within seasonal norms: Norovirus is highly contagious and can be transmitted by contact with an infected person; by consuming contaminated food or water or by contact with contaminated surfaces or objects. The virus spreads rapidly in closed environments such as hospitals, schools, nursing and residential homes. Health Protection Agency

Hopes for children’s hospice in county are dashed

Hopes for children’s hospice in county are dashed:

HOPES that the county’s first children’s hospice could be opened have been dashed. Evening Telegraph

What has the number of patients treated in non-NHS hospitals got to do with patient choice?

What has the number of patients treated in non-NHS hospitals got to do with patient choice?: Francesca Frosini asks how a new measurement of patients treated in non-NHS hospitals will help to assess patient choice. (Blog, 16 Dec 2011) Covering (Francis Crick Library) Kings Fund

Neurological services ''must improve''

Neurological services ''must improve'': DH had no idea what its framework and nearly 40 per cent of extra spending over four years had achieved Public Service

Good governance for clinical commissioning groups: an introductory guide

Good governance for clinical commissioning groups: an introductory guide:

This guide to good governance for clinical commissioning groups aims to help them take their first steps towards authorisation.

• Guide


• The King's Fund - publications

Vast majority of people happy with GP services

Vast majority of people happy with GP services: Most patients are happy with their GP service and rate out of hours service as high. Healthcare Today

Summary of guidance important for general practice

Summary of guidance important for general practice: Key points from NICE guidance published in December 2011

NHS executives told to resign under plan to cut trusts

NHS executives told to resign under plan to cut trusts:

Andrew Lansley's proposed shakeup of PCTs is causing confusion at heart of NHS, say service's top managers

Andrew Lansley's decision to shrink the number of NHS trusts has seen health service directors told they will have to leave their jobs by the end of the year, distracting the NHS leadership when it is undergoing the biggest shakeup in 60 years, internal documents reveal.

In a letter to the NHS Confederation – which represents the health service's top managers – senior executives write that a decision to cut both the size and number of primary care trusts, which commission £90bn of healthcare on behalf of patients, has led to the threat of a mass clearout at board level earlier than expected.

"We write to you with almost immediate urgency to express our huge concerns about the efficacy of the current proposals … during the current transitional period created by the health and social care bill," writes Sir Bill Taylor, the chairman of Blackburn with Darwen Teaching Care Trust, on behalf of the chairs of NHS boards in Cumbria and Lancashire, which collectively spend £3.5bn of NHS cash.

Under the health secretary's proposals, many of the chairs and non-executive board members – the local great and the good of the NHS – will be swept away.

While Lansley has made it clear the trusts will be gone by 2013, it was assumed these non-executives would be on hand to ease the transition to a new NHS where GPs call the shots and spend the health service budget. The process has already seen 151 PCTs moving to 52 PCT "clusters".

Describing the proposals to do away with boards as "on the hoof arrangements" the letter – copies of which were sent to No 10 and Lansley – warns there is "a huge potential to lose corporate memory".

The shakeup, claim executives, has left a trail of confusion at the heart of NHS – diverting precious management time away from trying to run the health service. "The whole letters, resignations, reappointments … is divisive and diversionary from the active and effective transference of responsibilities," writes Sir Bill in the letter, seen by the Guardian. Copies have been sent to Downing Street and Lansley.

Andy Burnham, Labour's health spokesman, said the government had "plunged the NHS into a leadership crisis on the brink of the toughest year in its history" and warned this was occurring without parliamentary approval.

The health bill is at a crucial point in the Lords, with the government poised to make concessions to Labour and the Lib Dems as it reaches the end of the decisive committee stage.

"The coalition's bill has still not been approved by parliament but the NHS has been radically altered anyway," said Burnham. "Andrew Lansley looks increasingly like a man on a kamikaze mission to destabilise the NHS.

"Not only has he chosen the worst possible moment to reorganise the NHS, he now removes the very people who were crucial to holding things together. By combining the financial challenge with the biggest-ever reorganisation, the government has created the conditions for a perfect storm that threatens to engulf the NHS in 2012."

The Appointments Commission, which regulates non-executives in the NHS, wrote to directors in Greater Manchester this month saying that it was "sorry to have to write to you in this manner. I know that is particularly hard to resign after you have given years of service to the NHS" but that there were only two routes open: resignation or termination of contract.

Non-executives are the only lay people with intimate knowledge of the NHS trusts, providing checks and balances in the system. The frustration with the sudden disappearance of a tier of oversight in the north of England has been mirrored by similar complaints in the south.

Last week the respected health think tank the King's Fund warned that the government was a making a mistake by handing NHS budgets in London to GPs without any body having oversight of the £20bn of public spending.

There has also been dissent by Conservatives over the turmoil caused by Lansley's shakeup.

Lord Mawhinney, a former Tory health secretary in the 1990s, told peers in October that health bosses had "decided to amalgamate the Peterborough and Cambridge PCTs. Nobody wants this. In Peterborough it did not consult the primary care trust. It did not consult the Peterborough hospital. It did not consult the Peterborough council. It just did it because it would save some money".

A department of health spokesperson said: "Primary Care Trust (PCT) clusters bring together a group of PCTs under a single executive team to ensure clear accountability for the health services provided for their communities.

"The strong feedback we have received from the NHS is that forming a common board across all PCTs in the cluster is the most effective [body]. As common boards form, the number of different non-executives needed will reduce. We have given clusters flexibility to take more time to complete this process, where necessary, and form a strong and representative common boards. The Guardian

European rules on energy conservation could cost NHS £70m a year

European rules on energy conservation could cost NHS £70m a year: European rules on energy conservation could cost the NHS £70m a year and lead to patient funds being diverted to costly building renovations, it has been warned. The Telegraph

£4.5m payout for doctor hounded out of job for having baby

£4.5m payout for doctor hounded out of job for having baby:

The financial crisis engulfing three hospitals in Yorkshire was dramatically worsened yesterday after an employment tribunal awarded £4.5m compensation to a consultant who was hounded out of her job. The Independent

Latest on NHS pension negotiations

Latest on NHS pension negotiations: There has been some discussion in the media this morning (19 December) about public sector pension negotiations. Royal College of Nursing negotiators are in talks with other trade unions and the Department of Health and an announcement by the Government is expected later today.

Patients will have to travel further to receive better care

Patients will have to travel further to receive better care:

A wide-reaching review into acute healthcare provision in the region won’t lead to huge changes for patients in north Northamptonshire, health bosses have said. Evening Telegraph

National Audit of Dementia

The Royal College of Psychiatrists National Audit of Dementia is working with hospitals providing general acute inpatient services to measure criteria relating to care delivery which are known to impact on people with dementia admitted to hospital. 

You can find the executive summary here

You can find the full report here

Troubleshooters to help 'troubled' families

Troubleshooters to help 'troubled' families: Louise Casey heads up the 'Troubled Families Team' with a budget of £448m Public Services

Services for people with neurological conditions

Services for people with neurological conditions: These services are not as good as they ought to be, despite a large increase in spending. National Audit Office

Report of the Steering Group on Remediation

Report of the Steering Group on Remediation:
In January 2010, the Department of Health established a Steering Group to consider

remediation, focussing on managing competence and capability issues in the small minority of doctors where there is concern about their health, conduct, clinical

competence and capability.

Many members of the Group had considerable personal experience of tackling clinical

competence and capability problems and were able to draw upon this experience as

well as the Department of Health survey and other recent work in developing their

ideas.In looking at how remediation could be better managed, the Group made six broad

recommendations:

• Performance problems, including clinical competence and capability issues, should normally be managed locally wherever possible
• Local processes need to be strengthened so as to avoid performancemproblems wherever possible, and to reduce their severity at the point ofmidentification;
• The capacity of staff within organisations to deal with performance concerns needs to be increased with access to necessary external expertise as require
• A single organisation is required to advise and, when necessary, to co­ordinate the remediation process and case management so as to improveconsistency across the service;
• The medical Royal Colleges to produce guidance and provide assessmentand specialist input into remediation programmes;
• Postgraduate deaneries and all those involved in training and assessment need to assure their assessment processes so that any problems arising during training are addressed

Report of the Steering Group on Remediation

BMA publishes authorisation guidance for CCGs

BMA publishes authorisation guidance for CCGs: The BMA has made a number of recommendations and highlighted its concerns over government plans for the future of clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) as they approach authorisation. GP Online

Person-based resource allocation

Person-based resource allocation: The Nuffield Trust has published a research summary 'Person-based resource allocation: new approaches to estimating commissioning budgets for GP practices'. This summary provides an outline of person-based resource allocation, why it was developed, and how. The report is aimed primarily at GP and commissioning leaders, policy-makers, and senior managers in the NHS. It summarises the approach developed in a series of analyses over time and is based on work by a range of organisations.

Competition, integration and incentives

Competition, integration and incentives: The Nuffield Trust has also published a Viewpoint by Provost of Harvard University, Professor Alan Garber, which provides a US expert view on the question of how best to balance incentives to promote innovation in the NHS. 'Competition, integration and incentives: the quest for efficiency in the English NHS' provides insight into the factors that improve health system performance. While sympathetic to integration as a way of delivering higher performance, Professor Garber warns against the blanket dismissal of competition, observing that when it comes to the organisation of health services 'we don't know which approach works best'. A competitive, flexible approach to delivery is, he argues, more likely to encourage innovation.

Raising a concern with CQC: A quick guide for health and care staff about whistleblowing

Raising a concern with CQC: A quick guide for health and care staff about whistleblowing: Source: Care Quality Commission (CQC)

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has published a quick guide on whistleblowing for health and care professionals who need to raise a concern about their workplace. It provides advice on speaking out about poor care and what protection there is from the law.

Health Survey for England - 2010

Health Survey for England - 2010: Source: NHS Information Centre

The Health Survey for England is part of a programme of surveys commissioned by The NHS Information Centre for health and social care. It provides information on a range of aspects concerning the public's health and many of the factors that affect health. The series of Health Surveys for England was designed to monitor trends in the nation's health, to estimate the proportion of people in England who have specified health conditions, and to estimate the prevalence of certain risk factors and combinations of risk factors associated with these conditions. The survey is also used to monitor progress towards selected health targets. The main focus of the survey in 2010 was respiratory health and lung function. Additional areas covering contraception and sexual health, wellbeing, kidney disease and dental health.

Foundation trusts reveal wage bill cuts

Foundation trusts reveal wage bill cuts: At least five foundation trusts predict wage bill cuts of 10% or more. Healthcare Today

Preventative care and early intervention in mental health - The Guardian

Preventative care and early intervention in mental health - The Guardian:

The Guardian

Preventative care and early intervention in mental health The Guardian At any one time in London, one in six adults suffers mental health symptoms and suicide is the biggest killer of young men in the capital. The issue was raised at a recent London assembly health and public services committee meeting. ... AMs call for regional supervision of mental health servicesMayorWatch New ways of working across blue light services are key to future success for ...Bapco Journal all 6 news articles »

Five million children get wrong dose of penicillin dose

Five million children get wrong dose of penicillin dose:

Almost five million children who are prescribed penicillin each year for infections are getting too little of the antibiotic to be effective, putting them at risk of serious complications. The Independent

RCN expresses concern over dementia report

RCN expresses concern over dementia report: The Royal College of Nursing has said it is ‘extremely worrying’ that the majority of staff who responded to a recent survey say that their training and development in the field of dementia care is not sufficient.

Hospitals 'breaching' European rules on working hours

Hospitals 'breaching' European rules on working hours: Staff in three in ten hospital departments are breaching European rules on working hours in order to help make up for NHS cutbacks, it has been claimed. The Telegraph

The King's Fund responds to the Public Accounts Committee's report on NHS hospitals achieving foundation trust status

The King's Fund responds to the Public Accounts Committee's report on NHS hospitals achieving foundation trust status

Involving older people in service commissioning: more power to their elbow?

Involving older people in service commissioning: more power to their elbow?:

The study also raises wider questions about the impact of their involvement, particularly whether it can change the nature of local power relations in the long term. NHS Networks

Primary care trust allocations announced

Primary care trust allocations announced:

The revenue allocations for primary care trusts (PCTs) for 2012-13 are announced today. The total investment in local NHS services for 2012-13 is £91.6 billion an increase of £2.5 billion or 2.8 per cent

It includes:

• £87.5 billion in recurrent revenue allocations to PCTs including an additional £150 million for reablement (assistance regaining independence if daily living skills are lost through illness or injury), an increase of £2.5 billion



• £4.1 billion in allocations for primary dental services, pharmaceutical services, general ophthalmic services, and to support joint working between health and social care.

Recurrent revenue allocations

Recurrent revenue allocations to PCTs are usually determined based on a weighted capitation formula. The weighted capitation formula determines each PCT’s available resources to enable them to commission similar levels of healthcare for populations with similar healthcare need, and to reduce avoidable health inequalities.

To provide the NHS with financial stability in a year of transition, the weighted capitation formula has not been applied for 2012-13. All PCTs have received a uniform uplift in their 2012-13 recurrent allocations.

Future allocations

Subject to the passing of the Health and Social Care Bill, for 2013-14 onwards, the NHS Commissioning Board will be responsible for the allocation of resources to clinical commissioning groups, while the Department of Health will make ring fenced grants to local authorities for their public health responsibilities.

See table of actual allocations by PCT and exposition book 2012-13

Read Sir David Nicholson’s allocations letter

See content on 2011-12 PCT allocations

Department of Health

NHS 'in need of major overhaul'

NHS 'in need of major overhaul': Financial difficulties will force NHS services in England to undergo major reorganisations which could hit the poorest the hardest, MPs say. BBC News

Dilnot reforms to elderly care may stall

Dilnot reforms to elderly care may stall: The Treasury is thought to be unwilling to pay out the £1.7bn annual cost of the proposed changes Public Service

Public sector strikes announcement postponed until new year

Public sector strikes announcement postponed until new year: Walkout schedule will not be unveiled at trade union conference on Thursday amid hopes of pension reforms dealTrade union leaders will hold back from announcing new public sector strike dates on Thursday as they consider their next step after mass walkouts on 30 November. The Guardian

New cancer drug costs escalating for NHS

New cancer drug costs escalating for NHS: New oncology drugs are pushing up the overall costs of treating cancer, according to a new report.The Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment: A 2021 Projection report says that new treatments will push the average annual cost of treating a UK cancer patient up from ;30,000 last year, to ;40,000 in 2021.To meet this demand the NHS will need an additional cancer diagnosis and treatment budget of ;5.2 billion by this date, a 65% increase on what was being spent in 2010. InPharm

The search for low-cost integrated healthcare

The search for low-cost integrated healthcare: This paper examines a pioneering approach to the provision of integrated healthcare through public-private partnership; the Alzira model from the region of Valencia, Spain. NHS Confederation

CQC publishes new guide on whistleblowing

CQC publishes new guide on whistleblowing

User experience of NHS adult mental health services should be improved

User experience of NHS adult mental health services should be improved NICE

One in five children is obese by the end of primary school, NHS figures show - The Guardian

One in five children is obese by the end of primary school, NHS figures show - The Guardian:

The Guardian

One in five children is obese by the end of primary school, NHS figures show The Guardian "Some 82% of obese children go on to become obese adults and doubling the obesity rate in six years of school has to be an indictment of the current healthy schools policy. With today's economic climate, where healthy food is costing more at home, ... One in three children leaving primary schools is overweight or obeseTelegraph.co.uk Obesity up among final year primary school childrenWebMD.Boots.com Concern over rise in child obesityThe Press Association Mirror.co.uk all 32 news articles »

Andrew Lansley orders independent assessments of NHS boards

Andrew Lansley orders independent assessments of NHS boards:

NHS board assessments ordered after parliamentary committee finds half of all boards have leadership issues

Andrew Lansley, the health secretary, has ordered "independent assessments" of the boards of NHS trusts after a powerful parliamentary committee found that half of them had issues of "capacity and capability of leadership", preventing them meeting the government's deadline to become foundation hospitals by 2014. The Guardian

Emergency admissions for dementia patients rise 12%

Emergency admissions for dementia patients rise 12%: A quarter of hospital beds are now occupied by dementia sufferers as emergency admissions have risen sharply in recent years, figures show. The Telegraph

Third of hospitals crippled by debt, MPs warn

Third of hospitals crippled by debt, MPs warn: A third of hospital trusts are in financial difficulty and may never achieve foundation status, MPs have warned. The Telegraph

Huge rise in potentially fatal allergies

Huge rise in potentially fatal allergies:

The number of people admitted to hospital with life-threatening anaphylactic shock – involving sudden swelling, breathlessness and low blood pressure – has increased by at least 700 per cent in the last two decades. The Independent

GP practice level prescribing data now available

GP practice level prescribing data now available: The data covers the following for each individual GP practice: Prescribed and dispensed medicines (by chemical name), dressings and appliances... NHS Information Centre

Going Mobile: Integrating Texting and Online Tools into Health Care Delivery

Going Mobile: Integrating Texting and Online Tools into Health Care Delivery: Innovative uses of information technology in public health campaigns can expand access to preventive and chronic care for underserved populations and may even improve health outcomes while reducing costs. Programs in New Zealand and the Netherlands may offer lessons for the United States. The Commonwealth Fund

More and more of us are drinking ourselves into hospital

More and more of us are drinking ourselves into hospital: The number of people being admitted to hospital with alcohol-related conditions is continuing to rise despite work to tackle the problem. Evening Telegraph

Midwives in call for car parking help after clamping upset

Midwives in call for car parking help after clamping upset:

HOSPITAL bosses want community maternity staff in Northamptonshire to be immune from some parking restrictions after clampers prevented a midwife from being available for a home birth. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Work in progress: meeting local needs with lower workforce costs

Work in progress: meeting local needs with lower workforce costs:

The report is also supported by a number of supplementary tools which may help local authorities with workforce planning. NHS Networks

Plans to improve cancer intelligence published

Plans to improve cancer intelligence published:

Plans to tackle deficiencies in cancer intelligence are set out in a new framework published today .

The Cancer Intelligence Framework sets out the actions that are being taken to ensure that high quality, timely intelligence is available to all those who need it to play their part in improving cancer outcomes.

It is intended to ensure clarity and accountability about who will do what, and when, in improving cancer intelligence, improving the information that is available, removing duplication and maximising efficiency.

Developments are needed in particular in order to improve intelligence on screening, access to diagnostic tests from primary care, chemotherapy, date of recurrence and costeffectiveness, as well as a major drive to modernise cancer registries.

This cancer intelligence framework has been produced by the National Cancer Intelligence Network following a commitment made by the Department of Health to the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) in May 2011.

The PAC identified a number of areas where urgent improvement is required and this framework meets the commitment made to the Committee to set out, with timelines, the actions being undertaken to address this. Department of Health

NHS health MOT provision 'patchy'

NHS health MOT provision 'patchy': The provision of health MOTs for the over-40s in England has been "slow and patchy", says a UK charity. BBC News

Thousands of diabetes deaths avoidable, report finds

Thousands of diabetes deaths avoidable, report finds: Up to 24,000 deaths a year among diabetes patients could be prevented through better management, an analysis of England's National Diabetes Audit has found. GP Online

Medicines for children website launched

Medicines for children website launched: Source: Royal Pharmaceutical Society

WellChild, the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH), and the Neonatal and Paediatric Pharmacists Group (NPPG) have launched the new Medicines for Children website, currently providing access to information leaflets on over 100 key medicines. Please see the link below for details.

An evaluation of the use of performance measures in health care

An evaluation of the use of performance measures in health care:

This evaluation report describes how performance measures are being used by a wide array of organisations and the types of measures being used for different purposes; summarises key barriers and facilitators to the use of measures; and identifies opportunities for easing the use of performance measures moving forward.

• Report


• Report summary


• RAND - publications

NHS whistleblowers call for better protection - Channel 4 News

NHS whistleblowers call for better protection - Channel 4 News:

Channel 4 News

NHS whistleblowers call for better protection Channel 4 News They are also sceptical about plans by the Health Secretary Andrew Lansley to tighten up the whistleblowing policy by incorporating it into the NHS constitution next year. Dr Holt said that it had not legal foundation and so could not be challenged. ... Leigh, Day & Co | Baby P whistleblower says NHS still 'too dangerous' for ...Linex Legal (press release) (registration) all 8 news articles »

NHS whistleblowers are being gagged, says consultant paediatrician

NHS whistleblowers are being gagged, says consultant paediatrician:

Kim Holt, who raised concerns about a clinic where Baby P was treated, says employment laws are used to silence critics

A consultant paediatrician who raised concerns about a clinic where Baby Peter was treated days before his death has accused NHS managers of using employment laws to gag potential whistleblowers.

Kim Holt said there was a need to "change the culture of the NHS to one of openness and transparency and not one where the truth is often hidden and employment laws misused to silence critics.

"Whistleblowing should be actively encouraged within the NHS. As the evidence given to the Mid Staffordshire inquiry from people too scared to raise concerns showed, without the 'safety valve' provided through an effective whistleblowing procedure patients may be harmed or even killed."

Holt was speaking before the formal launch of a lobby group, Patients First, made up of whistleblowers within the NHS. In 2006 she and colleagues raised concerns over poor record-keeping and understaffing at St Ann's clinic in Haringey, north London, a move she has previously said led to her being removed from the clinic.

The following summer, Peter Connelly was seen by an inexperienced locum doctor days before he was killed. The locum failed to spot signs that the 17-month-old boy, who was on Haringey's child protection register, had been physically abused.

Holt has also said she was offered £120,000 to withdraw her complaints after Baby Peter's death, a claim Great Ormond Street denied, but in June this year, the hospital, which supplied doctors for the clinic and Haringey primary care trust, apologised for the "difficult time" she had had. Holt now works at the Whittington hospital in north London.

The health minister Anne Milton said: "Staff on the frontline know when patient services need to improve. That's why staff who blow the whistle are crucial in helping to raise standards and we are determined to support them.

"We have already brought in a contractual right to raise concerns and issued clear guidance to NHS organisations that all their contracts of employment should cover staff whistleblowing rights. We are also putting the rights of whistleblowers in the NHS Constitution. So-called 'gagging clauses' are simply unacceptable, and void under the Public Interest Disclosure Act. We will continue to do everything we can to support whistleblowers." The Guardian

Emergency patients facing hospital delays

Emergency patients facing hospital delays: Emergency patients taken to hospital by ambulance are increasingly facing long waits before they can be handed over to the care of doctors and nurses at overstretched accident and emergency wards, figures show. The Telegraph

40% of hospital drugs 'administered incorrectly'

40% of hospital drugs 'administered incorrectly': Four in ten hospital patients are being administered drugs incorrectly according to a study published today by the Journal of Advanced Nursing. The Independent

A&E capacity will drop at Northampton General Hospital during improvement work

A&E capacity will drop at Northampton General Hospital during improvement work:

PATIENTS are being warned the already overloaded accident and emergency department at Northampton General Hospital will have its capacity further reduced during the winter in order to carry out improvements. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Three challenges facing clinical commissioning groups

Three challenges facing clinical commissioning groups: Chris Ham asks what can clinical commissioning groups learn from medical practices in California. (Blog, Chris Ham, 12 Dec 2011) Kings Fund

Online atlas maps out variations in care

Online atlas maps out variations in care: Department of Health has updated its 'NHS Atlas of Variation' to highlight health outcomes against spend

Ambulances 'facing delays at A&E'

Ambulances 'facing delays at A&E': Ambulances in England are facing major delays dropping off emergency patients at hospital, the BBC has learnt. BBC News

CCGs must cover same populations as PCT clusters, says GPC

CCGs must cover same populations as PCT clusters, says GPC: Clinical commissioning groups should cover the same population areas as PCTs or PCT clusters, the GPC has advised. GP Online

IDF calls for data exchange with NHS

IDF calls for data exchange with NHS: A safe and cost-effective way of transferring information between independent doctors and the NHS is essential in the changing landscape of healthcare delivery, the Independent Doctors Federation has said. E-Health Insider