Three million patients to get telecare, DH pledges

Three million patients to get telecare, DH pledges: The DH will roll out telehealth and telecare services to three million people with long-term conditions by 2016, care services minister Paul Burstow has said. GP Online

Mental Health Act annual report 2010/11

Mental Health Act annual report 2010/11:

This is the Care Quality Commission’s second annual report on the use of the Mental Health Act, covering findings from April 2010 to March 2011.

• Full report


• Summary report


• Care Quality Commission - publications

Interactive slide pack on the NHS pension scheme

Interactive slide pack on the NHS pension scheme:

An interactive slide pack published in response to the Heads of Agreement on the proposed scheme design for the NHS Pension Scheme has been made available. It aims to provide staff with guidance on the NHS pension scheme proposals.

• Slide pack


• Department of Health - news

Data briefing: emergency bed use - what the numbers tell us

Data briefing: emergency bed use - what the numbers tell us:

This briefing examines why we need to understand more about bed use for emergency admissions; what progress has been made in reducing bed use; how reducing bed use can lead to improved quality of care and patient experience; and what the next steps should be.

• Briefing


• The King's Fund - publications

Implementing the Government ICT strategy: six-month review of progress

Implementing the Government ICT strategy: six-month review of progress: This report commends the early progress being made by the Government in implementing its ICT strategy but has identified areas where progress has not kept pace with the Government’s ambitions. Healthcare Today

China calls for calm after bird flu death

China calls for calm after bird flu death: Beijing health officials say the virus was not transmitted from human to human, making it less likely to form a pandemic strain. Healthcare Today

NHS trust plans alternative to 'outdated hospital model'

NHS trust plans alternative to 'outdated hospital model':

Has North Bristol NHS trust found the answer to providing efficient health and social care after hospital closures?

NNot everyone is happy about North Bristol NHS trust's proposal to close one of its hospitals as part of a reconfiguration of health services, admits its chief executive, Ruth Brunt. The changes will affect around 500,000 people living in Bristol and south Gloucester. "Understandably, if you have to travel four miles rather than half a mile to get to your acute hospital in the future, there are some people who will be anxious, and feel they have lost something," she says.

The trust recently published a document detailing its planned alternative to the hospital at Frenchay: a "health and social care campus" with a community hospital and nursing home owned by the private sector, a new GP surgery, "extra care" housing, and outpatient services for people with long-term conditions.

Mike Farrar, head of the NHS Confederation, which represents health service managers, last week said that at least one in four patients in hospital beds could be better looked after in the community, or at home, rather than in the "outdated hospital model of care … Hospitals play a vital role, but we do rely on them for some services that could be provided elsewhere. We should be concentrating on ... shifting resources into community services."

Brunt couldn't agree more. "Twenty seven per cent of the patients sitting in my acute hospitals don't need to be there," she points out. "Acute hospital care is extraordinarily expensive, and despite what patients think, acute hospitals are fantastic if you really need hi-tech acute specialist care but they are not that great if you're getting better, or you're waiting well."

Before moving to Bristol Brunt worked in Devon, which has a network of community hospitals that treat patients near their homes for less serious conditions. "I was horrified coming to Bristol that there was such a poor level of community provision," she says. "It felt like you either had to be well enough to receive your care at home, or you were in hospital. There was very little provision in between."

The Bristol health services plan was developed over several years by the city's three primary care trusts, three acute hospital trusts, its mental health trust, ambulance services and other public sector organisations. It aims to provide, by 2014, a £22m 68-bed community hospital located in the same building as a nursing home. The building will be owned and operated by a third party, probably a consortium of a construction company and a care provider, which the trust hopes to choose by the end of this year. It expects to lease the hospital area, with the ability to vary the number of beds used to cope with extra demand, at an annual cost of around £3.5m. Unlike a private finance initiative (PFI) deal, ownership of the building will remain in the hands of the private sector.

GPs may also lease beds in the community hospital, as an alternative to sending patients to a "superhospital" that is scheduled to open in 2014 on the trust's other site some 6km (4 miles) away in Southmead.

The plans for the health and social campus include extra care housing, where people can move to in order to continue living in their homes while receiving enhanced health and social care, and outpatient clinics for older people and those with long-term conditions, such as diabetes and illnesses that require respiratory medicine. The trust's plans for the Southmead hospital include the assumption that 40% of outpatient activity will move to community facilities.

The community hospital will have diagnostic facilities that will provide blood tests, x-rays, scans and echocardiograms, and physiotherapy, dietetics and occupational therapy. A section of the site will be reserved for a new GP surgery, and an existing brain injury rehabilitation unit.

"We were tantalised by the possibility of developing a whole health and social care campus at Frenchay, which was focused around reablement and rehabilitation, not just maintenance care but actively focused on returning people to independent living," says Brunt.

Frenchay will also improve North Bristol trust's finances, with part of the site being sold for residential housing. Proceeds from the sale of homes will reduce the PFI debt from building the new £430m hospital at Southmead and boost the trust's planned application for foundation trust status, which requires evidence of financial stability. Selling land at Frenchay will reduce the PFI cost to around 7% of the trust's annual income. As a result, Brunt says: "We can make our long-term financial plan stack up." she addssays Brunt

Conservative councillor Trevor Jones, who sits on South Gloucestershire council's health select and development control committees thinks the trust has done a good job of engaging with opponents of the hospital's closure. Campaigners from the Save Frenchay Hospital group joined a Frenchay Project Board, which asked the trust for changes to its plans – most of which were agreed. "The big one for local residents is the capacity for a new GP surgery," says Jones, as the area will get several thousand new homes. The plans for intermediate care for older people are also popular. "They can see a way of staying in their own homes, or moving into the care village," he says.

Trade union Unison is concerned that the community hospital will not be run by the trust and that staff will not be NHS employees. "The new build at Frenchay takes the NHS further into the hands of private health companies," says Simon Newell, Unison's south-west regional head of health. He adds that there was no prior consultation with staff or unions before the tender document was published. "With all staff being employed by a contractor, they will have no access to NHS pay and terms and conditions, and we would have serious concerns about training and quality of care."

In response, a spokeswoman for the trust says a nursing home site alongside NHS beds would "offer an opportunity for an integrated approach to patient care with possibly the third-party partner providing nursing care for the NHS beds and staff employed by North Bristol trust providing rehabilitation support. However, we shall need to carefully explore this in conjunction with potential third party partners and no decisions have yet been made," she adds.

Providing intermediate – and cheaper – alternatives to acute hospitals fits well with the government's attempt to increase efficiency in the NHS without increasing funding. So could North Bristol's plans provide a blueprint for other trusts? Candace Imison, deputy director of policy of the King's Fund health thinktank, believes the trust has a good chance of success because its reconfiguration involves just two sites, and that it could work in other areas.

For Brunt, reconfigurations can work when all the organisations with a stake in health and social care in an area co-operate. The difficult part is convincing the public that the loss of acute hospital beds is a price worth paying – but this is something the NHS has to do. She says: "This is about services, not just about facilities."

• SA Mathieson is a journalist and a senior healthcare analyst for Kable, the public services market intelligence specialist. The Guardian

Fillers could prove next cosmetic surgery scandal, experts warn

Fillers could prove next cosmetic surgery scandal, experts warn: Patients who use anti-ageing injections could be putting themselves at risk in a market that is largely unregulated in Britain, experts have warned. The Telegraph

Elderly care reforms could get cross-party agreement, says Andrew Dilnot

Elderly care reforms could get cross-party agreement, says Andrew Dilnot: Andrew Dilnot, the architect of proposed reforms to long-term elderly care, said there is a "real chance" of a cross-party agreement between the Coalition and Labour on improving the system. The Telegraph

Cheap healthy food scheme begins

Cheap healthy food scheme begins: A new effort to convince families in England that they can eat healthily on a budget is beginning. BBC News

NHS accused over deaths of disabled patients

NHS accused over deaths of disabled patients: Mencap inquiry finds institutional discrimination against people with learning disabilities led to at least 74 deathsThe NHS is accused of causing or contributing to the deaths of at least 74 patients with a learning disability because of poor care that reveals enduring "institutional discrimination" among doctors and nurses.The 74 vulnerable patients' deaths over the past decade were either caused or complicated by mistakes in hospitals and decisions by staff who failed to treat them properly and ... Kings Fund Health News

NHS accused over deaths of disabled patients

NHS accused over deaths of disabled patients: Mencap inquiry finds institutional discrimination against people with learning disabilities led to at least 74 deathsThe NHS is accused of causing or contributing to the deaths of at least 74 patients with a learning disability because of poor care that reveals enduring "institutional discrimination" among doctors and nurses.The 74 vulnerable patients' deaths over the past decade were either caused or complicated by mistakes in hospitals and decisions by staff who failed to treat them properly and ... Kings Fund Health News

Government creates £170m fund to help older patients leave NHS hospitals

Government creates £170m fund to help older patients leave NHS hospitals:

Councils will get £1m each to spend on social care to reduce the number of elderly patients occupying beds longer than needed. The government will announce a further £170m funding for councils on Monday, to help them improve care and support for elderly people coming out of hospital. Of the £170m total, £150m will be divided among the 152 councils with social care responsibilities and will be allocated through NHS primary care trusts, which must agree how the money should best be spent to ease pressure on hospitals. The remaining £20m will be used to top up local funding pots for the disabled facilities grant, a means-tested award administered by councils to help with the cost of adaptations to enable people to continue living at home. Guardian

Private clinics must pick up £150 million cost of removing faulty breast implants

Private clinics must pick up £150 million cost of removing faulty breast implants: All 40,000 British women who received faulty implants should have them removed if they are leaking as badly as evidence suggests, in a move which could cost £150 million. Telegraph

Norovirus outbreaks rise

Norovirus outbreaks rise: Hospital outbreaks of norovirus have increased by a third while enquiries from worried patients are up 60 per cent, official figures have revealed. Telegraph

Silicone secrets: Britain's £100m implants industry

Silicone secrets: Britain's £100m implants industry:

Surgeons yesterday called for a national register of breast implants with mandatory reporting of cases of rupture to identify faulty devices that could pose health risks to women. Patients should also be issued with an "implant passport" recording details of the operation and device used in case of problems later, they said. Independent

Bird-flu victim 'had no direct contact with poultry'

Bird-flu victim 'had no direct contact with poultry':

A Chinese bus driver who tested positive for the H5N1 bird flu virus died yesterday, a week after being admitted to hospital with a fever. He was the country's first reported case of the disease in humans in 18 months, and the circumstances in which he contracted the disease are worryingly uncertain. Independent

Drop perilous NHS reforms, say leading health professionals

Drop perilous NHS reforms, say leading health professionals:

David Cameron faces fresh calls to abandon his NHS reforms, as a group of leading public-health experts predicts that the changes will "exacerbate inequalities" in the health of the nation. Independent

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.