Key Points - 17th october 2008
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Department
of Health
the week:
Provides need-to-know news, consultations and events for chief
executives and their teams. It provides links to more information and resources,
highlighting areas for action
http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Bulletins/theweek/DH_089340
Medical Directors bulletin, Issue 86, October 2008
http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Bulletins/Medicaldirectorsbulletin/DH_089272
Health Minister to lead development of NHS
constitution
Health Minister Ann Keen has been
confirmed as the new ministerial lead for the NHS Constitution, the Department
of Health has announced. She will oversee the development of the Constitution
which will empower both patients and staff by clearly setting out their rights
and responsibilities in one place for the first time.
Human papillomavirus vaccination (HPV) - immunisation
research [Letter]
This letter informs primary care trusts of
research to better understand attitudes toward the human papillomavirus
vaccination programme and supporting communications
campaign.
http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Lettersandcirculars/Dearcolleagueletters/DH_089157
HTM 01-05:
Decontamination in dental practice
This guidance sets out a reasonable and
rational response to emerging evidence on the effectiveness of decontamination
in primary care dental practices and the possibility of prion
transmission through protein contamination of dental instruments.
Guidance for
use of the NHS identity in dental practices [Letter]
This letter introduces new guidance for
primary care trusts and providers of NHS dentistry. The guidance is part of a
wider strategy to introduce the NHS identity at all levels of primary care to
increase visibility of, and to improve access to, the full range of NHS
services.
http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Lettersandcirculars/Dearcolleagueletters/DH_089102
Clinical
governance system acceptable to the Secretary of State: pharmacy practice
leaflet
The
National Health Service (Pharmaceutical Regulations) 2005 Schedule 1 Paragraph
26(2)(a)(i)1, contain “a requirement that the
pharmacist should produce in an approved manner, a practice leaflet containing
approved particulars in respect of his pharmacy”. The ‘approved particulars’
pharmacy practice leaflets are required to contain are
set out below:
Mental
Health Act 2007: guidance on the extension of victims' rights under the
Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004
As a result
of the Mental Health Act 2007, from 3 November 2008 victims’ rights under the
Domestic Violence Crime and Victims Act 2004 will be extended to victims of
offenders who are detained, or on supervised community treatment, as
unrestricted patients under Part 3 of the Mental Health Act 1983. This will
involve new duties on hospital managers, responsible clinicians, approved mental health professionals and on NHS bodies who
fund treatment of such patients in the independent sector.
Mental
Health Act 1983 information leaflets
These leaflets
are designed to assist hospitals and local social services authorities (LSSAs) to meet their legal obligations under the Act to
provide written information to patients subject to detention and other
compulsory measures under the Act.
Safeguarding
Adults: A Consultation on the Review of the ‘No Secrets’ Guidance
The
Department of Health, the Home Office and the Ministry of Justice have launched
the national consultation on the review of the No Secrets guidance. Minister
for Care Services, Phil Hope MP said: 'This consultation paper is about
learning. It is about how we as a society learn to empower people - both the
public and the professionals - to identify risk and manage risk.
http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Consultations/Liveconsultations/DH_089098
Integrated
care pilot programme prospectus for potential pilots
http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Healthcare/IntegratedCare/index.htm
Changes in food
and drink advertising and promotion to children: a report outlining the changes
in the nature and balance of food and drink advertising and promotion to
children, from January 2003 to December 2007
This report
sets out the current restrictions for broadcast and non-broadcast media; the
findings of the Thomson Intermedia research on
overall food and drink advertising spend across a range of media, child-themed
ad-spend and TV viewing figures; and the output of the Food and Drink
Advertising and Promotion Forum.
General
Ophthalmic Services: income-related employment and support allowance and
changes to GOS forms
This letter
contains important information about: the introduction of income-related
Employment and Support Allowance, and GOS form changes
http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Lettersandcirculars/Dearcolleagueletters/DH_089262
Review Body
on Doctors' and Dentists' Remuneration: Review for 2009
http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/DH_089333
General
Medical Council (Constitution) Order 2008 constitution report: October 2008: response
to consultation
A summary response to the public constitution on the draft regulations,
setting out proposals for the GMC (Constitution) Order 2008.
http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Consultations/Responsestoconsultations/DH_089368
NHS England carbon footprinting report – updated (Sustainable Development
Commission)
This report presents findings from a carbon footprinting study of all NHS England estates and
activities. Part two of the report has been added.
http://www.sd-commission.org.uk/publications.php?id=733
Seal of approval to improve health and social care information
The Department of Health has gone out to tender to find an independent operator for its new scheme to provide a seal of approval ensuring health and social care information is reliable.
Government action to fund gaps in health research
A new £5 million
research programme which is intended to lead to an increase in service quality
and patient safety through better ways of planning and providing health
services has been announced by Public Health Minister Dawn Primarolo
DH news
releases 7-11 October 2008
http://nds.coi.gov.uk/environment/dh/
Statistics
Report on the
National Patient Choice Survey, May 2008 and provisional headline results of
the July 2008 survey
This report gives the final results of around
90,000 responses to the thirteenth national patient choice survey commissioned
to assess the implementation of choice at primary care trust level.
http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsStatistics/DH_089086
Hospital activity statistics
Data on GP extended opening hours in
September has been added.
http://www.performance.doh.gov.uk/hospitalactivity/index.htm
Information
Centre
Statistics
on Smoking, England 2008 [NS]
Statistics
on stop smoking services in
GP Earnings
and Expenses 2006-07 - Initial Report
Investment
in General Practice 2003/04 - 2006/07:
NICE
Contraceptive
services for socially disadvantaged young people: consultation on the draft
scope.
NICE was
asked by the Department of Health to develop guidance on the provision of
contraceptive services in appropriate settings for socially disadvantaged young
people (up to the age of twenty five).
http://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/index.jsp?action=folder&o=42295
Chronic
heart failure (partial update): draft scope consultation.
NICE have
been asked to develop a clinical practice guideline on Chronic heart failure (partial update)
for use in the NHS in
http://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/index.jsp?action=folder&o=42323
Breast
cancer (advanced or metastatic) - lapatinib
(appraisal consultation 2)
http://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/index.jsp?action=folder&o=42283
Diarrhoea
and vomiting in children under 5: consultation on the draft guideline.
A clinical
practice guideline on Diarrhoea and vomiting in children is being developed for
use in the NHS in
http://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/index.jsp?action=folder&o=42311
House of
Commons Health Select Committee
Foundation Trusts and Monitor
The House of Commons Health Select Committee has published a
report on 'Foundation Trusts and Monitor'. The report's main focus is on the
impact of Foundation Trust (FT) status, first on those trusts that have
achieved FT status, and secondly on the wider NHS. Thirdly, and linked to both
these questions, the report considers FTs'
accountability and autonomy, and the role of Monitor.
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200708/cmselect/cmhealth/833/833.pdf
World Health Organisation
The
World Health Report 2008 - Primary Health Care – Now More Than Ever
Why a
renewal of primary health care (PHC), and why now, more than ever?
Globalization is putting the social cohesion of many countries under stress,
and health systems are clearly not performing as well as they could and should.
People are increasingly impatient with the inability of health services to
deliver. Few would disagree that health systems need
to respond better – and faster – to the challenges of a changing world. PHC can
do that.
Home Office
Cannabis:
Classification and Public Health
The
government's decision to reclassify cannabis as a Class B drug under the Misuse
of Drugs Act 1971 was announced by Home Secretary Jacqui Smith on 7 May 2008.
The necessary legislation will be debated in both House of
Parliament this autumn and, if approved, reclassification will take
effect from 26 January 2009. Until the reclassification is approved,
cannabis remains a Class C drug.
http://drugs.homeoffice.gov.uk/publication-search/cannabis/acmd-cannabisreclassification
Healthcare
Commission
Healthcare Commission annual health check
The
Healthcare Commission today (Thursday) publishes the annual NHS performance
ratings showing that trusts are improving the quality of services and managing
money more effectively.
The
independent watchdog has given all 391 NHS trusts in
http://www.healthcarecommission.org.uk/_db/_documents/0708_annual_health_check_overview_document.pdf
Sainsbury
Centre for Mental Health
New website
to help employers access the most appropriate information about mental health
and employment
http://www.scmh.org.uk/news/2008_new_website_mh_at_work.aspx
Health
Protection Agency
Beginning
of norovirus season highlights importance of handwashing to protect against gastrointestinal disease
The Health
Protection Agency has welcomed this year's Global Handwashing
Day initiative which aims to raise awareness about the role handwashing
plays in public health.
Commissioning updates
The
Commissioning cycle
http://www.ic.nhs.uk/commissioning
The Commissioner
http://thecommissionernhs.blogspot.com/
Adolescent
Health Primary Care Service Framework
http://www.pcc.nhs.uk/news/504
BBC Health
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