Health Management and Policy Alert

31/03/06 - Mental health and ethnicity census

The Count me in mental health and learning disability census is being organised by the Healthcare Commission, the Mental Health Act Commission and the National Institute for Mental Health in England. The purpose of the census is to help those who provide mental health and learning disability services to ensure that services are culturally relevant and appropriate, and provides improved information on service delivery – one of the three building blocks of the government’s Delivering race equality in mental health care (2005). It is the second year the census has been undertaken and is the first time that the ethnicity of people in learning disability units will be recorded in this way. It is also the first time that sexual orientation will be recorded. (Healthcare Commission - press release)

31/03/06 - Future regulation in the public sector

Published by the Audit Commission, The future of regulation in the public sector is intended to equip policymakers to go beyond the decisions made so far about the future of regulation and to consider what further measures might be needed for the post-2008 period. (Audit Commission - reports)

30/03/06 - Commissioning a patient-led NHS Update 22

This is the latest update in a regular series of updates on Commissioning a patient-led NHS. This update contains Patricia Hewitt's Written Ministerial Statement about the planned reconfiguration of SHAs, PCTs and ambulance trusts in July 2006 and October 2006 respectively.

30/03/06 - Pay awards for NHS senior managers

This letter from Lord Warner, Minister of State for NHS Reform, informs Chairs and Non-Executive Directors of increases to remuneration for them and increases to pay for very senior managers. The letter also provides an update on proposals for a new Pay Framework for Very Senior Managers. (DH - letters)

30/03/06 - Pay awards for NHS staff

The Government has accepted all of the Pay Review Body recommendations for NHS staff pay uplifts. This means that from April 1st 2006 the pay uplifts will be:

• 2.5 per cent for nurses and other healthcare professionals
• 2.2 per cent for junior doctors
• 2.4 per cent for salaried dentists
• 3 per cent for general dentists
• 1 per cent rising to 2.2 per cent in November 2006 for consultants

(DH - press release)

30/03/06 - Partnerships for Older People Projects (POPP) Grant 2006 - 08: Round 1 POPP Pilots

This circular, LAC (2006)7, provides guidance to the nineteen council-led partnerships listed at Annex A in the circular. These partnerships are being awarded ring-fenced funding from the Partnerships for Older People Projects (POPP) Grant during the financial years 2006/07 and 2007/08 to undertake a POPP pilot scheme. All schemes are due to commence from 1st May 2006. The circular sets out the conditions governing the use of the POPP Grant by each partnership. (DH - circulars)

30/03/06 - Consultation on simplification of reimbursement rules for NHS dispensing contractors: summary of responses

In September 2005 the Department of Health consulted on a package of proposals designed to simplify the reimbursement arrangements for NHS dispensing contractors. The consultation closed on 30th November 2005. This report summarises the 66 responses to this consultation, which sought views on a number of proposals. (DH - consultations)

30/03/06 - Wanless social care review

Securing good care for older people: taking a long-term view, commissioned by the King's Fund, examined social and health care policy, services and spending as well as demographic, social and technological trends in order to consider the demands on social care now and in the future. The review, led by Sir Derek Wanless, recommends that to enable more people to receive care fairly and cost-effectively, there should be more ambition in the outcomes sought for social care. It also recommends that the current means-tested funding system should be scrapped and replaced with a partnership model. The review also proposes better integration between health and social care to reduce avoidable hospital admissions.  The review follows Sir Derek’s two reports for the Treasury on future health care spending in the United Kingdom and on public health in England. (King's Fund - press release) (BBC news item)

30/03/06 - Payment by Results (PbR) assurance framework

This letter provides an update on the implementation of the PbR assurance framework, which was announced as part of the Department of Health’s operating framework for 2006/07. The assurance framework will support local monitoring of payments and data quality under PbR. The framework will also include benchmarking of national data. (DH - letters)

30/03/06 - Patients and public encouraged to ask about health care

A new campaign to empower patients to take a more active role in managing their health has been developed by the National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA) and Dr Foster Intelligence. The campaign, Please Ask, provides practical, accessible information about patient safety and encourages patients to feel comfortable asking questions about their NHS healthcare, and raising concerns with health professionals. The campaign also includes a magazine that will be distributed in GP practices in England and Wales. (NPSA - press release)