Health Management and Policy Alert

31/05/07 - Independent inquiry into healthcare for people with learning disabilities

Patricia Hewitt has announced that Sir Jonathan Michael, former Chief Executive of Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, will chair the independent Inquiry into access to healthcare for people with learning disabilities. The review will focus on the action needed to ensure adults and children with learning disabilities receive appropriate treatment, primarily in general acute health care and with reference to wider health services.

(GNN news)

31/05/07 - Report on NHS independence

The Nuffield Trust has published a report on the options to consider regarding the issue of NHS independence. An independent NHS : a review of the options asks what are the reasonable options and their costs and benefits of an independent health service?

(Society Guardian) (Nuffield Trust)

31/05/07 - NHS Choices summary

This Dear Colleague letter  to PEC Chairs describes NHS Choices, a dynamic web-based service using latest technology to provide an easy-to-use, ‘one-stop shop’ of easily accessible health and healthcare information for the 21st century. The information can be personalised for different patients.  The user will find authoritative material from existing NHS websites and links to other reputable national and local health and social care organisations.

(DH Publications)

31/05/07 - Year of Care pilot for diabetes

Diabetes UK is looking for applications from organisations (PCTs, Diabetes Networks or Consortia of Practice-Based Commissioners) who would like to pilot the Year of Care for diabetes. Year of Care describes all the planned care that a person with diabetes should expect to receive (usually over a year), including self-management support. The project is about empowering people through greater choice and involvement, enhancing self-management, and improving health outcomes.

(Diabetes UK) (DH Chief Executives Bulletin)

30/05/07 - New choice at referral guidance

DH has published new guidance framework on choice at referral for 2007/8 which replaces the framework for 2006/7. This document provides best practice guidance for commissioners and providers on how the roll-out of free choice in elective care in 2007/8 will operate.

(DH Publications)

30/05/07 - Payments for continuing education and training for General Opthalmic Services

This Dear Colleague Letter details arrangements for payments for loss of earnings in respect of continuing education and training undertaken by optometrists and ophthalmic medical practitioners on PCT lists and the level of payment in respect of 2006 CET which is payable this year.

(DH Dear Colleague Letters)

29/05/07 - Role of support workers in maternity services

King's College London (KCL) has published a national scoping study on support workers in maternity services. The study concluded that there were substantial variations in title, range of activities, required entry level of training, and grade, governance regarding delegated responsibility, and differing pay rates for similar roles. KCL recommends that there should be a national framework for training and competencies determined by job profile for roles in different settings, and appropriate arrangements for governance.

(BBC News)

28/05/07 - The future hospital: the politics of change

Published by the Institute for Public Policy Research (ippr) the focus of this report is on the politics and process of hospital change at a local level. This is based on a year-long project that began with desk-based research, a research seminar and meetings with stakeholders and experts. A theoretical framework was developed to explore the local politics of hospital change, generating a series of hypotheses about the preferences of different stakeholders. These hypotheses were then tested and explored in two case studies of recent hospital reconfigurations, where 28 local stakeholders were interviewed. These included: managers and clinicians working in the hospitals, primary care trusts and strategic health authorities involved in change; local patients; public groups including hospital campaigners; and local politicians, including councillors and MPs. (ippr - press release)

28/05/07 - IPPR report on future hospitals

The future hospital : the progressive case for change  sets out the objectives for hospital change that a progressive health system should aim to achieve.

(IPPR press release)

25/05/07 - Mental Capacity Act 2005 - new resources

This Dear colleague letter sets out the new resources being made available to the health sector for the year 2007/8 for the implementation of the Mental Capacity Act 2005. These have been identified as additional staff costs in carrying out assessments of capacity, case conferences, and best interests decisions. The total resources being made available are £7.2million in 2007/8. (DH - letters)