COMMISSIONING

Currency options for the Healthy Child Programme: Transforming Community Services (11th March 2010)
Community services have historically been funded on block contracting arrangements, making it difficult for commissioners to identify what services are being delivered and pay for them appropriately. The publication, Currency and pricing options for community services (DH, January 2009) signalled the need to develop more effective ways of paying for services which reward quality and productivity, and encourage activity which reflects local priorities.

This latest publication is a tool for commissioners of community services that contribute to the first five years of the universal Healthy Child Programme (HCP). Commissioners can use this to develop a more transparent approach to paying for these services. The development of better ways of paying for services will reward quality and productivity, and encourage activity which promotes the aims and outcomes of the HCP.
Document

World Class Commissioning - March 2010 update (18th March 2010)
Monthly progress report on the World Class Commissioning Programme
Update

Successful Commissioning: How to secure value for money through better financial relationships with third sector organisations (17th March 2010)
The National Audit Office has launched this online guide which focuses on those aspects of the commissioning process that are most likely to affect financial relationships with third sector organisations. It looks at how commissioners can help the third sector to deliver services and outcomes that represent value for money. The main characteristics of the guide are that it:

• clearly sets out the main issues for effective financial relationships with third sector organisations;
• makes use of existing guidance in an accessible and practical way, and;
• dispels some of the ‘myths’ that exist around commissioning with the third sector.

Guide

PRESENTATIONS - Commissioning for health services. Your questions answered. (18th March 2010)
The presentations from this event, that was held on 17th March 2010 at the Stobart Stadium, Widnes, are now available.
Presentations

Valuing people now: transfer of funding and commissioning of social care for adults with learning disabilities from the NHS to local government: final returns 2010/11 by 31 March 2010 (18th March 2010)
From April 2009, funding and commissioning of social care for adults with learning disabilities transferred from the NHS to local authorities. This letter to PCT and Local Authority lead commissioners gives guidance on implementation and requests final returns for 2010/11 by Wednesday 31 March 2010.
Documents

COMMUNITY SAFETY

National Support Framework. Reducing Reoffending, cutting crime, changing lives (11th March 2010)
The Home Office and the Ministry of Justice have published guidance on the new duty for Community Safety Partnerships (CSPs) across England and Wales to reduce reoffending. From 1 April 2010 CSPs will have a new duty to formulate and implement a strategy to reduce reoffending by adults and young offenders and probation will become the sixth statutory partner of CSPs.

Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) in England and Local Health Boards (LHBs) in Wales are statutory partners on CSPs
and can play a critical role in helping to reduce reoffending by targeting health resources at those individuals in local
communities who need them most. This may or may not include individuals already in contact with the criminal
justice system. Areas where health services have a role in community safety include:

• tackling the misuse of alcohol, drugs and other substances (see section 6, Pathways out of offending), specifically through commissioning and providing appropriate health services
• identifying and providing advice and support for victims of domestic or sexual abuse
• providing health advice or treatment for people who put themselves or others at risk (for example, through their use of drugs or alcohol)
• working with other local partners to help prevent problems occurring in the first place.

Guidance

LOCAL AUTHORITY/GOVERNMENT

LASSL(DH)(2010)1: Provisional Grant Allocations for the Personal Care At Home Grant for 2010/11 (12th March 2010)
The purpose of this circular is to advise local authorities of their provisional grant allocations for the Personal Care at Home grant from 1st October 2010 to 31st March 2011. This grant will be paid via Area Based Grant (ABG).
Information

Ordinary residence: guidance on the identification of the ordinary residence of people in need of community care services, England (5th March 2010)
This guidance provides information and advice to local authorities (and certain other bodies) on the identification of the ordinary residence of people in need of community care services.

The guidance anticipates the coming into force of section 148 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 which is expected to come into force on 19 April 2010. The guidance is effective from this date. Therefore, on 19 April 2010, this guidance will replace the existing ordinary residence guidance contained in LAC(93)7. From this date, LAC(93)7 will be revoked.
Guidance

Top tips on improving outcomes through better commissioning of adult social care (February 2010)
Local authorities spend about £18 billion each year on adult social care including £11.6 billion on external providers. Millions could be saved each year through more effective and collaborative commissioning, including better procurement of services.

Local authorities are under pressure to reduce expenditure on, and the cost of, adult social care. At the same time, services users and carers expect high-quality services. Members need to understand how services can be improved and how they can be delivered more efficiently.

This guide – one of a series of member guides on procurement – provides tips on how your authority can make savings through better commissioning of adult social care.
Guide

NHS

General Election - Guidance (11th March 2010)
Two letters have been produced to provide chief executives with information on handling the General Election period, once it starts. It includes links to previous guidance and advice.
Letter for Arms Length Bodies
Letter for NHS Trust AND PCT

The handbook to the NHS Constitution for England (8th March 2010)
This Handbook is designed to give NHS staff and patients all the information they need about the NHS Constitution for England. It outlines the roles we all have to play in protecting and developing the NHS and will help you understand our rights, pledges, values and responsibilities.
Document

Getting the most out of PROMs. Putting health outcomes at the heart of NHS decision-making (11th March 2010)
More than 100 years ago Florence Nightingale suggested a health-related outcome measure for her patients: relieved, unrelieved and dead. Despite the developments in medical technology since then, attempts to measure the positive outcomes of health care have been slow in coming. An important step forward was made in 2009 when the English NHS began collecting patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) for four elective procedures.

The aim of this report, from the Kings Fund, is to provoke and encourage thinking about the wide range of ways in which PROMs data can be used to inform decisions. It draws on Bupa’s example to discuss how providers can use PROMs data to improve clinical performance. It also offers practical advice for commissioners in using PROMs data to assess value for money and decide how to purchase health care systems.
Report

Rising to the challenge: health priorities for government and the NHS (11th March 2010)
The document sets out what the NHS Confederation see as the major priorities facing the NHS, what they think NHS leaders can do now to help develop the system and enhance patient care, and what a new government will need to do post-election to facilitate this and create the necessary conditions for progress.
Document

The NHS Constitution for England (8th March 2010)
This Constitution establishes the principles and values of the NHS in England. It sets out rights to which patients, public and staff are entitled, and pledges which the NHS is committed to achieve, together with responsibilities which the public, patients and staff owe to one another to ensure that the NHS operates fairly and effectively. All NHS bodies and private and third sector providers supplying NHS services are required by law to take account of this Constitution in their decisions and actions.
Document

Guidance on the attribution of NHS non-commercial Research costs, Support costs and treatment costs (ReSeT Guidance) (15th March 2010)
This document clarifies the distinction between the three categories of costs associated with non-commercial research studies: Research Costs, NHS Support Costs and Treatment Costs. It is supported by two annexes – Annex A provides an exemplar set of common activities that have been attributed to the three specific cost categories and Annex B provides a list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs). The first section of the FAQs relates to FAQs that are generic across the United Kingdom and the second section to country specific questions. These Annexes will be updated on a regular basis and users need to ensure that they have the latest version (please refer to individual Health Department websites for their country specific FAQs).
Document

PUBLIC HEALTH

Review of Public Health Regulation (11th March 2010)
The nature of Specialist and Director of Public Health roles are key to the current and future public health function; with high visibility and importance to tackling core challenges such as disparities in health, health protection and lifestyle burdens. Assurance and confidence in public health specialist practice is therefore of great importance. This review seeks to increase the confidence of both the public and professionals as to standards of competence, performance and conduct of the public health workforce.
Information

Technical Briefing 7: Measuring smoking prevalence in local populations (10th March 2010)
This briefing provides brief overviews of potentially useful sources of local-level smoking data, option appraisals for local-level surveillance of smoking and pointers to help local organisations meet their local smoking prevalence information needs
Briefing

Behaviour change training delivered across Cheshire and Merseyside: mapping programmes and exploring processes (15th March 2010)
Behaviour change interventions have the potential to produce a significant impact on major causes of mortality and morbidity. This research focuses on behaviour change training programmes which aim to develop the knowledge and skills of staff so that they are better equipped to help people change health-related attitudes and behaviour.
Report

Top tips for commissioners and providers of behaviour change training programmes (15th March 2010)
Behaviour change training programmes aim to develop the knowledge and skills of the public health workforce leaving them better equipped to help change health related attitudes and behaviours. Commonly used forms of behaviour change interventions are brief interventions, brief advice, motivational interviewing and social marketing.

These Top tips aim to support the commissioning and delivery of effective behaviour change training programmes across Cheshire and Merseyside. They include recommendations developed from the findings of research which mapped behaviour change training programmes and explored their delivery and commissioning across Cheshire and Merseyside.
Document

Much achieved: More to do. Reducing Health Inequalities in Knowsley. (4th March 2010)
This document is a review and a position statement in relation to health inequalities in Knowsley. It looks at the progress which has been made in Knowsley over the past 10 years in reducing health inequalities. The current challenges are assessed, and recommendations are made for the future.
Document

COMMISSIONING

Primary Care Service Framework: Familial Hypercholesterolaemia (February 2010)

This new framework has been prepared to assist commissioners in implementing NICE guideline 71, identification and management of familial hypercholesterolaemia.

Framework

NHS

Robert Francis Inquiry report into Mid-Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust (24th February 2010)
Robert Francis QC has today published his Inquiry report into Mid-Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust. His Inquiry followed concerns about standards of care at the Trust, and an investigation and report published by the Healthcare Commission in March 2009. Robert Francis has heard evidence from patients, their relatives and staff to inform his report and the 18 recommendations he makes. The Department of Health and the Trust Board has accepted the recommendations of the Inquiry in full.
Report and other related documents

Working it out: employment for people with a mental health condition (3rd March 2010)
The link between employment and positive mental health is an issue of great importance for the NHS, both in terms of supporting service users to recover from mental health conditions and for improving staff productivity. Between 10 per cent and 16 per cent of people with a mental health condition, excluding depression, are in employment. However, between 86 and 90 per cent of this group want to work. Meaningful work is integral to recovery.


Employers who take steps to improve the management of mental health at work can help to improve staff productivity and save money. As the NHS enters a challenging period for future funding, reducing the costs of staff sickness absence and driving up productivity are critical. This Briefing outlines the key themes from recently launched government policies in this field and sets out actions for the NHS, as both an employer and service provider.
Briefing

The Heart of the Matter: patient and public engagement in today's NHS (22nd February 2010)

This report says that patient and public engagement (PPE) must become integral to the operation of every NHS organisation.

The heart of the matter: patient and public engagement in today's NHS asks questions about the future of PPE in an ever-changing NHS and sets out:

what good engagement looks like

the legal framework for PPE

the importance of having a culture of engagement

where the NHS has got to on PPE

how Local Involvement Networks (LINKs), membership schemes and working with local government contribute to PPE.

Report

Protecting and Improving the NHS. (22nd February 2010)

This paper sets out the Liberal Democrats commitments to the NHS in three main areas:

• Protecting and improving the NHS
• More control over healthcare
• Quality care for all patients

Paper

Information

The impact of the NHS market. An overview of the literature (1st March 2010)

NHS ‘internal’ or ‘quasi’ market policies in England have aimed to promote competition among providers in the hope of replicating the benefits markets have been known to bring about in the private sector: decreases in cost, and increases in efficiency, quality, innovation, and provider responsiveness. This briefing, from CIVITAS, presents the results of a large-scale literature search on the effectiveness of these policies over the past 20 years.

Document

Free web seminar - Demand and Capacity (3rd March 2010)

Expert on Call is a monthly online seminar which is open to all NHS staff, provided by the NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement, where leading thinkers in the NHS Institute and beyond share their insights from research or product development via Webex.

The next Expert on Call electronic seminar Mike Davidge, will talk about why variation in both the demand for services and their supply can cause havoc and outline some practical ways of dealing with this, and will be of interest to anyone at any level who is interested or engaged in quality improvement or wants to develop new ways of working which are effective and sustainable.

The seminar will take place on Thursday 18th March 2010.

Information

PAYMENT BY RESULTS

Confirmation of Payment by Results (PbR) arrangements for 2010-11 (22nd February 2010)
The road-testing of the 2010-11 tariff and draft guidance concluded on 22 January 2010. No changes have been made to mandatory tariff prices or trim points following road-test. Details of changes have been made to some other elements of the tariff information spreadsheet.

The 2010-11 PbR guidance has been clarified in a number of areas, in response to feedback received at road-test.
Guidance

Code of conduct for Payment by Results: from 1 April 2010 (22nd February 2010)
This Code of Conduct (the Code) is aimed at all commissioners and providers, including those from the independent sector - and other bodies with regulatory and/or performance management responsibilities - operating within the PbR system, but without prejudice to any future Government decision on extending the scope of PbR. Its purpose is to establish the principles that should govern organisational behaviour under PbR and set expectations as to how the system should operate. In this way, the Code of Conduct should minimise as well as guide the resolution of disputes under PbR.
Guidance

COMMISSIONING

World Class Commissioning - January 2010 (4th February 2010)
Monthly progress report on the world class commissioning programme
Update

Commissioning for quality - delivering national priorities (15th February 2010)
The demands on commissioning are greater than ever before as primary care trusts are relied upon by policymakers and taxpayers to improve health and health services, assure quality and deliver value for money in an NHS faced with more stringent financial circumstances and increasing public scrutiny.

This Briefing highlights some actions commissioners can take to ensure they secure best value for patients and taxpayers when commissioning for two NHS priorities in 2010/11: delivering same-sex accommodation (DSSA) as part of the thrust towards high-quality care; and improving cleanliness and further reducing healthcare associated infections (HCAI).
Briefing

Commissioning GP out-of-hours services (10th February 2010)
Following the conclusion of the inquest into the death of out-of-hours patient David Gray, a number of recommendations have been made which are of relevance to Primary Care Trusts. This Briefing summarises these and the PCT Network’s recent activity around this issue.

Please note that only PCT Network members can access this document.
Briefing

An evaluation of mental health service user involvement in the re-commissioning of day and vocational services (11th February 2010)
This is a Sainsbury Centre evaluation report on the process of involving people who use services in the re-commissioning of their day and vocational services.

This report provides insight into what worked during re-commissioning day and vocational services. Full of quotes from the people involved, it should help anyone wishing to embark on the re-commissioning of day and vocational services in their own area.
Report

World class commissioning - February 2010 update (18th February 2010)
Monthly progress report on the world class commissioning programme.
Update

PRIMARY CARE TRUSTS

GP out of hours services: letter from David Nicholson (4th February 2010)
This letter announces the publication of the report 'General practice out-of-hours services: project to consider and assess current arrangements'
Letter

General practice out-of-hours services: project to consider and assess current arrangements (4th February 2010)
In June 2009, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) began an investigation into the provision of out-of-hours primary care services in five PCTs by Take Care Now (TCN). The CQC’s enquiry was prompted by the tragic death of a patient in February 2008 after he was administered 100mg of diamorphine by a locum doctor from Germany. In October 2009, the CQC issued an interim statement on this investigation, which prompted David Colin-Thomé to write to PCTs, and the Minister of State for Health, Mike O’Brien, to ask the Department of Health to jointly lead a short piece of work to review the local commissioning and provision of out-of-hours services.
Report

Delivering Quality in Primary Care: Performers Lists - Language Knowledge (4th February 2010)
Interim guidance to PCTs in England to assist in making decisions about whether or not a doctor has sufficient knowledge of English to be included on the local performers list.
Guidance

Commissioning Health. A comparison of English Primary Care Trusts. Preliminary statistical analysis (February 2010)
This report, based on preliminary research which brings together a range of economic analysis methods, compares the efficiency of the English PCTs in producing a valued output; the health of their populations, in relation to the costs expended, as measured through programme budgeting data.

The key message for policy makers is that all PCTS are performing at a similar level and there would need to be considerable action at system level to achieve significant change in the efficiency of PCTs.
Report

Chemotherapy Services in the Community: a Guide for PCTs (18th February 2010)
Chemotherapy Services in the Community provides a guide to PCTs on the potential to develop chemotherapy services in the community. It will help each PCT, together with their Cancer Network, to consider whether there are further opportunities to devolve chemotherapy from cancer centres and cancer units to community settings while maintaining safety and quality and delivering an efficient service.
Guidance

CHILDREN/YOUNG PEOPLE

Giving children a healthy start (3rd February 2010)
This report assesses the local implementation of national policy from 1999 to 2009 on the health of children from birth to five years of age in England. It examines local service planning and delivery, including priority setting, and how local bodies can improve service delivery and access for vulnerable groups such as black and minority ethnic (BME) communities, lone and teenage parents. The report discusses the impact of government funding on health outcomes for the under-fives; how effectively local bodies manage their resources; and the extent to which they are providing good value for money. It provides recommendations for national and local bodies, as well as examples of notable practice.
Report

Small steps towards a healthier life (2nd February 2010)
The Food Standards Agency has officially launched SmallSteps4Life – an interactive website to motivate young people to take simple steps towards improving their health and well-being, both inside and outside the classroom.
Information

Promoting the emotional health of children and young people: guidance for Children's Trust partnerships, including how to deliver (January 2010)
The emotional health of children and young people is increasingly recognised as being fundamental to the wellbeing and future prospects of individuals and communities. Emotional health is nurtured primarily in the home, but we know that practitioners and services can and do make a difference.

This non-statutory guidance is for directors and assistant directors of children’s services, directors of public health, commissioning managers in local authorities and Primary Care Trusts. It aims to help Children’s Trust partners to develop a strategic approach to improving the emotional health of children and young people, in line with the aims of NI 50.
Guidance

COMMISSIONING

Standards for the management of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) (21st January 2010)
New Standards for the management of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are now available to support the commissioning and provision of high quality care for STIs across all settings.
Standards

Final report of the Expert Group on Commissioning NHS Infertility Provision (28th January 2010)
Following the issue of its interim report in 2008, and the publication of a commissioning aid in June 2009, the final report of the independent expert group on commissioning NHS infertility provision is now available to download below. Key points include:

• the development of a national tariff for regulated fertility services
• a project to share information on local prices and tariffs on an anonymised basis to help PCTs assess whether their local prices are a fair reflection of the national pattern
• sharing information gained from research to help commissioners
• the availability of support for commissioners from expert patients

Report

PROVIDERS

Commissioning - A survey of the views and experiences of providers of services to children, young people and families 2009 (28th January 2010)
This research aimed to gather robust evidence of providers’ views and experiences of being commissioned by local authorities and their Children’s Trusts partners in order to inform Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) development of commissioning policy. It also sought to identify why providers enter or leave markets, expand or retrench services, their view of the future and to assess Compact compliance.

A total of 1,500 providers (public, private and third sector) of selected services for children, young people and families in England in 2009 completed a telephone survey. To be eligible, providers had to have bid for or received funding from local authorities, other Children’s Trust partners or from schools in 08-09.
Report

COMMISSIONING

Improving the health and well-being of people with long-term conditions. world class services for people with long term conditions: information tool for commissioners (14th January 2010)
The main aim of the information tool is to share a common vision of what a good service for people with LTCs, and to provide some practical suggestions for commissioners to help them achieve that vision.
Publication

Benchmark figures for the likely demand for PETCT scans by indication (8th January 2010)
As the key recommendations contained in the Framework for the Development of Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Services in England have now been implemented, the framework is no longer current. In order to help Specialised Commissioners in their ongoing planning for PET services, this document sets out benchmark figures for the likely demand for PETCT scans by indication.
Document

Commissioning for recovery. Drug treatment, reintegration and recovery in the community and prisons: a guide for drug partnerships (January 2010)
This document, published by the National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse (NTA), aims to give practical advice on how local commissioners may seek to continually develop effective, evidence-based treatment options with a focus on enabling service users to reintegrate into society and recover as soon as is practicable.
Document

MENTAL HEALTH

Keeping children and young people in mind: the Government's full response to the independent review of CAMHS (7th January 2010)
The full Government response to the final report of the independent CAMHS review, setting out progress to date and plans for the future of children and young people's mental health. The response also gives examples of the outcomes expected from a good service as an aid for commissioners, providers and practitioners.
Response

Improving dementia services in England - an interim report (14th January 2010)
The Department of Health has developed an ambitious and comprehensive strategy for dementia. However, there has not yet been a robust approach to implementation, according to a National Audit Office report published today. Despite the Department stating, since 2007, that dementia is now a national priority, it has not been given the levers or urgency normally expected for such a priority and there is a risk that value for money will remain poor unless these weaknesses are addressed urgently.
Report

PHARMACY

Use of medication in care homes (7th January 2010)
Recently published research commissioned by the DH as part of the patient safety programme identified considerable scope for improvement of prescription, dispensing, administration and monitoring of medicines in care homes. The study's authors recommend clear local leadership and improved inter-professional communication.
Documents

PRIMARY CARE TRUSTS

PCT Value for money profiles (15th January 2010)
The new primary care trust (PCT) value for money (VfM) profiles are available as an interactive web tool.

The tool provides comparative information about a selected PCT's performance in managing costs and delivering outputs (activities) and outcomes (health improvements for local people). It also tracks performance over time to see whether improvements are being achieved in line with priorities and how the trend in performance compares to others.
Tool

Practice-based commissioning budget guidance for 2010/11 (14th January 2010)
PCTs are responsible for ensuring that practices receive an indicative budget that reflects the needs of their population as accurately as possible. This allows a practice to access a 'fair share' of the resources available to the whole of the PCT for its patients. The Department has updated the toolkit that can be used to determine weighted capitation indicative budgets at practice level. This is part of our ongoing commitment to refine the methodology and improve accuracy.
Toolkit

GP Extended Opening Hours (7th January 2010)
PCTs are to continue to progress extended opening hours in GP practices, particularly for patients of practices who are not offering this service. The current DES rolls forward in 2010/11 and PCTs are asked to submit plans saying how they will make full use of the resources available for extended opening.
Document

COMMISSIONING

PCT Spend and Outcome Factsheets and Tool (SPOT) (December 2009)
The Department of Health commissioned the Association of Public Health Observatories (APHO) to develop a tool which helps commissioners to link health outcomes and expenditure. Yorkshire and Humber Public Health Observatory led the development of the tool and a factsheet for every Primary Care Trust (PCT) in England. The tool, factsheet and user guide are now available.
Tool

World Class Commissioning - December 2009 update (17th December 2009)
Monthly progress report on the world class commissioning programme.
Update

Cancer commissioning guidance - updates (16th December 2009)
The cancer commissioning guidance announced as part of the Cancer Reform Strategy has been developed to support world-class commissioning of cancer services across the NHS. This guidance sets out, in an easy-to-use format, key issues and questions that commissioners and cancer network teams will want to take into consideration when assessing health needs, reviewing services, developing their contract service specifications and monitoring performance.
Guidance

Cheshire and Merseyside Partners in Public Health Contribution to World Class Commissioning (23rd December 2009)
This paper builds on the work of individual PCTs across Cheshire and Merseyside and their collective programmes through the Cheshire and Merseyside Public Health Network. The purpose of the paper is to:

• Illustrate through network outcomes, evidence, approaches and innovative practices how the network clearly supports C&M PCTs world class commissioning assessments
• Reflects public health challenges and progress that exist in Cheshire and Merseyside and the contribution ChaMPs provides through well-established national, regional and local collaborations
• Provides acknowledgement of the good, and signposts the steps required to move to great

Paper

Service for the treatment and management of schizophrenia in adults (December 2009)
This commissioning guide provides support for the local implementation of NICE clinical guidelines through commissioning, and is a resource to help health and social care professionals in England to commission an effective service for the treatment and management of schizophrenia in adults (18 years and over) with an established diagnosis of schizophrenia with onset before age 60.
Guide

Service for the diagnosis and management of rheumatoid arthritis in adults (December 2009)
This commissioning guide provides support for the local implementation of NICE clinical guidelines through commissioning, and is a resource to help health professionals in England to commission an effective service for the diagnosis and management of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in adults.

The Topic-specific Advisory Group identified that at presentation the diagnosis of RA may not be readily apparent, yet early intervention is important. Therefore patients referred to this service are likely to include people with early inflammatory arthritis. The principles of commissioning a service for people with RA may also be applied to the commissioning of services for people with early inflammatory arthritis.
Guide

LOCAL AUTHORITY/GOVERNMENT

Use of Resources Good Practice and Case Studies (17th December 2009)
To help auditors and audited bodies identify good practice, the Audit Commission have published some case studies from the 2008/09 auditors' use of resources work.
Case Studies

Leading Together Better (29th December 2009)
During the summer of 2009, the IDeA’s Healthy Communities programme sponsored a research project by Shared Intelligence. This explored the nature of partnership working between directors of public health, adults’ services and children’s services. The project arose after the first joint conference between the Association of Directors of Public Health (ADPH), Association of Directors of Adults Social Services (ADASS) and Association of Directors of Children’s Services (ADCS). The conference report reveals well-established partnership relationships between all three directors.

The IDeA has distributed the report to local authorities and primary care trusts (PCTs). It hopes that this will stimulate local discussion on the nature of partnership working for health and wellbeing and how it can be improved.
Document

PRIMARY CARE TRUSTS

Use of Resources Good Practice and Case Studies (17th December 2009)
To help auditors and audited bodies identify good practice, the Audit Commission have published some case studies from the 2008/09 auditors' use of resources work.
Case Studies

An overview of the new arrangements under Park IX of the Drug Tariff for the provision of stoma and urology appliances, and related services in primary care (22nd December 2009)
The Department of Health have published guidance on the new arrangements, as announced in April 2009 following the Part IX Review for the NHS supply of certain appliances in primary care require changes to the NHS Pharmaceutical Service Regulations, Directions and amendments to the Drug Tariff.

The new regulations will come into effect on 1st April 2010 and a transitional period of nine months from 1 April 2010 gives pharmacies and appliance contractors sufficient time to ensure they are able to comply with the new terms of service by 31 December 2010.
Guidance

Out of hours training for GP registrars (17th December 2009)
Letter to PCTs Chief Executives regarding their responsibility to commission increased GP Out of Hours training.
Letter