CARE QUALITY COMMISSION

Survey of NHS staff 2009 (17th March 2010)
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) have published the 7th annual survey of NHS staff. it provides trusts with information about the views and experiences of employees that can help to improve the working lives of staff and the quality of care for patients.

The 2009 survey provides 40 key findings about working in the NHS. Of these, 26 show improvements from 2008, two have deteriorated and eight have remained unchanged. A further four key findings are new to the survey in 2009.
Results

Regulating for better care (17th March 2010)
This is the first edition in the CQCs new 'regulating for better care' series.

This series looks at high quality care and improvements in health and social care following action by CQC.

The first edition focuses on improvements made by Ambulance Trusts after infection prevention and control inspections by CQC.
Publication

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

WORKFORCE/WORKPLACE

NHS Job Evaluation Handbook 3rd edition (22nd February 2010)

Produced by the NHS Staff Council Job Evaluation Group, this is the comprehensive guide on job evaluation (JE) for organisations, including mainstreaming JE, resolving issues on blocked matching and evaluating jobs, weighting and scoring, band ranges and how to use job profiles.

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WORKFORCE/WORKPLACE

A picture worth millions. State of the young people's workforce (29th January 2010)
LMW Research Ltd. were commissioned to carry out the 2009 State of the Young People's Workforce Report. This report evaluates the current young people's workforce as at August 2008 and maps changes over the next three years.
Report

WORKFORCE/WORKPLACE

Human rights and human resources in the NHS: implications for the workplace (19th January 2010)
The NHS Constitution, which came into law as part of the Health Act in November 2009, makes it clear that healthcare and human rights go hand in hand.

This Briefing outlines a human rights approach to managing workplace practices, which can not only keep organisations operating within the law, but can help further the reputation of the NHS as a model employer. It shows some of the ways the Human Rights Act could be used to challenge human resource decisions, and provides a useful decision making tool to ensure compliance.
Briefing

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

WORKFORCE/WORKPLACE

Developing psychosocial resilience: how to cope in a crisis (16th December 2009)
This guidance provides a stepped model of care for staff that is sensitive and responsive to their needs before, during and after emergencies. It will ensure that staff are prepared to cope with long-sustained demand.
Guidance

A guide to the implications of the European Working Time Directive for doctors in training (15th December 2009)
This document provides clarity on the European Working Time Directive (EWTD) by giving guidance using the views of experts who have already considered most issues arising from the EWTD, implemented in the UK as the Working Time Directive Regulations 1998/the Working Time Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1998 and subsequent amendments. Where a definition already exists by statute or regulation, this is noted; but in other situations a consensus view is given.
Document

SMOKING/TOBACCO

Halton - Smoke-free programme (27th November 2009)
The aim of this programme is to reduce local health inequalities by taking advantage of the July 2007 Smoke Free England ban, and the predicted increase of 1,500 residents who want to quit.
Information

Pendle - Smoke-free workplaces (27th November 2009)
Pendle Borough Council used Communities for Health funding to help prepare businesses for the smoking ban in July 2007. The council worked in partnership with East Lancashire PCT on the project.
Information

WORKFORCE/WORKPLACE

Pandemic influenza: indemnity cover and associated issues in England (3rd December 2009)
This document describes the provisions in place regarding indemnity cover for staff working during times of pandemic in England. The arrangements by which staff are, or may be, indemnified for their actions largely depends on who they are employed by and this document expands upon this principle, detailing some specific points of note.
Guidance

GMC affiliates pilots: final report of the KPMG evaluation (30th November 2009)
In July 2008 the Department commissioned KPMG to undertake an independent evaluation of two pilots introducing a system of GMC Affiliates aimed at closing the regulatory gap between local workplace management of doctors and national professional regulation. The purpose of this evaluation is to produce feedback and provide an assessment of the feasibility, potential benefits, costs and wider impacts of the introduction of GMC Affiliates at a national level.
Report

NHS Workforce Planning. Limitations and possibilities (26th November 2009)
Workforce planning for the NHS is a large undertaking. The NHS in England employs approximately 1.3 million staff, 70 per cent of recurrent NHS costs relate to staffing, and more than £4 billion is spent annually on staff training.

This report considers the degree to which NHS workforce planning in England is likely to support the delivery of a workforce that is fit for the future. To inform this assessment, the authors examine current developments at national and regional level, highlight relevant international experience, and propose ways in which planning could be made more effective.
Report

WORKFORCE/WORKPLACE

NHS Health and well-being review (23rd November 2009)
The Department of Health commissioned an independent review of the health and well-being of NHS staff in November 2008. This review gathered and analysed evidence relating to health and well-being across the service, to provide the Department with a better understanding of health and well-being in the NHS, and its links to productivity, efficiency, and patient experience. Dr Steve Boorman, who led this review, published an interim report in August 2009, and has now produced a final report of his findings.
Report

The contribution of medical students to services in pandemic flu (11th November 2009)
Medical students and doctors in training may need to take a more active part in delivering services at a time of national emergency, in order to maintain safe services for patients. This paper provides national guidance about the contribution of medical students (in this case UK wide) but with scope for local interpretation - 'consistent flexibility'.
Guidance

The role of healthcare students (England) in pandemic flu - excluding medical students (11th November 2009)
Healthcare students can make a helpful contribution to the service during pandemic flu. This guidance covers the potential deployment of nursing, midwifery and other healthcare students.
Guidance

WORKFORCE/WORKPLACE

Improving staff engagement: a practical toolkit (3rd November 2009)
NHS Employers has teamed up with the international staff engagement specialists O C Tanner to produce Improving staff engagement – a practical toolkit. The briefing looks at the benefits engaged staff bring in terms of improved patient care and better value for money. This is particularly critical at a time of increasing financial pressures.

This briefing provides pointers on how to get staff engagement rights and offers tips that have high impact at low cost. In addition it also looks at the key roles managers have to play in ensuring staff are clear on what is expected of them as identifying where employees know what is expected dramatically improves performance and engagement levels.
Toolkit

Pension Choice? Career and retirement options for the NHS (2nd November 2009)
This briefing is for boards and human resource directors in NHS organisations in England. It covers the strategic issues and potential risks for boards in relation to the NHS Pension Choice exercise. The NHS Pension Choice exercise begins in January 2010, giving members of the 1995 section of the NHS Pension Scheme the opportunity to move to the new 2008 section. As part of the exercise, every employer will need to engage with staff of all ages about career and retirement planning. This briefing outlines how good employment practice during the Choice exercise will help organisations to support staff, retain skills and prepare for the future.
Briefing

Talent for tough times: how to identify, attract and retain the talent you need (4th November 2009)
It is more important than ever that the NHS is attracting, retaining and developing talented people who are adaptable and up to the challenges ahead. This practical briefing outlines what good talent management looks like, discusses why it will be so important as the NHS faces the lean years ahead and sets out how trusts can get started.
Briefing

NHS

The Government's response to the Health Select Committee's report on the use of management consultants in the NHS and the Department of Health (22nd October 2009)
This Command Paper sets out the Government's response to the House of Commons Health Select Committee's report on the use of management consultants by the NHS and the Department of Health.
Response

Protecting the NHS in relation to patient mobility and cross-border healthcare: Draft regulations and guidance (21st October 2009)
Case law from the European Court of Justice (ECJ) on patient mobility under Article 49 of the EU Treaty means that patients are able to seek any healthcare (including private care) in another European Economic Area (EEA) Member State, and, as long as they are entitled to the treatment in question under their home healthcare system, they are eligible to have their costs reimbursed. For patients travelling from the UK, this reimbursement can be up to the level of the cost for the same treatment provided in the UK under the NHS. Any additional costs must be met by the individual.

Patients from EEA countries can likewise pay to receive NHS treatment and claim reimbursement from their home health system.
Draft Guidance and Regulations

Survey on 48 hour week Working Time Directive readiness (19th October 2009)
The objective in conducting this survey was to review the readiness of NHS trusts for the introduction of the European Working Time Directive 48 hour working week in August 2009. This document was commissioned by DH in November 2008 and represented data collected in January 2009.
Report

NHS as the preferred provider (13th October 2009)
The Secretary of State’s recent speech at the King’s Fund focused on putting quality at the core of the NHS. He assured ‘the NHS is our preferred provider’. This letter shares with NHS Chief Executives how the Department of Health propose to move this policy forward through the development of future guidance.
Letter

Delivering Same-Sex Accommodation (DSSA): principles (28th October 2009)
Seventeen principles have been developed to ensure each organisation delivers the highest standards of privacy and dignity within all areas of a hospital, other trusts and providers. The principles support existing DSSA policy and guidance and aim to further clarify DSSA clinical definitions amongst leaders and staff within the NHS. It is intended for the principles to be used in conjunction with other guidance to drive forward improvement and ensure sustainability within each organisation.
Guidance

PANDEMIC INFLUENZA

Swine flu clinical package (6th October 2009)
The swine flu clinical package is a set of tools for use by frontline healthcare professionals, in severe and exceptional circumstances, during a pandemic situation.

This revised version has been updated to reflect changes in the guidance on the use of empirical antibiotics and on oseltamivir prescribing in young children. The package has also been revised and redesigned to clarify the circumstances in which it should be used.
Guidance

Pandemic influenza: additional measures to meet workforce supply (2nd October 2009)
This document has been prepared to complement existing guidance provided by the Department of Health and NHS Employers in relation to pandemic influenza planning. It answers the frequently asked questions and, wherever possible, directs readers to more substantive guidance already in existence.
Document

Guidance on sickness certification in response to the swine flu pandemic (1st October 2009)
This document clarifies that the existing arrangements for provision of medical certificates or self-certification have not changed in light of the swine flu pandemic.

The situation is being kept under close review to enable action to be taken quickly, should it be necessary.
Guidance

Pandemic influenza: recommendations on the use of antiviral medicines for pregnant women, women who are breastfeeding and children under the age of one year (29th September 2009)
This document is a supplement to the Department of Health guidance: Pandemic influenza: guidance on preparing maternity services. It reinforces and clarifies the advice in the main guidance, and provides advice for the use of antiviral medicines in women who are breastfeeding. It also gives details of the safety and efficacy of these medicines.
Guidance

The H1N1 swine flu vaccination programme 2009-2010 (1st October 2009)
Letter providing information to assist immunisation leads, pandemic influenza leads and flu co-ordinators in further planning for the swine flu (influenza A (H1N1v) 2009) vaccination programme.
Information

CARE/CARERS

Employment support for carers (September 2009)
This report is based on in-depth interviews with 55 carers, both working and non working, in Scotland and England during 2008.

The study aimed to explore how caring responsibilities affect people’s decisions about employment; fill the evidence gap on the role and effectiveness of existing services for carers; assess how DWP and Jobcentre Plus can effectively help claimants with caring responsibilities to return to the labour market; and provide evidence to enable the DWP to develop its strategy for carers.
Report

NHS

Seeing double: meeting the challenge of dual diagnosis (24th September 2009)
Dual diagnosis is the term used to describe people who have concurrent mental health and substance misuse or alcohol problems. It affects a third of mental health service users, half of substance misuse service users and 70 per cent of prisoners.

This briefing identifies the key issues around dual diagnosis, explains existing policy and makes recommendations on what mental health providers and commissioners should be doing in this area.
Briefing

NHS Pay Review Body. Review for 2010. Information from the Health Departments relevant to the NHSPRB's consideration of the three year pay deal (25th September 2009)
Written and statistical evidence from the Health Departments for the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Document

Improving care, reducing cost. Helping the NHS meet its 21st Century challenge (September 2009)
The debate about the future financing and organisation of the NHS is taking off once again, fuelled by the forthcoming general election, concern about the UK’s record budget deficit and worries about the quality of patient care. The use of management consultants by the NHS has been the focus of much attention, particularly in the wake of the recently leaked McKinsey report on how the NHS can reduce costs.

The Management Consultancies Association’s (MCA) report on management consulting and the NHS, Improving care, reducing cost, contains the first authoritative analysis of how much the NHS spends on management consultancy and the types of work that management consultants do. It is based on detailed research with MCA member companies, and contains a series of case studies. In addition to analysing the NHS’s spending on management consultancy, the MCA has asked its members to explain the work that they do with the NHS, why they think this work is valuable and how it fits with a future of healthcare that needs to deliver high quality care at a cost the UK taxpayer is able and willing to.
Report

ARTICLE - Early in-hospital mortality following trainee doctors' first day at work (23rd September 2009)
People admitted to English hospitals in an emergency on the first Wednesday in August have, on average, a six percent higher mortality rate than people admitted on the previous Wednesday, according to research published in PLoS One today.
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NHS

Business case for the NHS staff survey (19th August 2009)
These resource materials have been produced by the Intitute of Employment Studies on behalf of the Department of Health which start to detail the evidence base for the NHS staff survey, as well as case studies from public and private sector organisations explaining how and why their staff surveys have improved effectiveness. This resource will be updated periodically.
Resources

NHS Health and Well-being Review - Interim Report (19th August 2009)
The Boorman Review has now published its Interim Report, setting out emerging findings and initial recommendations on NHS staff health and well-being.

The Interim Report lays out the business case for change and makes recommendations for improvement in provision. Its findings are based on evidence gathered from across the NHS and its stakeholders; with over 200 responses from experts and Trusts to the Call for Evidence, and 11,000 staff completing the staff perception survey; through engagement with staff and managers at workshops and meetings across the country, and information on best practice drawn from a comprehensive literature review.
Report

NHS Number public awareness programme update (18th August 2009)
There is to be no national NHS Number public awareness campaign, by either the Department of Health (DH) or by NHS Connecting for Health.

Following a number of queries from local organisations, the NHS Number Programme would like to clarify plans about how to improve the public's awareness of the programme.

A collaborative pilot project, exploring a possible way of informing patients of their NHS Number, was carried out with North Tees primary care trusts (PCTs).

It is recommended that strategic heath authorities (SHAs) and PCTs undertake NHS Number public awareness campaigns at a regional or local level.
Information

WORKFORCE/WORKPLACE

Terms and conditions of employment: the Working Time (Amendment) Regulations 2009 (Statutory Instrument 2009 No. 1567) (13th August 2009)
The European Working Time Directive is health and safety legislation. The overriding principle is patient safety and high quality care. This is paramount to all that we do in the NHS. The Directive enables a good work / life balance for all NHS staff and in particular junior doctors in training.

A Statutory Instrument was laid in Parliament and lists those services whose derogation has been agreed by the Secretary of State. The amendment to the Working Time Regulations became law on 1 August 2009.
Regulations

Health Administration - Sharing Good Practice in the Health Sector (August 2009)
This guide, produced by Skills for Health, is for those interested in the latest developments in health administration and clerical roles.
This resource features:

• Case studies from the health sector
• Example of career profile mapped to
• the Career Framework for Health
• Apprenticeships information
• Changes in qualifications
• Suggested next steps.

Guide

NHS

NHS Winter report 2008/09 (27th July 2009)
The annual winter report describes how the NHS performed through the previous winter period.
Report

Psychosocial care for NHS staff during an influenza pandemic (22nd July 2009)
The purpose of the guidance is to set out the psychosocial care strategy that NHS and social care organisations need to have in place for supporting staff resilience. The guidance emphasises the need to manage the psychosocial resilience in NHS staff who are working over a sustained period on flu pandemic.
Guidance

WORKFORCE/WORKPLACE

Train to Gain: Developing the skills of the workforce (21st July 2009)
At a cost of £1.47 billion by March 2009, Train to Gain had supported employer-focused training for over one million learners, and had developed a skills brokerage service with which a majority of employers was satisfied. But while Train to Gain has achieved undoubted benefits for employers, the National Audit Office (NAO) has concluded that over its full lifetime the programme has not provided good value for money.
Report

WORKFORCE/WORKPLACE

NHS Mutual: engaging staff and aligning incentives to achieve higher levels of performance (1st July 2009)
NHS Mutual: Engaging staff and aligning incentives to achieve higher levels of performance looks at the factors that drive staff engagement in the health service, and examines various models of employee ownership in use both within and outside the NHS. The authors conclude that there are at least five ways in which employee ownership can be fostered within the health service, and that the time is now right for the Government to support those willing to test different approaches.
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