ABOUT THIS BLOG

This bulletin highlights recently produced documents that have appeared on websites. The aim is to trawl the web and produce a fortnightly review of what is found (coverage may not be comprehensive). All links are correct at time of publishing. Some documents are large and may take time to open so please be patient when waiting for links to open. If a link is incorrect please email me and I will correct the link and send you the document.

Please note that this is the last issue of this bulletin. Thank you for subscribing. I hope that you've enjoyed reading it as well as finding it useful.

The archive of the bulletin will remain on this website - http://newdocumentsbulletin.blogspot.com/

ALCOHOL

Developing choice in peer-support (March 2010)
This manual aims to provide guidance to alcohol services and others working with alcohol misusing clients as to how they can help the establishment and development of SMART Recovery groups in their area.
Manual

Peer-support briefing (March 2010)
A briefing about peer-support and the need for greater options to be made available to people with an alcohol problem.
Briefing

Opinions on the impact of alcohol on individuals and communities: findings from the Big Drink Debate. Appendix C: perceptions of alcohol-related incidents and underage binge drinking (5th March 2010)

Tables, by local authority, with the percentages of respondents' perceptions of violent incidents that are alcohol related and binge drinking.
Tables

Evaluation and Review of Tier 4 Alcohol Treatment Services in the Cumbria and Lancashire Alcohol Network (14th March 2010)
The Cumbria and Lancashire Alcohol Network (CLAN) commissioned the Centre for Public Health (CPH) at Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU) to review and evaluate current tier 4 alcohol treatment services in Cumbria and Lancashire. The review determined service provision in the areas within Cumbria and Lancashire using local and national evidence, including the National Drug Treatment Monitoring System (NDTMS).
Executive Summary

ANNUAL REPORT

On the state of public health: Annual report of the Chief Medical Office 2009 (15th March 2010)
The Chief Medical Officer today published his annual report 2009. The report draws attention to major health challenges requiring immediate action and details progress made in key areas identified in previous annual reports. The annual report addresses the benefits of physical activity, preparation for cold weather to reduce health risks, treatment for rare diseases, grandparenting and health, and the link between climate change and health.
Report

BULLETINS/NEWSLETTERS

Trust Practice Health Update 35 (16th March 2010)

Health Update 35 (16th March 2010)

FSA eNews March 2010 (17th March 2010)

Health Protection Report Vol. 4 No. 9 (5th March 2010)

Health Protection Report Vol. 4 No. 10 (12th March 2010)

Children, Families and Maternity e-bulletin Edition 60, March 2010 (March 2010)

GP and Practice Team Bulletin Issue 92, March 2010 (8th March 2010)

NHS Design Champions Newsletter Issue 1, March 2010 (10th March 2010)

CANCER

Manual for Cancer Services 2008: Cancer Research Network Measures (12th March 2010)
This revised Manual of Cancer Services is an integral part of the NHS Cancer Plan, Cancer Reform Strategy and modernisation of cancer services. It will support quality assurance of cancer services and enable quality improvement.
Document

National Cancer Patients' Experience Survey Programme 2010 (10th March 2010)
This letter informs that the Review of Central Returns Steering Committee (ROCR) have approved a national survey of cancer patients' experiences in all Trusts who offer adult acute cancer services . This survey is highlighted as a priority in the NHS Operating Framework 2010/11, section 2.24.
Information

Exceptional Progress? Assessing the progress made in improving access to treatment for people with rarer cancers (15th March 2010)
This new report from the Rarer Cancers Forum has highlighted continuing problems for people with rarer cancer in accessing treatment.

Key report findings:

• Although progress has been made in gaining access to treatment, with 8,750 more patients being given vital treatment, 16,000 have still been denied access to treatments that they may need.
• The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) needs to improve drug assessment time periods – with the Institute taking 21 months to appraise new cancer drugs, rather than the 6 months which has been promised by ministers.

Additional Findings:

• 40% of patients described their PCT’s cancer policy as easy to understand
• 36% of patients cannot find vital procedures and policies on PCT websites
• 49% of patients were unclear about how quickly they would hear a decision on a request for treatment

Report

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

CARE/CARERS

Regional factsheets on carers (4th March 2010)
The Department of Health has commissioned the Centre for International Research on Care, Labour and Equalities (CIRCLE) at Leeds University to produce a set of 9 regional factsheets on carers. These factsheets include data on the number and characteristics of carers in each region as well as information about carer health and well-being.
Factsheets

Funding care: how can each generation pay its fair share? (12th March 2010)
A two-track approach could see each generation paying its own costs of care in later life.

Our present system of paying for care needs replacing. The big sticking point is finding extra funding which both covers the growing needs of an ageing population and shares the cost fairly between generations. This viewpoint:

• proposes a phased two-track approach, with an initial charge on inheritance being gradually replaced by funds built up through extra National Insurance paid by younger age cohorts.
• suggests such a broad sharing of costs among different generations, linked to ability to pay, could be presented as a fair and equitable settlement.

Document

Funding Social Care: what service users say (9th March 2010)
Service users often aren't involved in discussions about social care funding, yet they will be most affected by any changes to the current failing system.

In 2009, 18 adult social care service users were brought together to explore proposals for funding social care in the future. This Viewpoint reports their views, including:

• Service users feel that a false divide between social care and health care is perpetuated by conflicting funding arrangements.
• Almost all service users consulted think general taxation is the best way to fund social care.
• Service users reject any withdrawal of existing universal disability benefits, such as the Disability Living Allowance and Attendance Allowance, to fund means and needs tested social care.

Document

CONFERENCE - Putting everyone first: making personalisation work for older people and mental health service users (17th March 2010)
This London conference from the National Development Team for Inclusion (NDTi) on 10 June focuses on how to make personalisation work for older people and people that have mental health problems.

The key themes running through this event are:

• Recent and new guidance on personalisation in both Older people and Mental health fields that has been developed by the NDTi for the Department of Health
• How will commissioning deliver the personalisation agenda, at strategic and operational levels.
• What co-production really means and how to make it happen
• How support planning and person-centred approaches are key to making personal budgets real

Information

Securing good care for more people. Options for reform (16th March 2010)
Social care has never been higher on the political and policy agenda, and the need for fundamental reform has been universally recognised.

In 2006, The King’s Fund commissioned Sir Derek Wanless to review the funding of social care for older people. That review proposed a ‘partnership model’ in which costs were shared between the state and the individual. Since then, the momentum for change has gathered pace. Securing Good Care for More People updates the original review and concludes that a revised version of the ‘partnership model’ is the fairest way of funding social care in the future. This would see the state guaranteeing to pay 50 per cent of everyone’s care costs and matching every £2 contributed by individuals with a further £1.
Report

CHILDREN/YOUNG PEOPLE

The Government's Response to Lord Laming: One Year On (March 2010)
The purpose of this short report is to provide an overview of progress against Lord Laming’s recommendations and set out future priorities. The report summarises the progress and sets out how the National Safeguarding Delivery Unit will seek to make a difference over the coming year. The Unit’s priorities have been developed alongside practitioners and key stakeholders.
Report

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

COMMUNITIES

EVENT - Better together, building healthy communities in hard times (15th March 2010)
The Institute of Community Cohesion (iCoCo) and the Improvement and Development Agency (IDeA) are running an important one-day event aimed at supporting NHS practitioners and partners in promoting community cohesion in the current financial climate. The event, to be held on 19th May 2010, will be chaired by Sir John Egan.

The event will look at:

• tackling health inequalities through building social capital in the downturn
• implementing the Marmot Review (from both a Local Authority and Primary Care Trust perspective)
• building resilience and promoting healthy communities by adopting a lifecycle approach

Information

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

COMMUNITY SERVICES

Co-operative PCTs - the future of the NHS? (11th March 2010)
Three years ago a former nurse and a speech therapist, who held senior positions in their Primary Care Trust (PCT), lifted the nursing and therapy teams out of the PCT and set up a new, employee-owned, not for profit business.

This story reports their new business model showing that the future of health care could be co-operative.
Information

CONSULTATION RESPONSES

Personal Care at Home Consultation: The Government Response (12th March 2010)
This is the Government response to the consultation document entitled Personal Care at Home: A consultation on proposals for regulations and guidance. Annex B to the Government response is published as a separate document. A series of stakeholder engagement events, hosted by the Central Office of Information (COI), formed part of the consultation and a report of these events, produced by COI, is published alongside the Government response.
Consultation Response

A better future: a consultation on a future strategy for adults with autistic spectrum conditions. The Government Response (9th March 2010)
During the summer of 2009 the Department of Health consulted on a strategy for adults with autism in England. This is the government response to that consultation.
Consultation Response

Changes to the NHS Constitution: Government response to the consultation on new patient rights (8th March 2010)
The Department of Health published a consultation on new patient rights on 10 November 2009. The consultation closed 5 February 2010.

Over 8,000 people responded to the consultation which involved both local engagement activities carried out by PCTs, and a national consultation process. Following the consultation, a revised NHS Constitution has been published, including a new right to start non-urgent treatment within 18 weeks, and to see a specialist where cancer is suspected within 2 weeks of referral, or for the NHS to take all reasonable steps to offer a range of alternative providers where this is not possible. This new right comes into effect on 1 April 2010.
Consultation Response

A consultation on the revision of guidance on the ordinary residence provisions in the National Assistance Act 1948; and on the draft Ordinary Residence Disputes (National Assistance Act 1948) Directions 2009, the Ordinary Residence Disputes (Community Care (Delayed Discharges etc. Act 2003) Directions and the Ordinary Residence Disputes (Mental Capacity Act 2005) Directions 2009 (5th March 2010)
This is the Government Response to this consultation that ran from 21st April to 17th July 2009.
Government Response

New Horizons: Towards a shared vision for mental health - report on responses to the consultation (17th March 2010)
New Horizons: report of public consultation: the full response to the public consultation which opened in July 2009 and set out a vision for the future of mental health care in England. It describes the consultation process, summarises responses, and sets out the Government’s response.
Consultation Response

Age equality in health and social care. A report on the consultation (9th March 2010)
In April 2009, the then Secretary of State for Health asked Sir Ian Carruthers OBE (Chief Executive of NHS South West) and Jan Ormondroyd (Chief Executive of Bristol City Council) to consider what the new measures on age in the Equality Bill would mean for health and social care. The report of their review was published in October 2009 and made twenty-eight recommendations

DH published a consultation paper on 23 November 2009 which invited views on the review’s non-legislative recommendations and DH’s proposals for taking them forward. The consultation closed on 15 February 2010. DH also published an Impact Assessment and Equality Impact Assessment, and invited comments on these. Four consultation events were held across England which provided an opportunity to discuss the proposals in the consultation paper.

Over two hundred people attended the consultation events, and around ninety written responses were made to the consultation paper. In general, the responses were supportive of the proposals.
Consultation Response

CONSULTATIONS

The Health Care Workers (Duty of Co-operation) Regulations 2010 (5th March 2010)
The Department of Healthare consulting on draft regulations which will impose duties on designated bodies, including employers and contractors of health care workers, in all sectors, and regulatory bodies, relating to sharing information about the conduct or performance of health care workers to protect patient safety. The regulations require appropriate safeguards in place when relevant information is shared.

Closing date for comments is 4th June 2010.
Consultation

Consultation on the de-authorisation of NHS Foundation Trusts (3rd March 2010)
Section 15 of the Health Act 2009 introduces new sections to the National Health Service Act 2006 concerning the de-authorisation of NHS foundation trusts.

Under the revised Act, either:

• Monitor can consider de-authorising an NHS foundation trust which is seriously failing to comply with its terms of authorisation or any requirement(s) imposed on it under any enactment; or
• the Secretary of State for Health may write to Monitor requesting that Monitor consider the de-authorisation of an NHS foundation trust.

In both cases, the de-authorisation decision must be based on guidance published by Monitor, and the revised Act requires Monitor to consult on this guidance before publishing.

This consultation document sets out Monitor's proposed approach and guidance on the criteria for de-authorisation.
Closing date for comments is 26th May 2010.
Consultation

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH

Advancing health: examples of the work of the Chief Medical Officer for England, 1998-2010 (14th March 2010)
This report summarises Sir Liam's work during his time as Chief Medical Officer. It gives an overview of the Chief Medical Officer's role and describes some of the advances that have been made during Sir Liam's term in office.
Report

DIRECTIONS

The Primary Care Trusts and Strategic Health Authorities (Waiting Times) Directions 2010 (8th March 2010)
These Directions come into force 1st April 2010.
Directions

DISABILITIES

Sharing the learning: user-led organisations action and learning sites 2008-2010 (17th March 2010)
This guide describes the background to establishing the user-led organisations action and learning sites, and provides a snapshot of the good practice resources resulting from this project.
Guide

Disabled children's services national indicator 2009-10: Primary Care Trusts reports (March 2010)
A collection of disabled children's services national indicator reports setting out findings for each primary care trust (PCT) area for which there was sufficient response from parents to the 2009-2010 survey to measure parental satisfaction of services for disabled children.

Each report provides indicator and sub-indicator scores, as well as analysis of parents' comments relating to services in each of the following areas: health, education, and care and family support.

There are also comparison Excel spreadsheets for PCTs which allow for easy comparisons between local areas.
Reports

DISEASES AND DISORDERS

Cases of tuberculosis continue to increase (16th March 2010)
Provisional figures released today by the Health Protection Agency (HPA) show that cases of tuberculosis (TB) in the UK have increased by 5.5%, from 8,679 reported in 2008 to 9,153 in 2009.

The figures, released in the agency's annual TB newsletter ahead of World TB Day on 24th March, show the main burden of this infection is still in London with 3,476 cases reported in 2009, accounting for 38% of the UK total. The West Midlands region reported the second highest number of cases, accounting for 11.3% of cases. A rise in cases was seen in eight out of nine regions. Nearly three-quarters of cases occur in people born outside the UK.
Information

DOCTORS

Fitness to practice audit report. Audit of health professional regulatory bodies' initial decisions (15th March 2010)
The profession and the public can be confident that ensuring patient and public safety is at the core of all the fitness to practise decisions made by the General Medical Council, an audit by the Council for Healthcare Regulatory Excellence (CHRE) finds.

The audit, the first of its kind undertaken by the CHRE, found that the GMC's processes and procedures for cases involving doctors whose fitness to practise is in doubt are "effective" and are "dealt with in a timely manner". Patient and public safety, and maintaining public confidence in doctors, are the highest priorities for the GMC's operations.
Report

DRUGS

Tackling problem drug use (4th March 2010)
A report by the National Audit Office (NAO) into government action to tackle problem drug use has concluded that there has been good progress in a number of areas, including an increasing number of problem drug users in effective treatment and an increasing number leaving treatment free from dependency.
Report