ABOUT THIS BULLETIN

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). If you have any comments or suggestions regarding this Bulletin, please send an email to library.pct@sthk.nhs.uk . 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.

For those that are receiving this through an email or through a third party you can view the original Bulletin at http://www.newdocumentsbulletin.blogspot.com/ and also sign up to receive the Bulletin by RSS.

Due to annual leave, the next bulletin will be produced week commencing 9th March 2009

ALCOHOL

Using geodemographics to segment the market for hazardous and harmful drinkers in Cheshire and Merseyside (13th February 2009)

The Directors of Public Health across Cheshire and Merseyside have identified tackling the harm caused by alcohol as one of the priority areas for action across the sub-region. The objectives are:

• To assess hazardous and harmful drinking prevalence in primary care trusts across Cheshire and Merseyside
• To undertake analysis of the Target Group Index or equivalent sources of data against harmful and hazardous drinking cohorts across Cheshire and Meseryside
• To identify which population groups across Cheshire and Merseyside are at greatest risk of alcohol-related harm and the defining features of these groups

In response to these objectives, a series of profiles have been developed based around an existing geodemographic system produced by Experian (Mosaic). These are supplemented with existing consumer and regional public health data.

Document

ANNUAL REPORTS

Opportunities for Volunteering scheme: 2008 annual report (4th February 2009)

For 26 years, the Opportunities for Volunteering Scheme has provided resources and expertise to support volunteering in health and social settings. In 2007/2008, over 27,800 volunteering opportunities were created in 314 projects in all parts of England.
Annual Report

BULLETINS/NEWSLETTERS

Health Protection Report Vol. 3 No. 5 (6th February 2009)

Health Protection Report Vol. 3 No. 6 (13th February 2009)

Keeping Children Safe - Issue 6 (16th February 2009)

RCGP News February 2009 (February 2009)

Impact. Prescribing and Dispensing Newsletter February 2009 (February 2009)

Medical Directors' Bulletin, Issue 90, February 2009 (16th February 2009)

CARE/CARERS

Prospectus document for carers Demonstrator Sites (10th February 2009)

The prospectus invites expressions of interest from local authorities and PCTs who wish to be considered as demonstrator sites.
Prospectus

CHILDREN/YOUNG PEOPLE

Healthy lives, brighter futures - The strategy for children and young people's health (12th February 2009)

The joint strategy Healthy lives, brighter future: the strategy for children and young people’s health – published by Children’s Secretary Ed Balls and Health Secretary Alan Johnson – sets out for the first time what children and their families can expect from child health services in their areas from birth through to the age of 19. This strategy, aimed at improving the health and wellbeing of all children, inclues £340 million to support children with disabilities and their families.
Strategy and related documents

CLINICIANS

Clinicians and finance: Improving patient care (6th February 2009)

The Audit Commission (AC), Department of Health, Academy of Medical Royal Colleges (AMRC), Royal College of Nursing (RCN), NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement, and the Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA) are fully committed to supporting the involvement of clinicians in the business processes of their organisations. This statement reiterates why we believe clinical engagement in these processes – including their financial aspects – is important, what needs to be done and how we are supporting its achievement.
Statement

COMMISSIONING

Transforming respiratory and sleep diagnostic services to deliver 18 weeks - a Good Practice Guide (9th February 2009)
This guide supports the continued delivery of low wait planned care services associated with the 18 week target and the clinical visions outlined by each of the 10 SHAs in England as part of Lord Darzi’s Next Stage Review of the NHS. Including evidence and new pathways, it aims to help commissioners understand where respiratory and sleep services fit into their local strategy for clinical care and providers by suggesting innovative ways in which these services can be improved and delivered for the benefit of patients.
Guide

Guidance on the routine collection of Patient Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs) (6th February 2009)
This document contains detailed guidance on the routine collection of Patient Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs) for elective procedures from 1 April 2009 and is intended to support providers and PCT commissioners to implement the requirement to collect PROMs contained in the standard NHS contract for acute services.
Guidance

Compact Commissioning Guidance (9th February 2009)
New implementation guidance on commissioning has been published by the Commission for the Compact in response to local authorities and other public sector bodies increasingly commissioning third sector organisations to provide pubic services. The guidance takes a four stage approach to the commissioning process. It highlights the importance of effective analysis, planning, sourcing, and monitoring and review, and explains the ways in which the Compact can be applied during each of the stages.
Guidance

Never Events Framework 2009/10 (February 2009)
Never Events are serious, largely preventable patient safety incidents that should not occur if the available preventative measures have been implemented. The National Patient Safety Agency has worked with stakeholders to co-produce this Framework. It sets out guidance for PCT commissioners on implementing the Never Events policy and builds on existing processes and mechanisms.
Framework

Securing better health for children and young people through world class commissioning: a guide to support delivery of healthy lives, brighter futures: The strategy for children and young people's health (12th February)
This guide to commissioning will support commissioners in delivering the vision set out in the accompanying child health strategy, Healthy lives, brighter futures by (a) using the world class commissioning competencies and (b) aligning the commissioning cycles across agencies.
Guide

Commissioning IAPT for the whole community: Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (6th February 2009)
This document is intended to assist commissioners (including practice-based commissioners), to deliver Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) services that are effective and appropriate for the whole community, using innovative ways of meeting the needs of local people.
Document

Conference: World Class Commissioning & Benchmarking (17th February 2009)
NHS PCC and NHS Benchmarking will hold a full day event to present the outcome of the new primary medical care benchmarking product and the benchmarking of world class commissioning competencies. The event will be of interest to PCT Board Directors, Primary care leads, Primary care commissioners and WCC commissioning leads. The event will take place in London on 26th March 2009.
Information

COMMUNITIES

Community health services: making a difference to local communities (5th February 2009)
Community health services, along with primary care, form the bedrock of services in the NHS, and make a valuable contribution to ensuring the health and well-being of society. This report looks at how community health services are making a difference to local communities, illustrated with case studies from the NHS.

Please note that you need to be a member of The NHS Confederation to access this report. To register please go here http://www.nhsconfed.org/membersarea/login/register_user.asp

Report

CONSULTATIONS

EU action to reduce health inequalities (17th February 2009)

A consultation has been launched to collect views on how the European Union can contribute to reducing health inequalities both within and between Member States. The closing date for comments is 1st April 2009.
Consultation

CONSULTATION RESPONSES

Towards a framework for post-registration nursing careers: consultation response report (23rd January 2009)
This document reports on the findings from the post-registration nursing careers consultation, which took place from November 2007 to February 2008. The consultation proposed aligning nurses' careers within five broad pathways. The report discusses the emerging themes from the findings; and outlines the next steps for the work.
Consultation Response

DIET/NUTRITION

Public attitudes to food (10th February 2009)
The results of this survey of public attitudes towards food issues, which was commissioned by the Food Standards Agency (FSA), show that many people are confused over date labels, which could mean that some are taking risks by eating food that is past its ‘use by’ safety date.
Survey

Saturated fat campaign (10th February 2009)
The FSA has launched a public health campaign to raise awareness of the health risks of eating too much saturated fat. People in the UK eat on average 20% more saturated fat than the recommended maximum.
Press Release and campaign materials

DISEASES AND DISORDERS

Making a real impact on CVD (12th February 2009)

The presentations from this event, which was held at the Stobart Stadium, Widnes are now available for download from the Cheshire and Merseyside Public Health Network site (ChaMPs).
Presentations

DOCTORS

General Medical Council (GMC) Business Plan 2009 (10th February 2009)

The Business Plan 2009 has 10 priorities:

• Develop, promote and assure the quality of all aspects of basic medical education in the UK up to the point of full registration
• Promote and develop postgraduate medical education and training in the UK, through joint work with PMETB
  
• Enhance assurance that licensed doctors are up to date and fit to practise by introducing licences to practice and preparing for revalidation
• Encourage and support doctors in the delivery of high quality healthcare by providing accessible, up to date guidance on standards and ethics
• Support high quality healthcare by ensuring a co-ordinated approach to education and training across all phases of a doctor's career
• Safeguard patients by ensuring the integrity and accessibility of the List of Registered Medical Practitioners
• Enhance patient safety by dealing fairly and effectively with doctors whose fitness to practice may be impaired
• Ensure that medical regulation is responsive, targeted and evidence-based by enhancing and developing a comprehensive research programme
• Develop further and implement the strategy for valuing diversity and promoting equality in all aspects of their work
• Enhance their economy, efficiency and effectiveness

Business Plan

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

How to be a lifeline for a friend experiencing domestic abuse (9th February 2009)
The Home Secretary launched a new leaflet with information on how to support a friend or relative who is in a violent relationship. Practical tips in the leaflet include:

• finding out about the services available so that the person affected can make informed choices
• agreeing a code word or action so they can let you know if they are in danger
• making sure you also have the support you need in order to support them.

Leaflet

DRUGS

MDMA (Ecstasy): A review of its harms and classification under the misuse of drugs act 1971 (11th February 2009)
The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) considers that a review of MDMA would be timely given:

• there is a greater body of scientific evidence now available since the ACMD's last advice to Ministers
• the further information available on current use
• the length of time since the ACMD last provided advice to Ministers

Review

FOUNDATION TRUSTS

Government's response to the Health Committee Report into Foundation trusts and Monitor (13th February 2009)

This Command Paper responds to the conclusions and recommendations of the Health Committee's Report into NHS Foundation Trusts and Monitor published on 17 October 2008.
Government's Response
Health Committee Report

GENERAL PRACTICE

GP referral incentive schemes, January 2009 (2nd February 2009)

In a new document, the British Medical Association (BMA’s) GP Committee offers GPs in England guidance on referral demand management and analysis schemes.

The main conclusions from the guidance are:

• When developed in partnership with doctors, referral management schemes can provide benefits to patients by allowing GPs to discuss non-urgent cases with their colleagues. This can result in patients being offered an alternative course of treatment and GP practices identifying services they can develop for the benefit of their patients. As practices would incur extra costs by taking part in these schemes it is acceptable for them to receive some extra funding.
• It is not acceptable for practices/groups of practices to receive funding or payments for schemes that provide specific financial rewards for reducing referral numbers or costs to certain levels or by certain amounts. These types of target based schemes could result in a perverse incentive to reduce referrals.

Guidance

The Salaried GPs Handbook 2009 (12th February 2009)
This handbook will be sent to all BMA salaried GP members week commencing 23rd February 2009. The Handbook is designed to give employers and employees comprehensive information on the legal and contractual issues facing salaried GPs. A electronic version of the handbook is available for all members now.
Handbook

HEALTH

Piloting Personal Health Budgets (17th February 2009)
This is the impact assessment for Personal Health Budgets: First Steps, which sets out the principles of personal health budgets, reports on early lessons and invites expressions of interest in the pilot programme.
Impact Assessment

HEALTHCARE COMMISSION

Spotlight on complaints 2009: a report on second-stage complaints about the NHS in England (16th February 2009)

This Healthcare Commission report says that some NHS trusts are still not responding to complaints effectively or learning lessons from them. The commission has made 12 key recommendations to all NHS trusts to improve the way they resolve complaints in the new two-tier complaints handling system which will replace the current three-tier procedure from 1st April 2009.
Report

Actions speak louder (12th February 2009)

The Healthcare Commission and Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Probation (HMI Probation) published this report looking at healthcare services delivered by local Youth Offending Teams (YOTs) in the community and when young people move into and out of custody. Findings from the report include:

• Health assessments of young offenders or those likely to offend, frequently did not contain all relevant health information and young people often did not receive the healthcare they needed.
• The health needs of a young person can affect how they are sentenced.
• 70% of young people in custody with substance misuse problems had appropriate planned support, suggesting that 30% did not.
• Of the YOTs inspected, only two did not meet the statutory requirement of having a PCT health representative on local YOT management boards, however 16% of health representatives did not always attend board meetings and 12% did not contribute sufficiently.
• Ten per cent of the YOTs inspected did not provide sufficient and appropriate healthcare to young people following release from custody
• Primary care trusts did not provide adequate resources in almost half of the YOTs inspected.

Report

Commissioning healthcare in prisons (12th February 2009)
The results of joint work between the Healthcare Commission and Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons in 2007/08 - This report gives the findings from the inspections of prisons during 2007/08 relating to the delivery of healthcare and the management of substance misuse. It gives recommendations for primary care trusts on how to improve services.
Report

INFECTION CONTROL

Infection Control Minimum Standards (4th February 2009)
These are the minimum standards that the Royal College of Nursing and the Infection Control Nurses' Association believe should be accepted and mandated by Government, the relevant UK departments of health and, where applicable, all independent health care organisations.
Standards

MENTAL HEALTH

Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards: A guide for hospitals and care homes (12th February 2009)

The following guidance is for PCTs, local authorities, hospitals and care homes to support them understand and fulfill their statutory obligations under the Mental Capacity Act Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards legislation.
Guide for Hospitals and Care Homes
Guide for Primary Care Trusts and Local Authorities
Guide for relevant person's representatives

NHS

From ward to board. Identifying good practice in the business of caring (February 2009)

What role do nurse executives play in helping boards to engage with clinical quality issues? A programme of work in partnership with the Burdett Trust for Nursing explores this role and offers insight for nurse executives and board members.
Document

NICE

Latest Implementation Tools (11th February 2009)
Tools to aid implementation of recently published NICE guidance.

Medicines adherence: costing tool and slide set

Personality disorders - borderline: costing tool and slide set

Personality disorders - antisocial: costing tool and slide set

Metastatic spinal cord compression: audit support and implementation advice

Machine versus cold (static) storage of donated kidneys: costing tool and audit support

Promotion of physical activity in children: costing tool

Autologous blood injection for tendinopathy: audit support

PATIENT EXPERIENCE

Understanding and responding to patients' experiences (10th February 2009)

This conference, held by Dr Foster on 5th February 2009, aimed to bring together nursing and other frontline teams involved in patient experience to give them a chance to share best practice and network with peers. The presentations are now available for download.
Presentations

PAYMENT BY RESULTS

Confirmation of Payment by Results (PbR) arrangements for 2009-10 (5th February 2009)

From the links below, you will be able to access information and guidance in support of Payment by Results in 2009-10.
Information and Guidance

PHARMACY

NICE Clinical Guideline 76: Medicines Adherence - Quick reference sheet for pharmacists (11th February 2009)

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain has developed Implementation Guidance to enable pharmacists to help patients understand why and how to take their medicines. The NICE guidance on Medicines Adherence is particulary relevant to pharmacists as they interact with patients in the context of prescribing, dispensing or medicine reviews.
Quick Reference Sheet

Pharmacy Practice: Medicines focussed and patient centred (17th February 2009)
The first ever Pharmacy Practice Framework has been published by the Royal Pharmaceutical Society outlining the many roles and functions which pharmacists are responsible and accountable for in their daily professional lives.
Framework

Repeat dispensing guidance (5th February 2009)
NHS Employers, the General Practitioners Committee and the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee have produced joint on-line guidance for practices, to support the implementation of repeat dispensing.
Guidance

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

Be active, be healthy: a plan for getting the nation moving (11th February 2009)
Be active, be healthy establishes a new framework for the delivery of physical activity alongside sport for the period leading up to the London 2012 Olympic Games, Paralympic Games and beyond. Programmes outlined in the plan will contribute to Government’s ambition of getting 2 million more people active by 2012 and have been designed to leave a lasting legacy from the Games. The plan also publishes the NHS costs of physical inactivity for every PCT in England, averaging £5 million per PCT every year – almost 1000 hip replacements per PCT.
Guidance

POVERTY

In-work Poverty: a systematic review (4th February 2009)
This report presents the findings of a systematic review of the evidence base relating to working poor families with dependent children. The review aims to increase understanding of research in this area and produce findings that will help inform future policy and research. The systematic review was conducted in two stages.
Review

Data use in voluntary and community organisations (6th February 2009)
This study assesses the need and demand within voluntary and community organisations (VCOs) for relevant, analysed and well-presented data to support their work tackling poverty.

The poverty agenda has shifted away from ‘top-down’ action by central government towards the engagement of local voluntary and community organisations. As small, independent groups with their own ideas about tackling poverty, VCOs represent a powerful, ‘bottom-up’ approach.

Financial support for VCOs increasingly depends on evidence of need and success against outcomes. This report considers:

• how VCOs use data to support their work;
• what data VCOs find most useful;
• what obstacles there are to accessing data.

Report

Ending child poverty in a changing economy (18th February 2009)
Despite tough times ahead, there is still political consensus around the goal to end child poverty. Based on new projections taking account of the recession, the Joseph Rowntree Foundation has updated its assessment of what it will take to meet the government targets to halve child poverty by 2010 and eradicate it by 2020.
Summary

PRIMARY CARE

Practitioners with Special Interest (PwSI) Guidance (4th February 2009)

A series of 18 new and updated guides for practitioners with special interests (PwSIs) in general practice and pharmacy is now available from NHS Primary Care Contracting. Further guides are also expected to appear shortly.
Guides

Primary Medical Services (Directed Enhanced Services) (England) (Amendment) Directions 2009 (5th February 2009)

The Primary Medical Services (Directed Enhanced Services) (Amendment) (England) Directions 2009 were signed on 29 January 2009 and make changes to, but do not replace, the existing Primary Medical Services (Directed Enhanced Services) (England) Directions 2008. They introduce five new clinical directed enhanced services:

• Alcohol
• Ethnicity and first language recording
• Learning difficulties
• Heart failure
• Osteoporosis

Directions
Learning disability DES guidance

PRIMARY CARE TRUSTS

Transfers from Personal Dental Services (PDS) to General Dental Services (GDS) (5th February 2009)

This briefing note, from NHS Primary Care Contracting, has been prepared in response to queries from PCTs about handling transfers from PDS to GDS where the contractor is exercising his or her right to transfer under Regulation 21, Part 6 of the NHS (Personal Dental Services Agreements) Regulations 2005.
Briefing

PRISONS/PRISON HEALTH

Too Little Too Late: an independent review of unmet mental health need in prison (4th February 2009)
This report, published by the Prison Reform Trust, draws on information and evidence provided by the Independent Monitoring Boards of 57 prisons. The report reveals that many people who should have been diverted into mental health or social care from police stations or courts are entering prisons which are ill equipped to meet their needs and then being discharged back into the community with any support.
Report
Summary

PUBLIC SERVICES

Comprehensive Area Assessment (Framework Document) (10th February 2009)
Comprehensive Area Assessment (CAA) is the new framework for the independent assessment of local public services in England. This document, from the Audit Commission, sets out how CAA will be delivered from April 2009. CAA provides an independent assessment of how well people are being served by their local public services. It focuses on how well these services, working together, are achieving improvement and progressing towards long-term goals.
Document

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

Guidance for R & D annual reports 2009: guidance for completion of annual reports on the performance management and future planning of R & D activity within NHS organisations (4th February 2009)

The submission of an annual report remains a contractual requirement for all recipients of Transitional R and D Funding. This guidance is to help organisations write their annual report and improve the data returned.
Guidance

SCREENING

Mapping out the consequences of screening blood donations for PrPSc (17th February 2009)

This report sets out the implications of testing blood donations for abnormal prion protein, which indicate infection with variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (vCJD).
Report

SOCIAL CARE

Putting people first: Equality and Diversity Matters 3. Achieving disability equality in social care services (10th February 2009)
This bulletin is the third in a series of three designed to help service providers meet the personalisation agenda in social care by addressing equality and diversity matters. This bulletin focuses on achieving disability equality in social care services. Whilst this bulletin is primarily written to assist social care providers, it may also be of interest to commissioners of adult care services and people using services.
Bulletin

STATISTICS

Annual measles figures for 2008 (6th February 2009)

Accident & Emergency attendances; total time spent in A & E from arrival to admission, discharge or transfer; and waiting for emergency admission through A & E, Quarter ending December 2008 (13th February 2009)
A & E Attendances
Admissions from A & E
Total Time in A & E

Diagnostics waiting times and activity data: month ending 31 December 2008 (11th February 2009)

Direct Access Audiology waiting times, November 2008 (11th February 2009)

Labour market statistics - February 2009 (11th February 2009)

Labour market statistics - North West (11th February 2009)

Personal Social Services Expenditure and Unit Costs: England 2007 - 08 (10th February 2009)

GP Extended Opening Hours, January 2009 (10th February 2009)

Dental Commissioning Monitoring, October to December 2008 (9th February 2009)

Road Casualties in Great Britain: Provisional Estimates Q3 2008 (5th February 2009)

Statistics of Mentally Disordered Offenders 2007 (5th February 2009)

Lung cancer incidence projections to 2024: future rates and numbers of new cases in Great Britain and the UK (17th February 2009)

STROKE

Stroke: Act F.A.S.T. awareness campaign (9th February 2009)
The Stroke: Act F.A.S.T. awareness campaign aims to educate healthcare professionals and the public on the signs of stroke and that prompt emergency treatment can reduce the risk of death and disability.
Campaign materials

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Saving Carbon, Improving Health (30th January 2009)
The NHS Carbon Reduction Strategy for England sets an ambition for the NHS to help drive change towards a low carbon society. The strategy shows the scale of reduction in carbon required for the NHS to progress towards the Climate Change Act requirements and recommends key actions for the NHS to become a leading sustainable and low carbon organisation.
Strategy