On the agenda this week: the Department for Health publishes
‘the year’, NHS Chief Executive Sir David Nicholson’s annual report for
2011/12, time is running out for those wishing to nominate their colleagues in
the NHS Leadership Recognition Awards, and the NHS patient feedback challenge
expert panel is announced.
Thursday 21 June 2012
The Year 2011/12 – NHS Chief Executive’s Annual Report Published
The Year 2011/12 launched today at the annual NHS
Confederation Conference and Exhibition. This is the annual report for 2011/12,
in which Sir David Nicholson reviews the NHS achievements of the previous 12
months and considers the challenges to come.
This edition includes The Quarter, which provides the
definitive account of how the NHS is performing at national level against the
requirements and indicators set out in the NHS Operating Framework 2011/12.
In his introduction to The Year Sir David acknowledges the hard
work and diligence of NHS colleagues, with the service now fully committed to
delivering the Quality, Innovation, Productivity and Prevention (QIPP)
efficiency savings.
Against a backdrop of massive organisational change, Sir
David praises, ‘the heroic efforts made by the 1.2 million staff who work for
our patients in the NHS.’ Together, they have delivered key successes,
including the lowest infection rates since the introduction of mandatory
surveillance, lower waiting times for A&E, cancer care and dentistry, and
the delivery of £5.8 billion QIPP savings.
Tuesday 19 June 2012
Update To Accelerating The Release Of Surplus Public Sector Land
A letter sent to the NHS updates them on their contribution
to accelerating the release of surplus public sector land initiative and
provide further information on the assistance available to them. This follows
the government’s publication of a progress report relating to the ambition to
release enough surplus land for 100,000 homes by 2015 on the 7 May 2012.
Support for the NHS in identifying and delivering surplus
land is available through the build now, pay later and ATLAS (Advisory Team for
Large Applications) schemes. In addition, assistance from the Homes and
Communities Agency (HCA) directly may also be available.
NHS organisations are also asked to add their surplus
property to the register of surplus public sector land which is now part of the
government’s e-PIMS property data base.
http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Lettersandcirculars/Dearcolleagueletters/DH_134618
Transfer Of Employees From NHS Commissioning Board Authority To NHS Commissioning Board Consultation Summary
This is a summary of the consultation, which the Department
of Health undertook between 30 April and 25 May 2012 on the abolition of the
NHS Commissioning Board Authority and the transfer of its staff to the NHS
Commissioning Board.
As part of the process of abolishing the NHS Commissioning
Board Authority and the transfer of its staff to the NHS Commissioning Board,
the Department was required, in accordance with section 28(7) of the NHS Act
2006, to consult representatives of those staff whose employment may be
transferred, or who may be affected by such transfers.
Monday 18 June 2012
Maintaining NHS Emergency Preparedness, Resilience And Response Staff Capability During Transition
Lyn Simpson, Director of NHS Operations, on behalf of Ian
Dalton, Chief Operating Officer NHS Commissioning Board Authority (NHS CBA) has
written to SHA and PCT cluster chief executives, and NHS CBA Regional Directors
setting out expectations for maintaining NHS resilience going forward.
The letter provides direction of how resilience to respond
to incidents must be maintained during transition.
Minister Hails Progress On Health And Safety Regulatory Reform
Getting rid of regulations won’t undermine the UK’s good
record on health and safety but will improve its bad record on red tape, said
Employment minister Chris Grayling, as he launched a progress report on implementation
of the Government’s health and safety reforms.
Friday 15 June 2012
Health And Social Care Act Explained
A series of factsheets on the Health and Social Care Act
2012 explain particular topics contained in the Act, including its key themes.
They include case studies of the policy in action, or answer frequently asked
questions about the topic.
The factsheets were first published in October 2011 and have
since been updated to reflect the changes made during the Act’s Parliamentary
passage.
CQC Inpatient Survey Results (2011) Published
CQC conducted inpatient surveys from all NHS Trusts between October
2011 to January 2012
View an A-Z list of all NHS Trusts Results and benchmarking
data.
Another Death And More Enforcement Action In Legionnaires’ Outbreak
A second person has died in the Edinburgh outbreak of
Legionnaires’ disease but the Scottish Government has repeated reassurances
that the worst is over.
A man in his 40s, who was suffering from significant
pre-existing underlying health conditions, died yesterday evening at the
Edinburgh Royal Infirmary. The man is understood to have been from the Gorgie
area of the city, which is currently the focus of the investigation into the
source of the outbreak by the HSE and Edinburgh City Council.
The latter announced this afternoon (15 June) that it has
served an Improvement Notice on the National Museum of Scotland as part of the on-going
investigation. It relates to staff training issues and requires the Museum to
ensure that key personnel are appropriately trained in the management of water
systems, which includes overseeing the on-going monitoring and maintenance
regime undertaken by specialist contractors.
Thursday 14 June 2012
DoH Bulletin 251
On the agenda this week: David Behan announces his departure
from the Department of Health to take up the role of Chief Executive at the
Care Quality Commission, the British Medical Association calls upon its members
to take industrial action, and the Social Enterprise Investment Fund reopens
for applications.
Tuesday 12 June 2012
Structural Reform Plan
The Department has published the June monthly progress
report on its Structural Reform Plan.
The publication is part of a commitment across Government to
promote transparency and accountability and to allow people to check that
departments are meeting their commitments.
Surveys Published On Public Perceptions Of The NHS And Social Care, And NHS Staff Attitudes
The Department of Health (DH) has published two separate
surveys, one on the public perceptions of the NHS and social care, and the
other on NHS Staff attitudes. Fieldwork for both surveys took place towards the
end of 2011.
Public Perceptions of the NHS and Social Care is a regular
survey that provides a useful check on public sentiment and experience relating
to the NHS and social care. The study has been running at regular intervals
since spring 2000. It is commissioned by DH and conducted by Ipsos Mori. The
results of the study form an overall picture, as perceived by the public, of the
NHS and social care. Core questions are asked in each wave of the survey, but
there is flexibility that allows us to ensure that the survey reflects the most
current issues facing the NHS.
This survey complements other major surveys commissioned by
DH but is unique in the fact that it focuses on the general public, rather than
patients only, and therefore provides an independent view on how key NHS and
social care issues are regarded by the public.
Monday 11 June 2012
Directions On The Transfer Of Patient Safety Function To The NHS Commissioning Board Authority
These Directions came into force on 1 June 2012.
The Directions to the National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA)
have been amended to reflect the transfer of the NPSA’s patient safety function
to the NHS Commissioning Board Authority (NHS CBA) on 1 June 2012. The Directions to the NHS CBA have been
amended to reflect the Authority’s responsibility, from 1 June 2012, for the
patient safety function previously undertaken by the NPSA.
Friday 8 June 2012
Guidance On Planning For Property And Estates Transfers Issued
The Department of Health has set out the actions, and
timing, required from Primary Care Trusts to prepare for the transfer of
property to successor bodies on 31 March 2013.
The key steps for PCTs in the run up to transition are to:
- identify all property and legal charges that will need to be transferred and recorded in Property Transfer Schemes
- identify all other assets, rights and liabilities that will need to be transferred and recorded in Property Transfer Schemes. This will include identifying not only assets held such as equipment and IT but also identifying options, overages, grant agreements, development agreements, warranties and guarantees given.
- provide any other information that is essential to the transfer of ownership of estate to facilitate operation and management without causing disruption to services provided.
- transfer estate without disruption to services provided.
http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Lettersandcirculars/Dearcolleagueletters/DH_134521
Serious Fire-Safety Breaches Cost ASDA
National food retailer Asda Stores Limited has been ordered
to pay more than £55,000 in fines and costs for committing serious fire-safety
breaches at a store in Berkshire.
Appearing at Reading Crown Court on 6 June, the firm pleaded
guilty to two charges brought under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order
2005. The case had received an earlier hearing in February at Reading
Magistrates’ Court, but was referred to the Crown Court, where a number of
further charges were brought into account.
Royal Berkshire Fire Authority (RBFA) brought the charges
following an inspection of Asda’s store in Cippenham, near Slough, by
fire-safety officers on 24 June 2010. The court heard that the breaches
presented a serious and life-threatening risk, not only to the staff who worked
in the store but also to customers and other members of the public.
Counsel for the prosecution, William Clegg QC, told the
court that the inspection, which was carried out following a complaint,
identified serious breaches to fire-safety regulations, including:
- two fire-exit doors chained and locked shut;
- obstruction of fire-escape routes;
- combustible items obstructing fire-exit doors and escape routes; and
- fire-exit doors wedged open.
The court also heard that the company had previously been
served with a caution in July 2000 for two contraventions relating to other
fire-safety regulations.
Thursday 7 June 2012
NHS Trust Saves £82k on Gas Bills
The Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust saved thousands
of pounds on its gas bills this year after its supplier billed the energy
consumption incorrectly. The Trust was
apparently charged double for the gas for one of its buildings, according to
the energy management bureau from TEAM which spotted the mistake. It says the
Trust saved £82,104 on its bill for the Isaac Maddox House, which sits next to
the Worcester & Birmingham Canal.
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