The week: 12 – 18 October 2012 
for NHS and social care leaders

Issue: 269

On the agenda

‘The Quarter’ shows continued strong NHS performance
David Flory’s quarterly report for quarter 1 (April to June) 2012/13, published today, provides a summary of the NHS financial position and performance against national priorities set out in the NHS Operating Framework 2012/13.

It shows the NHS has continued to perform strongly against key performance measures in the first quarter of this important year for the NHS. The NHS also continues to make progress with system transformation and the financial savings required to deliver the quality, innovation, productivity and prevention (QIPP) and reform challenge.

For further information go to: http://www.dh.gov.uk/health/2012/10/quarter-1-2012-13/

Nurses and midwives have vital role in flu vaccination
In an open letter to nurses and midwives, Professor Viv Bennett, Director of Nursing, Department of Health and the Government’s principal advisor on public health nursing, has stressed the vital role that nurses and midwives play in making sure frontline staff are vaccinated against flu and patients are protected. This drive is supported by the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) and the Royal College of Midwives (RCM).
 
Frontline healthcare workers are more likely to be exposed to the influenza virus, particularly during winter months, when some of the people in their care will be infected. It has been estimated that up to 1 in 4 healthcare workers may catch flu during a mild influenza season, a much higher incidence than expected in the general population.

For further information go to: http://www.nhsemployers.org/HealthyWorkplaces/SeasonalFluCampaign/Latest-news/Pages/DepartmentOfHealthIssueLetterToNursesAndMidwivesFluVaccination.aspx
 
Hospital patients need high quality food and drink
Principles outlining what patients should expect from hospital food were announced this week by Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt. These include the provision of high quality and healthy hospital food and drink, and patients being given a choice from a varied menu. A particular focus will be on the most vulnerable such as older people people, a top priority for the Secretary of State. These principles will be a feature of new patient-led assessments covering areas such as hospital food, cleanliness, privacy and dignity. 

For further information go to: http://www.dh.gov.uk/health/2012/10/hospital-food/

 

Policy news				
1. Equality duty to make reasonable adjustments
2. Changes to regulations implementing the 2012/13 dental expenses settlement 
 
Consultations and evaluations
No news this week

Publications
3. NHS Leadership Recognition Awards 2012 finalists   
4. Health visitor programme quarterly report:  July - September 2012
        
Conferences and events
i. what’s new
5. Data quality and clinical coding for improvement
6. Delivering the national information strategy at a local level
7. Managing nursing performance and supporting nurses in difficulty

ii. places still available
No news this week

Patient safety alerts
Refer to website below

Extra notes
Chief executives are reminded that all communications requiring the attention of NHS and local authority management must include a Gateway reference number. In order to streamline the number of communications issued by the Department, these will continue to be summarised in ‘the week’ every Thursday.

Policy news

1. Equality duty to make reasonable adjustments
(Gateway approval number:18248 )
Although the duty to make reasonable adjustments for disabled service users is not new, the Department of Health wants to makes sure all service providers are aware of their responsibilities. Where a provider does not comply with the duty to make reasonable adjustments in the provision of services of a public nature, it will be committing an act of unlawful discrimination. Further guidance is available in chapter 7 of the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s Statutory Code of Practice for Services, Public Functions and Associations.

Link: http://www.equalityhumanrights.com/uploaded_files/EqualityAct/servicescode.pdf
Action: All service providers need to make sure their policies and practices comply with this statutory duty.

2. Changes to regulations implementing the 2012/13 dental expenses settlement 
(Gateway Reference Number: 18259)
Information about 2012/13 increases in dental expenses, published in April 2012, included a change implementing the removal of Unit of Dental Activity (UDA) credit for prescription-only courses, which comes into force from 1 November 2012. This move relates to courses of treatment which only contain a prescription and no other activity. It reflects changes in clinical practice, removing potentially perverse incentives to issue prescriptions to patients which are not part of a full course of treatment. It does not change the patient-charging arrangements, in which courses of treatment only containing a prescription and no other activity, are not chargeable to patients. 

Link: http://www.dh.gov.uk/health/2012/04/dental-contracts/
Action: NHS chief executives will wish to make sure the revisions required are included in their dental contracts.

Consultations and evaluations

Publications

3. NHS Leadership Recognition Awards 2012 finalists
(Gateway approval number: 18250)
The NHS Leadership Academy's short-listed finalists for these awards represent outstanding leadership across nine categories and exemplify the quality, dedication and innovation of staff working in the system today. The winners will be announced at the awards ceremony at Barts Great Hall on 10 December 2012.

Link: http://www.nhsleadershipawards.nhs.uk/about-the-awards/awards-2012.aspx 
Action: NHS chief executives will wish to showcase and publicise finalists through their regional communications channels.

4. Health visitor programme quarterly report:  July - September 2012
(Gateway reference number: 18205)
The health visitor programme has published its quarter 2 report. This shows it is on track to deliver an extra 4,200 health visitors by April 2015. It also contains updates on the key programme elements – professional mobilisation, growing the workforce and early implementer sites.

Progress reflects the support of the health visiting profession, this year celebrating its 150th anniversary, as well as the NHS, higher educational institutions and other partners.  

Link: http://www.dh.gov.uk/health/2012/10/health-visitor-report/
Action: NHS chief executives will wish to consider the programme’s progress during this quarter.
 
Conferences and events

i. what’s new

5. Data quality and clinical coding for improvement
(Gateway reference number: 18256)
This conference on 19 November 2012 in London is chaired by Dr Nick Booth, Director for Clinical Data Standards in the Informatics Directorate, Department of Health. It will focus on the consequences of poor clinical coding, in particular the impact on trust finances and outlier positions, and will also highlight the importance of quality of information in clinical records. 

Link: http://www.healthcareconferencesuk.co.uk/nhs-data-quality-clinical-coding-training
Action: NHS chief executives and their colleagues can download the brochure at the link above, or contact kerry@healthcareconferencesuk.co.uk for further information. A 20 percent booking discount is available by quoting ref: hcuk20theweek . 

6. Delivering the national information strategy at a local level
(Gateway reference number: 18257)
This national conference in London on 3 December 2012, developed in association with the Health Informatics Clinical Advisory Team (HICAT), includes a keynote presentation from Tim Kelsey, National Director for Patients and Information at the NHS Commissioning Board Authority. He will discuss what the national information strategy means at a local level and how to take it forward to become paperless by 2015. 

Link: http://www.healthcareconferencesuk.co.uk/nhs-information-strategy-informatics-training
Action: NHS chief executives and their colleagues can download the brochure at the link above, or contact kerry@healthcareconferencesuk.co.uk for further information. A 20 percent booking discount is available by quoting ref: hcuk20theweek. 

7. Managing nursing performance and supporting nurses in difficulty
(Gateway reference number: 18258)
With an opening presentation from Professor Juliet Beal, Director of Nursing Quality,
Improvement and Care at the NHS Commissioning Board Authority, this conference in London on 6 December 2012 is for all nurse managers and leaders. It offers practical guidance for managing nursing performance and supporting nurses in difficulty to ensure safe, high quality patient care.

Link: http://www.healthcareconferencesuk.co.uk/managing-poor-performance-supporting-nurses
Action: NHS chief executives and their colleagues can download the brochure at the link above, or contact kerry@healthcareconferencesuk.co.uk for further information. A 20 percent booking discount is available by quoting ref: hcuk20theweek. 

ii. places still available
No news this week

Patient safety alerts

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has sent the NHS the latest medical device alerts in the link below. NHS Trusts are expected to take the specified action by the date given.

Link: www.mhra.gov.uk/Publications/Safetywarnings/MedicalDeviceAlerts/index.htm

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Unless otherwise stated, guidance referred to in the bulletin has not been commissioned or endorsed by the Department of Health – it is evidence that organisations and professionals may find helpful in improving practice. The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence is the Department's provider of accredited evidence and guidance, which can be found on the Institute's website at www.nice.org.uk