The week: 9 - 15 November 2012 

Issue: 273

On the agenda

First mandate to the NHS Commissioning Board published
The Department of Health has published the first mandate to the NHS Commissioning Board, providing the long-term direction for the NHS. It sets a number of objectives for the NHS and reaffirms the Government’s commitment to preserving its founding principles as laid out in the NHS Constitution – a comprehensive service for all, based on clinical need and not ability to pay or background.
For the first time, success will be measured by how well the NHS achieves the things important to people. Following consultation with the public, health professionals and organisations across the health system, the final version of the mandate:
•	sets a clear vision and long-term agenda for transforming the NHS to improve outcomes
•	is structured around the domains of the NHS outcomes framework 
•	places a stronger focus on outcomes and sets ambitions to be amongst the best in Europe based on what people say matters to them
•	is short and simple to make the document clearer and more accessible
For further information go to: http://mandate.dh.gov.uk/2012/11/13/nhs-mandate-published/

Health technologies to improve the lives of people with long-term conditions
One hundred thousand people with long-term conditions are set to benefit from new health technologies such as telehealth. This is the use of electronic information and technology to help people manage their health independently.
The Department of Health has confirmed seven ‘pathfinders’ – NHS and local authority organisations, including clinical commissioning groups – are to agree contracts with industry suppliers that will mean 100,000 people benefiting from telehealth next year.  Leading technology companies will be supplying the NHS with the technologies and services at no upfront cost.
For further information go to: http://www.dh.gov.uk/health/2012/11/technologies/
New vaccine to help protect babies against rotavirus
A new vaccination programme, planned to begin in September 2013, will see children under four months vaccinated against the highly infectious rotavirus. Causing around 140,000 diarrhoea cases a year in the under-5s, rotavirus leads to hospital stays for nearly 1 in 10 (around 14,000) of those who get it in the UK. The oral vaccine, which is expected to halve the number of vomiting and diarrhoea cases caused by rotavirus and lead to 70 percent fewer hospital stays, will be given to infants in two separate doses with other routine vaccines. The NHS Commissioning Board, operational from April 2013, will be responsible for delivering the rotavirus vaccination programme. The programme will be monitored by Public Health England.
For further information go to: http://www.dh.gov.uk/health/2012/11/rotavirus/ 

Policy news
1. The right care: creating dementia hospitals			
2. NHSmail – contract extension sought

Consultations and evaluations
3. The Shape of Training Review: call for written evidence 
4. Winterbourne View Hospital - good practice project   
5. NHSmail 2 – consulting on requirements for the future NHS email service                 
6. Influencing leadership development 

Publications
7. Radiotherapy services in England 2012                                
8. Evaluation of the first year of the equality delivery system (EDS) 
9. NHS Property Services                                                        
10. Strategic clinical network’s single operating framework  

Conferences and events

i. what’s new
11. Improving outcomes for people approaching the end of life
12. Complaints handling, investigation, resolution and learning  
13. Clinical audit for improvement 2013

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. The right care: creating dementia hospitals
(Gateway reference number: 18398)
The Dementia Action Alliance (DAA) and NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement have launched a call to action to transform the quality of care experienced by people with dementia and their carers.  This letter from the DAA encourages hospitals to undertake a range of actions from improving ward environments to reducing re-admissions.

Link: http://www.dementiaaction.org.uk/downloads/file/101/the_right_care_letter_to_hospital_trust_chief_executive
http://www.dementiaaction.org.uk/downloads/file/102/the_right_care_sign_up_document 
Action: NHS chief executives are invited to sign up their hospitals to commit to becoming dementia-friendly. 

2. NHSmail – future affirmed
(Gateway reference number: 18402)
The future of the NHSmail service has been affirmed by the NHS Commissioning Board at a meeting of its executive team chaired by Sir David Nicholson. In light of this support, NHSmail is working hard to ensure the continuity of the service. Work is also underway to investigate options for a replacement service.

Links:
http://www.connectingforhealth.nhs.uk/systemsandservices/nhsmail/news
Action: NHS chief executives will wish to discuss the above with finance, and information management and technology directors.
 
Consultations and evaluations

3.The Shape of Training Review: call for written evidence 
(Gateway reference number: 18362)
The independent Shape of Training Review was established earlier this year to make sure postgraduate training continues to meet the needs of patients and health services in the future. The review is looking at several themes, including the balance of the medical workforce, options to support greater training and workforce flexibility, and how to address the tensions between obtaining training and providing a service. 

Link: https://www.shapeoftraining-evidence.co.uk/default.aspx 
Action: Chief executives have until 8 February 2013 to provide written evidence and  share their views on the future of postgraduate medical training. 

4. Winterbourne View Hospital -  good practice project 
(Gateway approval number: 18246)
This letter from Health Minister Norman Lamb seeks to identify good practice in local authorities and the NHS. It asks where innovative solutions have been developed to maintain and improve outcomes and access to services for people with learning disabilities, autism and challenging behaviour. The Department of Health is working on this project with a range of stakeholders who want to know ‘what good looks like’, and share this with people with learning disabilities, family carers, and other organisations in the new health and care structure.

Link: http://www.dh.gov.uk/health/2012/11/letter-learning-disabilities/
Action: Directors of social services and PCT chief executives will wish to consider taking part by providing good practice examples.

5. NHSmail 2 – consulting on requirements for the future NHS email service 
(Gateway reference number: 18403)
The NHSmail 2 project is seeking feedback on the options for a future service when the current NHSmail contract comes to an end. All staff are invited help shape the future system by posting their comments, suggestions and ideas, using the forum on the project’s NHS Networks site
 
Links: www.networks.nhs.uk/nhs-networks/nhsmail-2 www.connectingforhealth.nhs.uk/nhsmail/nhsmail2  
Action: NHS chief executives and staff who wish to comment should respond by 30 November 2012.

6. Influencing leadership development 
(Gateway reference number: 18404)
The NHS Leadership Academy – the national hub created to develop outstanding leadership in health – has launched an engagement exercise to find out what the healthcare system wants to see in leadership development. 

Link: www.leadershipacademy.nhs.uk/ourplans/questionnaire.php
Action: NHS chief executives who wish to provide feedback can do so until 7 December 2012.

Publications

7. Radiotherapy services in England 2012
(Gateway reference number: 18206)
The Department of Health has published a report setting out the up-to-date position on the state of radiotherapy services. It uses the radiotherapy dataset to provide information that will help services see at a glance how they are progressing against a number of key metrics. The report was prepared by the National Radiotherapy Implementation Group (NRIG),

Link: http://www.dh.gov.uk/health/2012/11/radiotherapy-2012/
Action: NHS chief executives of trusts with radiotherapy centres will wish to consider the metrics, and discuss local performance with their heads of service and radiotherapy managers.

8. Evaluation of the first year of the equality delivery system (EDS)
(Gateway reference number: 183995)
Shared Intelligence have published their report ‘Evaluation of the equality delivery system for the NHS’, looking at how the EDS has been adopted in NHS organisations. It highlights improved local engagement and awareness of equality across the NHS leadership and workforce, and also identifies where lessons can be learnt. The findings will feed into the ongoing review of the public sector equality duty, led by the Government Equality Office.

Links:	http://www.sharedintelligence.net/equality-delivery-system/case-study/
Action: NHS and local authority chief executives will wish to consider the findings and good practice identified.

9. NHS Property Services
(Gateway reference number: 18387) 
This letter from Simon Holden, Chief Executive, NHS Property Services Ltd, updates on progress in launching the new company. The range of services to be provided by NHS Property Services Ltd, and the services that will not be offered, have recently been agreed by the Department of Health’s transition executive forum. These are outlined in the letter. 

Link: http://www.dh.gov.uk/health/2012/11/update-nhs-property/
Action: The letter identifies actions required to make sure services not provided by the company are picked up in the new system.

10. Strategic clinical network’s single operating framework 
(Gateway reference number: 18400) 
Further details about strategic clinical networks (SCNs) are now available, following publication of the single operating framework for SCNs. The framework sets out the principles of SCNs, as well as providing further clarity about accountability, governance, core roles and funding.
 
Link:  http://www.commissioningboard.nhs.uk/2012/11/12/single-model-scn/
Action: NHS chief executives will wish to study this and consider the implications.

Conferences and events

i. what’s new

11. Improving outcomes for people approaching the end of life 
(Gateway reference number: 18390)
Dr Martin McShane, end of life care champion at the NHS Commissioning Board, will give a national update on continuing the improvement of end of life care in the new healthcare landscape, at this London conference on 27 February 2013.

Link: http://www.healthcareconferencesuk.co.uk/end-of-life-care-outcomes-training-palliative
Action: 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. 

12. Complaints handling, investigation, resolution and learning  
(Gateway reference number: 18392)
Chaired by Chris Bostock, complaints policy lead at the Department of Health, this conference in Manchester on 27 February 2013  focuses on handling, investigating, resolving and learning from complaints, with a particular focus on managing complaints involving clinicians.

Link: http://www.healthcareconferencesuk.co.uk/nhs-complaints-handling-training 
Action: 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. 

13. Clinical audit for improvement 2013
(Gateway reference number: 18393)
Jointly organised with the Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership (HQIP) and with a national update from NHS Medical Director Sir Bruce Keogh, this London conference on 12-13 February 2013 focuses on the vital importance of clinical audit and clinical audit skills in the delivery of quality improvement and improving outcomes for patients. 

Link: http://www.healthcareconferencesuk.co.uk/clinical-audit-2013
Action: Chief executives and their colleagues can download the brochure at the link above, or contact kerry@healthcareconferencesuk.co.uk for further information. There is an HQIP-supported delegate fee of £100 +VAT for clinical audit managers and facilitators.

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