The week: 16 - 22 November 2012

Issue: 274

On the agenda

CMO’s annual report highlights liver disease challenge 
The Chief Medical Officer, Professor Dame Sally Davies, has published her first annual report, highlighting the need to stop the rising tide of liver disease. England is one of the few EU countries where such a major cause of preventable death is on the increase. 

The independent report shows that between 2000 and 2009, deaths from chronic liver disease and cirrhosis in the under-65s increased by around 20 percent, while they fell by the same amount in most EU countries. And the major causes of liver disease - obesity, harmful drinking and undiagnosed infection - are preventable. 

The aim of the report, which also looks at heart disease, obesity and cancer, is to help inform local authorities and Public Health England as they take on their new role to improve the health of local populations. The underlying data for the report is available at www.data.gov.uk.

For further information go to: http://www.dh.gov.uk/health/2012/11/cmo/

Social care outcomes framework covers loneliness of older people
The adult social care outcomes framework has been strengthened with the addition of new measures reflecting White Paper priorities, including tackling loneliness among older people, and quality of life for people with dementia. 

The framework for 2013/14 will support councils’ challenge to deliver these objectives, by providing a clear focus for local priority setting and improvement, and by strengthening the accountability of councils to local people.

It has also been further aligned with the NHS and public health outcomes frameworks, through greater use of shared and complementary measures. This will support all parts of the health and care system to work together in helping people live better for longer. 
 
For further information go to: http://www.dh.gov.uk/health/2012/11/ascof1314/

Policy news
1.'Speaking up' charter 		

Consultations and evaluations
2. Suspected, recurrent or metastatic breast cancer 

Publications
3.Transition of clinical contracts 
4. Chemotherapy patient experience survey   
5. Public health outcomes framework      			
6. Child health information systems (CHIS) 
7. NHS Property Services		

Conferences and events

i. what’s new
8. Fair playing field review – engagement events   
9. Will integration help systems deal with health care reform effectively?               

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.'Speaking up' charter 
(Gateway reference number: 18417)   
The NHS Employers’ ‘speaking up’ charter was launched on 15 October 2012. NHS Employers is working in partnership with the Department of Health, health unions and regulators to support staff raising concerns. A strengthened NHS Constitution and a helpline for staff are in place to support whistleblowers.
Dr Daniel Poulter, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health, said: 
“Better support for whistleblowers will help create a culture where staff will be able to raise genuine concerns in good faith, without fear of reprisal.”  

Link: http://www.nhsemployers.org/EmploymentPolicyAndPractice/UKEmploymentPractice/LatestNews/Pages/Whistleblowing-Charter-signifies-partnership-working.aspx
Action: NHS chief executives are asked to make sure they support staff in raising concerns.

Consultations and evaluations

2. Suspected, recurrent or metastatic breast cancer 
(Gateway reference number: 18327 ROCR:OR/2142/FT6-001 MAND) 
Collection of the cancer outcomes and services dataset (COSD) by NHS trusts, and the transfer of these data items to English cancer registries is required from 1 January 2013. For further details and news of other developments, please see the joint letter from Mike Richards, National Clinical Director for Cancer, and the National Cancer Intelligence Network (NCIN). A letter is also being sent to GPs. 

Link: http://www.dh.gov.uk/health/2012/11/data-breast-cancer/
Action:  Chief executives of NHS providers will wish to read this letter and prepare for the data collection.

Publications

3. Transition of clinical contracts 
(Gateway reference number: 18344)
As part of the transition of the clinical contracts project announced in November 2011, PCTs will have completed the second phase - ‘contract stabilisation’, where risks are identified and actions agreed to safeguard transition. The final phase of the project, ‘contract shift’, will support the statutory transfer scheme documentation to new contracting bodies. 

Link: http://www.dh.gov.uk/health/2012/11/shift-phase-planning/
Action: PCT cluster chief executives will wish to take appropriate action to deliver the 'shift' of clinical contracts. SHA cluster chief executives will wish to discuss progress towards the transfer of contracts with their nominated lead, and seek assurances regarding engagement of the new commissioning authorities and provider organisations.

4. Chemotherapy patient experience survey
(Gateway reference number: 18433)   
The national cancer patient experience surveys in 2010 and 2011 only included a single question related to experience of chemotherapy.  However, this showed significant variation in reported experiences between NHS trusts. Professor Sir Mike Richards, National Clinical Director for Cancer, has therefore commissioned a specific survey of chemotherapy patients, to help understand experiences in more detail. 

Link: http://ncat.nhs.uk/our-work/ensuring-better-treatment/chemotherapy#tab-inaction
Action: NHS chief executives, where relevant, will wish to make sure they participate in the survey, and encourage cancer and chemotherapy leads and colleagues to support it. 

5. Public health outcomes framework
(Gateway reference number: 18330)
On 20 November 2012 the technical refresh of the public health outcomes framework was published, alongside the first set of baseline data for over half the indicators. This is the fulfilment of the promise to continue improving the range and quality of information in the framework, which was first published in January 2012.

Links: http://www.dh.gov.uk/health/tag/phof/
Interactive webtool: www.phoutcomes.info
Action: Local authority chief executives, and in particular their directors of public health, will wish to look at their baseline information to assess areas of strength and challenge, and shape work plans accordingly. 

6. Child health information systems (CHIS)
(Gateway reference number: 18067)
CHIS aims to make sure each child in England has an active care record, supporting delivery of screening, immunisation and the healthy child programme services, as a minimum. This document contains the requirements for information systems to underpin the delivery of these services. It can be used as a checklist for procurement or development of CHIS.

Link: http://www.dh.gov.uk/health/tag/chis/
Action: NHS chief executives responsible for child health records departments will wish to consider this document with their directors of information, prior to procurement or re-procurement of child health information systems.

7. NHS Property Services
(Gateway reference number: 18219: ROCR/12/2180/MAND)
ROCR (Review of Central Returns) approval has now been confirmed for the NHS Property Services data collection of PCT ledger information relating to their estate. (This is further to the announcement in 'the week' on 1 November 2012, issue 271). 

Link: http://www.dh.gov.uk/health/2012/11/estates-operating-information/
Action: PCT chief executives will wish to note the ROCR licence 

Conferences and events

i.what’s new

8. Fair playing field review – engagement events 
(Gateway reference number: 18413)   
Monitor is holding two events, in Manchester on 12 December 2012 and London on 13 December 2012, to bring health care organisations up to speed on the progress of the review, hear views and answer any questions about its work. The events are an opportunity to make sure Monitor has captured the relevant issues before it makes recommendations to the Secretary of State in March 2013. 
 
Link: http://www.eventbrite.co.uk/event/4716933475
Action: NHS chief executives can register at the link above or contact thomas.clayton@monitor-nhsft.gov.uk for further information.

9. Will integration help systems deal with health care reform effectively? 
(Gateway reference number: 18426)   
On 20 December 2012 from 4.00 to 5.00pm, Sasha Karakusevic, Director of the Health Innovation Education Cluster (SW), will discuss his paper, published in the Journal of Integrated Care (2011). This is on the impact of demographic pressures on health and social care services. In essence it is about approaches to enable people to seize control.  

Link: https://nhs.webex.com/nhs/onstage/g.php?t=a&d=849738416 
Action: NHS chief executives and colleagues can register for the free web expert on call web seminar at the link above.

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