The week: 8 - 14 February 2013
for NHS and social care leaders

Issue: 285

On the agenda

Landmark reform to help people with care and support costs
Jeremy Hunt, Secretary of State for Health, has announced a series of reforms that will provide greater financial support for the elderly, those with disabilities and long-term conditions in paying for their care costs. Local authority chief executives and Directors of Adult Social Services will wish to review the details of these reforms, and discuss with their relevant teams.

For further information, go to: http://caringforourfuture.dh.gov.uk/2013/02/11/funding-how/

Alzheimer’s Society launches Dementia Friends information sessions
From this week, people across England will be able to sign up for sessions to become a Dementia Friend. Just over 12,000 people have already registered their interest. Now those people and many more will be able to attend information sessions to find out more about what it’s like to live with dementia and then turn that understanding into action in their local community.

For further information, go to:
http://www.dh.gov.uk/health/2013/02/dementiafriends/

Local authorities – health and wellbeing boards and health scrutiny regulations
The Local Authority (public health, health and wellbeing boards and health scrutiny) Regulations 2013 have now been published. These regulations are intended to help local authorities finalise preparations for health and wellbeing boards and health scrutiny arrangements.

For further information, go to:
http://healthandcare.dh.gov.uk/hwbs-health-scrutiny-regulations-2013/

Policy news
No news this week.

Consultations and evaluations
No news this week. 

Publications
1. NHS Friends and Family Test: publication guidance 
2. Adults' personal social services: revenue and capital grants final allocations 
3. Maternity, child health and child and adolescent mental health services data sets 
4. National patient experience CQUIN indicator: data now available
5. Training open for new service for calculating QOF achievement 
6. Energy budget forecast 
7. Safer mental health services toolkit 

Conferences and events

i. what’s new
8. Getting elderly care right 
9. Reduce the cost of construction with ProCure21+ 

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
No news this week.

Consultations and evaluations
No news this week.

Publications

1. NHS Friends and Family Test: publication guidance
(Gateway reference number: 18739)
The Department has published guidance for providers of NHS funded services on calculating and publishing the NHS Friends and Family Test results.    

Link: http://www.dh.gov.uk/health/2013/02/nhs-fft-guidance/ 
Action:  NHS chief executives will wish to ensure that friends and family test scores are calculated as required, and published in line with the guidance.

2. Adults' personal social services: revenue and capital grants final allocations 
(Gateway reference number: 18746)
The Department has published final revenue and capital grants for the period 2013-14 and provisional allocations for 2014-15. The grants will be allocated to local authorities in England. The letter outlines final 2013-14 allocations for each local authority. The allocations remain unchanged from those set out in the LASSL(2012)(2). 

Link: http://www.dh.gov.uk/health/2013/02/lassl-2013-1/

Action: Local authority chief executives will wish to note their final 2013-14 allocations and consider any implications.

3. Maternity, child health, child and adolescent mental health services data sets 
(Gateway reference number: 18753)
The Information Standard Board published data standards last year announcing the introduction of maternity and children’s data sets (ISB 1513, ISB 1069, ISB 1072). All NHS funded providers of these services in England should commence data collection from April 2013.

Link: http://www.ic.nhs.uk/maternityandchildren
Action: NHS chief executives will wish to ensure informatics and clinical leads are prepared for implementation.

4. National patient experience CQUIN indicator: data now available
(Gateway reference number: 18759)
The Department and the Care Quality Commission have made data available to providers and commissioners to inform their patient experience CQUIN score for management assessment purposes. 

Link: http://www.dh.gov.uk/health/2013/02/cquin-indicator-data/
Action:  NHS chief executives will wish to contact the relevant lead at their SHA to access their trusts information.

5. Training open for new service for calculating QOF achievement 
(Gateway reference number: 18760)
Relevant staff in GP practices, Clinical Commissioning Groups and NHS Commissioning Board area teams should now be registering for the first phase of training for the Calculating Quality Reporting Service (CQRS). This service will calculate Quality Outcomes Framework (QOF) achievement from 2013-14. The first phase starts on 25 February 2013.
 
Link: http://www.connectingforhealth.nhs.uk/systemsandservices/cqrs
Action: PCT chief executives will wish to satisfy themselves that relevant staff have registered. 

6. Energy budget forecast 
(Gateway reference number: 18752)
The Government Procurement Service is the largest buyer of energy in Europe, and provides services to most NHS organisations. GPS have produced the energy budget forecast which will support NHS organisations in developing 2013-14 budgets. 

Link: http://gps.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/i-am-buyer/categories/energy
Action: NHS chief executives may wish to review the energy budget forecast. Any queries can be emailed to EHNEnergy@gps.gsi.gov.uk

7. Safer mental health services toolkit
(Gateway reference number: 18718)
Based on the findings of the National Confidential Inquiry into Suicide and Homicide by People with Mental Illness, this toolkit provides suggestions for best practice on the practical steps health professionals and managers can take to help improve service safety and reduce risk. 

Link: http://www.medicine.manchester.ac.uk/cmhr/centreforsuicideprevention/nci/toolkits
Action: NHS chief executives may wish to discuss the toolkit with mental health leads to determine which colleagues may find it useful. The toolkit is not mandatory but solely for the benefit of NHS colleagues. The inquiry does not expect chief executives or others to send them the results.

Conferences and events

i. what’s new

8. Getting elderly care right
(Gateway reference number: 18758)
This national event, taking place in Birmingham on 23 April, will look at the need to improve care, dignity and nutrition and address the findings of the Francis report. Best practice case studies will also be presented. Viv Bennett, Director of Nursing, Department of Health will outline 'The Compassion in Practice Strategy' for nursing staff.

Link: http://www.conventus.net/event.asp?eventAction=showDetail&eventID=100
Action: NHS, local authority chief executives and colleagues can register at the link above or contact Conventus on 01926 863564.

9. Reduce the cost of construction with ProCure21+
(Gateway reference number: 18757)
The Government Construction Strategy is driving reduced construction costs throughout the public sector. The ProCure21+ framework will aim to deliver up to 14 percent savings by 2015. The Department and its supply chain partners are hosting four free events to demonstrate how these savings can be delivered for the NHS.  

Link: www.procure21plus.nhs.uk/seminars
Action: NHS chief executives and colleagues who wish to attend these free seminars can register 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
Need help?

Change in contact details
Please email contact_details@dh.gsi.gov.uk to update your contact details. Make the email subject 'the week' and include your name, job title, organisation, telephone number and date of change.

Technical difficulties
If you have trouble opening the attachment or accessing links, please visit 
www.dh.gov.uk/health/contact-dh/

General comments
If you would like to comment on 'the week', please email theweek@dh.gsi.gov.uk or write to NHS Staff Comms Team, Department of Health, Room 444, Richmond House, 79 Whitehall, London, SW1A 2NS.

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  

Sir David Nicholson's role as NHS Chief Executive transfers completely to the NHS Commissioning Board in April 2013. Sir David would still like to communicate with you in his new role and we are therefore asking if you are happy for your email address to be shared with the NHS Commissioning Board. If you do not want your email address shared, please email the theweek@dh.gsi.gov.uk