Title: The week: 25 February to 3 March 2011
Author: User
Last saved by: Juliet Nowell
Company: Department of Health

The week: for NHS and social care leaders

The week: 21 – 27 September 2012 
for NHS and social care leaders

Issue: 266

On the agenda

Chief Medical Officer issues health alert after reports of new respiratory illness
A new respiratory illness, similar to 2002’s globally spread Sars virus, has been identified in a man being treated in Britain. The 49-year-old was transferred to a London hospital by air ambulance from Qatar and is the second confirmed case of coronavirus.
The Chief Medical Officer (CMO) has issued an alert using Central Alert System (CAS) to NHS health professionals advising them to look out for symptoms in people who may have visited the Middle East. 
A Department for Health spokesperson said: ‘We have no evidence of any other reported cases. Our priority is to ensure patients and staff are safe. We are working closely with the Health Protection Agency (HPA) and healthcare professionals whilst further investigations are carried out.’ 
For more information, go to: https://www.cas.dh.gov.uk/ViewandAcknowledgment/ViewAlert.aspx?AlertID=101843
www.hpa.org.uk/NewsCentre/NationalPressReleases/2012PressReleases/120923acuterespiratoryillnessidentified/

Views sought on vision for nursing
A proposed new vision for nursing, midwifery and care giving sets out the values of compassionate care and asks how they can be developed further across health and social care. Over recent months, Viv Bennett, Director of Nursing, Department of Health and Jane Cummings, Chief Nursing Officer for England, have been talking to care givers across the country to start to develop what  the new vision looks like and what values unite the profession. They now want to hear your views on the ideas contained in the draft vision.
For more information, go to: www.dh.gov.uk/health/2012/09/views-vision-nursing/
Personal health budgets to receive £1.5m 
£1.5 million has been identified to support the potential roll-out of personal health budgets to help individuals choose the best care for themselves, the Government announced this week.
Personal health budgets give patients real control and choice, by ensuring care is tailored to meet their health and care needs. A pilot programme involving over 60 PCTs is underway across the country, with the evaluation due in the autumn. £1.5m  will be made available to support the first stage of a potential roll-out. 
For further information, go to: http://mediacentre.dh.gov.uk/2012/09/25/1-5m-available-for-people-to-spend-on-own-care/

Policy news
1. Local authority public health transition support  

Consultations and evaluations
No news this week

Publications
2. Equality, diversity and inclusion in the NHS board recruitment process		 
3. NICE Fellowships                                                  			
4. New health maps to drive improvement in respiratory care 
						
Conferences and events
5. Expert on call: improving productive mental health ward implementation
					                            
i. what’s new
No news this week
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. Local authority public health transition support
(Gateway reference number: 18151)
Funding totalling £15m is being made available to upper tier and unitary local authorities to strengthen capacity to manage the change, and address the costs they will incur from taking on new public health functions. The letters and associated spreadsheets - one for PCT chief executives and one for local authority chief executives - explain the arrangements and identify the amount of resource available to each local authority.

Link: www.dh.gov.uk/health/2012/09/ph-la-transition/ 
Action: PCT chief executives will receive a Resource Limit Adjustment (RLA) for the funding in October and are requested to issue the monies to the local authorities who are taking on the public health leadership role in their area. 

Consultations and evaluations
No news this week

Publications

2. Equality, diversity and inclusion in the NHS board recruitment process 
(Gateway reference Number: 18192)
Two guides have been developed to build equality, diversity and inclusion into the NHS board recruitment process for both executives and non-executives. These practical resources help ensure selection panels and appointed board members demonstrate confidence, commitment and competency in these areas and are able to apply these to core board level business.  

Links: www.leadershipacademy.nhs.uk/board-recruitment-guides 
Action: NHS chief executives will wish to consider the guides and discuss the implications with board members and equality and diversity leads. 

3. NICE Fellowships
(Gateway reference number: 18181 )
Chief executives and other senior professionals can now apply for Fellowships provided by NICE. These are unique opportunities to engage in the Institute’s work more strategically, participate in high-level discussions and support NICE in the implementation of its guidance. Appointments start in April 2013 and run for three years.

Link: www.nice.org.uk/fellowsandscholars
Action: The deadline for NHS executives and other professionals wishing to apply is 5pm 9 November 2012.

4. New health maps to drive improvement in respiratory care
(Gateway reference number: 18184)
An atlas on variation in healthcare for people with respiratory disease has just been released by the NHS RightCare team. It looks at 20 indicators across a range of respiratory conditions to show how services and outcomes vary across England. It explains why the variation matters and outlines the steps that can be taken to reduce variation, linking to guidance and other resources. 

Link: www.rightcare.nhs.uk/index.php/atlas/respiratorydisease
Action: NHS chief executives will wish to consider what the atlas says about their area in line with local quality, innovation, productivity and prevention (QIPP) initiatives around respiratory services.

Conferences and events

5. Expert on call: improving productive mental health ward implementation
(Gateway Reference Number: 18176)
Alice Williams and Steve Williamson will present the experience of organisations who have made significant service improvements through this programme, on 18 October 2012 from 4.00 to 5.00pm. The 15 Steps challenge for mental health will be launched during this session. 

Link: https://nhs.webex.com/nhs/onstage/g.php?t=a&d=841618628 
Action: NHS chief executives and colleagues can register for the free web seminar at the link above.

i. what’s new
No news this week
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
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Technical difficulties
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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  

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