NHS PCC outlines work programme for 2009/10

The NHS PCC work programme for the year from April is set out in a new document for subscribers sent last week to contacts in all of our subscribing organisations. Anyone with access to the subscriber pages of the site can view the document here.

Guidance issued for handling complaints

From 1 April 2009, there will be a single approach to dealing with complaints. It will give organisations the flexibility they need to deal with complaints effectively.

The complaints system is being reformed because many problems take too long to resolve and services don't learn from mistakes.

The guide Listening, Responding, Improving has been developed to help complaints professionals work with colleagues to make their organisations better at listening and learning from people's experiences.

The Department of Health has published several worksheets on different aspects of managing complaints and a letter from Joan Saddler, national director of patient and public affairs.

All the documents are available here.

Care Quality Commission's consultation on reviews in 2009/10

The Care Quality Commission will from 1 April 2009 bring together the work of the Commission for Social Care Inspection, the Healthcare Commission and the Mental Health Act Commission, creating for the first time an independent regulator of health, mental health and adult social care in England.

This document is one in a series of Care Quality Commission consultation documents on work plans in 2009/10 and 2010 onwards.

To read the full article, click here.

Practice based commissioning network of networks to launch this week

NHS Networks this week will launch a PBC network aimed at uniting existing initiatives and bringing together PCT commissioners, clinicians and other interested parties. Called PBC Connection and supported by the Department of Health, the network will start with an audit of existing resources and survey stakeholders to identify potential missing links.

More information is available at www.networks.nhs.uk

PBC budget guidance for 2009/10 available

PCTs are responsible for ensuring that practices receive an indicative budget that reflects the needs of their population as accurately as possible. This allows a practice to access a fair share of the resources available to the whole of the PCT for its patients. The Department has updated the toolkit that can be used to determine weighted capitation indicative budgets at practice level. This is part of an ongoing commitment to refine the methodology and improve accuracy.

Guidance accompanying the toolkit sets out:

• Changes to the recommended methodology for deriving practices' fair shares for 2009/10
• Changes to the minimum pace of change to practices' budgets for 2009/10
• Information on how to use a new toolkit that can help PCT set budgets

Any questions about the toolkit, or the content of the guidance can be sent to the PBC mailbox: pbc@dh.gov.uk

The guidance is here.

The toolkit is here.

Transactions manual

This manual for providers and commissioners of NHS services covers mergers, de-mergers, acquisitions, divestments, joint ventures and franchising. It has been co-produced with NHS stakeholders and is a joint publication by the Department of Health and Monitor. The manual incorporates best-practice guidance, as well as mandatory practice required by law or by policy and is being published as a live document, which will be updated from time to time.

The manual is available here.

Local healthcare commissioning: grassroots involvement?

This report reveals that many patients feel local healthcare commissioning, the process intended to ensure health and care services effectively meet the needs of the local population by engaging with patient representatives, is not working effectively. It also identifies specialist nurses as the best placed healthcare professionals to make the commissioning process a success.

The press release is here.

Download the report here.

Commissioning and value for money

Based on research by the New Economics Foundation, the National Programme for Third Sector Commissioning has published a report on how spending on public services can be directed to achieve the best return for communities, the environment and the public purse.

Download the report here.

Impact assessment of NHS LIFT guidance for PCTs

This guidance describes how public/private partnership (LIFTCo) may support PCTs and local authorities in developing their primary care estate, with particular emphasis on making a business case.

Read the guidance here.

Practitioners with Special Interests

PCTs should ensure that all existing PwSIs and services have been re-accredited by 31 March 2009 and that any new PwSI or services are accredited in line with the guidance issued in April 2007 (Implementing Care Closer to Home: Convenient Quality Care for Patients).

PwSI specialty frameworks just published on the PCC website replace documents developed from 2003. Their aim is to facilitate the delivery and accreditation of services in primary and community settings. The frameworks were commissioned by the DH and have been developed by the Royal College of General Practitioners with support from the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain and NHS PCC. They can be accessed here.

A network and discussion forum can be found here.

PCC is developing an enhanced FAQ which will be made available via the website.

NHS PASA: procurement and contracting support

The courses have been designed to cover the knowledge, core skills and competencies required by PCT commissioners. Each course builds upon the previous event to form a coherent body of knowledge.

For further information and to book, please go to: www.pcc.nhs.uk/events/pasa

Benchmarking primary care medical services: last chance to contribute

NHS PCC and NHS Benchmarking would like to thank all PCTs who have submitted their data for the benchmarking survey, results of which are now being analysed. More than half of the PCTs in England participated. Late returns can still be made. Send your data collection forms to the NHS Benchmarking Network no later than 6 March via Steve Watkins on s.watkins@nhs.net. The national data collection support line is also still available on 0161 266 2046. Partial submissions can also be included.

Primary care medical services benchmarking event

NHS PCC and the NHS Benchmarking Network will hold a full day event on Thursday 26th March 2009 to present the findings from the new primary medical care benchmarking product, illustrate the range of good practice identified across the NHS, and the implications of this for PCTs in becoming world class commissioners. The event will be of interest to PCT board directors, primary care leads, primary care commissioners and WCC commissioning leads.

Attending this event will enable PCTs to gain access to the findings from the first ever comprehensive review of the primary care landscape, discover how their PCT compares with others, place comparisons in WCC context and hear case studies from good practice sites.

This event is only open to subscribing PCTs and places are limited. For further information and booking please click here.

Access and responsiveness to primary medical care services

NHS PCC is working with the DH to support the access and responsiveness agenda to primary medical care services. It is hoped that a primary care services framework to support PCTs and a 'how to' guide to support both PCTs and practices in their implementation of policy will be launched in the spring. More information will follow. Examples of where additional incentives to support continued improvements to access have been commissioned by PCTs would be welcomed and should be sent to your local primary care contracting advisor.

The contribution of pharmacy to making Britain a safer place to take medicines

This report calls for a five to 10 year action plan to be drawn up by pharmacists and other key healthcare providers to improve medicines safety. It also makes recommendations for future practice.

Download the document here.

Decision made in Southampton fluoridation case

Southampton City PCT has welcomed South Central SHA's decision to fluoridate parts of Southampton and south west Hampshire following a public consultation.

Further details are here.

Q2 activity statistics show small upturn in dental access

The proportion of people seeing an NHS dentist in England has risen very slightly for the first time in nearly two years, figures from The NHS Information Centre show today.

NHS dentists saw 52.9 per cent (27.0 million) of the population in the 24 month period ending 30 September 2008. This compares to 52.7 per cent (26.9 million) seen in the previous 24 month period ending 30 June 2008.

However, the number of patients seen is still 3.9 per cent (1.1 million) less than the number seen in the 24 month period ending 31 March 2006, immediately before the new dental contractual arrangements began.

Access the figures here.

Non-private removal centres

From April 2008 the NHS took over responsibility for detainees in non-private removal centres. PCTs may use their discretion as to what dental services to commission for this group, but it would seem reasonable to commission urgent treatment only. The Department of Health has agreed to waive patient charges putting removal centres on a similar footing to NHS hospital treatment for non UK residents. PCTs should not make any re-charge to the Home Office for any dental services provided to detainees.

General Ophthalmic Services: activity statistics to September 2008 now available

Statistics for England and Wales for the period April to September 2008 were published last week on the NHS Information Centre website. Access them here.

Deadline looms for membership of QOF advisory panel

There have been a number of enquiries about membership of the Primary Care Consideration Panel for the QOF indicators from the responses received from the Consultation events: Developing the QOF framework: Proposals for a new independent process.

NICE has formulated this panel into a formal advisory committee, to be called the Primary Care QOF Indicator Advisory Committee. NICE is currently inviting applications for membership and chair of the committee and has set a deadline for applications of 6 March.

Further details are available here.

QOF management guide volume 3 now available

NHS PCC has now published the latest QOF management guide for PCT subscribers. Volume 3 is a performance guide to each individual QOF indicator with assessment and best practice tips. It should be read in context with volumes 1 and 2 and is available here.

QMAS end of year communications

This bulletin gives QMAS users and administrators advice and guidance on the changes to QMAS for year end 08/09.

Download the bulletin here.

The statement of financial entitlement (SFE) for 2008 can be found here.

Contracting Managers x2 - Wolverhampton City PCT

Ref: 799-2711

Subscriber only events

Other

Event open to all

March 2009

• 5th: Bedfordshire & Luton Oral Health Strategy and Commissioning Group - Flitwick Manor, Flitwick MK45 1AE
• 5th - 6th: 2 Day National Conference for Nurses & Health Visitors Working with Asylum Seekers & Refugees - Park Inn York, YO1 6JF
• 5th: Equitable Access To Primary Medical Care - Workshop 3 Re-Run - New Kings Beam House, London, SE1 9BW
• 5th: E Midlands Region: QOF Leads Meeting - Ramada Loughborough, LE11 2QL
• 5th: W Midlands Region: Half-day (Lunch - 16.15) - Implications for PCTs and their practices of the financial changes to GMS for 2009/10 - The Studio, Birmingham,
• 6th: Yorkshire & Humber Focus Group - Holiday Inn Wakefield, WF5 9BE
• 10th: NHS London, SE Coast, S Central and EoE: Building Foundations for World Class Commissioning for Primary Care - Pharmacy - Hilton London Metropole, W2 1JU
• 10th: N E Essex PCT - Tendring CCG Practice Shutdown Event - Marks Tey Hotel, Colchester CO6 1DU
• 11th: NHS South East Coast Transforming Community Services - Hilton Gatwick Airport, Crawley RH6 0LL
• 11th: NHS London Focus Group - De Vere 17 Portland Place, London W1B 1PU
• 11th: N E Essex PCT - Colchester PBC Practice Shutdown Event - Stoke By Nayland Hotel, Colchester CO6 4PZ
• 11th: Acute Workshop for Independent Sector Providers - Holiday Inn London Bloomsbury, WC1N 1HT
• 12th: NHS London; Equitable Access Programme Network Meeting - De Vere 17 Portland Place, London W1B 1PU
• 17th: East of England Regional PCTs Dental Network - Hilton Stansted Airport, Stansted CM24 1SF
• 17th: IAPT Course Clinical Leads & Primary Care Development Day - Marriott Kensington, London SW5 0TH
• 25th: BY INVITATION ONLY - E Midlands Region: Focus Group - Allocation TBC,
• 26th: W Midlands Region: GOS Network - Allocation TBC,
• 26th: Primary Care Medical Services Benchmarking and Good Practice - Business Design Centre, Islington, London N1 0QH
• 26th: NHS London Dental Contracts - De Vere Holborn Bars, London EC1N 2NQ
• 27th: South West Region: Transforming Community Services Roadshow - The Cleve Hotel & Country Club, Wellington TA21 8SN
• 30th: North: Building Foundations for World Class Commissioning: Eye Care - Hilton Leeds, LS1 4BX
• 31st: South West Pharmacy Network Meeting - Holiday Inn Taunton, Taunton TA1 2UA

For further event dates please see www.pcc.nhs.uk/events