The NHS Constitution: all you need to know about how the NHS Constitution affects you as a provider or commissioner of NHS care

This leaflet is aimed at NHS staff. It gives background information about the NHS Constitution, and explains those parts that are most relevant to NHS staff.

Heatwave plan for England 2009

The purpose of this plan is to enhance resilience in the event of a heatwave and is a component of overall emergency planning. It replaces the 2008 plan. Additional guidance is provided for the role of strategic health authorities and government offices at regional level for each of the four heatwave levels.

National innovation and improvement survey

The NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement has launched the first nationwide innovation and improvement survey specifically designed for the NHS. It aims to give all NHS staff an opportunity to influence the national innovation and improvement agenda. The survey closes on 8 June 2009.

World class commissioning monthly update May 2009

This letter from Gary Belfield gives an update on the world class commissioning programme covering evaluation of the assurance process, the announcement of the integrated care pilots and practice-based commissioning improvement team visits.

Consultation on new registration standards for providers of health or adult social care

From April 2010, providers that run healthcare or adult social care services must be registered with the Care Quality Commission. They will only be registered if they meet essential common standards of safety and quality. The Government will set the 'registration requirements' in law. The Care Quality Commission has produced guidance that makes clear to providers what they will need to do to meet these requirements and is seeking views on this draft guidance. The deadline for comments is 24 August 2009.

Second series of Building Foundation events

NHS PCC is running a second series of level 1 Building Foundations events. The first on dentistry takes place this Friday in London. It will be followed by a medical event on 24 June in Leeds.

These events provide an induction or introduction/refresher for PCT managers in primary care commissioning and contracting. Other events are available for more experienced managers.

Further information is on the events pages of the PCC website.

Understanding what matters: a guide to using patient feedback to transform care

This guide sets out best practice in terms of collecting, analysing and using patient feedback to transform services. It also includes examples of how the NHS is already using feedback from patients to get results.

Personal development awareness-raising events

These events aim to support PCTs to develop their workforce and realise benefits for the organisation in the journey to becoming world-class commissioners. Key dates are:

• 26 June, Birmingham
• July, London

Speakers will include Clive Hutchinson, managing director of Cougar Automation, winner of the Sunday Times Best Company to Work For award, Professor Patricia Oakley and Peter Mackie OBE.

The event is aimed at anyone charged with leading and developing PCTs and those involved in the primary care commissioning cycle. Further details are on the PCC events pages.

Service framework on accessibility and responsiveness

A new primary care service framework to support improvements in the accessiblility and responsiveness of GP services has been developed. This forms part of a suite of documents to support PCTs and practices that will be published over the coming months to support improvements in access and responsiveness.

PCTs can use this framework to negotiate local incentive schemes, capital grants and local enhanced services using the £50m (within their baselines) that was agreed as part of the 08/09 GMS contract negotiations for local investment in improving access and responsiveness.

Primary medical services: useful documents

This paper lists various regulations, directions and guidance relating to primary care medical services.

QOF business ruleset v14

The QOF business ruleset version 14 reflecting changes to QOF for 2009/10 is now available.

This should be used for all matters relating to the technical requirements for recording QOF information on the new, revised and unchanged indicators.

The QOF Management Guide volume 3 is being updated to reflect the new business ruleset and the QOF changes for 2009/10.

Assessment tool for CVD

NICE has recommended in its lipid modification guidance that Framingham should be used to calculate 10-year risk of cardiovascular disease. Currently, there are no Read codes available for Framingham CVD scores and these have now been requested.

For full details see the New@PCC special edition sent to QOF leads last week. Further information is on the Department of Health and British Hypertension Society websites.

Rural contractor GPs earn more on average than urban GPs, report shows

Contractor GPs working in rural practices earn more on average than those in urban practices, according to a report from The NHS Information Centre.

An analysis of tax returns for contractor GPs - who account for the majority of GPs in the UK - shows rural GPs have a higher average income before tax, gross earnings and expenses than urban GPs, according to The GP Earnings and Expenses Enquiry 2006/07 Final Report.

Joint documents promote pharmacy to the NHS

Two jointly badged publications from pharmacy organisations CCA, NPA, RPSGB, PSNC and AIMp have been published this week. The documents, produced in collaboration with the NHS Alliance, are part of a strategy to promote the role of pharmacists to commissioners, managers, general practitioners and others in primary care. The documents also seek to influence the commissioning of pharmacy services by PCTs under world-class commissioning and the integration of pharmacy into practice-based commissioning.

Building Foundations fitness to practise and pharmacy discipline committees event

This event in Solihull will cover the powers of PCTs to address performance concerns at pharmacy contractor level. It will refer both to the 1992 framework for action by PCTs over breach of terms of service and the 2005 regulations for chemists' conduct competence and performance.

Agenda and booking information are on the events pages of the PCC website.

Variation notices for GDS contracts and PDS agreements to bring contracts in line with current regulations

The text of both the Standard General Dental Services Variation Notice 2009 and the Personal Dental Services Agreements Variation Notice 2009 have been prepared by the Department of Health's solicitors. Both are prepared on the basis that the numbering adopted in the signed contract or agreement follows that used in the Standard General Dental Services Contract and PDS Agreement templates dated 2006. Revised standard contract and agreement templates, which incorporate these changes, are available for new contracts and agreements and supersede those published in 2006.

Salaried dental benchmarking project

The salaried dental benchmarking project is now in its second week of data collection. The deadline for submissions is Friday 26 June, 2009.

The aims of the project are to map SPDCS provision in England, identify range and types of service, provide accurate resourcing data and identify areas of good practice.

A Q&A is available on the PCC website. If you want to take part in the project contact elizabeth.stopp@pcc.nhs.uk.

Dental access webpages launched

PCC has launched the new dental access programme webpages. The pages set out the aims of the programme, the four workstreams, and resources now available or in production to support PCTs in improving access to NHS dental services. See www.pcc.nhs.uk/dentalaccess for further details.

Dental access newsletter - a reminder

A monthly newsletter provides updates on the programme. If you would like to subscribe to Access@dental please contact Linda Joy at linda.joy@pcc.nhs.uk.

NHS Information Centre issues statistics on dental prescribing

The Information Centre released statistics on dental prescribing based on data supplied by the Prescription Services division of the NHS Business Services Authority. The figures indicate that dentists continue to prescribe medicines responsibly. They also indicate that dentists prescribed more than three times as much high-concentration fluoride toothpaste in 2008 than in the previous year.

Proportion of people seeing an NHS dentist rises for second consecutive period

The proportion of people seeing an NHS dentist in England has risen for the second consecutive period, according to figures from The NHS Information Centre.

NHS dentists saw 53.4 per cent (27.3 million) of the population in the 24 month period ending 31 December 2008. This compares to 52.9 per cent (27.0 million) seen in the previous 24 month period ending 30 September 2008.

First national orthodontic commissioning education day

The British Orthodontic Society has announced today that it is organising the first National Orthodontic Commissioning Education Day in September 2009. The day is aimed at individuals or organisations who are directly or indirectly involved in commissioning NHS orthodontic services. More information and a booking is available from www.bos.org.uk.

Student retention: don't miss 15 July

The General Optical Council (GOC) is reminding all student registrants to apply for retention by 15 July 2009, or face a late application penalty. There are now nine weeks to go until the deadline and so far, 1091 students have successfully renewed their registration for 2009-10. This leaves 3241 applications still outstanding.

Primary Care Contracting Advisor (PCCA) - East of England/South East Coast

NHS PCC is looking to expand its PCCA capacity in the East of England/South East Coast by the appointment of a full time PCCA. This post will be offered on a 12 month secondment or fixed term contract basis.

This is an exciting opportunity for the right candidate to join the NHS PCC team. The post holder will be responsible for supporting delivery of regional PCT programmes in the East of England and South East Coastal areas and may also be involved in national work. The focus will be on primary medical care, community pharmacy, dental, eye care, contractual arrangements and related policy areas. Applicants should therefore ideally have experience of commissioning and contracting primary care services.

Further information and a job description can be obtained from Rebecca Thornley at rebecca.thornley@pcc.nhs.uk.

Written applications/expressions of interest should be received by Friday 12 June 2009.

Head of Contracting - Trafford PCT

Details

Subscriber only events

Other

Event open to all NHS

June 2009

• 4th: SEC; Dental Access - Workshop 1 - Sofitel London Gatwick, RH6 0PH
• 4th: WM; Primary Care Leads Meeting (inc lunch) - Maple House, Birmingham, B4 6TB
• 4th: WM; Steering Group Meeting (inc lunch) - Maple House, Birmingham, B4 6TB
• 4th: EM Dental Network - Holiday Inn Sandiacre, NG10 5NJ
• 4th: By Invitation Only: LDN Network PC Premises Leads Meeting - Thistle Marble Arch, London, London W1H 7EH
• 5th: Building Foundations Towards World Class Commissioning for Primary Care - Dental Level 1 - Guoman Tower, London E1W 1LD
• 5th: EM Community Pharmacy Network - Ramada Jarvis Leicester, LE1 6ES
• 9th: WM; Dental Access - Workshop 1 - Aston Business School, Birmingham B4 7ET
• 9th: London: Dental Access Solutions - County Hall Park Plaza, London SE1 7RY
• 9th: NW QOF assessor training - Doubletree by Hilton Chester hotel , Chester CH2 3PD
• 9th: South West Eyecare Network Meeting - Cleve Hotel & Country Club, Wellington TA21 8SN
• 10th: South Central World Class Commissioning - Newbury Racecourse, Berkshire RG14 7NZ
• 11th: South West Home Oxygen Service Event - Cleve Hotel & Country Club, Wellington TA21 8SN
• 12th: NHS London; Procurement Network Meeting - De Vere 17 Portland Place, London W1B 1PU
• 12th: WM; Primary Medical Services Contract Management - Maple House, Birmingham, B4 6TB
• 16th: South West Dental Network Event - Holiday Inn Taunton, TA1 2UA
• 17th: W Midlands: (lunch + p.m.) 5% Random Check Process for 2008/09 - Plough & Harrow, Edgbaston B16 8LS
• 17th: NW; Dental Access - Workshop 1 - Ramada Manchester Piccadilly, M1 4PH
• 17th: W Midlands: (a.m.+ lunch) Implications of Prevalence Changes for 09/10 and 10/11 for PCTs & for University Practices & Practices With Low Prevalence - Plough & Harrow, Edgbaston B16 8LS
• 23rd: Building Foundations: Fitness to Practise and Discipline Committee - St Johns Hotel, Solihull B91 1AT
• 24th: Building Foundations Towards World Class Commissioning for Primary Care - Medical Level 1 - Village Leeds South, Tingley LS27 0TS
• 24th: NW: 5% random counter fraud checks for QOF - De Vere Daresbury Park, Warrington WA4 4BB
• 25th: Urgent care: a practical guide to transforming same-day care in general practice - King's Fund, London W1A 0AX
• 25th: WM QOF Changes 09/10 - Crowne Plaza Birmingham, Birmingham B1 1HH
• 26th: EoE Primary Care finance leads network - Hilton Stansted Airport, Stansted CM24 1SF
• 26th: WCC Competencies - Personal Development Awareness (Midlands) - Crowne Plaza Birmingham, Birmingham B1 1HH
• 30th: World Class Commissioning of Pharmacy Services and Pharmaceutical Needs Assessments - Millennium Gloucester Hotel, SW7 4LH
• 30th: NW: Primary Care Leads Meeting - Radisson SAS Hotel Manchester Airport, Manchester M90 3RA
• 30th: NW: Primary Care Steering Group Network - Radisson SAS Hotel Manchester Airport, Manchester M90 3RA

Other events

IMHS offers free four-day training course

The National Mental Health Development Unit is organising a free four-day IMHA training. There are several places available in almost all regions especially in South East (Gatwick) and South Central regions (Newbury), as well as East Midlands (Nottingham). Attendance is subject to the following conditions.

1. places are limited to two persons per one organisation.
2. places are only open to existing IMHAs who work in services commissioned by PCTs or other approved providers.
3. confirmation that applicants are currently an IMHA working for an organisation commissioned by a Primary Care Trust or other authorised provider delivering an IMHA Service.

For further details, please contact Marketa.Simonova@nmhdu.org.uk.

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