New Secretary of State for Health

Andy Burnham has been appointed Secretary of State for Health as Alan Johnson moves to become Home Secretary. Andy Burnham was Secretary of State at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

More information is available on the Department's website

Health Bill: second reading - briefing paper available

The King's Fund has produced this briefing ahead of the second reading of the Health Bill in the House of Commons. The briefing examines the measures outlined in the Bill to introduce a Constitution for the NHS; pilot direct payments for patients; require providers of NHS-funded care to produce annual quality accounts; and make further provisions on tobacco control.

Freedom of information in the NHS

This briefing aims to help NHS organisations fulfil the spirit of the freedom of information legislation in the most timely and efficient way. It includes a checklist to provide guidance to trusts on what the best procedures are and where they are entitled to turn down requests.

Women and medicine: the future

This report was commissioned following heightened interest in the increasing number of women entering the medical profession at undergraduate level. The aim of the report and its recommendations is to guide the profession and policy makers towards the development of a high quality workforce.

World-class commissioning best practice events

The Department of Health and NHS Elect are running a series of events on best practice in world-class commissioning (WCC) in July.Each of the events looks at a different subset of WCC competencies and will offer streamed workshops covering relevant topics. Places are free of charge to all PCT staff involved in investment, commissioning and stakeholder engagement.

Leeds: WCC best practice: engagement and investment prioritisation
Monday 6 July - competencies 1,2,3,4 and 6

Bristol: WCC best practice: assessing needs & high quality services
Wednesday 8 July - competencies 5 and 8

London: WCC best practice: market development & management
Wednesday 15 July - competencies 7, 9 and 10

Birmingham: WCC best practice: excellence in governance
Thursday 16 July - ensuring that the board has taken ownership and developed a strategy backed up by a sound financial plan

Commissioning mental health care in the criminal justice system: 10 top tips for PCT boards

According to this report, the NHS should be offering people with mental health problems more support when they are in the criminal justice system. The document sets out 10 questions PCT board members can ask to find out how well their PCT is serving prisoners and offenders in their area. The questions include funding of prison mental health care, support for the most vulnerable offenders and resettlement for ex-prisoners as well designated places of safety for people in need of urgent care away from police custody.

Updated FAQ on DES for people with learning disabilities

This document providing answers to frequently asked questions about the clinical DES for people with learning disabilities has been revised and updated.

Supporting people with autism through adulthood

This report examines the range of services for adults with autism and their carers in England, including health and social care, education, benefits and employment support. The report explores the possible impacts of providing specialised health, social care and employment support for adults with high-functioning autism. It concludes that wider implementation of such services would require an estimated additional expenditure of £40 million per year by PCTs and local authorities to provide specialised health and social care teams across the whole of England.

IAPT data set consultation

The Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) programme is currently working with the Information Standards Board (ISB) to develop a national information standard for improving access to psychological therapies. The programme is required to verify and document the utility of the IAPT minimum data set. Central to this is the principle that data collection should be proportionate to the treatment being offered, and integrated with clinical priorities. A consultation is under way to seek views on the current data set and data set omissions. Comments must be submitted by 30 June 2009.

GP patient survey: guidance for PCTs on QOF patient experience indicators

This interim guidance was produced to support verification of QOF indicators related to the GP patient survey.

Better, safer doctors: implementing medical revalidation

From autumn 2009 all doctors who wish to practise medicine in the UK will require a Licence to Practise. This is the first step in introducing a system for regularly checking and assuring every doctor's continued fitness to practise, known as revalidation. This briefing explains the key elements of the process, sets out the various roles and responsibilities, and discusses the areas that remain to be resolved as revalidation gets underway.

Building Foundations level 1 - primary medical care

This event in Leeds on 24 June, aimed at existing and new managers in PCTs, will explore commissioning, contractual, financial, management and performance issues around primary medical care in the context of world-class commissioning.

Local services model contract available in Word version

A Word version of the local pharmaceutical services model contract, as approved by the Department of Health, is now available on the PCC website.

Boxing Day 2009

The PSNC has recently issued guidance to pharmacy contractors concerning Boxing Day 2009. This year, 26 December is a Saturday and consequently the Boxing Day bank holiday is Monday 28 December. Therefore pharmacies are required to open for their usual hours on the Saturday unless they notify the PCT of their intention to close with at least 90 days notice (in the case of supplementary hours) or successfully apply to the PCT to close at least 90 days in advance (in the case of core hours). Further details of the information given to contractors can be found on the PSNC website.

PCTs should therefore assess their need for the provision of pharmaceutical services over the extended Christmas weekend to ensure they are able to make evidence-based decisions on applications to vary core hours.

PCTs should note that under the current regulations 100 hour pharmacies are unable to apply to vary their core hours and so are required to open on Saturday 26 December. An outcome is awaited on this issue, which was consulted on as part of the Pharmacy White Paper.

Regulatory powers to address performance concerns -- event

This event in Solihull on 23 June will explain to PCTs how to work through and apply the regulations that allow them to address performance concerns. The event is aimed at PCTs and others who process applications from contractors seeking to join the pharmaceutical list or are involved in performance management.

BDA dental conference 2009

The 2009 BDA dental conference, entitled 'Dentistry is transforming', took place last week in Glasgow. Speakers included PCT dental commissioning leads, dentists and members of the Department of Health dental team. NHS PCC co-hosted exhibition space with NHS Dental Services for the duration of the conference. An event report is on the PCC website.

New dental survey - treating children

New research has been commissioned by the National Institute for Health Research Health Technology Assessment unit to compare the following ways of managing tooth decay in children:

• conventional fillings
• biological treatment of decay
• techniques recommended in the DH preventive toolkit

Salaried dental services benchmarking - week three of data collection

The salaried dental benchmarking project is now in its third week of data collection. The deadline for submissions is Friday 26 June. The project Q&A on the PCC website has been updated.

Minor revisions to optical practice visit form

A revised version of the optical practice visit form is now available. The minor revisions include the removal of the former requirement for optical practices to be registered with the Health and Safety Executive and/or the local authority for health and safety purposes which has been withdrawn from 31 March 2009. It is also now left to the discretion of the individual optometric advisor to determine what an adequate testing distance is in any particular set of circumstances. The zip file has been similarly amended.

Saving money on eye tests could cost your sight, warns IGA

The International Glaucoma Association (IGA) is urging patients to resist the temptation of putting off having a regular sight test during the credit crunch. As part of National Glaucoma Awareness Week (8 to 14 June) the IGA is promoting routine tests as one of the main ways to tackle the leading cause of preventable blindness in the UK. More information is available on the IGA website.

PCC 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.

Subscriber only events

Other

Event open to all NHS

June 2009

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: London; Dental Access - Workshop 1 - Thistle Marble Arch, W1H 7EH
• 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: YH Primary Care Dental Network (Inc Lunch) - Holiday Inn Wakefield, WF5 9BE
• 25th: WM QOF Changes 09/10 - Crowne Plaza Birmingham, Birmingham B1 1HH
• 25th: YH Primary Care Optometry Network (Inc Lunch) - Holiday Inn Wakefield, WF5 9BE
• 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

World-class commissioning on show at Healthcare Innovation Expo

A world-class commissioning cinema will feature at Healthcare Innovation Expo on 18 and 19 June in London. To find out more, watch the trailer or visit the website and follow the seminar programme link from the home page.

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