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Eye Care

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Primary Medical Care

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Events@PCC

9 September 2009 / Issue 177

The weekly news bulletin from your world class commissioning partner

National insight

A(H1N1) swine influenza: revised planning assumptions published

Ian Dalton has written to all NHS chief executives, NHS chairs, SHA flu leads, local authority chief executives, Monitor and the Care Quality Commission to update them on the publication of the revised planning assumptions.

Prevention of sharps injuries framework agreement

NHS organisations are encouraged to start working towards compliance with the European Commission framework agreement on the prevention of sharps injuries ahead of its ratification. Read the full article here.

Pseudonymisation implementation

The 2009/10 Operating Framework - Informatics Planning, required all NHS organisations to prepare for the implementation of the pseudonymisation of patient data for secondary use purposes. Implementation guidance, a template for creating high level plans and a maturity model for recording progress are available for completion and should be submitted by 2 October 2009.

Taskforce on the health aspects of violence against women and girls

The taskforce reflects the Government's aim to ensure that the NHS is fully engaged addressing violence against women and girls, taking into account its seriousness and the fact that it can have a devastating impact on victims.

This forms part of a cross-government programme on violence against women and girls which seeks to join up existing work across a number of departments. The Home Office consultation exercise carried out earlier in 2009 - Together We Can End Violence Against Women and Girls - looked at what more could be done to challenge attitudes to help women and girls feel safer.

Regional highlight of the week

West Midlands looks at financial implications of dental policy

The West Midlands Primary Care Finance Leads Network meeting will be held on 22 September with a special focus on dentistry. Primary care commissioners are invited to attend the morning session with their primary care finance colleagues to discuss the implications of the Steele Review, the Dental Access Programme and year-end issues relating to 2009/10. Billy Sanghera, finance manager at Heart of Birmingham PCT, is the chair. Please contact him with any suggestions for the agenda.

Please note this event is open to subscribers in the West Midlands region only.

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Commissioning

Commissioning for carers

This guide serves as blueprint for better commissioning for carers. Accompanying the main guide is a shorter action guide for decision-makers which is aimed at directors of adult services, chief executives of primary care trusts and elected members. Key recommendations in the guides include:

think 'carer' in all commissioning and joint strategic needs assessments
improve outcomes, independence and choices for both carers and those they care for
involve carers of all groups and communities in decision-making and planning processes
strengthen the carer support provider market, using a variety of funding approaches

Primary care commissioning for offenders

This event (London, 28 October) will examine the challenges for improving health care for offenders in the prison and community care environment. There will be an opportunity to network with PCT primary care commissioners, police officers, probation staff and prison healthcare providers. A choice of interactive workshops will give attendees the chance of seeing and discussing various ways of tackling these difficult issues.

Aiming high for disabled children: delivering improved health services

This report examines best practice around the country. It draws on examples of services for disabled children that meet users' needs, respond to the government agenda and are effective from both a quality and a cost point of view.

DH seeks views of commissioners of health and wellbeing

The primary care and community services team at the Department of Health is preparing a guide to commissioning health and wellbeing services, which will look at, among others, practical measures of support for commissioners. The DH PCCS team is running an online survey to seek the views of primary care and practice-based commissioners.

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Primary Medical Care

QOF under the spotlight

The National Primary Care Research and Development Centre has produced a summary of research on the quality and outcomes framework (QOF). The document focuses on exception reporting, health inequalities, the impact of incentives and future changes to QOF.

Trends in consultation rates in general practice: 1995 to 2009

The NHS Information Centre has updated the latest findings from last year's Trends in Consultation Rates in General Practice. Originally published on 30 September 2008, the report now includes data from 2008/09.

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Pharmacy

Building foundations for WCC: pharmacy fitness to practise and discipline committees

This event will cover the two sets of NHS regulations that give PCTs the powers to address performance concerns:

NHS (Pharmaceutical Services) Regulations 2005 - the framework within which to take action if a chemist's professional conduct, competence or performance gives cause for concern.
NHS (Service Committees and Tribunal) Regulations 1992 - the framework within which PCTs can take action for a perceived breach of terms of service.

Attendees will be able to work through the regulations, learn how to apply them and then try out their learning on some case studies. The event is aimed at PCT staff and support agencies who:

process applications from new pharmacy contractors to join the pharmaceutical list
are involved in the performance management of the community pharmacy contractual framework
are members of PCT committees that deal with poor performance concerns.

Safety in doses: improving the use of medicines in the NHS

This review of medication incidents across the NHS in England and Wales aims to help ensure that medicines are used safely and prevent similar incidents from happening again. It identifies risks and areas for action based on a detailed analysis of 72,482 medication incidents.

Community pharmacists included on H1N1 vaccination list

A letter has been sent to PCT chief executives, LPC secretaries and SHA flu leads to advise that community pharmacists and staff who have regular clinical contact with patients will be eligible for inclusion in the priority list for the H1N1 vaccination. The letter has been signed by Ian Dalton, national director of NHS flu resilience and Sue Sharpe, chief executive of PSNC, following discussions to clarify the initial announcement of the priority H1N1 vaccination programme.

Pharmacists could enhance asthma and COPD care

Pharmacists are being urged to identify and refer patients with chronic lung and other conditions who have problems with their medication, following research showing that two-thirds of asthma and COPD patients are under-using preventer inhalers and risking unnecessary breathing problems.

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Dentistry

New oral healthcare domiciliary guidance published

The chief dental officer Barry Cockcroft has launched new guidance on providing oral healthcare domiciliary services on behalf of the British Society for Disability and Oral Health (BSDH). The guidance, launched on 19 August, is now live on the BSDH website.

Launch of new MHRA public consultation - sale, supply and administration of medicines by dental hygienists and dental therapists under a patient group direction

A new public consultation (MLX 362) is seeking views on proposals to amend medicines legislation to enable dental hygienists and dental therapists to sell, supply and administer medicines under a patient group direction (PGD).

Following the consultation, the Commission on Human Medicines (CHM) will be asked to make formal recommendations to ministers, in light of the responses received, on the proposals.

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Eye Care

Building foundations for world class commissioning of primary care: eye care

This event (London, 29 September) is an induction programme for staff new to primary care or new to eye care services. Its aim is to:

provide an understanding of the contractual and regulatory framework underpinning NHS primary eye care services
raise awareness of the evolution of NHS primary eye care services provision
raise awareness of the process for monitoring of existing and new optical contracts
raise awareness of the sources and application of information for monitoring primary eye care contracts.

Costco update

Following last year's consideration, the FHSAA has finally decided that it is not necessary to make an order for national disqualification against Costco. It follows that Costco is free to make a fresh application for a GOS contract to any PCT, including those from which it has withdrawn. A considered decision can then be made at local level as to whether or not any changes effected to the business model and premises of Costco fully comply with the current GOS contracts regulations. The FHSAA decision was issued in June 2009.

FHSAA unsuitability case decision

An unsuitability case has been determined by the FHSAA in favour of Manchester PCT. This is the first such decision under the GOS regulations 2008 of which PCC is aware.

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Posts@PCC

Opportunity to work for PCC's dental team

PCC is looking to grow its dental team and we want dental commissioners to join us. The role will include working directly with PCTs across the country to train and support their dental teams to manage contracts. Training will be provided and the individuals will be supported by our experts. This opportunity is for six months and would suit a secondment or fixed term contract. To register your interest or for more information contact PCC associate director Barbara Dingley.

Primary Care Commissioning Manager (Dental Lead) Mid Essex PCT

More information

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Events@PCC

Subscriber only events

Other

Event open to all NHS

September 2009

October 2009

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

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Contact and support details

PCC subscriber queries should be sent to the helpdesk. Alternatively, please contact your local PCCA.

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