Swine flu: guidance for planners

The Department of Health and the Cabinet Office have published new guidance to support pandemic planners based on the latest science and understanding of the swine flu virus. The latest evidence indicates that the pandemic may peak at a lower rate than we originally thought, but does not suggest that there should be any change to our response in terms of ensuring the NHS and social care organisations are as prepared and resilient as possible for the winter months.

Direct payment for health care: a consultation on proposals for regulations and guidance

This consultation document seeks views on the Government's proposals for piloting direct payments for health care. This is part of the wider pilot programme to explore personal health budgets announced in High Quality Care For All.

Personal health budgets are intended to help create a more personalised NHS, by giving people more control over their care. PCTs are already able to offer personal budgets that do not involve giving money directly to individuals. The Health Bill, which has now completed its main parliamentary stages, would extend these options by providing power to allow direct payments, where the individual would be given the money to buy their own health care as agreed in a care plan.

Continued innovation in primary care key to future of NHS

An innovative primary care sector holds the key to the success of the NHS in the difficult times ahead, health minister Mike O'Brien told an audience of GPs, practice nurses, primary care clinicians and managers. Speaking at the NHS Alliance annual conference, he set out the importance of primary care, as NHS budget growth slows, building on the strong foundations laid over recent years. The full article is available on the Department of Health website.

Non-executive directors announced for new adjudication body for health professionals

The Department of Health, the General Medical Council (GMC) and the General Optical Council (GOC) welcomed the appointments of Andrew Colquhoun and Pamela Charlwood as the first two non-executive directors of the new Office of the Health Professions Adjudicator (OHPA). The Office of the Health Professions Adjudicator will deal with cases referred to it by the GMC and subsequently the GOC.

North-west GOS network

The network meeting will allow leads to discuss the latest hot topics in primary eye care services and will focus on the world class commissioning guide to improving primary eye health services and the UK Vision Strategy. The meeting in Manchester on 29 October will be facilitated by Rob Haley, PCCA for the north-west; guest speakers will include John Hearnshaw, NHS PCC specialist advisor for eye care and Anita Lightstone, project director UK Vision Strategy, RNIB.

This network is specifically for subscribers from the north-west region only. The network is aimed PCT eye care leads and advisors, including primary care shared service agencies. Please note this event is not open to local ophthalmic committee (LOC) members or independent optometrists.

Reviewing patients who have waited longer than 18 weeks

As set out in David Flory's Quarter 4 2008-09 report, PCTs need to understand and act upon the reasons for any unnecessary waits over 18 weeks. This guidance suggests methods for reviewing and reporting waits and for driving further improvements in patient experience.

New guidance for good practice for learning disability partnership boards

In Valuing People Now (2009) the DH undertook to publish a range of guidance for learning disability partnership boards to assist them in delivering on the goals set out in the strategy. The good practice guidance, 'Good Learning Disability Partnership Boards: Making it happen for everyone' was launched at the NCAS conference on 21 October.

North-west WCC of Primary & Community Care Services event

This event in Bolton on 24 November will focus on world class commissioning to improve patient care in primary and community settings. Workshops include a review of the 'transforming community services' agenda - how this supports integrated models of care, and the use of knowledge management in making better informed commissioning decisions.

The event is aimed at directors and assistant directors of commissioning; primary care and PBC leads and medical directors.

Managing patients medicines after discharge from hospital

This guide is for health visitors and their teams, provider managers, commissioners and educationalists. It sets out the contribution that health visitors and teams can make to health and wellbeing and public health.

Communities for Health: unlocking the energy within communities to improve health

The Care Quality Commission has published findings from its study of how well patients' medication is managed after leaving hospital. It visited 12 PCTs, as commissioners of GP and hospital care, and surveyed 280 GP practices. The report suggests that the NHS may be at risk of failing to prevent harm to patients from medicines unless it improves sharing of vital information when people move between services.

Pandemic flu templates

Templates to support PCTs in planning and responding to capacity challenges in the management of pandemic flu are now available.

These templates have been developed by NHS PCC to support Pandemic Flu: Planning & Responding to Capacity Challenges (the relevant guidance) issued in August 2009 by the Department of Health and must be used in conjunction with that guidance.

These include:

• Notification form for practices considering reducing services during the pandemic
• Standard response template A: PCT agrees with and supports practice in reducing services
• Standard response template B: where there may be financial consequences to the practice if services are withdrawn
• Template for emergency practice closure (with GMS contract clauses)

The templates are available here. The DES template is awaited.

H1N1 swine flu vaccination programme 2009-2010: repackaging packs of vaccine for onward distribution

Letter from the chief pharmaceutical officer regarding H1N1 swine flu vaccination programme.

Information governance requirements for community pharmacy

The consultative version of the information governance toolkit for community pharmacy is now available at www.igt.connectingforhealth.nhs.uk. SHA information governance leads have been asked to send a supporting briefing document to PCT information governance leads and PCT medicines management teams. In recognition that the toolkit will be new to most community pharmacies, a dedicated helpdesk has been set-up to deal with any queries that arise for PCTs and community pharmacies; this can be accessed either by email at pharmacy.assurance@nhs.net or by telephone on 0113 394 6540. The PSNC has also communicated with community pharmacies, with information available at http://www.psnc.org.uk/pages/ig.html.

Research summaries from white paper communications programme

The DH has published the final research summaries that were carried out as part of the white paper communications programme. They are the qualitative research undertaken amongst the pharmacy profession and the quantitative consumer research.

General Pharmaceutical Council (Constitution) Order 2009: a paper for consultation

The draft General Pharmaceutical Council (Constitution) Order sets out the proposed constitution of the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC), the new regulator for pharmacy professionals and pharmacy premises in England, Wales and Scotland. The GPhC will be established on the making of the Pharmacy Order 2009 by the Privy Council.

GDC clarifies roles of the Dental Complaints Service and fitness to practise procedures

The General Dental Council (GDC) has set up a complaints resolution service that is separate from its fitness to practise process. Called the Dental Complaints Service, its main aim is to resolve complaints about private dental treatment. This document helps to identify which organisation is best placed to resolve a particular issue.

Dentistry issues aired at Westminster

The all-party parliamentary group for dentistry held its first meeting since the summer recess. Two speakers addressed the meeting: Nigel Carter, chief executive of the British Dental Health Foundation and Kelly Nizzer, dental and ophthalmic services senior commissioning manager of NHS Hounslow. Further detail is available on the BDA website.

NADA event focuses on challenges of managing change

The National Association of Dental Advisers' NADA 2009 annual event takes place on 12 and 13 November in London. Entitled Managing Change in a Changing World, the event is aimed at PCT dental teams including commissioners, contract managers and dental public health consultants. It will be opened by the chief dental officer Barry Cockroft with other senior figures in the world of dentistry expected to attend. Contact NADA for further details.

Optometric Advisers' Group meeting

The Optometric Advisers' Group (OAG) is to hold the second of its two annual meetings on 12 November in Birmingham.

The event is only open to organisations which are members of the OAG and should appeal to PCT optometric advisors and PCT managers with responsibility for eye care as authorised by the OAG membership rules.

Commissioning Manager - NHS Leicester City

More information

Subscriber only events

Other

Event open to all NHS

October 2009

• 29th: NW: GOS Network Meeting - Ramada Manchester Piccadilly, M1 4PH

November 2009

• 3rd: EM: Community Pharmacy Network - Springfield House Business and Conference Centre, Grantham NG31 7BG
• 3rd: LDN: South East Primary Care Leads Network - In Tuition House, London SE1 1JX
• 5th: WM: Analytical Skills Workshop - Clarendon Suites, Birmingham B16 9SB
• 5th: EoE: NHS PCC Steering Group and Primary Care Commissioning Leads meetings - Great Hallingbury Manor, Bishop's Stortford CM227TJ
• 5th: EoE: Primary Care Commissioning and Primary Care Contracting leads - Great Hallingbury Manor, Bishop's Stortford CM227TJ
• 11th: Building Foundations for World Class Commissioning of Primary Care: QOF Level 1 - Park Inn Russell Square, London WC1B 4BH
• 11th: SW: Contract management event - Cleve Hotel & Country Club, Somerset TA21 8SN
• 11th: SC: Primary Care Leads and World Class Commissioning Workshop - Shaw House, Newbury RG14 2DR
• 12th: BY INVITATION ONLY: Optometric Adviser's Group Meeting - Holiday Inn Birmingham City Centre, B5 4EW
• 12th: EM: Contract Management Event (+ Lunch) - Park Inn Nottingham, NG5 2BT
• 12th: LDN: North East Primary Care Leads Network - Bonhill House, London EC2A 4BX
• 12th: LDN: North Central Primary Care Leads Network - Friends House, London NW1 2BJ
• 13th: WM: Working Group for Annual Medical Services Contract Review - Holiday Inn Express Redditch, B97 6AE
• 18th: EoE Regional Dental Network - Hilton Stansted Airport, CM24 1SF
• 18th: South West Dental Network workshop - Lyngford House, Taunton TA2 8HD
• 19th: WM: Pharmacy Leads Network - Clarendon Suites, Birmingham B16 9SB
• 19th: SEC:Community Pharmacy Services - Strategic Network Meeting - Mercure London Gatwick Hotel, Gatwick RH6 0BE
• 19th: LDN: North West Primary Care Leads Network - Friends House, London NW1 2BJ
• 20th: WM: Building Foundations for World Class Commissioning: Dental Level 1 - Holiday Inn Bromsgrove, Bromsgrove B61 9AB
• 24th: NW World Class Commissioning of Primary & Community Care Services - Mercure Last Drop Village Hotel & Spa Bolton, Bolton BL7 9PZ
• 24th: LDN: Finance Network - Friends House, London NW1 2BJ
• 24th: Building Foundations for World Class Commissioning of Primary Care: Pharmacy Level 2 - Thistle Kingsley, London WC1A 2SD
• 25th: LDN: QOF Assessor Training - Thistle Grosvenor, London SW1W 0SJ
• 26th: YH: Primary Care Policy Leads and Pharmacy Network meetings - Holiday Inn Wakefield, WF5 9BE
• 26th: WM: Building Foundations for World Class Commissioning: Dental Level 1 - Holiday Inn Stoke-on-Trent, ST5 4DL
• 27th: SW : World Class Commissioning of Pharmaceutical Services in the South West - South West House, Taunton TA1 2PX
• 30th: Help us help you to breathe more easily - Thorpe Park Hotel, Leeds LS15 8ZB

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