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25 August 2010 / Issue 226 |
| The weekly news bulletin from your commissioning partner |
| NHS Primary Care Commissioning provides local support to improve commissioning of patient care, aiming to increase quality, productivity and supporting innovation. Visit the website for more information. NHS PCC works in parallel with Primary Care Commissioning Community Interest Company. |
Editorial submissions
If you have a story that you think might interest readers of New@PCC, please contact editorial@pcc.nhs.uk.
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National insight |
111 - the new number for the future of non-emergency health services
A new three-digit number, 111, will make it easier for patients to access non-emergency NHS healthcare wherever they are, 24 hours a day. The new service, launched in part of the north-east of England, marks the first step towards a national roll out.
Manual for Cancer Services 2008: psychological support measures
Following a three month consultation, the final psychological support measures are published for inclusion in the Manual for Cancer Services.
A framework for managing staff costs in a period of spending reduction
This paper sets out a framework for effective management of staff costs in a challenging environment of cost reduction in public services. It builds on the high level principles set out in the National Audit Office's short guide to structured cost reduction.
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Regional highlight of the week |
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London: local pharmaceutical services procurement
This half-day event on 9 September is to raise awareness and increase understanding of Local Pharmaceutical Services contracts, and to highlight the differences between LPS and general pharmaceutical services framework and funding streams. The event will cover how PCTs decide on whether or not to use LPS contracts, the process for procuring contracts, and what needs to happen after procurement. See the PCC event pages for details.
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Commissioning |
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Performers' list management - PCT and shared services agency contacts
PCTs have all recently undertaken a review of their performer list management arrangements as required by the Department of Health.
Staff with responsibilities for the operational management of performer lists report that they are spending significant amounts of time trying to find out who to contact in other PCTs or shared services agencies when they have queries regarding individual performers.
To assist PCTs, we have compiled a list of contact details for PCTs which can be found here. If you wish to add or amend contact details please email maria.axford@pcc.nhs.uk.
Best practice guidance for managing appointment slot issues in Choose and Book
This document, aimed at commissioners and all providers (acute trusts, PCTs, the independent sector) with directly bookable services on Choose and Book, sets out the process to follow when no appointment slots with the provider of choice are available to patients, referrers or the national appointments lines. Download the guidance from the DH website.
BMA issues statement on the principles of GP commissioning
This statement from the British Medical Association (BMA) outlines its views on the fundamental principles underlying the development of GP commissioning. The BMA argues that these principles should be used to define policy, inform debate and negotiations and ensure that good medical practice is enshrined within the changes to the NHS outlined by the white paper.
NHS referral to treatment waiting times data, June 2010
DH has published data on consultant-led referral to treatment (RTT) waiting times for patients who were treated during June 2010. In total, 323,000 admitted patients and 960,000 non-admitted patients, for whom English commissioners are responsible, completed their RTT pathway during June 2010. See the press release for details.
Improving access to psychological therapies (IAPT) year one sites data review
Improving access to psychological therapies is a programme designed to make psychological therapies for common mental health problems widely available. Following pilot work in Doncaster and Newham, the first wave of rollout sites started operation in 2008. This report is a study of their work in the year from October 2008 to September 2009.
Statistics on NHS stop smoking services 2009/10
This annual report presents results from the monitoring of the NHS stop smoking services (NHS SSS) in England during the period April 2009 to March 2010.
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Primary Medical Care |
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NICE welcomes topic suggestions for 2013/14 Quality and Outcomes Framework
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) invites anyone with an interest in health to contribute to the development of the 2013/14 Quality Outcomes Framework (QOF). The online topic suggestion facility will allow stakeholders to submit ideas for potential new indicators based on NICE guidance or other NHS Evidence accredited sources. Everyone, including health professionals, patients, community groups and voluntary organisations is encouraged to take part using the online topic suggestion facility available on the NICE website.
The first phase of topic suggestion for the 2013/14 QOF opened on Monday 23 August; the facility will be open for four weeks and will close on Monday 20 September. When this four-week period closes each suggestion will be reviewed against criteria provided in the submission form and suitable suggestions for the QOF will be presented to the independent Primary Care QOF Advisory Committee to consider for indicator development.
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Pharmacy |
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Disposal of unwanted drugs
Pharmacies are required to dispose of unwanted drugs in certain circumstances. This briefing will assist PCTs in understanding the terms of service requirements and the arrangements they need to put in place.
NHS organisations to be named in report into the uptake of NICE-approved drugs
NHS organisations will, for the first time, be named in this year's report on the uptake of NICE-approved drugs on the NHS in England, to be published in November.
The report will compare the actual use of medicines that have been positively appraised by NICE with an estimate calculated by the institute.
It will name the NHS organisations involved, with data shown at SHA, PCT or cancer network level, depending on the level of usage and healthcare settings.
Pharmacy screening for hepatitis C urged
Thousands more cases of hepatitis C would be spotted if pharmacies screened for the virus, experts claim. A pilot scheme across 19 UK pharmacies has unearthed many more cases of the virus than are picked up by GPs, with one in six people testing positive.
Hepatitis C is transmitted through infected blood, or hepatitis B, which can be transmitted through other bodily fluids.
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Dentistry |
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A new system of registration under the Health and Social Care Act 2008
From 1 April 2011, under the requirements of the Health and Social Care Act 2008, all primary dental care services that provide regulated activities, whether NHS or private, must be registered with the Care Quality Commission, the independent regulator of health and adult social care services in England.
Although most primary dental care services must be registered from 1 April 2011, some have registered before this date. All NHS trusts and primary care trusts that directly provide dental care services have been registered since 1 April 2010 and independent hospitals that provide dental care services must be registered from 1 October 2010. See the CQC website for details.
Dental Earnings and Expenses, England and Wales 2008/09
This publication, released by the NHS Information Centre, provides a detailed study of the self-employed earnings and expenses of primary care dentists who carried out some NHS work in England and Wales in 2008/09. The report covers the third financial year of the new dental contractual arrangements in England and Wales, introduced on 1 April 2006.
Dental Working Hours, England and Wales, 2008/09 and 2009/10
This publication from the NHS Information Centre provides information on dental working hours for dentists in England and Wales in 2008/09 and 2009/10 who performed some NHS activity. It includes information on average weekly hours, weekly NHS hours, weeks of annual leave and the division of time between NHS and private dentistry, and clinical and non-clinical work.
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Eye Care |
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You and your vision: a charter for eye care and sight loss services
Vision 2020UK has recently published You and Your Vision: A Charter for Eye Care and Sight Loss Services. Launched by David Blunkett at the Vision UK Conference in June, the charter outlines, in clear and jargon-free terms, what people should expect on their eye care journey, reinforcing the drive for seamless health and social care services. It is the result of an extensive consultation process, involving services users, health and social care professionals and voluntary organisations. It covers all the key stages of the eye care journey, starting with a sight test. It then looks at the point of diagnosis for those who have an eye condition, and goes on to cover issues such as the need for emotional support and referral to specialist services. The charter is available online. For copies in print, large print, Braille or audio, please call 0303 123 9999.
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