Chief Executive Bulletin 24-30 November 2000
Issue 43
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Hard copy versions of these publications can be ordered from the NHS Responseline 0541 555 455.
Contents:
NHS interest
1. Winter bed census: 1st December 2000
2. Met Office Workload Forecasts
3. Winter Planning - Sharing 'Bright Ideas'
4. Reference costs 2000
5. Shared Financial Services In The NHS
6. UK National Screening Committee's guidance on diabetic retinopathy screening
7. Improving Working Lives - making it happen
8. Advance Letter (SP)6/2000 Clinical Scientists And Hospital Optometrists
9. Advance Letter (MD) 5/2000 Intensity Supplements
10. The Intensity Supplements Scheme
11. Conditions of Service for General and Senior Managers employed by Health Authorities and NHS Trusts - Early termination of fixed term rolling contracts, HSC 1999/140 & HSC 1999/138
12. NHS Integrated Payroll & Human Resources Systems Procurement Project
13. Device Alert - MDA DA2000(06) - AneuRx Stent Graft System: Nitinol Frame Fracture after Implantation.
NHS and Social Care interest
14. Departmental Investment Strategy
LASSL(2000)13 Personal Social Services (PSS) Funding: 2001-02
Action On - Additional Capital Funding
Social Care interest
17. Survey Of PSS Assets, Strategies And Management - A Research Report (October 2000)
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NHS interest
1. Winter bed census: 1st December 2000
The winter bed census will take place on the morning of Friday 1st December as notified to Chief Executives in Bulletin 41. The census is only applicable to NHS Trusts (including PCTs) who have general & acute beds and/or critical care beds. General & acute includes all in-patient beds except for maternity, mental illness and learning disabilities. The census forms and guidance were emailed or faxed to your census contact on 27th/28th November. Your support in ensuring that the census is completed and returned by noon on Friday is appreciated. Due to the high profile nature of this census, the results should be agreed as an accurate picture of provision on that day by yourself or one of your Executive Directors before returning to the Department.
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2. Met Office Workload Forecasts
WEST and the Met office are issuing twice weekly workload forecasts, which will bring together the following information:
Respiratory Disease and Flu Surveillance information
Existing workload
Weather information
There are two levels of information:
The workload forecasts will be in detail for a limited number of specific areas. These are piloting the detailed system for possible role out in the future.
Regional level forecasts
We expect all those involved in responding to winter demand both in trusts and primary care to use the information as part of the management data-set when planning their organisations continued response to winter pressures.
The forecasts can be obtained on the NHS web on the following address: nww.doh.nhsweb.nhs.uk/winter
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3. Winter Planning - Sharing 'Bright Ideas'
Should you or a member of your organisation have a 'bright idea' about winter planning and managing winter pressures that you would like to share with other colleagues in the field, please visit the website of the Department's Winter and Emergency Services Team (WEST) and submit your idea(s).
The 'Bright Ideas' section of the site aims to enable individuals or organisations to share local ideas and benefit from the ideas of others.
The winter website can be accessed via the internet and the NHS web on the following addresses:
www.doh.gov.uk/winter nww.doh.nhsweb.nhs.uk/winter
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4. Reference costs 2000
This document marks a major achievement in the Governments commitment to produce and publicise unit costs on a consistent basis in a National Schedule of Reference Costs . It has significantly extended the coverage of services and introduces many areas for the first time. This is the most comprehensive coverage of service costs in the public domain of any health service.
Full document can be found at www.doh.gov.uk/nhsexec/refcosts.htm
Available from web only. If you experience problems downloading document contact Paula Monteith on 0113 254 5526.
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5. Shared Financial Services In The NHS
I am writing to update you on progress with developing a shared services approach to finance in the NHS. The responses to the consultation document 'Preparing Finance Staff for the Modernised NHS' indicated that finance staff wanted to hear more about this work and how it is being progressed.
Letter available
Ref. 22925. Will be mailed to HA, NHS Trusts and Primary Care Trusts Finance Directors w/c 4/12/00.
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6. UK National Screening Committee's guidance on diabetic retinopathy screening
The UK National Screening Commitee's guidance on diabetic retinopathy screening can be found at http://www.diabetic-retinopathy.screening.nhs.uk Directors of Public Health have indicated that they would find it useful to have access to the NSC's recommendations in order to shift local investment into the most effective models of care.
Digital photography and indirect slit-lamp ophthalmoscopy both meet sensitivity and specificity criteria. Camera schemes are preferred because of the advantages of a hard record for QA purposes. A decision analysis shows camera schemes based in mobile vans and high street optometrist practices to be the most cost-effective approach. Health authorities should begin a managed programme of change towards implementing camera based schemes.
Any purchase of digital equipment should include a provision for upgrade to the minimum required standard of 1300 x 1000 (equivalent to 10 line pairs/mm) and preferably 2720 x 1400 as soon as it becomes available.
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7. Improving Working Lives - making it happen
The NHS Executive's NHS Employment Branch is holding a national conference on 9th January at the NEC in Birmingham, offering NHS employers the opportunity to consider the implications of implementing the IWL Standard. You should have received your invitation, however as places are limited, a copy of the programme along with a booking form is available here, which should be faxed to the conference organisers on 01905 724 744 to book your place.
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8. Advance Letter (SP)6/2000 Clinical Scientists And Hospital Optometrists
This Advance Letter sets out the agreement reached by the Scientific and Professionals Staffs Whitley Council on increases to national salary scales for the years 2000/2001 and 2001/2002. It also explains the increases to London allowances, effective for the year 2000/2001. It also refers to the opportunities available by the grading agreements contained in AL(SP)1/90 and AL(OP)1/90 for greater flexibility in determining the grades of staff and that, in particular within Grade B, there is scope for movement of the three point personal pay scale to respond to changes in job weight and responsibilities.
Advance Letter (SP)6/2000
Ref. 22929. Will be mailed to Regional Offiice, HA, Special Health Authority and NHS Trust Finance Directors and HA and NHS Trust HR Directors w/c 4/12/00.
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9. Advance Letter (MD) 5/2000 Intensity Supplements
The scheme includes two payments:
Daytime Intensity Supplement - one standard payment of £1,000 to be reviewed annually and paid from the third year as a substantive consultant to all practitioners complying with contract and agreed job plan.
Out of hours Intensity Supplement - all consultants will be eligible for out of hours payments, which will be banded at £750,£1500, and £2250 to recognise the varying demands of out of hours work.
Survey on out of hours intensity payments
The NHS Executive conducted a pilot survey of trusts on out of hours intensity payments, using the banding questionnaire and scoring system attached below. This was designed to identify the four factors that we believe capture the work intensity to which out of hours can give rise:
the on-call commitment worked by the consultant
expectation of being telephoned/contacted outside the hospital
expectation of being called back into workplace for emergency work
work necessarily performed out of hours
Survey Results
The results of the pilot showed that the number of consultants who would have received out of hours supplements within the three bands were:
Band 1 (low intensity) 51-75 points - 47%
Band 2(medium intensity) 76-90 points - 24%
Band 3 (high intensity) 91-130 points - 13%
This was, of course, a small pilot survey and we would not expect the results replicated, nor would be expect the same breakdown of banding in all Trusts. But you may find the information helpful as you implement the supplements within your own Trust.
Advance Letter (MD) 5/2000 Intensity Supplements
If you would like any further information, or further copies of the AL please contact Liz Card on (0113) 2545806, or email [log in to unmask]
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10. The Intensity Supplements Scheme
The NHS Executive has issued an AL on implementation of the new Intensity Supplements Scheme, agreed by the Government and the BMA. We thought you would find it helpful to have additional background information about the scheme itself, and about the pilot survey that helped inform the scoring and banding system.
Background
The Review Body on Doctors' and Dentists' Remuneration recommended in 1999 that £50m annually should be made available to rewards individual consultants for increases in workload, contribution to the NHS and intensity of work. Changes were made to the Discretionary Points scheme to introduce new service oriented criteria from April 2000. This Intensity Scheme, agreed with the BMA, is to reflect the commitment that consultants make to the NHS, and to recognise the unsocial hours and intense nature of their work.
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11. Conditions of Service for General and Senior Managers employed by Health Authorities and NHS Trusts - Early termination of fixed term rolling contracts, HSC 1999/140 & HSC 1999/138
The letter informs you about advice from Department of Health's solicitors on the effects of a recent Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) case - Cerberus Software Ltd v Rowley - upon the above mentioned Health Service Circulars.
The Cerberus case has two effects on the current NHS Executive policy and methodology for calculating severance settlements. These are:
that the value of the outstanding term in fixed contracts terminated early cannot be mitigated through potential future earning; and
that the reduction for accelerated receipt is no longer valid.
The Cerberus judgement had made it clear that a payment in lieu of notice is not compensation for loss of office but in fact a contractual entitlement to salary. The £30,000 tax threshold, which previously applied, does not therefore apply anymore and such settlements are therefore now subject to the normal tax regimes that apply on the payment of salary.
Apart from the above changes, the policy and methodology contained in the above mentioned HSCs remains valid and in force. Revised guidance, which will bring together the two existing HSCs, is currently being developed and will be issued as soon as possible.
'Dear Colleague' letter is available here
If you have any queries, please write to: [log in to unmask]
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12. NHS Integrated Payroll & Human Resources Systems Procurement Project
We wrote to you on 24 January 2000 outlining plans for the procurement of a new integrated payroll and human resources information system for the NHS. This letter is to update you on the considerable progress that has been made since then. Letter available on 1 December 2000
Ref. 22926. Will be mailed to HA and NHS trust Finance and HR Directors w/c 4/12/00.
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13. Device Alert - MDA DA2000(06) - AneuRx Stent Graft System: Nitinol Frame Fracture after Implantation.
This Device Alert was issued on 24 November 2000 to NHS Trust and Health Authority Chief Executives and as usual, it was also faxed to Trust and Health Authority for immediate action and for onward distribution as specified in the Notice.
Device Alert - MDA DA2000(06)
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NHS / Social Care interest
14. Departmental Investment Strategy
The DH has recently published the Departmental Investment Strategy. The document sets out the strategic context for the investment plans, the current asset base, the investment plans for the next three years and beyond, and the systems and procedures to deliver the plans.
Other Government Departments have also published Departmental Investment Strategies, and HM Treasury has published a summary White Paper. The Departmental Investment Strategy for the DH is published on the DH website. The Treasury White Paper, and Departmental Investment Strategies for other Departments, can be located on the Treasury website:
Internet: http://www.doh.gov.uk/dis/index.htm
NHSweb: http://nww.doh.nhsweb.nhs.uk/dis
HM Treasury web site: www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/sr2000/dis/index.html
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15. LASSL(2000)13 Personal Social Services (PSS) Funding: 2001-02
This letter sets out the main aspects of the 2001-02 local government finance settlement which are relevant to the funding provided for social services. The figures for PSS Standard Spending Assessments, grant allocations for each council where available and other details appear in the attached Annexes.
LASSL (2000)13
Ref. 22871 Hard copies mailed to Chief Executives of Local Authorities with PSS Responsibilities and Directors of Social Services 28/11/00.
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16. Action On - Additional Capital Funding
Details of plans to distribute £19 million additional capital funding for new Action on Dermatology, ENT and Orthopaedics programmes will be announced this week. Letters will be sent out to Chief Executives of all Local Health Authorities, Local Health Trusts and PCGs/PCTs early next week advising the level of funding together with the guidance. Host Health Authorities should ensure that funding can be issued as soon as possible."
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Social Care Interest
17. Survey Of PSS Assets, Strategies And Management - A Research Report (October 2000)
The Department of Health commissioned PricewaterhouseCoopers to carry out a survey of Personal Social Services assets, strategies and management in councils with social services responsibilities in England. The aim was to investigate the PSS asset base and to assess how prepared social services departments were to contribute information about their capital needs to the wider corporate processes and to the council's policy priorities and objectives, as required under the auspices of the Single Pot.
The survey findings of social services assets cover the following area(s) -
Usage - providing services in a mixed economy of care;
Condition - inspection, minimum standards;
Disposal - change in policy priorities;
Investment - use of PFI and/or partnerships, future funding routes;
Performance management - use of property performance indicators; and
Incentives - devolved budgets, energy savings.
Lessons to be learned includes -
More needs to be done by social services departments to build a stronger base from which capital bids and rationalisation, and management of, assets can be made;
- And -
More needs to be done by Local Authorities to prepare corporate aims and objectives by making social services capital strategies, capital needs and assets an integral part of the corporate planning process.
The results from the survey report are now available. Key messages need to be learned. Case studies of good practice are illustrated in the survey report which some councils will find helpful. You will find the report from 1 December 2000 at: www.doh.gov.uk/scg/pssassets in different version(s) which you can download.
If you would like to comment or share your council's good practice, please send your contributions to: -
Kasey Chan, DH, Social Care Group 2, Wellington House, London SE1 8UG.
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The documents in this bulletin are Crown copyright but may be reproduced by NHS and Local Authority staff without formal permission or charge for personal or in-house use - ©2000
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