Latest press releases from the Department of Health
- Guidance to support the NHS in implementing the NHS Safety Thermometer published
25 May 2012, 10:27 amThe Department of Health has published guidance to support the NHS in implementing the NHS Safety Thermometer.
The NHS Safety Thermometer gives nurses a template to check basic levels of care, identify where things are going wrong and take action. It is being used by frontline healthcare workers to measure and track the proportion of patients in their care with pressure ulcers, urinary tract infections, venous thromboembolisms and falls.
During a pilot across 160 NHS organisations last year, the national data showed an overall reduction in blood clots by 72%, pressure ulcers by 42% and urinary infections in patients with catheters by 33%.
NHS organisations are being encouraged to use the NHS Safety Thermometer in 2012/13 using a CQUIN incentive payment that rewards them if they collect data on the safety of the care they provide.
The NHS Safety Thermometer, is a tool developed by the QIPP (Quality, Innovation, Productivity and Prevention) Safe Care team, the Health and Social Care Information Centre, and other partners.
Read the guidance Delivering the NHS safety thermometer CQUIN 2012/13: A preliminary guide to measuring ‘harm free’ care
- ‘Friends and family’ test aims to improve patient care and identify best performing hospitals
25 May 2012, 9:33 amAn NHS ‘friends and family’ test to improve patient care and identify the best performing hospitals in England has been announced by Prime Minister David Cameron.
From April 2013, patients will be asked a simple question: whether they would recommend hospital wards, accident and emergency units to a friend or relative based on their treatment.
Publishing the answers will allow the public to compare healthcare services and clearly identify the best performers in the eyes of patients – and drive others to take steps to raise their standards. The test will be developed with local hospitals and GPs, including any exclusions to the test, like patients in intensive care, while ensuring that the vast majority of wards are covered.
NHS staff are already asked in an annual survey to find out if they would be happy for their friends and family to be treated at the place they work.
In an open letter to the Prime Minister today, the Nursing Quality Care Forum, which was launched in January to identify and share best nursing practice, recommended the friends and family test alongside a number of other proposals after consulting frontline nurses, care staff and patients.
The Forum’s recommendations include:
- roll out across the NHS of the friends and family test for patients, in a way that allows organisations to gain feedback in real time, at all levels
- a call for action to increase the number of staff who would be happy to recommend the quality of services that their trust provides if their own loved ones needed care
- making sure nurses are recruited for their caring nature and compassion as well as their knowledge and skills
- calling on organisations to look at how nurses and their teams could use technology to free up more time to care and avoid patients being asked the same questions again and again
- improving training for nurse leaders to give them more independence and authority
- nurse leaders, whether ward or community based, should have time to lead and be accountable for their clinical area.
Prime Minister David Cameron said:
‘Nurses are the beating heart of our NHS. The kindness, gentleness and calm they provide are completely invaluable to the millions of people they look after each year. To me, nothing matters more in our NHS than the quality of that care – and no one knows better how to improve it than nurses themselves.
‘That’s why we set up the Nursing Care and Quality Forum: to find out what works best on the wards; to share that knowledge; to lead an improvement in standards from the bottom up. I’m delighted to see the progress the Forum has already made.
And to really make sure that patients get the right care, we’re moving ahead quickly on one of their main recommendations: the friends and family test. In every hospital, patients are going to be able to answer a simple question: whether they’d want a friend or relative to be treated there in their hour of need. By making those answers public we’re going to give everyone a really clear idea of where to get the best care – and drive other hospitals to raise their game.’
Forum Chair Sally Brearley said:
‘The friends and family test is a useful way for staff to look at their place of work, and for patients to look at the quality of care they receive, and for them to judge whether they would be content for a loved one to use that service, should they need treatment.
‘Our initial recommendations to the Prime Minister highlight the good work which many are already doing to ensure that nursing and care is of the best quality, and we want others to benefit from these lessons. The forum will now work with others to help make these ideas a reality and to continue to highlight good practice in nursing and care.’
The Prime Minister also revealed plans to roll out the NHS Safety Thermometer. It provides nurses with a simple template to check basic levels of care, identify where things are going wrong and take action. During a pilot across 160 NHS organisations last year, the national data showed an overall reduction in blood clots by 72%, pressure ulcers by 42% and urinary infections in patients with catheters by 33%.
Pressure ulcers, falls, urinary catheter infections and blood clots are among the most common preventable problems in hospitals and care homes and cost the NHS up to £1 billion every year. At least 200,000 patients experience one or more of these problems while being treated.
- Nursing and Care Quality Forum make recommendations to Prime Minister
25 May 2012, 8:32 amThe Nursing and Care Quality Forum’s initial recommendations to the Prime Minister have been published today.
The independent Forum, made up of a range of experts on nursing and care quality working across all settings, aims to improve the quality of nursing care across all care settings.
The Forum’s initial recommendations include:
- making sure nurses are recruited for their caring nature and compassion as well as their knowledge and skills
- reinforcing the need for leaders of organisations to ensure appropriate staffing levels and skills mix are in place, and for boards or equivalents to be held to account for this
- highlighting the importance of leaders being supernumerary for them to be fully accountable and have the time to lead
- a call for action to increase the number of staff who would be happy for their friends and family to be treated at the same place they work.
Read the Forum’s letter to the Prime Minister
Speaking about the Forum’s ongoing work, Chair, Sally Brearley said:
‘Our initial recommendations to the Prime Minister highlight the good work that many are already doing to ensure that nursing and care is of the best quality, and we want others to benefit from these lessons. The Forum will now work with others to help make these ideas a reality and to continue to highlight good practice in nursing and care.’
The Forum is basing its work around a set of priority themes to help focus its discussions. These are:
- to promote accountable nurse leaders across the NHS
- to encourage the right culture and the right values
- to involve, listen to, hear and respond to feedback from patients
- to make sure that nurses have the time to give high-quality care to patients.
Across all of these areas, the Forum considered the education, training, knowledge and skills needs of staff, and also care across all care settings.
Over the last few weeks, the members of the Forum have used their own wide ranging networks, attended and hosted a variety of engagement events, and used an online questionnaire to gather a broad range of views on these issues, and to help shape their initial advice.
The Forum will now build on its initial recommendations, with a particular focus on identifying and disseminating best practice in these and related areas, and continue to look at recommendations for improvement. It wants to continue to involve a range of people in these discussions, both to help inform their advice, and to identify best practice in these areas.
The Nursing and Care Quality Forum was established earlier this year, and met with the Prime Minister in April. At this meeting, they were asked to provide their initial recommendations this month, with further work to follow on from this.
You can contact the Forum at NCQF@dh.gsi.gov.uk
- Further evidence on market-facing pay published
24 May 2012, 2:57 pmMore written evidence on market-facing pay has been published by the Department of Health.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer wrote to the Senior Salaries Review Body (SSRB) on 7 December 2011 asking it to consider how to make pay more market-facing for NHS very senior managers (VSMs).
On 23 December 2011 the Secretary of State for Health wrote to the SSRB confirming the remit and setting out the work required. The SSRB issued a call for evidence to enable them to carry out this work.
The evidence argues that there is a national market for this small group of key leaders of national organisations. The introduction of market facing pay for VSMs would risk limiting the pool of available talent and jeopardising recruitment to these key roles.
The new pay framework for VSMs about to be published is based on national pay rates with flexibility to respond to local conditions and the Department believes that this is the right approach for VSM pay.
Read the full written evidence to the SSRB
Read the written evidence to the NHS Pay Review Body issued on 12 April 2012
- PM meets with dementia friendly communities champion group
24 May 2012, 2:11 pmPrime Minister David Cameron has met with the dementia friendly communities champion group in London. The group is one of three champion groups set up as part of the dementia challenge to explore how to deliver its key aims of creating dementia friendly communities, improving dementia research and improving health and care.
The meeting was co-chaired by Alzheimer’s Society ambassador Angela Rippon and Jeremy Hughes, Alzheimer’s Society Chief Executive. Members of the group include industry leaders, representatives from towns and cities, and people with dementia and their carers.
The dementia friendly communities champion group would like people to give their views on how to create dementia friendly communities on the dementia challenge website launched today.
The Prime Minister said:
‘Dementia is a terrible, heartbreaking disease – and tackling it is a personal priority of mine. Two months ago I promised that we’d lead an all-out, national fight-back against dementia – and it’s happening. We’re putting more money into research and more thought into dementia care.
‘This is a whole-society problem and it needs a whole-society response. That’s why we are connecting thousands of socially engaged young graduates from National Citizen Service with opportunities to make a difference with old people in their community.
‘We’re also encouraging more businesses to join this fight-back. I’m delighted to see the progress being made here. Already 20 big organisations like Lloyds Group, Tesco and E.ON have signed up to become more dementia friendly – and over the coming months I want to see many more follow suit.’
Angela Rippon said:
‘Over the past few weeks I have been meeting with a whole range of people and talking to them about how important it is that we face up to the dementia challenge. The response I have had has been incredible and it is truly inspirational to have so many major organisations working together to tackle this issue head on. Joint action like this is essential if dementia friendly communities are to become a reality.
‘There are 800,000 people living with dementia in the UK. This Dementia Awareness Week is the perfect time to remember the person behind the dementia diagnosis.’
Further programmes announced today include:
- £800,000 funding from the Social Action Fund for Circle, a new service transforming the provision of older people’s services.
- An e-learning package to train health and social care staff in recognising, assessing and managing dementia and how to provide high quality dementia care. The content is divided for those who need to be dementia ‘aware’ (all staff), those who need to be dementia ‘trained’ and those who need to be dementia ‘expert’. The package will be available free online within weeks from the Department of Health and the first module, on general dementia awareness, is relevant to anyone working in a public environment, such as shops, transport and banks.
- Change to the requirements for a second opinion appointed doctor’s opinion for a consenting patient on supervised community treatment
23 May 2012, 3:01 pmThe rules about when the treatment of patients on supervised community treatment (SCT) has to be approved by a second opinion appointed doctor (SOAD) change on 1 June 2012. Section 299 of the Health and Social Care Act 2012 changes this aspect of the Mental Health Act 1983. The effect of the changes is that SOAD approval is generally no longer necessary if the patient is able to consent to the treatment in question.
There is a new statutory form (CTO12) to be used by the approved clinician in charge of the patient’s treatment to record that the patient has the capacity (or competence if under 16) to consent to the treatment in question and has done so. The form is introduced by The Mental Health (Hospital, Guardianship and Treatment) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2012.
SOADs will continue to complete the current form (CTO11) when an SCT patient either does not consent or is not able to consent to the treatment.
An SCT patient who has consented may at any time withdraw that consent or could lose the capacity to consent. In either case, this will mean that a form CTO12 would no longer be valid, and a SOAD will have to record an opinion on form CTO11 instead.
Treatment may continue when a patient has lost capacity to consent, but it cannot continue against the wishes of a patient who still has capacity to consent, unless the patient is recalled to hospital. There is no legal authority to treat an SCT patient even if a SOAD has completed form CTO11.
There is no change to the rule that clinicians may not give electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) to patients under 18 without the approval of a SOAD. But they may give medication or ECT without a completed form CTO11 or CTO12 in an emergency, where it is immediately necessary.
Read The Mental Health (Hospital, Guardianship and Treatment) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2012
Printed copies of form CTO12 will be available from the NHS forms website soon. For immediate use, download Form CTO12 Regulation 28(1A) (PDF, 29K)
- Summary of consultation response on organ transplantation directive published
23 May 2012, 2:34 pmThe response to the consultation on draft Quality and Safety of Organs for Transplantation Regulations 2012 is now available. This replaces Directive 2010/53/EU on the standards of quality and safety of human organs intended for transplantation. The objective of the Directive is to set standards across the European Union and the UK is required to be compliant from 27 August 2012.
Over 400 key organisations and individuals in the transplantation sector were contacted to invite them to respond. A total of 37 responses were received.
An overwhelming majority of respondents rejected the proposed implementation approach. They saw little or no benefits from the UK implementing the Organ Directive. Respondents were concerned about cost burdens arising from implementation, and preferred current arrangements under NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) and commissioners to continue. Respondents did not accept the need for a new competent authority and licensing regime to regulate organ transplants.
The response document summarises the comments received and sets out how the proposals are being taken forward. The Department has revised the approach set out in the consultation document and has proposed amending final implementation of the regulations as follows:
- organisations will have the freedom to make their own arrangements and identify how they will comply with the requirements of the Directive
- to avoid duplication the Human Tissue Authority (HTA) will now only require individuals to be competent and signpost requirements in their Directions allowing transplantation centres to rely on existing training programmes
- in recognition that the UK is already compliant with the Directive requirements there is no need to duplicate existing regulations by placing a requirement on the HTA to develop additional standards
- most of the criminal sanctions have been removed in relation to the final Regulations with the sole exception of operating without a licence. Other sanctions will now be regulatory whereby not providing documentation, or failing to allow access to premises, will incur a regulatory and not a criminal sanction
- there were concerns that licensees will have to pay the HTA for a licence as set out in the consultation-stage impact assessment. The Department has therefore agreed to increase HTA’s grant-in-aid for 2012-13 in order that it may subsidise licence fees for a transitional period
Read the summary document on response to the consultation on organ transplantation
- Review of tax arrangements for NHS organisations – submission to H M Treasury
23 May 2012, 1:11 pmThe government published today a review of the tax arrangements of public sector appointees. The review identified the number of off-payroll engagements worth more than £58,200 per annum across government and made recommendations to improve the transparency of these kind of arrangements. This document constitutes the submission to this review in respect of NHS organisations.
The Secretary of State and the Chief Executive of Monitor undertook a survey of all NHS organisations to inform the review. The survey included all board members of NHS Trusts, NHS Foundation Trusts, primary care trusts and strategic health authorities. The anonymised results are set out in the Treasury Review of Tax Arrangements of Public Sector Appointees: NHS Results document. These confirm that all the arrangements identified are entirely legal and that there is no evidence of any systematic attempt to avoid tax or national insurance. The Department will now work with HMT, Monitor and NHS employers to consider the Treasury’s detailed recommendations and implement them where appropriate for the NHS.
The full review and recommendations can be found at www.hm-treasury.gov.uk
- Review of tax arrangements for Department of Health – submission to H M Treasury
23 May 2012, 1:10 pmOn 23 May 2012, the Government published a review of the tax arrangements of public sector appointees. The review identified the number of off payroll engagements worth more than £58,200 per annum across government – and made recommendations to improve the tax transparency of these kinds of arrangements. The following document constitutes the Department of Health’s submission to this review. The full review and recommendations can be found at www.hm-treasury.gov.uk.
In response to this review, the Department is also carrying out its own review of the contracting and tax position of its off payroll workforce. The review will include an evaluation of existing policy in this area in order to confirm that all the arrangements identified are appropriate and that there is no evidence of any attempt to avoid tax or national insurance.
The attached information is set out in three worksheets covering data for the Department of Health, the Department’s Informatics Directorate and its arm’s length bodies.
Read the review of tax arrangements for the NHS
- Macmillan and the Ramblers pledge to get people walking
23 May 2012, 10:37 amMacmillan Cancer Support and the Ramblers have announced a new joint Responsibility Deal pledge that should see a significant increase in the numbers of people who are active through the national Walking for Health scheme.
The two charities have formed a new partnership and have taken over the Walking for Health scheme from Natural England, which to date has seen 75,000 people across England walk the equivalent of 400 times around the world.
The Public Health Responsibility Deal aims to tap into the potential for businesses and influential organisations, such as these leading charities, to make a significant contribution to improving public health.
Macmillan Cancer Support and the Ramblers will be working with local authorities, the NHS and others to increase the number of local walks and the numbers of walkers.
Being active offers huge benefits but less than 40% of people do enough. And the older people get, the less they do – in England, less than 20% of over 65s meet recommended levels of 2.5 hours a week.
People not being active is costing the NHS across the UK £1.06 billion a year and £5.5 billion in lost productivity from sickness absence.
Public Health Minister Anne Milton said:
“Being active can help us stay healthy, by protecting against heart disease, type 2 diabetes and certain types of cancer. Walking is one of the easiest ways to build physical activity into our lives.
“This partnership between the Ramblers and Macmillan will see even more people realise the health benefits of walking – building on the great work that has seen Walking for Health participants walking the equivalent of 400 times around the world since 2000.”
Chair of the Public Health Responsibility Deal physical activity network Fred Turok said:
“I very much welcome this excellent pledge from Macmillan Cancer Support and The Ramblers to get more people up and out and walking as part of the Responsibility Deal.
“These charities will bring their expertise and experience working with communities to deliver this commitment and with a particular focus on the least active and those people living with and beyond cancer. The potential health and well-being benefits are huge.”
Fred Turok blogged earlier this week challenging businesses to encourage staff to get more active.
Walking for Health is open to everyone, but Macmillan and the Ramblers will be working together to improve opportunities for people affected by cancer to participate.
Walks are usually short, on easy terrain and are free and open to everyone, and can be found on www.walkingforhealth.org.uk