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Introduction
NHS Update
(Local) is a precis of current NHS changes and developments that may impact on
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level. Further reviews, along with other relevant intelligence and useful
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contact: By
Duncan Alexander of Health Direction 
England
Fareham and Gosport Primary Care
Trust
The College of Occupational Therapists' award for
occupational therapist of the year has been announced. The prize goes to
Fareham and Gosport Primary Care Trust (PCT) employee Patrick Carroll,
particularly in recognition of his work with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) patient
Mike Kreindler.
Somerset Patients Can Now Turn to a
New PAL
A new service supporting NHS patients, carers and their
relatives with help and advice is being launched at Taunton and Somerset
Hospital (Musgrove Park) as part of NHS Week (1st - 8th July
2002).
Known as 'PALS' (Patient Advice and Liaison Service) the service
is part of the government's aim to modernise and develop a more patient centred
NHS. A PALS service had to be established in every NHS trust by 2002. The need
for such patient advisors was just one of the recommendations which followed
the publication of the 'Kennedy Report' and enquiry into the death of babies
undergoing heart treatment at the Bristol Royal Infirmary.
The Patient
Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) for Taunton and Somerset NHS Trust covers
Taunton and Somerset Hospital (Musgrove Park) and Dene Barton. The PALS Officer
will be available to quickly intervene if any patient feels they need to
discuss a problem or concern with someone in confidence. Although patients are
routinely advised to discuss any concerns they may have with the nurse or
doctor treating them, some patients are reluctant to do so. Concerns left
unresolved by anxious patients have been known to quickly escalate into formal
complaints.
Mendip Primary Care Trust
The PCT have submitted innovative plans for a replacement community
hospital in Frome and wide range of supporting health services forming a new
'health park'. The PCT are seeking outline planning permission for the scheme
from the Frome Area Board, Mendip District Council's decision making forum. The
plans propose a new 32 bed community hospital. GPs will support patients,
including managing their care either after treatment at larger district
hospitals in Bath, Bristol or Yeovil or following direct admission to the
hospital.
Croydon PCT
National
Carers Week took place from 10-14, June attended by health and social care
chiefs in the Borough. Caroline Taylor, Chief Executive of Croydon PCT
presented Dr Jonathan Eade and his staff at The Wesson Practice, Addiscombe
Road the award for Croydon's Most Caring GP.
Royal Marsden Hospital
The Royal Marsden is the only Trust to gain two awards in this year's
national Communicating Health Awards. The innovative Captain Chemo website and
computer game which aims to help young cancer patients learn about the disease,
was awarded first prize in the Cancer category. David Brighton, a nurse from
the hospital, developed the website from a cartoon created by Ben de Garis, a
patient.
A video for patients called 'Stem Cell Transplatation - What
Will It Be Like?' won the Highly Commended award in the Cancer category. The
video was the brainchild of Clinical Nurse Specialist, Moira Stephens.
Lambeth PCT
Individual
Patient Registration Profile Initiative. Several GP practices in Lambeth are
working alongside Lambeth PCT to implement new national patient registration
requirements. GPs are including information about spoken and written language
preferences, religious persuasion and ethnicity in registration details for
their patients.
Barts and The London NHS Trust
The Trust is the only London teaching hospital to have gained full
accreditation from the Health Quality Service (HQS). HQS is a health-specific
charity and works with the NHS organisations to improve their quality of
patient care. The auditors were impressed with the way staff manage the
difficulties that they face because of the age of the buildings, in particular
their sensitivity to patients' needs for privacy and dignity.
GPs Reject Foundation Status
GP members of PCTs have rejected foundation status for primary care
trusts as 'divisive' and 'elitist' following Alan Milburn's announcement of
greater freedoms for some trusts within 18 months. Dr Chaand Nagpaul, vice
chair of Harrow PCT's PEC said the concept of foundation status breeds elitism
and division. Dr Kambiz Boomla, a board member of Tower Hamlets PCT said he was
totally opposed to foundation trusts.
Bath and North East Somerset
PCT
The B and NES Primary Care Trust Board have agreed to the sale
of Fairfield Park Health Centre to partners Drs Bevan, Dinwoodie, Gilbert,
Groenheuysen and Hamling. The GPs would then be able to finance through their
own efforts and with the help of the Primary Care Trust a major renovation
scheme which will bring more services and a better environment for
patients.
Sussex Cardiac Collaborative
As from 1st April, Sussex has joined the second and final wave of the
national CHD Collaborative Programme. Funding is available for two years for a
small team to support local services to make changes so that the patient
journey and experience is improved. In the first year, the team will focus on
the catchment area of the Conquest Hospital and will look at six areas of
service: Secondary Prevention, Acute Myocardial Infarction, Angina,
Revascularisation, Heart Failure and Rehabilitation.
The Programme
considers the links between primary, secondary and tertiary care so the
services provided at Brighton will be included. In the second year, the
Programme is expected to expand to roll-out the learning and develop projects
across the whole of Sussex.
Broxtowe and Hucknall PCT
The PCT have been successful in securing a 6th wave Sure Start Project.
The PCT will co-ordinate the application in conjunction with local
partners.
North East Lincolnshire Primary
Care Trust
The PCT has launched a new website aimed at informing
the public in the area of the services it provides.The website can be accessed
at www.nelpct.nhs.uk and will continue to develop throughout the coming months
and years. Feedback is encouraged and queries can be made in this way as well
as by other, more traditional routes.
Scotland
Allocation of delayed discharge
funding
The allocation of the remaining £15 million to local
care services to tackle delays in discharging vulnerable patients from hospital
was announced in June. This is the second tranche of investment from the
£20 million of additional money being provided by the Executive
specifically for local authority and NHS Board partnerships to reduce the
number of people delayed in being discharged from hospital.
While
£5 million of this money was released immediately to stimulate early
action, the Executive required local authority and NHS Board partnerships to
submit robust local action plans prior to the release of the remaining
funding.Local plans are now in place to ensure that this year an additional
1,000 people across Scotland are transferred from acute hospital beds into more
appropriate care. Allocations will be distributed to the partnerships via NHS
Boards.
Allocations
Argyll & Clyde £1.734m,
Ayrshire & Arran £1.544m, Borders £449,000, Dumfries &
Galloway £640,000, Fife £1.324m, Forth Valley £1.047m,
Grampian £1.795m, Greater Glasgow £3.796m, Highland £915,000,
Lanarkshire 2.126m, Lothian £2.695m, Orkney £84,000, Shetland
£92,000, Tayside £1.594m, Western Isles £165,000
Wales
Health Commission Wales
Welsh health minister Jane Hutt has announced plans to launch Health
Commission Wales, a strengthened version of the current Health Service
Commission for Wales. As of April 2003 the Commission will act as an advisor on
specialised secondary and regional services commissioning, and provide guidance
on issues relating to acute services commissioning.
The move is part of
a wholesale restructuring of the NHS in Wales, which was announced last
November. It is hoped that the new structure will enable the commission to be
the first port of call for impartial advice and direction on commissioning
issues.
Northern Ireland
GPs in deadlock over local health
and social care groups - 24 June 2002
The General Practitioners
Committee (GPC) in Northern Ireland has demanded further talks with the
Department of Health and Social Services to break the deadlock over GP
involvement in local health and social care groups (LHSCGs). The GPC has
advised its members not to take up positions on LHSCG boards, but still hopes
to find a compromise with health minister Bairbre de Brún. The GPC sent
a letter to the minister last week, which she has promised to consider
carefully.
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