Staff focus updates - 18 April 2013

New policy, guidance and initiatives from across the UK which focus on staff issues and professional development. For more information about this theme see Quality and Safety eBulletin: staff focus.

Some of the resources linked to are in PDF format - see how to access PDF files.

British Journal of Healthcare Assistants: Support workers after the Francis Report—a BJHCA survey (PDF 1.2MB). This survey shows an overwhelming majority of respondents agreed there should be a code of conduct and compulsory registration for health care support workers. The survey, carried out by the British Journal of Healthcare Assistants, highlighted that more than nine in 10 health care support workers support compulsory registration.
RCN: Survey results back RCN’s call for HCSW registration.

British Medical Association (BMA): Ethics tool kit for students. This toolkit aims to provide a general introduction to common ethical problems and practical ways of thinking about these problems to help solve issues which arise. It is structured around a number of cards providing advice on issues including medical electives, working with senior colleagues, consent, and confidentiality, referring to any relevant legal provisions involved.

BMA: GP contract survival guide. The BMA has published a guide to the new GP contract. The guide focuses on funding and finance.

Centre for Workforce Intelligence (CfWI): Improving workforce planning for the psychological therapies workforce. This report summarises a Department of Health commissioned review of the workforce delivering adult psychological therapies to the NHS in England, with the aim of gaining a clearer understanding of the difficulties in planning for this group, and gathering information on current and potential sources of information on this workforce. It makes recommendations including asking providers of NHS commissioned psychological therapy services to gather workforce intelligence; and employers and providers undertaking workforce capacity assessments for their psychological therapies workforce.

DH: Revalidating doctors in PHE. Public Health England (PHE) has published information relating to the revalidation of doctors within PHE. Typically every 5 years, every registered doctor with a licence must demonstrate to the General Medical Council (GMC) that they are fit to practise. At PHE this requirement applies to all licensed medical doctors working as consultants and those in non-consultant roles. For non-medical public health consultants and specialists, the UK Public Health Register (UKPHR) is developing a similar system of professional revalidation, likely to be introduced next year. From 1 April 2013 PHE is the designated body for: all licensed doctors employed by PHE; public health doctors employed by local authorities; and public health and other clinical academics employed by universities and colleges, who hold honorary contracts with PHE.

DH: DH Workforce Information, January 2013. Information about the number of people employed by DH and its agencies during January 2013.

DH: General medical services statement of financial entitlements directions 2013. These directions relate to the NHS Primary Medical Services Regulations which came into force on the 1 April 2013. They set out the legal framework under which GPs operate and are paid. They are aimed at GPs who work under contract to the NHS; and will be of interest to patients who wish to understand the legal obligations of GPs to their patients, in line with the NHS Constitution.

DH: School nurses to play a bigger role in improving children’s health. School nurses will play a bigger and more important role in improving the health of children and young people.

Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC): Consultation on changes to the profession specific standards of proficiency for speech and language therapists. This consultation invites views on proposed changes to the profession-specific standards of proficiency for speech and language therapists. Responses are welcomed until the 28 June 2013 from members of the profession, as well as relevant education providers, employers, professional bodies, and those who use the services of this profession.

Health Education England (HEE): Shadowing for appointees to Foundation Year 1 (F1): guidance notes. This paper provides guidance for directors of workforce, medical directors, and directors of medical education to support the delivery of a period of shadowing for all new appointees to the first year of the F1 in August 2013, immediately prior to their first job as a F1 doctor on 7 August 2013.

Health Foundation: Generation Q. The Health Foundation is seeking people who are passionate about improving healthcare to join GenerationQ, their fully-funded, Ashridge-accredited leadership programme (up to MSc level). GenerationQ is open to senior leaders in healthcare or the voluntary sector who are in a position to influence improvements to care quality. The deadline for submitting an application is 12 noon on 4 June 2013.

House of Commons: Whistleblowing and gagging clauses: the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998. This note outlines information about the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998 came into force on 2 July 1999. The act protects workers that disclose information about malpractice at their workplace, or former workplace, provided certain conditions are met.

NHS Education for Scotland (NES): New Audio Visual Podcasts for the Partnership and GP Continuing Professional Development (CPD). These podcasts provide tasters of GP CPD in the west including summaries of key learning points from Partnership workshops.

NES Evidence into Practice: Leading Better Care (LBC) - Delivering for patients. Unlocking the next stage of the journey (PDF 3.9MB). LBC - delivering for patients supports Senior Charge Nurses/Midwives and Team Leaders by providing facilitation, support, development and educational opportunities to help them achieve high quality, person centred safe and efficient care for every patient first time and every time. This conference report was a celebration of the work of LBC to date, and future developments and resources that will support them with the ongoing implementation of LBC.

NHS Employers: Mary Seacole Leadership and Development Awards. The Mary Seacole Awards recognise and honour the name of Mary Seacole for her work in the Republic of Crimea. The awards fund specific health care projects that aim to improve the health outcomes of people from black and minority ethnic (BME) communities. Applications are now open and close on 31 May 2013.

NHS Employers: Modernising healthcare science and quality patient care: making the connection. This briefing explores the contribution of healthcare science and the opportunities Modernising Scientific Careers (MSC) provides to delivering patient-led services that enhance the quality and outcomes of care.
Workforce planning tools survey.

Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC): Three Directors appointed at the Nursing and Midwifery Council. Sarah Page is now the Director of Fitness to Practise, Alison Sansome is the Director of Registration and Katerina Kolyva, the Director of Continued Practice. This role will focus on revalidation, standards development, the quality assurance of education and midwifery supervision.

RCN: Survey results back RCN’s call for HCSW registration. The Royal College of Nursing has welcomed the publication of a new survey in which the overwhelming majority of respondents agreed there should be a code of conduct and compulsory registration for health care support workers. The survey, carried out by the British Journal of Healthcare Assistants, highlighted that more than nine in ten health care support workers support compulsory registration.
BBC Health: Healthcare assistants 'want professional register'.

RCN: South West RCN member Geoffrey Walker named Nurse of the Year 2013. RCN member Geoffrey Walker has received national award of Nurse of the Year 2013, from the British Journal of Nursing. Geoffrey, who works as matron of general medicine, cardiology and specialist nursing services at Poole Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in Dorset, was presented the award by television personality and campaigner, Esther Rantzen, at an event ceremony at Shakespeare’s Globe in London on 22 March 2013.

Scottish Government: Support for nursing and midwifery students in Scotland 2013/14. This leaflet provides information for students on pre-registration nursing and midwifery courses in Scotland.

Skills for Health: Code of Conduct and National Minimum Training Standards for healthcare support workers. The Code of Conduct describes the standards of conduct, behaviour and attitudes that the public and the people who need healthcare, care and support should expect of workers providing this care and support. The National Minimum Training Standards define the minimum knowledge workers must have, irrespective of individual job role. Both the Code and the Standards were created after extensive consultation with employers and workers across both sectors to make sure they were fit for purpose. The new minimum training standards focus on ten areas that are designed to cover the key knowledge for health and care workers and set out what should be covered during a period of induction in the first weeks of employment.

Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE): Induction standards for Northern Ireland. SCIE’s new Induction Standards in Northern Ireland resource is for anyone interested in induction in social care in Northern Ireland. The resource highlights the principles and values that underpin good practice in social care. Managers will find the Planning Induction section helpful.