Staff focus updates - 4 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.

DH: Cavendish Review Terms of Reference. The Cavendish Review was announced in February 2013 to look at the recruitment, training, management, development and support of healthcare and care assistants.
DH: Contribute to the Cavendish Review. The closing date for contributions to the review will be the 12 April 2013.

DH: NHS pension scheme: government response to consultation. The draft regulations were confirmed with some proposals modified or withdrawn based on the comments received. This document provides a summary of the consultation findings and a response to the comments received. A total of 3,198 responses were received. The vast majority of respondents were individuals working within the NHS as general practitioners, hospital doctors or consultants.

DH: Education outcomes framework for healthcare workforce. The framework sets the outcomes that the Secretary of State expects to be achieved from the reformed education and training system. The outcomes are set in terms of the impact for patients, users of services and carers. The framework will be used to measure improvements in education, training and workforce development and the impact on the quality and safety of services for patients.

DH: Open consultation - Indemnity or insurance for regulated healthcare professionals. The government wants to hear views on legislation that would mean all regulated healthcare professionals have to hold indemnity or insurance to practise. The vast majority of healthcare professionals are already covered by their employer’s arrangements, however this legislation would ensure that patients are protected by law if things don’t go according to plan. If a patient suffers harm as a result of negligence, they will be able to seek compensation. Nurses and midwives are encouraged to respond to the consultation, which closes on Friday 17 May 2013.

DH: Consultation on the NHS pension scheme, additional voluntary contributions and injury benefits (amendment) regulations 2013: government response (PDF 265KB). This document provides a summary of the consultation findings and a response to the comments received. A total of 3,198 responses were received. The vast majority of respondents were individuals working within the NHS as general practitioners, hospital doctors or consultants. The draft regulations were confirmed with some proposals modified or withdrawn based on the comments received.
Press release: Amendments to the NHS pension scheme regulations.

General Medical Council (GMC): Good medical practice. This updated edition of core guidance for doctors sets out the high level principles of good practice expected of all doctors. It provides explanatory guidance on various topics, including new guidance on doctors’ use of social media.

Health Foundation: Five healthcare leaders offered prestigious fellowships to improve quality in UK. 27 March 2013. Five senior healthcare leaders from across the UK have been offered a prestigious Quality Improvement Fellowship by the Health Foundation. The Quality Improvement Fellowships develop and equip clinically qualified senior NHS leaders with the tools and techniques of quality improvement, with the aim of integrating their learning into their organisations and becoming quality improvement champions within the UK. One of the fellows Erica Reid, a nurse by background and National Programme Lead Emergency Care Pathways at Scottish Government Health Directorates, will focus on management of inpatient capacity and flow, and improvement methodology at organisation/systems boundaries.

Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC): General practice staff 2002-2012. The Information Centre has published figures for the general practice workforce including GPs by type and practice staff. The general practice census is collected each year and records numbers and details of GPs in England along with information on their practices, staff, patients and the services they provide. The detailed results contain further data tables for September 2012 for England, by SHA area. For the first time, data is published by clinical commissioning group and GP practice.

INVOLVE: Developing training and support for public involvement in research. This report is for people who are planning training and support for public involvement in research. Part of a larger online resource, it offers a general overview of the things to think about when developing training and support packages for members of the public, researchers or both.

Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA): New learning guide will help doctors recognise and report drug side effects. BMJ Learning has teamed up with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) to launch a new, interactive and multimedia learning module on pharmacovigilance. The module will support healthcare professionals know how and when to report side effects of medications – an essential element of patient safety.

NHS Employers: Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) guidance for GMS contract 2013/14. As part of the 2013/14 GMS contract changes, the Department of Health have implemented a number of changes to the QOF effective from 1st April 2013. It applies in England only and is intended to assist NHS Commissioning Board area teams and general practices in understanding and working through the 2013/14 QOF.

NHS Employers: Sickness absence savings calculator. This interactive web-based sickness absence savings calculator allows employers to calculate their current cost of sickness absence and establish what potential savings could be released by achieving their organisation’s target sickness absence rate.

Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC): Recruiting 25 new registrant and lay panel chairs. The NMC is looking for registrants and lay panel chairs to help safeguard the health and wellbeing of the public by becoming panel chairs for their Fitness to Practice hearings. These are remunerated roles and applicants must be able to commit at least 30 days per annum. The closing date for applications is Friday 19 April 2013.

NMC: NMC resumes overseas registration. The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) resumed the overseas registration of nurses and midwives from 2 April 2013.

RCN: Become an RCN Board member. Nominations are now open for Royal College of Nursing members to become involved with their regional or country board. Closing date for nominations is 6 May 2013.

RCN: Applications open for RCN forum steering committees. The Royal College of Nursing is looking for members to join forum steering committees, which lead and facilitate the work of their forum. Applications are now open, and there are many forums with vacancies.

RCN: Vote at EGM to determine ICN membership. Royal College of Nursing members will decide whether to authorise RCN Council to withdraw the organisation from membership of the International Council of Nurses (ICN) at an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) held during Congress week (21 – 25 April) in Liverpool. The RCN has been in discussion with the ICN, a federation of 130 membership organisations, for the past six years about the level of fees paid. Along with other member associations, the College is also keen to ensure that the ICN is able to meet the global health challenges facing nursing now and in the future.

Scottish Government: Scoping Review: A needs based assessment and epidemiological community-based survey of ex-service personnel and their families in Scotland. The Scottish Government commissioned Robert Gordon University to carry out this Scoping Review, the principal aim of which was to identify to what extent a robustly designed population-based survey is required to inform the national commitment to meeting the health and wellbeing needs of ex-service personnel and their families.