Health and Social Care update from our work as Strategic Partner (SP) to the Department of Health, NHS England and Public Health England.
This month’s update includes reflections on Disability Rights UK’s events and workplan (lead on commissioning), and on how this will support local user-led organisations and finally news, plans and insights on patient-reported outcome and experience measures and user-led research to focus on people as assets in health and social care.
http://disabilityrightsuk.org/policy-campaigns/health-and-social-care-reforms
We have submitted our workplan for 2014-15 together with our consortium partners Shaping Our Lives and Change and now await approval. Watch this space!
Further news:
Quality Premium: development of additional mental health indicators
NHS England is welcoming suggestions for future mental health measures in the Quality Premium. The Premium rewards clinical commissioning groups for improvements in the quality of the services that they commission and for associated improvements in health outcomes and reducing inequalities. Ideas for measures can be directly about mental health outcomes or cover wider issues where it is known that people with mental health needs have poorer outcomes, such as physical health needs or employment.
To find out more, go to: http://www.england.nhs.uk/2014/04/11/quality-premium/
Disability Rights UK has recommended the following as outcome areas: social prescribing, that is for the individual to be put in touch with non-medical support from the voluntary sector (including in particular its subset of peer support), service use (ease/speed of referrals as determined by the individual), gain/loss in social capital, employment status, choice and control indicators.
For us, it is key to establish outwards accountability to patients and users of services (rather than to line managers and remote inspections). To this end, we want to support disabled people to define and shape new Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) and Patient-reported experience measures (PREMs) with a view to linking payments/incentives to them. This is part of our contribution to the Care Packages Project with 16 mental health provider sites where we co-produce effective, user-friendly systems, processes and guidance, eg on how patients can be supported in shaping PROMs and PREMs which can then be mainstreamed.
VCS & Public Voice (NHS England) Working Day
The Voluntary and Community Sector (VCS) is a vital partner in helping to create the culture and conditions for health and care services to deliver the highest standard of care most effectively. This is an opportunity for you to get involved in the work of the Public Voice Team.
NHS England would value your involvement in the development of key programmes of work for 2014/15, and would like to invite you to an event for the VCS on Tuesday 20th May from 10am – 4.30pm at The Hub, Westminster, London.
Please click on the link to register for this event http://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/vcs-public-voice-nhs-england-working-day-tickets-11183667651
NIHR PPI Review
The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) is undertaking a strategic review of public involvement in health, social care and public health research entitled: ‘Breaking Boundaries: thinking differently about public involvement in research.’
Ideas and views from all individuals and organisations are welcomed, whether you have direct experience of existing NIHR public and patient involvement activities, or innovative thoughts on how they might enable patients and the public to contribute to research in the future. Note that Disability Rights has made extensive recommendations to focus future research on disabled people and patients as assets who can contribute to or even lead parts of commissioning in health and social care. This is to counteract the popular notion that people just take and waste resources (eg high number in A&E attendances). However, such an approach and the underlying cultural change for all involved needs extensive support.
Responses should be submitted by 12 noon on Thursday 26th June.
How to submit evidence
They will accept evidence in the following formats:
? Written evidence can be posted to:
PPI Review c/o Room 2E47 Quarry House Quarry Hill Leeds, LS2 7UE
? Electronic to: ppi.review@nihr.ac.uk
? Audio files (not exceeding 3 minutes in duration)
? Video clips (not exceeding 3 minutes in duration)
They will be gathering additional information through social media and facilitated workshops, networks and meetings.
The terms of reference for the review and details of how you can submit comments can be found at: http://www.nihr.ac.uk/Pages/default.aspx
Supporting Older People and Reducing Pressure in Hospitals Fund
Large numbers of older people find themselves having to go to A&E or being admitted to hospital when it could have been avoided, and many stay longer in hospital than they would like, or are discharged and find themselves being readmitted shortly afterwards. In response, the Cabinet Office and the Tripartite group (NHS England, Monitor, the Trust Development Authority and Association of Directors of Adult Social Care) have launched a new £2 million fund which you can bid into. Through this fund they want to scale up and robustly test social action approaches to keeping older people well or helping them recover quicker when they do have to go to hospital. The deadline for applications is 13 June 2014.
More information about the fund, including a contact number for questions and dates for workshops with potential bidders, is available at www.sibgroup.org.uk/hospitalfund
Transforming primary care: joint plan published by DH and NHS E
DH and NHS England have published a joint plan to provide personalised, proactive care for people who need it most.
‘Transforming Primary Care’ sets out plans for more proactive, personalised and joined up care, including the Proactive Care Programme, providing the 800,000 patients with the most complex health and care needs with:
- a personal care and support plan
- a named accountable GP
- a professional to coordinate their care
- same-day telephone consultations
The plan builds on the role of primary care in keeping patients well and independent. It explains how professionals across the healthcare system can work together to transform care to become more proactive and tailored to patients’ individual need.
To read the plan, go to: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/plans-to-improve-primary-care
Mental health teams in police stations and courts scheme goes live
A trial scheme testing a new model of Liaison and Diversion (L&D) is launched this week in ten locations across England. The scheme will fund mental health professionals in police stations and courts, to ensure people with mental health conditions and learning disabilities are recognised and get the right treatment promptly.
For further information, go to: http://www.england.nhs.uk/2014/04/04/ld-live/
Have your say on police powers on mental health
The government is reviewing legislation on how police support people experiencing mental health crises. This is designed to improve crisis care for people detained under Sections 135 and 136 of the Mental Health Act (1983). If you wish to give your views, please complete the online survey by 3 June 2014, please share so we can hear from everyone who could be affected.
For the survey, go to: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/review-of-the-operation-of-sections-135-and-136-of-the-mental-health-act
Jenny Hicken - Support where it’s needed most
Jenny Hicken, a Network Delivery Facilitator for NHS England’s Northern Clinical Networks and Senate on Tyneside, looks at why the NHS needs the voluntary sector.
For further information, go to: http://www.england.nhs.uk/2014/04/07/jenny-hicken-6/
Care Quality Commission (CQC) inpatient survey results discussed
Hilary Garratt, Director of Nursing at NHS England, discusses the results of the CQC inpatient survey 2013.
For the survey results, go to: http://www.england.nhs.uk/2014/04/08/cqc-inpatient-survey/
Creating the environment to deliver better outcomes for patients – NHS England business plan refresh published
NHS England has published a refresh of their business plan. Putting Patients First: the NHS England business plan for 2014/15 – 2016/17 describes everything NHS E does as a direct commissioner, leader, partner and enabler of the NHS commissioning system set out in thirty-one business areas.
Disability Rights Uk has been involved in addressing the business plan’s capacity to deliver patient and user-led perspectives. The plan reaffirms the commitment to improving the quality of care, equality and reducing health inequalities and ensuring that patients and the public continue to be involved in decisions about their care and the future of the NHS. NHS E would like to extend thanks for the contribution of their partners who have helped the business plan development. They are committed to ensuring that as they go forward they work with key partners on co-production, harnessing their expertise and experience to deliver improved outcomes for patients.
The General Medical Services Contract for GPs for 2014-15
NHS England, NHS Employers and the BMA have published guidance on the General Medical Services (GMS) contract for GPs for 2014-15. The guidance covers several areas of potential interest to Strategic Partners including new contractual requirements about online access and the Friends and Family test. There are also revised enhanced services on health checks for people with learning disabilities, alcohol-related work, patient participation, and dementia diagnosis and support. You can access the guidance here:
The NHS Employers site also includes information about how the GMS contract works overall:
http://www.nhsemployers.org/PayAndContracts/GeneralMedicalServicesContract/Pages/Contract.aspx
NHS England welcomes new Chief Executive
Simon Stevens started his new role as NHS England’s chief executive on 1 April 2014 with a visit to the north east of England. Simon's first morning was spent meeting staff and patients at Shotley Bridge Hospital in County Durham where he started his career in the NHS as a trainee manager over a quarter of a century ago. Further details of Simon Stevens' first day including his full speech are now available.
To find out more, go to: http://www.england.nhs.uk/2014/04/01/vows-to-listen/