NHS News - August 2005

England - Local PCT News

Birmingham and the Black Country SHA - Chief Executive

David Nicholson, Chief Executive of Birmingham and the Black Country SHA, has also been appointed Chief Executive (designate) at Shropshire and Staffordshire SHA (from 1 August) and West Midlands South SHA (from 1 September).

East Somerset NHS Trust - Medicines Management

Yeovil District Hospital was one of the first ten in the country selected as part of the Hospital Medicines Management Collaborative. Special bedside lockers have been installed and patients are now successfully taking their own medicines on three wards at the hospital, and there are plans to extend the scheme to all areas where patients are well enough to do so.

A key part of the scheme is that all patients coming into hospital must bring all their medicines from home with them, in their original containers, so that pharmacy staff can see exactly what medicines they are taking at home and also those they are not.

Self-medication also means that patients who have complex changes to their medication while in hospital have a chance to get used to these before they go home.

Mid Devon PCT - Diabetes

A study carried out by GPs from Mid Devon PCT has been awarded Research Paper of the Year by the Royal College of General Practitioners. The objective of the study was to find a practical system to identify patients at high risk of developing diabetes.

Southwark PCT - Supermarket Needle Exchange

Sainsbury's has made an application to Southwark PCT for a community pharmacy within their East Dulwich branch which would include an all-night chemist and syringe exchange facility. A decision will not be made until August at the earliest.

West Yorkshire SHA - Proposed Organisational Changes

The Board of West Yorkshire SHA has agreed a "radical and ambitious" Manifesto for Action, which is now subject to a three-month consultation period.

Proposals include:

- all hospital and mental health trusts in West Yorkshire ready to move to foundation status by 2007
- the number of PCTs will be slimmed down from the current 15 organisations amid concerns some are under-performing
- family doctors will be given a more central role in commissioning care
- greater use will be made of the independent sector, particularly for diagnostic services
- closer working with local councils to improve care for people with long-term conditions who need help from both the NHS and social services
- a more high-profile focus on public health in areas with higher rates of heart disease, respiratory illness and cancer to reduce demand for healthcare

It is thought that the "Foundation Trust" target is likely to be particularly challenging, because of the major financial problems at several hospitals in Leeds and Wakefield.

Wales - Local Health Board News

Powys LHB - CHD

Fourteen District Nurses at Powys LHB have been trained to provide cardiac rehabilitation. They have now been linked with Cardiac Specialist Nurses and are providing a cardiac rehabilitation programme tailored to the needs of patients in rural areas.

Scotland - Local NHS News

NHS Argyll and Clyde - Proposed Dissolution and Integration

The three NHS organisations affected by the proposed dissolution have jointly established a Project Board and supporting Project Team in order to manage the process. The three Health Boards involved are:

- NHS Argyll and Clyde
- NHS Greater Glasgow
- NHS Highland

A public consultation will be launched in early August regarding the proposed geographic boundaries, and the Project Board will ensure that the content and outcome of this is taken into account.

NHS Argyll and Clyde continues to operate fully as a public body - the Project Board and Team deal solely with dissolution and integration issues.

NHS Tayside - Palliative Care

NHS Tayside is working in partnership with Marie Curie Cancer Care to host a three-year project which aims to develop palliative care services, and allow terminally ill patients to die at the place of their choice.

Scotland - NHS 24

The NHS 24 helpline is to establish a series of "mini call centres" across Scotland in a bid to improve nurses' local knowledge and boost recruitment.

These satellite centres will be set up in Inverness, Tayside, Lanarkshire and Ayrshire & Arran, and there are plans to set up further centres in Dumfries & Galloway and the Borders. There are already three main centres in South Queensferry, Clydebank and Aberdeen.

The new centres will be based on health board property, such as a local emergency care centre, and will operate mainly out-of-hours.

NHS 24 has had difficulty coping with demand since it was first launched four years ago - especially since GPs opted out of providing out-of-hours care. Some patients have waited hours for a response and there have been complaints of inappropriate advice.
A recent interim report from the Scottish Executive criticised management failures and chronic staffing shortages. The final report will be out in September.

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