Weekly News
Released on 01/06/2009
Events Diary
4 & 18 June
IHM Scotland
Project Management
9.30-4pm, Inverness
Last chance to book See attached flyers for course content and booking.
10 June
IHM Scotland
Resolving Conflict
9.30-4.30, Airth Castle Hotel
1 day workshop with Joyce Brown. See attached flyer for details and booking.
16 & 17 June
Scottish Government Health Directorates
NHS Scotland Event 2009: Working Together For A Healthier Scotland
SECC, Glasgow
See www.nhsscotlandevent.com for programme and booking.
6 & 7 October
IHM Scotland
Annual Conference: Preparing for the Future
Airth Castle Hotel
Keynote speaker: Nicola Sturgeon MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing. Delegate registration now open at http://www.hfevents.co.uk/ihm2009; conference programme attached with the Update. Book now to secure your place.
This week in Parliament
Wednesday
10:00 Health and Sport Committee
The Committee will continue to take evidence at Stage 1 of the Tobacco and Primary Medical Services (Scotland) Bill.
14:05 General Questions
Malcolm Chisholm (Lab, Edinburgh North & Leith): is the Scottish Government satisfied that the generic community health nurse role being piloted by the Review of Nursing in the Community will be appropriate for delivering its health priorities; Ian McKee (SNP, Lothian): what is the purpose of the system of distinction awards for NHS consultants; Dr Richard Simpson (Lab, Mid Scotland & Fife): what steps have been taken to complete both the initial Agenda for Change process and subsequent appeals; Hugh Henry (Lab, Paisley South): which health workers will be exempt from car parking charges at the Southern General Hospital; Mary Scanlon (Con, Highlands & Islands): how will the Scottish Government respond to the recommendations contained in the Audit Scotland report, Overview of mental health services.
14:25 First Minister’s Questions
Thursday
The Scottish Parliament will not sit on Thursday 4 June, because of the European elections.
Expert group on infertility to be formed this summer
Public Health Minister, Shona Robison, has informed MSPs that Infertility Network UK, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and NHS clinicians will be invited to form an expert advisory group on infertility services this summer, in order to consider a draft action plan which is currently being finalised by the Scottish Government. The announcement came during a Members’ Debate about NHS infertility services in Scotland, led by Helen Eadie MSP (Lab, Dunfermline East). Ms Robison said that she would ask the expert group to produce an interim report after six months.
The Scottish Government has also confirmed that it will fund a past and current patients’ grouping, Infertility Network Scotland, which will work with NHS boards to address waiting times and inconsistencies in local access to treatment. The network will be funded at £20,000 a year for the next three years.
No fault medical compensation: expert group established
The Scottish Government has today announced the establishment of an expert group to examine the introduction of a system of no-fault compensation for the NHs in Scotland. the group will be chaired by Prof Sheila MacLean, Director of The Institute of Law and Ethics in Medicine at Glasgow University. its membership will be drawn from organisations including the BMA, GMC and RCN and will include patient representation. The move has been welcomed by the BMA. Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon said:
"In our recent consultation on a Patient's Rights Bill we made it clear that we would look at the potential benefits for patients in Scotland of a no-fault compensation scheme.
"The expert group established today will first of all look at whether such a scheme should be introduced in Scotland and if so how this would work alongside the existing clinical negligence arrangements for the benefit of patients and NHS staff alike.”
The group’s report is expected by October 2010.
Better Diabetes Care consultation launched
The Scottish Government has launched a consultation on its revised action plan for diabetes care, updating the first Diabetes Action Plan from 2006. Launching the consultation, Public Health Minister, Shona Robison, said that although care had improved significantly as a result of the earlier action plan, significant challenges remain, which are intensified at the rate at which the number of people living with diabetes is increasing.
The consultation ends on 22 August.
www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2009/05/28085904/0
Delayed discharges reach zero
Figures for April 2009 show that during that period the number of patients waiting longer than six weeks for discharge from hospital (the national target) reached zero for only the second time ever, having initially been met in April 2008.
www.isdscotland.org/isd/5943.html
NES Practice Manager Training Scheme opens
Places are now available on the NHS Education for Scotland’s Scottish Vocational Training Scheme for Practice Managers, beginning in September/October 2009. This one year programme allows practice managers to work towards a post-graduate qualification, while continuing to work in their own posts.
Structured training is provided, with support from an experienced NES Practice Manager Trainer, as well as a number of central training events throughout the year.
NES operates a trainee benefit fund of up to £2,000 per trainee, which each trainee’s practice will be able to make claims from in order to cover the costs associated with taking part in the scheme.
Applicants should have substantive experience in a senior management or administrative role, NHS experience and knowledge, and a proven commitment to professional development and lifelong learning.
The closing date for applications is Thursday 11 June. See the attachment with the Update for further details of how to apply.
Government accepts dementia recommendations
The Scottish Government has said that it accepts in full the “shocking” report about dementia care, Remember, I’m Still Me, published by the Mental Welfare Commission last week, and has confirmed that its own dementia strategy will be published shortly.
Read the report at www.mwcscot.org.uk/newpublications/visit_reports_new.asp.
