Weekly news
Released on 25/01/2010
Events Diary
28 January
IHM Scotland
Annual General Meeting + tour of new Victoria Hospital
4pm, New Victoria Hospital, Glasgow
All IHM members in Scotland are invited to attend. AGM takes place at 4pm followed by a tour of the new Victoria Hospital at 5pm.
Contact hilary.iannotti@btinternet.com.
2 March
NHS QIS
National Clinical Governance Conference: Tomorrow’s World
Glasgow Hilton
Conference programme will focus on HAIs and patient safety. Registration open January 2010. See flyer at www.nhshealthquality.org/nhsqis/files/Flyer_Conferenceabstract.pdf.
4 March
IHM Scotland
How to increase your power and influence
9.30am-4pm, Dunblane Hydro
Hilary Robertson of Double Loop Development presents a one day workshop aimed at
developing the skills and techniques required by managers to increase their power to affect decision-making and change in their
organisations and to improve the influence they have with colleagues and partners. Links directly to the IHM Milestone ‘Role of the
Enterprise Manager’. .
This week in Parliament
Wednesday
10:00 Health & Sport Committee
The Committee will take evidence in its inquiry into out-of-hours healthcare provision in rural areas: from Dick Barbor-Might, SOS Rannoch; Randolph Murray, Petitioner, Public Petition PE1272 on out-of-hours healthcare in Kinloch Rannoch; Keith Cameron, Communities Resuscitation Development Officer, Scottish Ambulance Service; Linda Entwistle, First Responder; Tom Forrest, and Roy Macpherson, Wester Ross Medical Practices Community Representatives Out-of-hours Group;
and then from Dr Michael Hall, Argyll & Bute Clinical Director, NHS Highland; Gerry Marr, Chief Operating Officer, NHS Tayside; Dr Sheena MacDonald, Associate Medical Director & Chair of Primary & Community Services, NHS Borders; Pauline Howie, Chief Executive, Scottish Ambulance Service; John Turner, Chief Executive, NHS 24.
14:30 Stage 3 Proceedings: Tobacco and Primary Medical Services (Scotland) Bill
Thursday
11:40 General Questions
Ted Brocklebank (Con, Mid Scotland and Fife): when it does the Scottish Government next plan to meet NHS Fife; Anne McLaughlin (SNP, Glasgow): what is the Scottish Government’s position on the use of Naloxone for problem drug users.
12:00 First Minister’s Questions
MSPs vote to support free prescriptions
An attempt by the Scottish Conservatives to force the Scottish Government to abandon its planned further reduction in prescription charges from 1 April this year has failed. Conservative health spokesperson Mary Scanlon’s motion, calling for the government “to withdraw its proposals for further reductions in prescription charges and, having regard to current pressures on public spending, believes that the money saved would be better spent on other NHS and care priorities, such as the health visitor service,” had Liberal Democrat support, however abstention by Labour MSPs meant that an amendment by Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon was passed. The final motion passed by Parliament states that total abolition of prescription charges is the best and fairest way to benefit “all those patients with long-term conditions and on low incomes who are not entitled to exemption and ensuring that fewer patients face having to choose between buying their prescriptions or paying for other necessities.”
Assisted dying Bill
introduced to Scottish
Parliament
Independent MSP Margo MacDonald has introduced her End of Life Assistance Bill to the Scottish Parliament. The Bill’s Policy Memorandum describes its purpose as being “to enable persons whose life has become intolerable and who meet the conditions prescribed in the Bill to legally access assistance to end their life.”
In order to receive assistance under the Bill a person must be terminally ill or "permanently physically incapacitated", over the age of 16, registered with a Scottish GP for 18 months. Two formal requests must be made to and approved by a doctor and psychiatrist, with a 15-days cooling off period. Close friends and relatives banned from administering drug. The Bill does not apply to people with dementia or other degenerative mental condition.
MSPs of all parties, including Ministers, have been given a free vote on the Bill, however early indications are that the Bill is unlikely to receive sufficient support to get past the first stage of parliamentary proceedings.
More information can be found at www.scottish.parliament.uk/s3/bills/38-EndLifeAssist/index.htm.
Help for Scottish
thalidomide survivors
The Scottish Government has committed to proportionately matching the funding announced last week by the UK Government to help thalidomide survivors. It is in discussions with the Thalidomide Trust on the level of the Scottish contribution and how the Trust will use it to boost the assistance package to its beneficiaries across the UK. There are 55 known thalidomide survivors in Scotland. The aim of the funding is to help thalidomide survivors - many of whom are now in their fifties - to continue to meet the increasing costs of care and independent living as they get older.
Budget Bill passes Stage 1
The Scottish Government’s Budget Bill for 2010-11 has been passed by MSPs at Stage 1. The Bill includes over £14 billion of resources for the Health and Wellbeing
portfolio, which includes NHS Scotland. It will now go to Stage 2, when MSPs have an opportunity to bring forward amendments to the Bill in committee.
IHM: benefiting all types of managers
Managers working in a wide variety of roles across the NHS and other sectors find that IHM membership delivers specific benefits matching their particular
circumstances.
For practice managers, who may be
challenged in finding funds for
professional development from within practice budgets, IHM is an invaluable source of value-for-money training and education. Beauly-based practice manager Sandra Ross says of her IHM membership, “Being a member of IHM ensures I have access to cost effective relevant training which enables me to keep my CPD current. This supports and encourages confidence in my work practice and helps me to promote delivery of excellent quality standards.” IHM Scotland also maintains close links with Networking and Learning for Practice Managers in Scotland and the Institute provides accreditation for the Practice Managers Vocational Training Scheme.
Managers new to the profession may not yet qualify for full IHM membership, but associate membership provides a the
opportunity to be part of a professional community from the outset of a
management career. Nicholas Hodgkiss, a recent Management Training Scheme graduate and now a Primary Care
Manager in Fife explains, “I have just started a career in health service
management and have found membership of IHM particularly valuable. It provides you with a ready-made support network and is a valuable learning resource...It also provides you with ideas when it comes to career progression as it raises your awareness as to what opportunities are available and where they are.”
Managers working outside the NHS are
supported within IHM by Special Interest Groups for, for example, the independent sector and the armed forces.
