Weekly news
Released on 19/07/2010
Events Diary
3 September
IHM Scotland
Scotland’s Top Healthcare
Manager 2010
Closing date for nominations. See attached flyer for details.
9 September
IHM Scotland
Dealing with Difficult People
Assertively
9.30am-4pm, Millennium Hotel, Glasgow
Interactive workshop presented by Madeleine O’Brien; techniques and strategies that will allow you to handle difficult conversations and difficult people with skill and confidence. See flyer for details.
22 September
IHM Scotland
Doing the right things, doing things right
9.30am-4pm, Atos Origin Alliance, Livingston
How LEAN techniques and tools are being
utilised across health and social care systems. See attached flyer.
5 & 6 October
IHM Scotland
Annual Conference & Exhibition: Leading in Challenging Times
Airth Castle Hotel
24 hours of learning and networking at
Scotland’s leading healthcare management event. See www.ihmscotland.co.uk or
attached programme.
This week in Parliament
The Scottish Parliament is now in recess until the week beginning 6 September 2010.
Regulation of independent healthcare consultation
The Scottish Government has issued a consultation on the future regulation of independent healthcare services in Scotland. The consultation paper seeks views on the definition and scope of independent healthcare services that should be regulated.
The bodies which are currently regulated by the Care Commission are independent hospitals, voluntary hospices and private psychiatric hospitals. (Regulatory powers over independent healthcare will shortly transfer to the new Healthcare Improvement Scotland body which was established by the Public Service Reform Act earlier this year.) However, the number and diversity of providers has grown since the regulatory regime was established in the Regulation of Care (Scotland) Act 2001 - the consultation paper cites the growth in cosmetic surgery and treatment services and in laser eye surgery as examples.
The consultation paper states: “The changing pattern of delivery of independent healthcare raises some questions relating to the definition of, and criteria for registration for, independent hospitals, in particular where the NHS and the independent sector are working closely together....there is a need to consider whether to extend the definition of independent clinics to include premises from which services are provided by healthcare professionals other than doctors or dentists.”
The paper suggests alternative approaches to regulation: regulating services provided by a wider range of healthcare professionals working the independent sector, including nurses, allied health professionals or dental care staff; or, regulating according to the type of service provided, rather than the qualification or registration of the person delivering it. Suggested services for regulation include private hospices; private dental services; independent ambulance services; independent midwives; independent specialist clinics, including cosmetic surgery and treatment services, laser eye surgery, and addiction services.
The consultation is available at www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2010/07/16104543/0 The closing date for submissions is Friday 8 October.
Conference 2010: The story behind US healthcare reform
The IHM Scotland annual conference has regularly attracted international speakers who not only
provide an alternative perspective which can shed new light on the day-to-day issues and future challenges facing Scottish healthcare managers, but who themselves have also jumped at the
opportunity to meet professional colleagues in Scotland about developments in policy and
services here.
This year’s international guest is Dr Mandy Cohen, the executive director of Doctors for America and a GP in Boston. Doctors for America is a non-profit, grassroots campaigning group of doctors who support of reform of the US healthcare
system. It has over 16,000 members across all 50 states, and was formed to allow pro-reform
doctors to engage with the debate about
President Obama’s healthcare legislation. The group “works to convey the ideas and experiences of physicians in order to achieve reform that
provides high quality, affordable healthcare for all Americans”; its stated goals are:
· Affordable health care for all Americans
· High quality, 21st century care
· Preventive care & patient safety
· Practice environments that allow physicians to focus on patient care.
The stormy passage of the Obama healthcare
legislation followed one of the most controversial and polarised domestic policy debates in recent political history. Dr Cohen and Doctors for
America were at the heart of the process and one of the strongest public voices for reform. While the final Bill was considerably watered down from its original intentions, it nonetheless moves the US further towards the kind of comprehensive healthcare coverage provided in the UK.
Dr Cohen’s presentation promises to provide a fascinating insight into the dramatic battle to get the Health Bill passed, as well as explaining the changes it has introduced to one of the world’s biggest healthcare systems.
For full details of the conference programme, see the attachment with the Update.
Management Steering Group website launch
The joint Scottish Government/NHS employer Management Steering Group (MSG) has a new dedicated website at www.msg.scot.nhs.uk.
The MSG was set up both to discuss strategic
service and workforce issues and to lead the
management side in discussions on pay, terms and conditions, in Scotland and across the UK.
The MSG is chaired by George Brechin, chief
Executive of NHS Fife, and contains among its
membership representatives of NHS Scotland
chief executives, board directors of HR, finance,
medicine and nursing, as well as senior officers
from the Scottish Government Health Directorate.
As well as providing a forum where the policy
and related workforce, employment and pay
issues can be discussed between SGHD and NHS
Scotland employers, the MSG has a remit to act
as a conduit for senior NHS Scotland managers
where a collective perspective is required on pay
and employment policy and its implementation. It is the formal decision making body for all Scottish specific negotiations and decides Scottish input to the wider UK bargaining.
The new website aims to inform NHS Scotland staff about the MSG’s activities, provide the
latest news on workforce issues in Scotland,
provide a resource and reference facility on pay, terms and conditions issues, and give easy
access to directions and guidance issued by the Scottish Government.
NHS Scotland Parent Education Programme
NHS Education for Scotland, NHS Health Scotland, and NHS Quality Improvement Scotland are
collaborating on a parent education programme for NHSScotland, with the aim of supporting
professionals to deliver consistent, evidence-based parenting information to all pregnant women and their partners.
A consultation on the draft parent education
syllabus is underway until 16 August. A copy and full details can be found at www.nhshealthquality.org/nhsqis/7550.html.
