Weekly news
Released on 01/03/2010
Events Diary
4 March
IHM Scotland
How to increase your power and influence
9.30am-4pm, Dunblane Hydro
LAST CHANCE TO BOOK!
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. See attached flyer.
30 March
Managers’ Development Network
West Region Masterclass:
Essentials for Creating Work-Life Balance
10am-1pm, Campanile Hotel, Glasgow
Free cross-regional event, open to all
manager sand prospective managers. Will provide a different perspective on issues such as well-being and stress at a personal level and in the workplace. See flyer for
details.
30 March
Managers’ Development Network
Leading Change: Managers as Change Agents
12.15-2.15pm, Browne House, Dumfries
Free Dumfries & Galloway MDN event: how you can develop your skills as change agents to overcome some common
reactions to change . See flyer for full
details.
This week in Parliament
Wednesday
10:00 Health & Sport Committee
The Committee will take evidence on the Alcohol etc. (Scotland) Bill at Stage 1 from witnesses including Dr Peter Rice, British Medical Association Scotland; Dr Bruce Ritson, Chair, Scottish Health Action on Alcohol Problems; and Dr Emilia Crighton, Chair of the Scottish Committee, UK Faculty of Public Health Medicine.
Thursday
11:40 General Question Time
Rhoda Grant (Lab, Highlands & Islands): when did the Scottish Government last meet representatives of NHS Highland and what issues were discussed.
Motions
Bill Wilson (SNP, W of Scotland): NHS 24’s Exemplary Disability Leave Policy—That the Parliament congratulates NHS 24 on its adoption of a progressive disability leave policy; notes that section 2.2 of this policy "recognises that disabled people often face discrimination and disadvantage in the workplace and society" and states that "NHS 24 recognises and values the skills, abilities and experience of employees with a disability and is therefore committed to supporting employees with a disability by removing access barriers, tackling discrimination that they face, delivering equality of opportunity between disabled people and non-disabled people, and implementing best employment practice"; further notes that the policy makes a clear distinction between sick leave and disability leave to ensure that absences relating to an employee’s disability are managed appropriately...and agrees with Inclusion Scotland that NHS 24 should be congratulated on this policy and that other NHS boards should adopt similar disability leave policies.
Angela Constance (SNP, Livingston): Campaign for Improved Neonatal Care Comes to Parliament—That the Parliament congratulates Bliss, the special care baby charity, on its 30th birthday in Scotland...considers that there is a need for better support for families whose babies are admitted to a neonatal unit far away from the family home...; further considers that too often babies and mothers needing care are transferred long distances from home due to staff shortages at more local units rather than for medical need, and, finally, praises the nurses and doctors working in neonatal units who work tirelessly to ensure that special care babies receive the best possible standards of care.
National obesity strategy launched
The Scottish government has published a
comprehensive national strategy to halt the rise of obesity and overweight among the Scottish
population. The document, jointly published with COSLA, argues that in today's society weight gain is almost inevitable and details plans to work across government to make healthy choices easier. These includes:
· Working with retailers, producers and the food industry to control exposure to, demand for and
consumption of high calorie foods and drinks
· Using planning legislation to increase
opportunities for walking, cycling and other physical activity in our daily lives
· Working with schools to continue encouraging young people to take up healthy habits
· Working with businesses to encourage their
employees to eat healthily and be more active.
Launching the strategy, Public Health Minister Shona Robison said that no country in the world had
successfully addressed obesity, but that Scotland could be the first.
She said, "We cannot expect people to be able to change their behaviour alone as the environment we live in today means that for most people weight gain becomes almost inevitable. Excellent work is already underway but we have to go further and make
serious changes that will transform our entire living environment.
"We plan to work across all areas of Government to ensure that policies are directed at supporting people to achieve and then maintain a healthy weight"
The obesity strategy builds on the Scottish
Government’s existing national food and drink
strategy.
A series of national events will be organised by the Scottish Public Health Network in May to enable
organisations from all sectors to be involved in
implementing the policies detailed in the strategy.
In addition, a joint governmental leadership group will meet after the summer to endorse a plan of
action and agree key milestones for monitoring delivery of the plan.
www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2010/02/17140721/0.
Audit Scotland: ‘fresh approaches’ required for public savings
A new Audit Scotland report records that the
public sector in Scotland made efficiency
savings of £839m in 2008/09, against a target of £539m. NHS bodies made savings of £204m, exceeding the target set for them by £50m.
Deputy Auditor General for Scotland, Caroline Gardner, praised public bodies for their efforts, saying, “Scotland’s public sector continues to perform well in finding more efficient ways of working and trimming the amount of money needed to deliver services.”
However the report, Improving public sector efficiency, goes on to warn that Scottish public bodies are facing their greatest financial
challenge since devolution and that planning for two per cent savings will not be enough for the future. The report says public bodies should continue to develop and expand efficiency
initiatives and employ “fresh thinking” about new ways of delivering services.
The public sector needs more accurate and up-to-date information on unit costs, activity and quality, understanding better how it uses
resources in the delivery of services if it is to increase productivity without affecting the
quality of services, the report continues. It
argues that further opportunities exist for
savings to be made through collaboration and joint working and that a more coordinated
approach across the public sector is required. The essential role of strong leadership from managers is emphasised, but the report also identifies the important role of service users and front-line staff in redesigning services to deliver savings and improve quality.
The report is supplemented by a good practice checklist, which advises organisations to focus on three key areas: adopting a priority-based approach to budgeting and spending; improving information on productivity, service quality and performance; and improving collaboration and joint working to deliver efficient and user-focused services.
www.audit-scotland.gov.uk/work/local_national.php?year=2010.
