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10 Things from National Voices. For Members, Partners and Associates

 

A diversity of voices influencing Health & Social Care

Week-ending 13 November 2009

  1. National Voices’ News
    • A report of the National Voices Party Conference Dinners, 2009

    2. We have published our report of three dinners at the party conferences this autumn on the theme of assuring safety through regulation, which was organised in partnership with Council for Healthcare Regulatory Excellence. The big themes were: a confused and inconsistent regulatory landscape; a need for better patient engagement in regulation; better complaints systems; a better system for staff to voice concerns before they turn into whistleblowing issues. We would welcome your views on these themes which you can This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it to our membership office.

  2. Contact a Family launch new report
    • Contact a Family is the leading UK charity working with all families with disabled children, and they recently launched a new report, Our family, our future, which features the stories of 30 UK families whose children are affected by a range of disabilities and rare conditions. This has been compiled and published as part of its 30th anniversary celebrations. The report aims to give parent carers a voice to talk about their achievements, acknowledge the challenges, reflect on their aspirations and fears for the future and above all to celebrate their family life.
  3. Swine Flu Vaccination: what you need to know
    • There is now a swine flu vaccine, which you can take if you are six months of age or above and:
      • you have a long-term health condition such as chronic lung, heart, kidney, liver or neurological disease, or diabetes mellitus
      • you are pregnant
      • your immune system is compromised because of a disease or treatment for a disease
      • you live in the same house as someone whose immune system is compromised

      For more information, pick up a leaflet, contact your GP surgery or visit: www.direct.gov.uk/swineflu

  4. QISMET development
    The Quality Institute for Self Management Education and Training (QISMET) is currently consulting about their relationship with stakeholders and their future governance structures. Organisations and individuals interested in setting and adhering to quality standards in self management and who would like to be involved in its development or kept informed about this ground-breaking quality initiative should email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
  5. Bliss is still fighting for vulnerable babies to get the care they deserve
    • Bliss, the special care baby charity was founded in 1979 and for over 30 years has been dedicated to ensuring that babies survive and go on to have the best quality of life. They have repeatedly called for better services and care for the UK’s sick and premature babies. In a recently report published today, Three decades and counting, which documents the charity’s 30 years of support for vulnerable babies, Bliss is again pushing for urgent improvements to be made to special care baby services, a need that was highlighted as far back as 1979.

      For more information about Bliss please visit their website.

  6. Disabled Motorists Federation
    • The Disabled Motorists Foundation successfully launched their new website recently. The website features information relating to health services/medical research projects and is continuingly being populated with items of interest to disabled people and their carers. For more information you can contact the Disabled Motorists Federation.
  7. Members' News
    • Phil Hope took questions on Social Care Green Paper
      • On Monday 9 November, the Princess Royal Trust for Carers ‘hosted’ a web event with Phil Hope, MP, Minister for Care Services, who answered questions about the Social Care Green Paper between 16:30pm - 17:30pm.
      • A discussion forum had been created for the posting of questions on Monday, and Phil Hope spent the hour answering those questions. Viewers were be able to see his answers being posted throughout the hour, and viewers also then had the opportunity to respond or to add further comments.
      • You can view and log onto at www.carers.org/forums if there are any problems please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
  8. Consultations & Involvement Opportunities:
    • Department of Health challenge
      • The department of Health would like to encourage our members to respond to the ‘four challenge area’s David Nicholson set out in his earlier letter to NHS Boards.
      • These are:
        1. Being clear about what actions need to be taken and whether some of those actions need to be organised at larger scale
        2. Getting the right leadership focus and behaviours to address this challenge at every level of the system
        3. Engaging properly with staff, partners and the public in this challenge
        4. Being clear about what changes are necessary to the national policy framework to support your policy
      • If you would like to contribute please should send your views to: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
      • Opportunity: Nurse-led medication monitoring and adverse events
        • Patient safety is a recognised priority for healthcare organisations and professionals, but there are underlying weaknesses in current medication practice, particularly medication monitoring for known adverse effects of prescribed drugs. Reviews indicate that 4-6% of hospital admissions are due to adverse drug reactions, many of which are preventable. Failure to monitor for common problems is responsible for the majority of adverse drug reactions. The need for further research into the relative risks and benefits of treatments, and improved systems for actively monitoring patients for the known adverse effects of prescribed medications is well documented.
        • The aim of this project is to develop current medication monitoring practices for detecting and actioning adverse drug reactions. It will specifically examine the possibilities of nurse-led medication monitoring.
        • If you are interested in getting involved or would like more information, please contact Anna Coote, telephone no. 029 2043 1774, by 25th November 09 and provide any details or specific information about yourself that you think may be helpful.
      • CHRE Performance Reviews 2009/10 - seeking your views
        • CHRE is an independent body accountable to Parliament. Its primary purpose is to promote the health, safety and well-being of patients and other members of the public. Each year CHRE carry out a performance review of the health professional regulators. The first stage of the performance review is the regulators assessing themselves against the Standards of Good Regulation. At the second stage of the performance review, they challenge and test the regulators’ self-assessments using information collated from sources that include feedback received from patients, the public and professional and representative organisations. In order to help, CHRE would like to hear about your experiences with the regulators. You can provide written feedback via their website or email. Please be aware that any information submitted will be shared with the relevant regulator and is disclosable under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
      • DH launches consultation on proposals for piloting direct payments for health care
        • The Department of Health is launching a consultation on the Government’s proposals for piloting direct payments for health care. Subject to Parliamentary approval, the Health Bill provides power to make regulations allowing direct payments in authorised pilot schemes. This consultation is specifically about the direct payment method of giving a personal health budget. However, many of the proposals here will be equally relevant to other forms of personal health budgets, and the policy has been developed as part of the wider pilot programme.
      • The consultation will last 12 weeks, finishing on 8 January 2010.
  9. Conferences & Events
    • A Time for Change: The annual Irish Traveller Movement conference
    • 19 November 2009, 9.00am-4.30pm, The Resource Centre, 356 Holloway Road, London N7 6PA
      • The conference will explore where we are with Gypsy and Traveller policy and the choices and actions we now face to ensure that the good work done will reap the rewards it deserves. For more details about the conference and booking information please view the downloadable brochure.
    • Legal & Ethical Issues in Healthcare Conference
    • 19 November 2009, Woburn House, Tavistock Square, London
      • Health professionals and patients are faced by ever-increasing legal and ethical dilemmas resulting from technical advances in healthcare, social and political attitudes to issues such as the rationing of healthcare, life and death decisions about access to treatment, and changes to the law and arrangements for regulating health professionals. This is an essential one day conference for anyone interested in the ethical and legal issues in healthcare today, especially doctors, nurses, lawyers, managers, regulators, patients, academics and policy makers. Delegates will hear from leaders in their field and come away with a better understanding of the most topical Legal & Ethical issues in healthcare and ideas of how to address them in their everyday work. For a booking form, please visit www.avma.org.uk and click on the Conference and Events tab or contact The AvMA Events Team on 020 8688 9555.
    • Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls: Working Towards a National Strategy
    • 1 December at the Guoman Charing Cross Hotel, The Strand, London.
      • For further details on the Public and Policy Exchange symposium or to book online please visit Public and Policy Exchange website
    • Commissioning for quality
    • 1 December 2009, Hilton London Metropole Hotel, London
      • This year's PCT Network commissioning event will be supported by Hempsons and Bosch will help you prepare for this challenge by providing opportunities to:
        • Hear the latest thinking from the key policy makers leading the national QIPP programme
        • Network with your peers and find out how other health economies are improving quality, productivity and efficiency
        • Take part in workshops and put your questions to policy leads and national experts.
      • If you would like to attend this event you can book your place online
    • A National Care Service - how would it work?
    • 10 December 2009, The King’s Fund, London
      • In his speech to the Labour Party Conference the Prime Minister showed further support for the Government’s plan to bring together the NHS and local care provision into a new National Care Service. Those working in health and social care will need to understand how key elements of a National Care Service, including national assessment, fair funding and joined-up services will work in practice, to provide a service that is fair, simple and affordable to all. This half-day conference will explore how a National Care Service will work in practice.
      • This conference will:
        • provide analysis and increase understanding of national assessment and fair funding
        • feature practical case studies around creating joined up services and encouraging integrated working between health and social care professionals
        • create discussion and debate around the challenges to creating a National Care Service
        • Prices start at £85 plus VAT. For more information and to book your place please visit The King’s Fund website
    • Using patient experience to improve quality of care
    • 4 February 2010 at Hilton Hotel, Central Manchester
      • This one-day event combines a number of high-level, insightful and passionate keynote speakers with a range of practical ‘how to’ sessions – all addressing the increasingly important topic of patient experience.
      • Following Sarah’s Horton’s presentation from the patient perspective, David Nicholson, NHS Chief Executive will share his views on how to improve quality using patient experience. Attendees will be encouraged to share their issues through a range of ten ‘how to’ sessions featuring a wide range of topics. For more information or to book online please visit Improvement Foundations website.
  10. Vacancies
    • Parkinson’s Disease Society – Trustee Vacancy
      • Parkinson’s Disease Society are looking for someone who will help develop appropriate strategies and responses to social care issues and national policies. This person will have worked at a high level in social care, either in the statutory or voluntary sectors, or perhaps in a policy role.
      • As well as the core attributes you would expect in a trustee, in particular, we would welcome applications from people who:
        • Understand the interface between not-for-profit organisations and health and social care policy.
        • Have the ability to assimilate and understand policy and social care issues and to apply that to the objectives of the Parkinson’s Disease Society.
        • Will help us to translate the policies and issues in social care to people with Parkinson’s, their carers and medical and social care providers.
        • Have the ability to network within organisations relevant to the Society and to represent it.
      • If you feel you have the attributes we are looking for and you are interested in joining the Parkinson’s Disease Society Board, do please contact Tamara Cowan on 020 7931 8080 for further information. Closing date for applications is 5pm on Friday 20 November 2009
    • Changing Faces - School Specialist
    • Circa £25,500 pa, pro rata for 3.5 days a week
      • Changing Faces is the leading UK charity supporting and representing people with disfigurements. Based in Central London, this is an opportunity to join our team of specialists working with children, young people with disfigurements, and their families and teachers. You will need to have recent or current teaching experience and a wish to work in an environment which combines schools and the voluntary sector.
      • For full details please download the job description or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . The closing date for applications is Wednesday 2 November 2009 (12 noon) and interviews will be held on Thursday 10 December 2009.
    • Changing Faces - Finance Assistant
    • Circa £21.700 pa, pro rata for 12 hours a week.
      • Changing Faces is the leading UK charity supporting and representing people with disfigurements. Located in Central London, this is a new role, created to ensure financial processes and support systems continue to be smooth and robust in the context of an exciting time of expansion of the charity's activities.
      • For full details please download the job description or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . The closing date for applications is Friday 27 November 2009 (12 noon) and interviews will be held on Thursday 3 December 2009.