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10 March 2010 In this week’s issue:
We have now launched our pre-election campaign: Share the Power, and are busily disseminating the messages. You can read the campaign brief and the first of a series of news releases by clicking here.
The National Voices National Assembly and Board of Trustees both meet on 18 March. Is there an issue you would like them to consider or discuss? Let us know.
National Voices spoke up for users and our members at a number of events in the last fortnight. The Princess Royal Trust for Carers held a roundtable in the presence of HRH the Princess Royal on 9 March. Phil Hope MP, Stephen O’Brien MP and Paul Burstow MP represented the three main parties and there was an interesting discussion which was refreshingly non-partisan. Jeremy Taylor urged a new government to enroll the Treasury in the economic case for supporting carers, and to put much more energy into integrating health and social care. At a breakfast event run by the Care Quality Commission on 10 March, Jeremy made the case for simplified channels of user feedback – accessible by all the regulators - echoing one of our three campaign strands.
Patients, carers and families to benefit from new essential standards of care From April 2010 new essential standards of quality and safety are being introduced gradually across all health and adult social care services in England. The Care Quality Commission (CQC), the new independent regulator of health and adult social care, will license providers if they meet essential standards and constantly monitor them as part of a new, more dynamic system of regulation which places the views and experiences of people who use services at its centre.
NHS trusts are the first to come into the new system starting 1 April this year; they will be followed in October by all providers of social care for people over 18 years of age and by providers of independent healthcare. Over the coming two years the system will include all primary care and dentists too.
For more information please visit www.cqc.org.uk
Healthcare promotions – new website Healthcare promotions is a new, free, and easy to access service for Healthcare Professionals looking to save time when creating various healthcare campaigns. This website has over 680 links to UK based resources and publications, which covers over 75 Health Categories. This gives you plenty of choice for your next campaign, all in one place.
Dementia awareness campaign kicks off Launched on 1 March, this campaign aims to help people better understand the condition and encourage more people to seek advice from primary care services. Primarily targeted at 40-60 year olds it is running across TV, radio, print and online and encourages people to request a campaign information pack, containing simple, practical ways to help someone living with dementia.
Useful links: www.alzheimers.org.uk/understandingdementia
Engaging and Responding to Communities Following on from our update earlier this year, we are pleased to tell you that the new guide for professionals on engaging with LINks is now available to order. The guide has been produced for health and social care managers, to increase understanding of the role and powers of LINks and to outline how, through proactive engagement; they can better understand the needs of the local community. If you would like to obtain copies of the guide for local distribution, you can place an order via the Department of Health publications orderline by visiting www.orderline.dh.gov.uk and quoting ’290334NEW’ or ‘Engaging and responding to communities’.
Men’s Health Week Men's Health Week 2010 will aim to do two vital things: firstly, encourage more men to participate in a sporting activity. Secondly, encourage sports stadiums and similar venues to deliver health services and health campaigns for men. To register for National Men's Health Week, which commences on 14 June and runs until 20 June 2010) then please visit the Men’s Health Forums website
Living With Dementia Magazine Living with dementia is Alzheimer's Society's popular monthly members magazine. It features news, human interest stories, expert tips and advice for carers and people with dementia, book reviews, updates on dementia research and articles highlighting good practice in dementia care, plus readers' letters.
‘Your Choice of GP Practice’ GP Practice Boundaries Consultation A public consultation looking at how to give patients a greater choice over which GP practice they can register with has been launched by Health Secretary Andy Burnham. The consultation is seeking views on the various options for enabling patients to register with the GP practice that best meets their needs, whether that is a practice near their work, or simply a different practice near their home that offers more services or longer opening hours. It would also mean that patients can stay with their current practice if they move house. The consultation will run until the end of May 2010 and can be documents can be downloaded online at www.gpchoice.dh.gov.uk
Age equality in health and social care. A report on the consultation The report on the responses to the consultation on "Achieving Age Equality in health and social care", from Sir Ian Carruthers and Jan Ormondroyd, was published yesterday afternoon. It sets out the DH position on the recommendations in the original report. Click here for to read more.
RSI Conference Date: Saturday 20 March 2010 Venue: Large Meeting House, Friends House, 173 Euston Rd, London NW1 2BJ Description: A Conference and exhibition providing an opportunity to find out about RSI conditions, RSI prevention & workplace management, treatments, therapies, how to work round the limitations of RSI conditions, how to seek assistance. There will be stalls and exhibitions from organisations, groups and individuals dedicated to helping those with RSI conditions. Contact: For more information please visit www.rsiaction.org.uk
Complaints Date: Wednesday 19th May 2010 Venue: Manchester Conference Centre, Manchester Description: The conference opens with a presentation from Chairman, Chris Bostock Head of Public and Patient Experience Department of Health, who addresses good Complaints handling and how we are moving forward with the new system. Since the reform of the Complaints systems, the role of the Ombudsman’s office has become increasingly important. You will hear lessons from Complaints to the Ombudsman, ensuring a proportionate response and the new single system for independent review. Contact: For more information please call Hanisha on 020 8541 1399, email Hanisha or visit www.healthcare-events.co.uk. Download Brochure
Parkinson's Disease Society - policy / parliamentary job vacancies The Parkinson's Disease Society are currently advertising two job vacancies for a Social Policy and Campaigns Officer and a Parliamentary Officer. If you would like more information about either vacancy then please click the respective links below.
Social Policy and Campaigns Officer
Voicing concern about health or social care As part of the material we are gathering to support our 2010 campaigning activity, National Voices is keen to hear your views about voicing complaints and feedback. The responses gathered through this survey, from Service User Panelists and representatives from Member Organisations, will feed into our Campaign material and autumn 'White Paper' publication.
The survey closes at 12 midday on Tuesday 6 April 2010.
You can access the survey by clicking here – it is a very short survey and will take just a few minutes to complete.
Contributions: If you have any items of information or news that you would like to see in future editions of 10 Things, please send details to info@nationalvoices.org.uk or contact Laurence Whittle on 020 3176 0733. Laurence Whittle |
