England

NHS Health and Social Care awards

The Annual NHS Health and Social Care awards were presented at a London ceremony on 29 July. The winners included:

• Cancer - University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust
• Children's Services - Hull and East Riding Community Health NHS Trust
• Coronary Heart Disease - Wolverhampton Hospitals NHS Trust
• Improving Working Lives - Wolverhampton Health Action Zone
• Emergency Care Award - Fylde Coast Primary Care Centre, Blackpool
• Mental Health - South London and Maudsley NHS Trust
• Primary Care (Partnership) - Sutton Hill Medical Practice, Telford
• Team Working - Newham Healthcare NHS Trust
• Waiting Times - Dermatology Department, University Hospital NHS Trust

Poole PCT

Many congratulations to Poole PCT who have won the first Queen Mother's Award (one of the awards at the Annual Health and Social Care awards) for helping older people remain independent. They have developed a co-ordinated range of services, which ensures that older people stay in hospital just as long as required, preventing unnecessary admission and promoting independence.

Commended in this year's Guardian Health and Social Care Awards are:

• Leicester City West PCT and University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust Community Heart Project
  This is a project which is led by nurses working in primary care, who identify patients with diagnosed or suspected heart failure. After the completion of an individual management plan the patient will continue to be seen at home or at the surgery and referred to a hospital-based cardiologist as necessary. The nurses liaise between GP and consultant, acting as the key link between primary and secondary care services.
  
  
• Northampton PCT Early Intervention Scheme
  A team from the health services, social services and housing have combined their professional skills and knowledge to prevent avoidable admission to hospital or residential care and to help patients achieve an early discharge when they are admitted. A fast, community-based service providing therapeutic, rehabilitative, nursing and social care.

Central Manchester PCT

Central Manchester PCT welcomed the report of the Commission for Health Improvement (CHI) issued in July as an important step for improving health for local people. The report on clinical governance arrangements, highlighted the 'commitment from the Trust to encourage local communities to be involved' in the decision-making processes. It commends several areas of notable practice including:

• The Trust's clinical governance visits to General Practice to monitor quality
• The use of a Practice Resource Team of nurses

Blackburn with Darwen PCT

The three Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) in East Lancashire (Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley and Blackburn with Darwen) have drawn up a joint Strategic Service Development Plan (SSDP). The plan includes initial proposals for the investment of £7.6m in schemes totalling more than £60m for the improvement of primary and community facilities across East Lancashire. The PCTs, along with health practitioners in the area will become shareholders in the partnership, which is expected to get off the ground in the Autumn of 2003.

Palliative Care

A King’s Fund discussion paper has called for PCTs to work with other organisations in order to fill the gaps in palliative care.

Dr Stephen Barclay, a GP from Cambridge City PCT, was recently appointed Macmillan Clinical Fellow, and is carrying out a three-year study of palliative care outside hospitals and hospices, working with GP surgeries and health centres. He maintains that services for the terminally ill in and around Cambridge are some of the best in the country.

West Lincolnshire PCT

has been selected as a PCT eligible to submit a bid to the New Opportunities Fund for up to £400,000 for adult out-of-hours palliative care spread over three years. Marie Curie Cancer Care will be assisting them to prepare the bid, which will be submitted in August. Applicants will be informed of the outcome in Jan 2003 and the latest start date is Jan 2004.

East Elmbridge and Mid Surrey PCT

East Elmbridge and Mid Surrey PCT is inviting proposals from pharmacists for pilot Local Pharmaceuticals Services (LPS) schemes, with a particular view to helping older people get more from their medicines, and providing better access to medicines out of hours. LPS will provide an opportunity to develop integrated arrangements which address local priorities and meet local needs, and which reward service providers in a manner and at a level agreed by the PCT and the LPS provider. The PCT intends to run the pilot for a period of at least three years with options to extend for further periods after this. During this period, the PCT and the provider may look at developing the scope of the pilot to cover other areas that are important for the PCT population. The PCT intends to submit full proposals to the Department of Health by the 1st November 2002 deadline.

Easington PCT

Easington PCT has been selected as one of only three sites in the country to pilot the new Healthy Communities Collaborative programme aimed at reducing falls in the elderly by 30% over a twelve-month period. Easington was one of two regions within the North East selected from over 140 applications to take part in this prestigious new project - the first of its kind in the country. The Easington bid was selected due to an existing strong track record of community involvement in reducing health inequalities. Preventing falls in older people is a priority because of the consequences and costs to the older person who has fallen, and for their families, friends and carers.

South Essex

Basildon, Billericay, Brentwood and Wickford, Castle Point and Rochford, Southend and Thurrock PCTs plus Basildon and Thurrock General Hospitals NHS Trust have received £1.7 million from the Government's Action on Dermatology initiative to establish a new dermatology service for South Essex. The money will fund a centralised unit at Basildon Hospital to accommodate dermatology outpatient and day care services covering a range of ailments from eczema to skin cancers.

Scotland

Nurses on NHS Boards

Nurses will have a voice at the 'top table' with the appointment of Nurse Directors to each of the 15 Boards across Scotland, Mr Chisholm announced on 3 July. (Nurse Directors are additional Ministerial appointments and not new employed posts. Although Nurse Directors will be a member of their local NHS Board, they will continue to be employed by their existing employer, which may either be the Board or any of the NHS Trusts in the area. In common with all other executive members of NHS Boards, Nurse Directors will not be separately remunerated for their contribution to the NHS Board.)

Wales

All Wales strategy for Arthritis

A new strategy to help improve standards of arthritis care in Wales is to be produced Welsh Minister for Health and Social Service Jane Hutt announced on 5 July.

Powys Chair announced

Welsh Minister for Health and Social Services, Jane Hutt, announced on the 5 July the new Chair of the Powys Health Board. The Chair will formally be in place from 1 April 2003. Announcing the appointment Jane Hutt said: 'I am delighted to announce that Mr Chris Mann will be the new Chair of the Powys Health Board which will be operational from 1 April next year. I am sure that he will help take on the responsibilities for commissioning, securing and delivering healthcare of the highest standard in his locality.' This now completes the 22 chairs for the new LHB's.

Northern Ireland

£152.7m Investment Package

On 3 July, Ms de Brun announced a £152.7m investment package, which it is hoped will have major benefits across the north's health service. The money will be allocated in various ways with the majority being used to improve cancer services.

Proposals to modernise health and social care

Proposals to modernise health and social care through widespread use of Information and Communications Technologies were issued on 11 July for consultation by Health, Social Services and Public Safety Minister, Bairbre de Brun. The proposals, set out in a new Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Strategy for Health and Social Services, are aimed at introducing fully ICT-enabled health and social care services as outlined in the ICT Strategy Vision that was published last year.

Health Action Zones to Continue

Minister for Health Social Services and Public Safety, Ms Bairbre de Brun, has announced that the Health Action Zones in North and West Belfast and Armagh and Dungannon are to continue to be funded for a further 3 years to 2005.

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