Weekly News
Released on 02/11/2009
Events Diary
11 November
The Manufacturing Institute
Lean and Six Sigma: A practical guide for clinicians and
Managers
9 Queen Street, Edinburgh
Chaired by Dr Charles Swainson Medical Director, NHS Lothian, with a presentation from John Woodruffe Head of Lean Healthcare, The Manufacturing Institute, a charity delivering end-to-end Lean transformation programmes in healthcare. 15% discount for IHM members. See www.ihm.org.uk/divisions/5/events/view/476 for details and booking.
24 November
NHS Health Scotland
Health Promoting Health
Service
Keynote speaker: Public Health Minister, Shona Robison MSP. Full registration now open at https://nhshealthscotlandevents.wingateweb.com/attendee/event/HPHS.ww. See attached flyer for details.
25 November
NHS Health Scotland
2009 Scottish Smoking
Cessation Conference
Stirling Management Centre
See www.healthscotland.com/news/events-item/168.aspx for details and registration.
This week in Parliament
Wednesday
11.00 Health & Sport Committee
The Committee will take evidence on the Tobacco and Primary Medical Services Bill.
Thursday
14:15 Health and Wellbeing Questions
Helen Eadie (Lab, Dunfermline East): what actions have been taken in the last six months to remove the perceived postcode lottery and improve the availability of infertility services and standards for patients across Scotland; Angela Constance (SNP, Livingston): what progress is being made with the non-statutory pilot to elect board members of NHS Lothian; Robin Harper (Green, Lothian): how many simultaneous users of the clinical portal is the system being designed to handle and how long it will take for a typical electronic patient record request to be completed and delivered when the system is used at maximum capacity; Dave Thompson (SNP, Highlands & Islands): what is being done to attract and provide incentives for NHS dentists to relocate to the Highlands and Islands; Aileen Campbell (SNP, South of Scotland): what steps are being taken to improve the health and wellbeing of communities in rural areas; Bill Kidd (SNP, Glasgow): what is being done to promote the development and promotion of healthy living centres in Glasgow given the long-term health inequalities that exist in the city; David Stewart (Lab, Highlands & Islands): what measures are being taken to identify and support the 600,000 people estimated to have pre-diabetes; Charlie Gordon (Lab, Glasgow Cathcart): will the Scottish Government consider changing the method of classifying causes of stillbirth; Ken Macintosh (Lab, Eastwood): how will the Scottish Government respond to recent figures showing more than 3,500 additional winter deaths in 2008-09; Rob Gibson (SNP, Highlands & Islands): what progress has been made in building and bringing into use the new psychogeriatric hospital at Migdale, Sutherland; Margaret Smith (LibDem, Edinburgh West): what progress is being made on tackling health inequalities; Joe FitzPatrick (SNP, Dundee West): what progress has been made towards reducing the number of smokers in Tayside; Nanette Milne (Con, NE Scotland): what additional capacity to help reduce waiting times will be created when the Scottish Regional Treatment Centre is taken into full NHS control; Alasdair Morgan (SNP, South of Scotland): are there plans to bring forward legislation to introduce the principle of presumed consent for organ donation.
Healthcare Support Worker codes made mandatory in NHS
The Health Secretary has announced that the
adoption of new Induction Standards and Code of Conduct for Healthcare Support Workers (HCSWs) and the Code of Practice for their Employers will be
mandatory across NHS Scotland.
The decision follows recommendations from the
independent evaluation report of the HCSWs' pilot, which took place within three NHS Scotland Health sites, NHS Lothian, NHS Ayrshire & Arran and NHS Lanarkshire, and in one independent hospital, between January 2007 and December 2008.
By the end of next year, every new Support Worker will have to meet the required standards within three months of taking up employment, following ongoing "on the job" learning. HCSWs will also be required to show that they comply with the code of conduct for the duration of their employment.
Making the announcement, the Health Secretary
Nicola Sturgeon said:
"Support workers operate at the frontline of NHS
Scotland, and are crucial to its delivery, quality and readiness. They provide essential support and services to ensure the health service can function safely,
effectively and efficiently. The Standards and Codes will help equip them, at a fundamental level, to do their best to protect patients and members of the
public in every way they can during the course of their duties.
"This framework of mandatory standards and codes will, in the future, help support and reinforce the
quality of service that patients and the public deserve to receive and experience.
"It is vital that our systems of assurance adapt to
provide a flexible and responsive framework that
protects public safety as healthcare changes and new functions evolve."
The Standards and Codes will be made mandatory through a Direction from the Scottish Ministers to NHS Boards and Special Health Boards, with accompanying guidance.
HCSW’s Code of Conduct www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2009/10/22092702/0
Code of Practice for Employers www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2009/10/22092739/0
Induction Standards www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2009/10/22092809/0
‘Second wave’ of H1N1 underway
Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon has
confirmed that Scotland is now experiencing the predicted second wave of the H1N1
pandemic flu virus. In a statement to
Parliament last Thursday, Ms Sturgeon said that Health Protection Scotland figures
indicated a 27 per cent increase on the
previous week in pandemic flu cases.
Ms Sturgeon said that early anecdotal
evidence indicated that uptake of the H1N1 vaccine amongst frontline health and care workers had been good; she added that
actual figures will be available within a few weeks. The Health Secretary also confirmed that the Scottish Government expects all 1.3 million people in priority groups in Scotland to have been offered vaccination by
Christmas.
Later, during his weekly question time, the First Minister thanked the BMA, RCN and Unite union in Scotland for issuing
statements encouraging vaccination
uptake among their members.
The Health Secretary’s full statement can be read at www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/officialReports/meetingsParliament/or-09/sor1029-02.htm#Col20605.
Military health awards presented
The winners of the annual Military and
Civilian Health Partnership Awards were
announced in Edinburgh last week at a
ceremony hosted by the Scottish
Government.
Among the winners were a team from
Sealladh in Glasgow, who received the
Innovation in Service Development Award for their work in rehabilitating troops blinded in service and the Scottish Association for Mental Health whose Practical Guide to Working with Veterans won the Education and Training Award.
The full list of winners can be read at www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/DefenceNews/PeopleInDefence/ilitaryAndCivilianHealthStaffHonoured.htm
