CIPFA NEWS
CONFERENCES/SEMINARS
Practice Based Commissioning,
London - 5 June
This event will explore the following key issues for
finance practitioners
- Policy development
- Funding
- Audit and Inspection
- Accountability and Governance
- The role of the private sector
- Implementation
CIPFA Annual Conference and Exhibition 2006
Harrogate International Centre - 13 - 15 June 2006
The programme for our 2006 Annual Conference is near
to finalisation. Confirmed speakers include:
- Sir Michael Barber, former No. 10 advisor
- Steve Bundred, Audit Commission
- Niall Dickson, Kings Fund
- Frank Field MP
- Roy Hattersley
- Peter Housden, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister
- Simon Jenkins, author and journalist
- Mary Keegan, Head of Government Accountancy Services
- Sir Michael Lyons, HM Treasury Advisor
- John Oughton, Office of Government Commerce
- Professor Colin Talbot, Chair of Public Policy
& Management, Manchester Business School
- David Walker, US Comptroller General
- Dr Tony Wright MP
To request a copy of the full conference programme
and booking form (available from March) contact margot.gallie@cipfa.org,
alternatively visit www.cipfaconference.org.uk.
Health Finance conference - 5/6 October, Bristol
More details will be provided in future editions.
For further information on events please visit the
CIPFA Shop www.cipfa.org.uk/shop
To register and receive more details of events please
contact Alexandra Aarons, CIPFA, 3 RobertStreet, London,
WC2N 6RL (tel 020 7543 5751; e-mail alexandra.aarons@cipfa.org).
return to top
HEALTH ADVISORY NETWORK
Financial recovery for primary
care trusts
The financial position of the NHS has
been deteriorating rapidly in recent months, with media
speculation of an £800m overspend in 2005-06.
It isn’t just secondary care providers
that are suffering from financial instability. Many
PCTs are also experiencing deficits, some of them substantial.
Provider budgets are being squeezed, prescribing costs
are mounting, and a combination of targets and tariffs
has left commissioning budgets increasingly exposed.
Yet ‘turnaround’ interventions are still
predominately focussed on hospitals.
It is anticipated that 2006-07 will be
an even more financially challenging year for primary
care trusts, with the announcement (just 2 months before
the end of the financial year), that they are to receive
only 50% of the additional allocation required to purchase
activity levels under payment by results. This change
in policy alone is expected to leave huge ‘black
holes’ in PCT finances.
Practice based commissioning, service
redesign and proactive demand management are being promoted
as the keys to PCT financial recovery; yet they also
carry risks.
The CIPFA Health Advisory workshop has developed a
practical one day workshop which will focus on the financial
challenges facing PCTs. It will discuss and explore
the radical approaches being taken by some PCTs to try
and restore financial stability. The workshop will be
held on
28 June 2006 – Central London
Workshop objectives:
- To identify and prioritise the major short-term
financial challenges faced by PCTs, and the warning
signs of deterioration
- To identify some of the levers that can be used
to change a ‘deficit’ mind set, with a
particular focus on practice-based commissioning
- To review the impact of PCT reconfiguration and
the ‘healthcare outside hospitals’ white
paper
- To understand the relationship between service
redesign, efficiency and the use of resources
- To highlight areas where the national tariff offers
a lever for improvement and efficiency gain
This workshop will be led by Noel Plumridge, Health
Service Journal columnist and author of CIPFA guides
to the Payment by Results system and to the finances
of long term illness.
If you would like further details about this workshop
or would like to find out more about the CIPFA Health
Advisory network, please visit our website at www.ipf.co.uk/healthcare
or email Davina.Joseph@ipf.co.uk
A certificate of attendance is issued after all our
health network workshops, which can count toward your
CPD.
return to top
FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT
Strong and effective financial management is key to
well-managed and sustainable public services.
The CIPFA Financial Management Model (FM Model) is
a web-based self-assessment tool that examines financial
management in the public services. It tests how an organisation
measures up against 42 good practice statements and
places that organisation into a spectrum of three 'styles'-
Enabling Transformation, Supporting Performance and
Securing Stewardship - to build a picture of how finances
are working and identify areas for improvement. A key
feature is the ability to survey opinion throughout
the organisation.
The FM Model sits on a secure website that lets users
score and evidence the good practice statements, revisit,
collate and report on their scores and target questions
at key people to test views and opinions. It offers
organisations the opportunity to:
- Manage strategic risk through self-assessment;
- Identify strengths and areas for improvement;
- Prioritise improvement;
- Be better prepared for inspections and audit;
- Review and track its progress over time;
- Benchmark performance against other comparable organisations
For more information visit www.cipfa.org.uk/shop
return to top
FINANCIAL REPORTING
CIPFA monitors developments in financial reporting
and auditing standards, paying particular attention
to those that are relevant to the public benefit sector.
The Accounting and Auditing Standards Panel website
features a newly redesigned page which provides a round
up of recent consultations, drafts and final standards.
More details are available at www.cipfa.org.uk/panels/accounting/newstandards.cfm
return to top
GOVERNANCE
CIPFA and IPF, its management support services company,
has launched a website that brings together the CIPFA
Group’s work, and the work of others, on governance
in the public sector.
The website can be found at: www.CIPFAgovernance.net.
return to top
HEALTH PANEL
When the Panel last met on 17 January the topics considered
included:
- Financial Management in the NHS
- the Monitor consultation paper s on Financial Reporting
and Code of Governance
- NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement
- Payment by Results Code of Conduct
- a progress report on course and publications
The Panel has a vacancy for a volunteer with a special
interest in Mental Health Services Finance.
The Panel has also submitted a response to the Monitor
consultation paper 'NHS Foundation Trust Financial Reporting
Manual 2005/06' which is available at www.cipfa.org.uk/panels/health/responses_health.cfm
Expressions of interest should be submitted on the
Panel feedback webpage www.cipfa.org.uk/panels/health/feedback.cfm
The last meeting of the Panel was held on 25 April
2006 and comments/views are always welcome.
return to top
PUBLIC MANAGEMENT AND POLICY
ASSOCIATION (PMPA)
The Public Management and Policy Association (PMPA)
is a national membership organisation, managed by CIPFA,
dedicated to helping managers, policy makers and academics
keep in touch with and understand the wider cross-cutting
developments in public policy making that affect the
governance, general and financial management of the
public services. In addition to excellent networking
and personal development opportunities across the public
services, the benefits package includes:
- Priority booking for PMPA lectures
- Subscription to Public Money and Management
- Up to three PMPA reports each year
- The PMPA quarterly Review
PMPA lectures:
10 May 2006
Adam Sampson (Director, Shelter): Green and Pleasant
Land: Can We Address the UK's Housing Crisis Without
Concreting Over the Countryside?
28 June
Cheryl Miller (Chief Executive, East Sussex County Council)
and Richard Penn (former Chief Executive of Bradford
City Council): Managing in a Political Environment.
*Unless otherwise indicated all PMPA lectures start
at 5.45pm and will be held at CIPFA, 3 Robert Street,
London WC2N 6RL. PMPA events are free to attend, book
online at www.pmpa.co.uk
or email info.pmpa@cipfa.org
for further details.
PMPA Reports:
The latest PMPA report ‘Why are we so badly
governed’ by Sir Christopher Foster - is now available.
(Non-member price £10). Further details available
on the website www.pmpa.co.uk.
Bob Black’s (Auditor General for Scotland) report
on Public Service Improvement (based on his
March 2006 lecture) will be published on 1 May 2006.
Membership:
Individual Membership is £80 (£75 for CIPFA
and other associate member organisations) and £35
for retired members and full time students. Corporate
rates start at £350 for up to five persons registered
by their employing organisations to receive the benefits
package. Full details are available on the Association's
website www.pmpa.co.uk
or email info.pmpa@cipfa.org
asking for an information pack and sample publications.
return to top
PUBLICATIONS
Practice Based Commissioning – Practical
Steps to Implementation
This new and timely CIPFA title is an invaluable tool
for all those involved in practice based commissioning
(PBC).
It will be of particular benefit to executives and
non-executives at primary care trusts, professional
executive committee (PEC) members, PBC leads, project
managers and finance managers. Equally, the publication
will be of great use to practice based commissioners
– both practitioners and practice business managers.
This comprehensive guide provides practical advice
on the issues that need to be dealt with and the sub-systems
of the NHS that need to adapt in order to facilitate
successful PBC. It identifies what needs to be considered
in designing, implementing and maintaining local systems
and provides guidance on the foundations that need to
be laid for the further evolution and growth of PBC.
It details the requirements of the key stakeholders,
including practices, PCTs, PECs and SHAs in setting
up practice based commissioning; considers the challenges
in doing this and how to overcome them; and the potential
directions for the strategic development of PBC at a
local and wider health economy level.
In doing this it provides an in depth analysis of the
roles of the key players and stakeholders, the commissioning
models available, their governance and financial management
requirements, and the interaction between partners and
the overall health care agenda.
This publication is a highly effective and accessible
guide and reference for all working within practice
based commissioning.
To purchase a copy visit http://secure.cipfa.org.uk/cgi-bin/CIPFA.storefront/EN/product/HE012
Financing Long Term Illness in the NHS
The successful management of long term health conditions
presents one of the greatest challenges for NHS management
in the 21st century. Life-threatening diseases such
as diabetes, heart failure and respiratory illness are
making heavier and heavier demands on hospital resources
across the western world. Meanwhile, conditions such
as arthritis and lower back injury have a profound impact,
both on health services and - through prolonged absence
from work - on the economy as a whole.
This timely publication on the financing of long term
health conditions addresses two important needs:
- First and foremost, it offers NHS finance professionals,
service managers, commissioners and others a solid
grounding in the financial importance, concepts and
practice of modern chronic disease management. It
includes:
- an introduction to chronic care and the linked
concepts of case management and supported self-care;
- an overview of experience to date, including a
range of case studies; and
- a survey of tools and techniques that support
good chronic disease management, covering modern
technology, end of life care, and policy initiatives
such as expert patient programmes and the GMS contract.
- In addition, it provides an independent professional
commentary on key financial and accounting issues
arising from the NHS's new focus on long term illness,
and practical signposts through some of the associated
dilemmas. Principal areas covered include the business
case for chronic care, the implications for acute
hospitals, and how chronic disease management can
be squared with payment by results.
To purchase a copy visit http://secure.cipfa.org.uk/cgi-bin/CIPFA.storefront/EN/product/HE009
Future Publications
More details will be published in future editions.
Public Money and Management (PMM)
Public Money & Management is owned and managed
by CIPFA, and is the official journal of the Public
Management and Policy Association which is published
on behalf of CIPFA by Blackwell Publishing.
The 2006 issues will cover Managing Knowledge Across
Organizational and Professional Boundaries within Public
Services (April); and Terrorism and Public Management
(June). The October 2006 issue will be on Financial
Exclusion.
Details about submitting an article are on the Public
Money & Management section of the CIPFA website
or micky@mickylavender.com
For further information on PMM and details on how to
subscribe, please see www.cipfa.org.uk/pt/pmm/
return to top
PUBLIC REPORTING AND ACCOUNTABILITY
AWARDS
The entry deadline for the 5th CIPFA/PricewaterhouseCoopers
PRA awards has now passed with a record number of
entries received. Entries are currently making their
way to a team of voluntary scrutineers, who will assess
each entry against five evaluation criteria. Once all
marks have been received from the scrutineers, the awards
moderator will draw up the longlist from which the judges
will decide the winners.
The winners will be announced at the ceremony, which,
for the first time, will be integrated into CIPFA’s
annual conference programme and will be followed by
the inaugural CIPFA/PricewaterhouseCoopers Accountability
Lecture given by Dr Tony Wright, MP, chair of the Public
Administration Select committee.
For more details view www.cipfa.org.uk.
return to top
PUBLIC SERVANTS OF THE YEAR
AWARD
Following a record number of entries, the judges have
selected 39 finalists for the Public Servants of the
Year Awards 2006. There are three finalists in each
of the 13 categories. Details of the finalists and their
achievements are available at www.publicservants.org.uk.
All winners will be announced at the glittering awards
ceremony on Wednesday 17 May at the Grosvenor House
Hotel on London’s Park Lane. Sir Trevor McDonald
OBE and Felicity Barr will host the occasion. Tickets
for this prestigious event are available by contacting
helen.mcdonnell@cipfa.org.
Special rates are available to public sector organisations
and companies who sponsor or exhibit at CIPFA’s
annual conference. Sponsorship opportunities are also
available, for further information contact michael.spray@publicfinance.co.uk.
return to top
SUSTAINABILITY
CIPFA has launched a Sustainability microsite to raise
awareness amongst members about the development of the
topic area. The site will communicate current developments
and relevant information to members.
For more details visit www.cipfa.org.uk/pt/sustainability/index.cfm
return to top
TIS HEALTH ONLINE
If you work in Scotland and you’re wondering
how to develop your CPD portfolio, TIS Health could
be the answer. We are looking for people who work in
NHS finance to contribute to our website. No previous
experience is necessary, just enthusiasm and a willingness
to participate.
You can be part-qualified, newly qualified or an experienced
practitioner, and can contribute as much or as little
as you want. We are looking for people to review our
content and write drafts on specific topics to make
sure arrangements in Scotland are covered on the website.
Any work you do will qualify for your CPD scheme and
we will provide evidence for your portfolio. Contributing
also allows you to explore areas of interest, develop
your professional skills and meet with other practitioners.
You’ll also have complimentary access to TISonline
for the duration of their membership.
If you are interested in any of the above vacancies,
please contact Sarah Jeal on 020 8667 8156 or at sarah.jeal@ipf.co.uk
return to top
OTHER NEWS
ENGLAND
AUDIT
The Audit Commission has published its Strategic Plan
2006, which draws on responses from a wide range of
organisations, puts taxpayers and service users at the
heart of public audit and inspection.
For more details view www.audit-commission.gov.uk/reports.
return to top
COMMISSIONING
NHS commissioning has reached the most critical point
in its development since 1990. That is the conclusion
of a major new research report published by the University
of Birmingham’s Health Services Management Centre
and the NHS Alliance.
‘Commissioning in the reformed NHS: policy into
practice’ thows new light on the complex commissioning
and governance responsibilities facing restructured
primary care trusts and practice based commissioners.
It spells out in detail the many activities that PCTs
and practice based commissioners will need to carry
out if they are to make a success of ‘commissioning
a patient-led NHS.
The report has a strong practical focus and provides
a current snapshot of commissioning ‘work in progress’,
highlighting case studies of how managers, doctors and
nurses are setting about the task of planning, funding
and purchasing new patterns of services for their local
populations.
Stark warnings are also contained in the report that
current patterns of PCT governance are unlikely to be
sustainable in the longer term and that new skills for
commissioners are required – if the sophisticated
commissioning arrangements are to work effectively.
For more details view www.nhsalliance.org.
return to top
COUNTER FRAUD
The Department of Health and Norton Healthcare Ltd
and Norton Pharmaceuticals Ltd ("Norton")
have jointly announced settlement of the claims brought
against Norton for alleged anti-competitive cartel conduct
in connection with the supply to the NHS of generic
drugs. Under the terms of the settlement Norton have
agreed, on a full and final basis and without admission
of liability, to compensate the NHS by payment of £13.5
million and to provide co-operation in connection with
the continuing claims regarding the alleged price fixing
arrangements.
For more details view www.cfsms.nhs.uk.
return to top
GOVERNANCE
The DH has revised NHS Standing Orders, Standing Financial
Instructions and Schemes of Reservation & Delegation
to the Board for NHS boards to use as a good practice
template for their continued development towards good
governance principles.
For more details visit www.dh.gov.uk
return to top
GP CONTRACT
GPs encouraged to tackle more long-term conditions,
including dementia, depression, kidney disease and obesity.
Changes to the new GP contract that came into force
on 1 April will deliver significant improvements in
the range and quality of GP services for NHS patients
at little extra cost, according to Health Minister Lord
Warner.
The revised contract encourages GPs to take a more
direct role in managing patients suffering from seven
further long-term conditions as part of a widened quality
and outcomes framework incentive scheme.
The new conditions added to the incentive scheme include
dementia; depression; chronic kidney disease; a trial
fibrillation; obesity; and learning disabilities. GPs
will also be rewarded for improving palliative care.
As part of the contract, patients' views and experiences
of access and choice will be measured through a new
survey. These views will ultimately determine practice
income. The survey addresses concerns under the old
contract that patients' experiences were different from
those reported by the NHS.
For more details visit www.dh.gov.uk
return to top
MANAGEMENT COMMENTARY
From 2005/06 HM Treasury requires NHS bodies to produce
a Management Commentary. In line with the recommendations
of the Accounting Standards Board’s Reporting
Statement: ‘Operating and Financial Review’.
The responsibility for the contents of the Review falls
to the Board of Directors.
Guidance on Management Commentaries is available at
www.info.doh.gov.uk/doh/finman.nsf
return to top
MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES
The Department of Health has published financial allocations
to support patients affected by changes to social security
benefit rules. Important information for mental health
providers, PCT commissioners and social services authorities
regarding financial allocations can be found at www.dh.gov.uk
return to top
NHS PAY
Secretary of State for Health Patricia Hewitt has
announced 'fair and affordable' pay awards for NHS staff.
The increases mean that the Government has accepted
all of the Pay Review Body recommendations for NHS staff
pay uplifts, although consultants will receive a 1 per
cent pay increase until November 2006 when they will
receive a further increase of 1.2 per cent.
For more details view www.dh.gov.uk.
return to top
NHS LIFT
New GP surgeries will open at the rate of one a week
during the next 12 months as part of a £270 million
transformation of NHS services outside of hospitals.
The NHS plans to open around 60 new GP surgeries, health
centres and clinics in 2006 under the NHS Local Improvement
Finance Trust (LIFT) programme.
The new buildings will open in towns and cities across
England, with facilities planned for Middlesbrough,
Colchester, Plymouth, Wigan, Wolverhampton and Waltham
Forest.
For more details visit www.dh.gov.uk.
return to top
NHS REFORM
A new report argues that the logical conclusion of
the Government’s health reform agenda is a significantly
smaller and higher quality NHS workforce.
In Staffing and human resources in the NHS –
facing up to the reform agenda, Nick Bosanquet, Professor
of Health Policy at Imperial College London, shows that
reforms such as foundation hospitals, payment by results
and patient choice will mean greater emphasis on productivity
and flexible working. The result will be the end of
national pay bargaining, a reduction in the NHS workforce
of at least 10 per cent and greater investment in staff
of all levels.
The report, published by the independent think tank
Reform, shows that experienced high quality staff contribute
far more to patient care than a larger number of inexperienced
staff. Despite this, manpower policy since the turn
of the decade has focused on quantity rather than quality.
Total NHS workforce has risen from 1 million in 1999
to over 1.3 million now and is on course to reach 1.6
million by 2010.
The costs of this expansion are one of the key reasons
why the service is being driven into deficit. It is
unclear how a service in financial distress will provide
places for the extra students currently in medical school.
Despite extra spending, key areas such as radiography
and midwifery are understaffed and NHS staff morale
is poor compared to other public sector organisations.
The solutions to the problems of costs, shortages
and low quality lie in the Government’s highly
welcome reform agenda. A service with greater financial
awareness and discipline will control its level of manpower.
Pay levels will be increasingly determined by the competitive
performance of individual hospitals and other providers.
Stronger commissioning by Primary Care Trusts will reward
higher quality staff and team working.
The report is available at: www.reform.co.uk/filestore/pdf/Staffing
and human resources in the NHS, Reform, 2006.pdf.
return to top
OLDER PEOPLE SERVICES
The Department of Health has issued Local Authority
Circular LAC(2006)07setting out the conditions governing
the use of partnership grant. The circular is brought
to the attention of Chief Executives of the nineteen
Local Authority-led partnerships including Chief Executives
of partner PCTs.
For more details view www.dh.gov.uk.
PALLIATIVE CARE
The Government drive to improve care for people at
the end of their lives is making significant improvements
to patient care, an NHS progress report confirms.
The £12m programme aims to skill up all NHS
staff who provide end of life care so that wherever
a person dies - in hospital, in a hospice or at home
- they receive good care and are treated with dignity.
Training will better equip staff to discuss end of life
issues with carers and patients, leading to improved
communication and higher levels of satisfaction.
The joint report from Professors Ian Philp and Mike
Richards, the National Directors for Older People and
Cancer, charts the progress the NHS has made during
the past year since the End of Life Care Programme was
launched.
Key achievements are that already nearly a third of
GP practices have introduced new ways of working and
that two thirds of hospital Trusts have implemented
the recommended Liverpool Care Pathway in at least one
ward. This means taking the best of hospice care - such
as good communication with the patient and family and
symptom control - into hospitals and other settings
such as care homes.
The Year One report for the NHS End of Life Care Programme
is available on the Department of Health website www.dh.gov.uk/endoflifecare
and the NHS website www.endoflifecare.nhs.uk.
return to top
PAYMENT BY RESULTS
A DH letter to NHS Chief Executives provides an update
on the implementation of the Payment by Results assurance
framework, which was announced as part of the Department
of Health’s operating framework for 2006/07. The
assurance framework will support local monitoring of
payments and data quality under Payment by Results.
Along with strengthening local arrangements, the framework
will include benchmarking of national data to identify
potential data quality issues which will in turn inform
a programme of random and targeted external audits of
clinical coding and data quality. It will also help
provide assurance to PCTs that the payments they are
making are accurate and fair.
For more details view www.dh.gov.uk.
In addition the DH has announced a short review of
the Payment by Results tariff setting process in 2006/07
has been commissioned.
The terms of reference for the review can be found at:
www.dh.gov.uk/PolicyAndGuidance.
Monitor has published a discussion paper, Ensuring
Payment by Results Enables System Reform, recommends
four key priorities to ensure Payment by Results delivers
what is required in terms of system reform.
For more details view www.regulator-nhsft.gov.uk.
PRESCRIPTION CHARGES
Regulations have been laid before Parliament to increase
National Health Service charges in England from 1 April
2006.
There will be an increase in the prescription charge
of 15p from £6.50 to £6.65 for each quantity
of a drug or appliance dispensed.
The cost of prescription prepayment certificates will
rise to £34.65 for a 4 month certificate and £95.30
for an annual certificate. These offer savings for those
needing more than 5 items in four months or 14 in one
year.
Prescription charges are expected to raise around
£430 million for the NHS in 2006-07. Charges for
elastic stockings and tights, wigs and fabric supports
supplied through the Hospital Service will be increased
similarly.
The prescription charge increase this year closely
reflects the level of inflation. The other increases
are pro-rata with the 15p increase.These increase will
help maintain the contribution charges make to NHS funding.
For more details view www.dh.gov.uk.
PREVENTATIVE TECHNOLOGY
LAC (2006)5 £80M Preventative Technology Grant
2006/07 – 2007/08 aimed at PCTs, SHAs, and Care
Trusts, sets out arrangements surrounding the £80M
Preventative Technology Grant. The grant is provided
to enable councils to invest in telecare to support
older people to remain independent at home and avoid
unnecessary hospital and residential care.
For more details view www.dh.gov.uk.
REGULATION
The National Audit Office, the Audit Commission, the
Commission for Social Care Inspection and the Healthcare
Commission have published a joint programme to promote
improvement in patient care and efficiency in the NHS
and public health. This document sets out our combined
programme of national studies for 2006/07 and approach
to 2007/08.
For more details view www.audit-commission.gov.uk
Twenty bodies involved in the regulation of healthcare
today have launched a series of measures to reduce the
burden on the NHS and independent sector healthcare
providers.
The move is part of an initiative known as the Concordat,
which aims to help inspectorates coordinate regulatory
activity.
Now, eleven further organisations have signed up to
the Concordat to bring the total number of signatories
to 20. They have committed to working together, and
with the original signatories, to improve coordination
of visits and minimise the duplication of information
gathered from trusts.
In addition, an innovative web portal on the new Concordat
website (www.concordat.org.uk)
has been launched to enable signatories to better schedule
their visits or inspections. This portal will enable
healthcare providers to hold signatories to account
as it allows both those working in regulation and those
being regulated to see which healthcare providers are
being inspected when and by whom. It will also enable
signatories to work more closely and see where there
is potential overlap of inspection activity. Providers
can raise their concerns through the Concordat e-hotline
(concordat@healthcarecommission.org.uk) through which
the relevant organisation will be alerted to take any
necessary follow up action.
For more details view www.healthcarecommission.org.uk
The Audit Commission has published a paper that attempts
to stimulate debate, equip policymakers to go beyond
the decisions made so far about the future of regulation
and consider what further measures might be needed for
the post-2008 period.
For more details view www.audit-commission.gov.uk/reports
The Department has published its draft Simplification
Plan on its website for a three-month consultation.
The Plan includes measures that are being taken forward
to reduce regulatory burdens on the public and private
sectors without removing necessary protections.
For more details view www.dh.gov.uk
SOCIAL CARE FINANCE
The Department of Health will conduct a review of
social care, starting from first principles on how social
care is funded. The DH believes that this is a once
in a decade chance to undertake a fundamental review
of social care costs.
To get the analysis right, the DH is bringing together
the country’s leading social care experts, and
Sir Derek Wanless has agreed to join.
Sir Derek’s work on the over 65 age group will
be useful but the Department will also need to consider
the needs of the increasing numbers of vulnerable younger
adults with complex needs who also need social care
support.
The DH wants to examine our requirements over the
next ten to twenty years, and as part of this will need
to understand how to support the plans laid out in the
White Paper with public spending.
This work will inform the Department’s plans for
social care funding, which will be submitted to the
Treasury as part of the comprehensive public services
spending review in 2007.
For more details view www.dh.gov.uk.
Harsh financial pressures and demographic changes
have left a gaping £1.76 billion back hole in
social care budgets, a report by the ADSS has revealed.
An annual survey of social services departments has
revealed the financial crisis in the NHS, under-funding
from central government and demographic changes have
placed enormous financial difficulties on councils.
A £1.768 billion gap exists between what local
authorities have to spend in the financial year and
what it will cost to deliver services. The shortfall
has been caused by:
- An ageing population and a rising number of people
who need care. By 2007 it is forecast there will be
more people over 65 than under 16 for the first time,
and in many areas this is already the case.
- The financial crisis in the NHS, which has led
to more people receiving social care rather than care
in a hospital.
- The soaring cost of contracts with the independent
and voluntary sector. Average increases are 4.2 per
cent for nursing and residential care, and four per
cent for home care.
- Medical advances that mean young adults with severe
physical and learning disabilities are living longer.
For more details view www.adss.org.uk.
Social care for older people in England will require
sharp increases in funding to meet the demand for high
quality care over the next two decades, according to
the findings of a major review commissioned by the King’s
Fund and led by former NatWest Group Chief Executive,
Sir Derek Wanless.
The report, Securing Good Social Care for Older People:
Taking a long-term view, sets out the review's vision
of a social care system providing comprehensive, high
quality care. It provides an analysis of how social
care might be funded in the long term and seeks to trigger
a wide-ranging debate on the future of social care and
the pace at which the necessary radical changes can
be taken forward. The review follows Sir Derek’s
two reports for the Treasury on future health care spending
in the United Kingdom and on public health in England.
For more details view www.kingsfund.org.uk.
SCOTLAND
ANTI – SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR
Funding worth £2 million over two years has been
announced to support projects that bring together health,
housing and social work professionals with the aim of
targeting help on troubled families to 'break the cycle'
of antisocial behaviour.
Justice Minister Cathy Jamieson said the projects
would provide intensive supervision and intervention
for individuals and families involved in antisocial
behaviour.
As well as bringing together services, those families
referred to the projects will be set strict targets
for behavioural improvements and be subject to sanctions
if the targets were not achieved.
For more details visit www.scotland.gov.uk
MEDICAL RESEARCH PARTNERSHIP
A new partnership involving Scotland's
universities, NHS Scotland, Scottish Enterprise and
Wyeth Pharmaceuticals - a multinational pharmaceutical
company – has been announced.
The £50 million deal sets up the
world's first 'Translational Medicine Research Collaboration'.
It is intended to provide the impetus for Scotland to
lead the world in medical research and bring lifesaving
new drugs to patients more quickly.
For more details view www.dh.gov.uk.
NHS FINANCE
A £27 million funding package aimed at bringing
health services closer to patients and encouraging joint
working between public agencies has been announced.
A total of 21 projects across 10 health board areas
will share cash from the Primary and Community Care
Premises Modernisation Programme - targeted at developing
modern facilities with a particular focus on delivering
health improvements in areas of deprivation.
For more details visit www.scotland.gov.uk.
WALES
NHS FINANCE
Short term financial pressures are preventing the
NHS in Wales from resolving longer-standing deficits
and the situation is likely to get worse this financial
year, warns the Auditor General for Wales, Jeremy Colman.
His report: Is
the NHS in Wales Managing Within its Available Resources?
found that NHS trusts, local health boards and Health
Commission Wales met their financial targets during
2004/2005, but a number had received additional funding
- cumulatively some £82 million at the end of
that year - with some £55 million repayable by
2009.
For more details view www.wales.nhs.uk.
|
