Skills & Workforce Digest
Welcome to the Skills for Health - Skills & Workforce Digest
July 2010 Edition
This digest provides health sector employers in England with a service that brings relevant news and information from a wide range of sources, together in one place. We have put this together for you to save you time and hope you find it useful.
| Economic Outlook | National Policy and Developments |
| Recruiting your Workforce | Developing your Workforce |
| Quality and Productivity | Good Practice |
| Other News |
Skills for Health is the employer-led Sector Skills Council for the health sector, serving the NHS, independent and voluntary sectors (2.1m employees throughout the UK).
For further information visit: www.skillsforhealth.org.uk.
|
|
||
|
|
||
|
The Emergency Budget The Institute of Fiscal Studies (IFS) has published the presentations from a briefing held on 23 June following the Emergency Budget and these can be accessed at http://www.ifs.org.uk/projects/330. Government departments have been told to plan for cuts of between 25% and 40% except Defence and Education which are looking at cuts of 10 – 20% (Health and overseas development are the two areas which have been protected) - BBC. The results of the Spending Review will be announced on 20 October. A further £1.5 billion of savings relating to unfunded spending commitments has been announced - click here for further details. The national programme – Building Schools for the Future – set up to build and renovate schools has been halted – click here. The Spending Challenge website has been launched for initially public sector workers and then the public to submit ideas on how to reduce the deficit. To access the site go to http://spendingchallenge.hm-treasury.gov.uk. The Government also launched at the beginning of July, the Your Freedom website which allows the public to submit ideas on reducing the number of unnecessary laws and regulations. The Office of Budgetary Responsibility (OBR) has updated its pre-Budget projections to reflect the measures announced on 22 June. The OBR forecast on employment published on 30 June indicates that overall employment will be 30.23 million in 2015/16 and that public sector employment will reduce from 5.53 million (2010/11) to 4.92 million (2015/16). All OBR publications can be accessed here. The Government has announced an intention to restrict civil service redundancy pay to 12 months for compulsory redundancies and 15 months for voluntary redundancies – click here for further information. NHS Employers – Budget 2010 and the NHS workforce FAQsNHS Employers have produced FAQs relating to the Emergency Budget and how it will impact on staff, e.g. the implications of the two year pay freeze. The Government has published details of those working for Non Departmental Public Bodies (quangos) who earn more than £150,000 per annum. For further information, click here. The Incomes Data Service has recently stated that for the three month period to the end of May 2010 the gap between pay awards in the private sector and public sector has widened.NHS Confederation – Dealing with the downturn: using the evidence (June 2010) This report looks at the financial challenges faced by the NHS and at a number of areas for reducing costs, e.g. managing long-term conditions, and the underpinning evidence. Click here. A report by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) based on a survey of 131 members working in the public sector suggests further efficiencies can be made without impacting on services. The performance of 129 Foundation Trusts (authorised at 31 March 2010) over the last year can be found in the Monitor report, NHS Foundation Trusts: Review of 12 Months to 31 March 2010 published in June 2010. The (unaudited) financial figures show overall performance similar to plan but with lower profit margins arising from meeting unplanned activity increases and the 18 weeks waiting time target. Higher Education Policy Institute – Analysis of graduate employment (July 2010)HEPI has published its analysis shows that graduate unemployment has worsened over the period December 2008 to December 2009 standing at 14% (17.2% for young male graduates and 11.2% for female graduates). Click here for further information. The Association of Graduate Recruiters in its most recent bi-annual survey has found that the number of applications for each graduate job has risen from 31 in 2008 to 69 in 2010 (2009/10 – 49). Click here. The latest Ipso Mori survey published by the Sutton Trust suggests that a record number of secondary school pupils want to go to university and raising fees from £3,225 per year to £5,000 per year would not have a significant impact on numbers. Raising fees to £7,000 per year, however, would have a dramatic affect. Survey. National Policy and Developments Department of Health – Equity and excellence: liberating the NHS (July 2010)This White Paper was published on 12 July and sets down the long term vision for the NHS including: the transfer of £80bn of funding to GP consortia for commissioning health care; the transfer of the public health budget to local authorities; the abolition of PCTs (from 2013) and SHAs (during 2012/13) and the establishment of the NHS Commissioning Board. It is the start of a process of consultation which will seek views on the detail of the proposals. All associated documents can be found at: http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Healthcare/LiberatingtheNHS/index.htm. See also the following specific links: Liberating the NHS: managing the transition letter on implementing Liberating the NHS; draft Structural Reform Plan providing information on indicative timetables and NHS Outcomes Framework consultation (closing date: 10 October 2010). University College London – The Devil’s in the Detail: Final report of the independent evaluation of the Summary Health Record and HealthSpace programmes The final report of a three-year project indicates “modest benefits” from the programmes with progress delayed by a number of factors, including technical issues and obtaining patient consent. For further information, including the key findings for each programme and to access the report. National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence – recent publications
The first of a series of efficiency briefings looks at adult mental health data and the variation in inpatient bed usage and bed days and spending on crisis resolution and home treatment teams. Click here. Department of Health – £30m for children with life threatening conditions Up to £30m is being made available this year to develop children’s palliative care projects. The funding document can be accessed here. A review of palliative care has been announced - click here. NHS Confederation – The triumph of hope over experience (June 2010)This report looks at the lessons learnt from previous reorganisations / restructuring. Click here. Department of Health – First Direct Payment Scheme announced Eight PCTs will pilot direct payments for personal health budgets. Click here for further information. CHKS – hospital readmissions Research has been undertaken by CHKS looking at readmissions to hospital within 30 days. http://www.chks.co.uk/index.php?id=863 . Section 31 of the Revision to the Operating Framework document states that, from 1 December 2010, no further payment will be made to a hospital where a patient is readmitted within this timeframe. The Nuffield Trust has published a new report – NHS bed statistics can be found on the DH website - click here. Department of Health – Report on the National Patient Choice Survey, EnglandThe latest report on monitoring patient awareness of choice and being offered choice relating to patients referred in February 2010 can be accessed here. 49% of patients recalled being offered a choice of hospital for their first outpatient appointment. Cabinet Office – The 2009 Influenza Pandemic: An independent review (July 2010) The independent review of the strategic response to the H1N1 influenza pandemic found it to have been overall “proportionate and effective” (report ). The DH has published two reports produced by the NHS Resilience team looking at the operational aspects - click here for further information. National Audit Office – Tackling inequalities in life expectancy (July 2010) The NAO report found that, although overall life expectancy has increased, the gap between the national average and the “spearhead” areas has continued to widen. Informing Healthier Choices is a DH programme aimed at making public health resources more accessible and developing skills and knowledge. It has four aims including improved workforce capacity and capability. The 2010 Health Profiles for each local authority in England have now been published and these can be accessed at http://www.healthprofiles.info. The Commonwealth Fund – Comparison of Health Systems reports
Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) will be replaced by Local Enterprise Partnerships by March 2012. Outline proposals to form these partnerships should be submitted by 6 September 2010. Click here for further information. The Government has also set up a £1 billion Regional Growth Fund to support those areas most dependent on public sector employment. A White Paper is expected in the summer which will provide further details. Department for Business, Innovation and Skills – Funding letter to Skills Funding Agency 2010The Secretary of State has written to the SFA outlining the Government’s goals in relation to skills and setting down the key priorities for the agency. Letter. The Skills Funding Agency has appointed 12 organisations to run the new integrated adult careers service in England which will go live from August 2010. Click here. BIS has published the independent review of fees and co-funding in further education in England which was commissioned following the Skills for Growth White Paper in November 2009. http://www.bis.gov.uk/co-investment. Recruiting your workforce
The Migration Advisory Committee has launched a consultation on the level of an annual limit of tiers 1 and 2 non-EU economic migration to the UK. The limit will come into affect from April 2011. The consultation ends 7 September 2010. For further information – click here. Royal College of Nursing – International and European nurse recruitment (July 2010) SfC has published a workforce planning guide for providers of adult social care. Section 4 of the guide refers to the Skills for Health Six Steps Methodology to Integrated Workforce Planning. Skills for Health - Health sector apprentice numbers rise by one-third The number of people beginning health apprenticeships in England has risen by nearly a third, according to new figures published by Skills for Health. Click here National Institute for Health Research – The Nature and Consequences of Support Workers in a Hospital Setting (June 2010) The NIHR SDO programme has published a report produced by University of Oxford researchers who have undertaken a three year research project looking at health care assistants and the work they do and how this differs within organisations and between different organisations. It finds imprecise definitions of the HCA role and that HCAs make a “distinctive contribution” to patient care. http://www.sdo.nihr.ac.uk/healthcareassistants.html. Audit Commission – Making the most of NHS frontline staff (June 2010) In its second efficiency briefing, the Audit Commission suggests that there are significant savings to be made in making better use of doctors and nurses. Click here. Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) – Leading in Hard Times (June 2010) This CIPFA publication looks at the challenges facing leaders as funding is reduced, what actions should be taken, the issues and risks involved and what tools and resources are available. For further information. Skills for Care (SfC)– Qualifications and Credit Framework Newsletter (24 June 2010) The latest SfC QCF newsletter provides information on the replacement of the current Health and Social Care NVQs level 2 and 3 by Health and Social Care Diplomas at Level 2 and 3. For further information - click here. Quality and productivity The National Quality Board (NQB) has written to the Secretary of State on how the NICE quality standards can be used to underpin service quality improvement. ACAS – How to manage performanceACAS has published a new booklet which provides guidance for employers to help them develop an engaged and productive workforce by managing employee performance. http://www.acas.org.uk/index.aspx?articleid=3011. The King’s Fund – Building high-quality commissioning What roles can external organisations play? (July 2010) This report looks at the extent to which PCTs and SHAs are using external support and how effective that support is in improving commissioning. Recommendations are targeted at commissioners, policy makers and suppliers. To access the report, go to – http://www.kingsfund.org.uk/publications/building.html . The King’s Fund has also published a briefing which looks at what needs to be done to establish GPs as lead commissioners. The Department of Health has published the results from the third wave of research for the new Practice Based Commissioning survey and looks at local experience of PBC. This report provides a range of information and materials to support improvement in the eight High Impact Actions, e.g. falls, sickness absence. The Essential Collection. National End of Life Programme – Route to success in end of life care – achieving quality in acute hospitals (June 2010) This publication is part of a series of guides aimed at improving the quality of care and optimising resources in different care settings. Click here for further information and access other Route to Success resources here. The National End of Life Care Network can be accessed at http://www.endoflifecare-intelligence.org.uk. The NHS Information Centre – Carer Surveys Two reports - Survey of Carers in Households - 2009/10 England - Provisional Results and Personal Social Services Survey of Adult Carers in England 2009/10 – were published at the end of June 2010. The former indicates that over a fifth of the five million people over 16 who are carers provide care for more than 50 hours per week. The latter indicates that carers known to local authorities with adult social services responsibilities provide more intense caring services with 37% caring for more than 100 hours per week. Click here for further summary information. The Healthcare 100 2010 The top 100 best NHS and independent healthcare organisations in the UK to work for has been published - http://www.healthcare100.co.uk and the NHS Employers website. The Health Foundation – The patient will see you now (June 2010) This supplement provides evidence and good practice case studies on changing the relationship between those that use services and those who provide them. The Health Foundation is supporting an 18 month shared decision making programme (Making Good Decision in Collaboration) bringing clinicians and patients together to make choices about care. MAGIC. Shine is the Health Foundation’s annual award aimed at testing innovative approaches which improve quality and save money. The 2011 round will be launched in early summer. Skills for Health / Skills for Care / Skills for Care and Development – Excellence Out of Adversity ConferenceThe Excellence Out of Adversity: Innovative ways of supporting the health and social care workforce conference will take place on 1 / 2 February 2011 at the Hilton Glasgow. Online registration must take place by 30 November 2010. For further information. Department of Health – The Healthcare Innovation EXPO 2010 The 2010 EXPO will take place on 6 / 7 October 2010 at the ExCel Centre, London Docklands. For further information, go to - http://www.healthcareinnovationexpo.com. Social Partnership Forum – Speaking up for a Healthy NHS (June 2010) This new guide is intended to help employers, working in partnership with the trade unions, to ensure that effective whistleblowing arrangements are in place. Skills for Health – North West Rostering Award Success Skills for Health (SfH) and NHS North West are celebrating after scooping a prestigious award for the North West Rostering (NWR) Tool. NWR was created through collaboration with Central Manchester University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and the NHS North West Junior Doctor Advisory Team, as a solution for complex medical workforce management. Despite being a relatively new tool, the judges were hugely impressed by the tool, commenting particularly on the benefits of junior doctor engagement in the design process. See further Skills Third Sector – skills strategy consultation A national skills strategy for the voluntary sector is being developed and a public consultation was launched on 9 July 2010. A contextual document – The voluntary sector skills landscape – has also been published. See further Skills for Health Success Stories Have a look at some of our success stories online, click here. If you would like to talk to your regional director for Skills for Health, please click here to find contact numbers.
|
|
|
|
More news, events and resources Please browse our website - www.skillsforhealth.org.uk - to find out what Skills for Health can do to support you in developing a skilled, flexible and productive workforce and to access our online resources.
|
|
|
