19 June 2015

Contents

• RCS calls for the Medical Innovation Bill to have full scrutiny
• Jeremy Hunt outlines new deal for general practice
• Dr Sarah Wollaston elected Chair of the Health Committee
• Ending the crisis in NHS leadership a plan for renewal
• New duty of candour legislation creates ‘two-tier health system’
• NHS failing to direct patients to dentists, says Which?
• First NHS emergency care hospital opens in Cramlington
• Greater Manchester to reduce 'specialist' surgery sites

RCS calls for the Medical Innovation Bill to have full scrutiny

The Royal College of Surgeons this week submitted a Letter to Editor to the Independent alongside fellow Royal Colleges and the BMA urging full scrutiny of the Medical Innovation Bill. The Bill, proposed by Lord Saatchi, aims to allow doctors to innovate without the threat of litigation. However, the RCS has expressed concerns it may undermine patient safety. Our letter encouraged politicians to develop an in-depth understanding of the issues, in discussion with clinicians, academics and patients. Earlier this month Lord Saatchi said he wanted to fast-track his Bill through the House of Lords.

The Letter to Editor outlines that the Innovative Medicines and Medical Technology Review, chaired by Sir Hugh Taylor, has just started its work investigating how innovation can be promoted in the NHS. It is therefore not necessary for the Bill to progress at this time. Medical organisations do not believe the Bill is necessary and this view is strengthened with the work of the Review.

Jeremy Hunt outlines new deal for general practice

Jeremy Hunt today has outlined the first steps in a new deal for GPs.  The proposal includes plans to recruit 5,000 new GPs and 5,000 support staff including nurses. As part of plans, trainee doctors could be offered financial incentives to settle down and work as GPs in under-resourced areas. In return, GPs need to be on board with plans for weekend opening, which involves groups of practices pooling together to share the extended hours.  The BMA have warned that seven day services pilots have shown low uptake of routine weekend appointments.

NHS England will today publish data on clinical staffing levels for every practice so that this can be used to focus recruitment on the most under-doctored areas where the problems are most acute.

Dr Sarah Wollaston elected Chair of the Health Committee

On Wednesday 17^th June, Dr Sarah Wollaston was elected Chair of the Health Select Committee. Dr Wollaston is the Conservative MP for the Totnes Constituency in Devon, and a former GP.  In an interview with the Health Service Journal, Dr Sarah Wollaston has named whistleblowing, patient safety and the safeguarding of patient records as key areas of focus for the committee under her leadership. The College has a good relationship with Dr Wollaston having met her on a number of occasions. Earlier in the year, the Faculty of Dental Surgery provided evidence to her and her colleagues about the challenges facing children’s oral health.

Ending the crisis in NHS leadership a plan for renewal

The Health Service Journal has published its Future of NHS leadership inquiry report.

The recommendations include:

• There should be fewer NHS organisations to avoid management talent being spread too thin
• Unsustainable trusts should be taken over by stronger organisations. The report is calling for the publication of a list of acute trusts that are not sustainable as standalone organisations that has already been drawn up by the NHS Trust Development Authority
• Managers’ wages need a more sensitive benchmark than the prime minister’s salary
• The “blame culture” and political pressure that deter people from taking on leadership positions need to be addressed.

At an All Parliamentary Health Group seminar on the leadership inquiry, Sir Sam Everington, chair of Tower Hamlets CCG who also leads on primary care service redesign for NHS England said that the Lansley reforms cemented leadership development in putting GPs in a commissioning role but there is still a massive gap in leadership development amongst Consultants. He went on to suggest that we could look at having an equal number of Consultants on CCG boards as we currently have GPs. This would be critical for turning around the future of the health economy.

New duty of candour legislation creates ‘two-tier health system’

Jeremy Hunt has been warned he faces legal action unless he revises the new regulations requiring NHS and social care institutions to hold their hands up and admit when something has gone wrong in a patient’s treatment.

The new regulation, Duty of Candour was brought in following the mid-Staffordshire trust scandal but patient charity Action Against Medical Accidents (AvMA) in an interview on Channel 4 has said the way the regulations have been drafted means that private clinics, hospitals and GP surgeries could avoid admitting harm in cases where cause and effect are less obvious.

The AvMA have asked the Department of Health to respond today or it will seek a judicial review.

The College has supported the aims of duty of candour. Past President Professor Norman Williams jointly led a review into the legislation.

NHS failing to direct patients to dentists, says Which?

Researchers from consumer group Which? found three in 10 NHS dental practices advertising availability could not actually take on new patients. As well as not having availability, 29% of those that could take on new NHS patients had waits of at least two weeks for an appointment. One practice said it would be eight to nine months before the patient could be seen reflecting a continuing issue regarding access to dentistry across the country.

The Faculty of Dental Surgery recently highlighted new statistics showing almost 40% of children had not seen a dentist in a year.

First NHS emergency care hospital opens in Cramlington

The first hospital in England purpose built for emergency care has opened in Northumberland. Health bosses have described Northumbria Specialist Emergency Care Hospital as a “vision for the future” as it separates emergency and planned care.

The hospital will not treat outpatients or those with minor injuries, and will not keep patients in once they have been stabilised.

Greater Manchester to reduce 'specialist' surgery sites

Commissioners have announced that emergency and high risk surgery in Greater Manchester will be concentrated on four sites, rather than five. This leaves Bolton Foundation Trust, Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Foundation Trust, University Hospital of South Manchester Foundation Trust and Stockport Foundation Trust vying for one remaining specialist slot. The three that are not chosen will lose their onsite emergency surgery provision.

According to numerous sources, bosses at South Manchester are in discussions about not bidding to be a specialist site.

Manchester Royal Infirmary, Salford Royal Hospital and Royal Oldham Hospital have already been guaranteed specialist status under the Healthier Together programme.