Website: Department of Health
Published every Thursday, the week provides need-to-know news, consultations and events for chief executives and their teams. It provides links to more information and resources, highlighting areas for action.
This report highlights progress since 2001 under the National Service Framework for Older People and sets out a vision for the future.
(Department of Health, 2 November 2004)
This document aims to provide a resource for NHS and Social Care staff involved in the implementation of the National Service Framework for Older People. It details how national and local initiatives have delivered improved outcomes for older people since the introduction of the NSF. It provides examples of good practice through case studies, which may be adapted locally to improve the health, independence and well-being of older people. Finally, the document outlines work underway to drive forward further change and improvement for the future of Older People's Services.
(Department of Health, 2 November 2004)
This guidance provides a resource for those running and working in NHS mortuaries which they can use to review their practice and protocols against best practice, ensuring local systems are set up to minimise the opportunities for error, and ensuring they reflect the underlying principles of care and respect in all areas of their work.
(Department of Health, 10 August 2006)
This document provides a framework for commissioners and providers of education and training for community matrons and case managers. It is designed to help ensure that education and training for practitioners enables them to provide more effective care for people with complex long term conditions.
(Department of Health, 24 April 2006)
This website is aimed at professionals who work with carers. If you are a carers lead or other health and social care professional working with carers you will find the information on this site of interest. The site contains Government guidance and regulations affecting carers and details of the Carers Grant.
(Department of Health)
Practice based commissioning is about involving GP practices and other health and primary care professionals in the commissioning of services. This guidance document sets out a renewed vision for practice-based commissioning (PBC).
(Department of Health, 4 March 2009)
This is the Consultation response to the End of Life Care Strategy: Quality Markers Consultation which ran from November 2008 to February 2009.
(Department of Health, 30 June 2009)
The aim of this Factsheet is to raise awareness among housing with carepractitioners and providers of the current agendas and developments inpractice around end of life care.
(Department of Health, Housing Learning & Improvement Network Factsheet - November 2006 [File:180KB])
This report and accompanying checklist takes a detailed look at policy and practice in relation to achieving dignity in a housing setting.
(Department of Health, Housing Learning & Improvement Network Report - November 2006 [File:417KB])
This executive summary outlines the key areas addressed by the End of Life Care Strategy published by the Department of Health in July 2008.
(Department of Health, July 2008)
In July 2008 the Department of Health published the End of life care strategy - promoting high quality care for all adults at the end of life. This report sets out progress over the first year.
(Department of Health, 14 July 2009)
This strategy, published just after the 60th birthday of the NHS, represents an important milestone for health and social care. It is the first comprehensive framework aimed at promoting high quality care across the country for all adults approaching the end of life.
(Department of Health, July 2008)
Ministers have decided to publish the national EoLC strategy in parallel with Lord Darzi’s NHS Next Stage Review final report scheduled for June 2008.
(Department of Health / End of Life Care Strategy Advisory Board, 15 November 2007)
What the End of Life Care Strategy means for patients and carers - July 2008.
(Department of Health, 16 July 2008)
This Equal access? A practical guide for the NHS: creating a Single Equality Scheme that includes improving access for people with learning disabilities is a guide to support the NHS to include people with learning disabilities in their equality schemes, with practical examples of reasonable adjustments to achieve equality of access.
(Department of Health, 24 November 2009)
This document provides an update about health reform. It then focuses on commissioning NHS services, and in particular hospital services. It sets out a framework detailing key changes designed to strengthen commissioning and ensure commissioning drives health reform, improved health and healthcare, and improved financial health for the NHS.
(Department of Health, 13 July 2006)
This joint DH/DCSF strategy presents the Government’s vision for children and young people’s health and wellbeing. It sets out how we will build on progress through: world-class outcomes; high quality services; excellent experience in using those services; and minimising health inequalities.
(Department of Health and Department for children, schools and families, 12 February 2009)
This guide is aimed at the wide range of people who are affected by suicide or other sudden, traumatic death. It aims firstly to help people who are unexpectedly bereaved in this way. It also provides information for healthcare and other professionals who come into contact with bereaved people, to assist them in providing help and to suggest how they themselves may find support if they need it.
(Department of Health, 12 September 2006)
This executive summary outlines the achievements of 23 projects in the King's Fund Enhancing the Healing Environment Programme. It includes case studies of nine of the projects and a summary of an evaluation that was commissioned to assess the improvements to the environment, the benefits to patients and staff, and value for money.
(Department of Health / King's Fund, 26 January 2006)
This document provides a general overview of the Death Certification Programme and an update on current progress
(Department of Health, January 2010)
This Green Paper sets out a vision for adult social care over the next 10 to 15 years and how this might be realised. It invites everyone to give their views on the vision and the ideas set out in the document, as well as to contribute new ideas to the debate.
(Department of Health, 21 March 2005)
The information tool sets out a common vision of a good service for people with long-term conditions and offers some practical suggestions for commissioners to help bring about that vision.
(Department of Health, 14 January 2010)
These regional reports set out how £8 billion in additional funding in 2007/08 will be spent by the NHS and shows the scope and range of challenges facing the NHS in England today. The report is full of examples of local innovation which are just a few of a hundred new and improved services.
(Department of Health, 15 May 2007)
This letter from David Nicholson outlines the statutory responsibilities for PCTs, local authorities and SHAs in establishing delivery mechanisms and ensuring they have sufficient numbers of trained staff available.
(Department of Health, 5 March 2009)
This booklet provides guidance for family, friends and unpaid carers when doctors or health and social care professionals are thinking about changing the way a family member, friend or someone you provide care for in which your family member or friend will be and the care plan will deprive your family member or friend of their liberty.
(Department of Health, 6 March 2009)
The Department of Health, in partnership with the Welsh Assembly Government and the Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE), published five sets of training materials to support the implementation of the Mental Capacity Act 2005. Training sets are available for Community Care and Primary Care Training; Core Training; Mental Health Training; Acute Hospitals Training; and Residential Accommodation Training.
(Department of Health / University of Central Lancashire; Social Care Workforce Research Unit (King's College, London); and various authors, 8 May 2007)
This report assesses the progress and outcomes of the process of modernisation initiated in Modernising Social services (1998) and developed in Independence, Well-being, and Choice (2005) and Our Health, Our Care, Our Say (2006) and related policies. It draws on eleven research studies commissioned by the Department of Health's Policy Research Programme, between 2003 and 2007.
(Department of Health, 22 June 2007)
The National Dementia Strategy joint commissioning framework provides best practice guidance for commissioning dementia services. It includes a Joint Strategic Needs Assessment template, summary of NICE and SCIE evidence for dementia services, commissioning levers against each of the strategy's objectives and a summary of South East Coastal SHA dementia metrics.
(Department of Health, 15 June 2009)
The plan describes the implementation task, arrangements for national and regional support, and the programmes that have been put in place to support delivery of 'Living well with dementia: a National Dementia Strategy'. The plan also shows how the performance assessment framework in health and social care will operate to prioritise dementia and provide the necessary focus for development.
(Department of Health, 22 July 2009 )
This revised framework sets out the principles and processes of the National Framework for NHS continuing healthcare and NHS-funded nursing care. It describes how the phrase a ‘primary health need’ has developed, and how this concept helps in determining when someone should receive NHS continuing healthcare.
(Department of Health, Older People and Dementia, July 2009 (Revised))
Part two of this National Service Framework sets four quality requirements and identifies 23 markers of good practice that can support NHS organisations in the prevention of chronic kidney disease in people at risk; in developing strategies for slowing down the progression of the disease; minimising the consequences of acute renal failure; and extending palliative care to people on dialysis who are near the end of their lives.
(Department of Health, 8 February 2005)
Next Steps sets out the priorities for the second phase of the government's ten-year National Service Framework (NSF) for Older People under three themes: Dignity in care, Joined-up care and Healthy ageing.
(Department of Health, 20 April 2006)
Description of the website, web page, or downloadable document. (Source/Publisher, Year),This resource document sets out the priorities for the next phase of reform under three themes: Dignity in Care, Joined-Up Care and Healthy Ageing. It consists of ten programmes driven nationally and covers the second half of the 10 year National Service Framework for Older People.
(Department of Health, 20 April 2006)
This document outlines the Government vision for the NHS in the next 5 years. It includes implementing the vision, the deal for patients and the public, the deal for NHS staff and how the system will support NHS staff and organisations to deliver.
(Department of Health, December 2009)
From 19 January 2010, all organisations (including voluntary ones) supplying NHS services in England are legally obliged to take account of the rights and pledges set out in the NHS Constitution.
(Department of Health, 19 January 2010)
The document is designed to help local NHS staff shape services around the needs of their local communities. It explains why there is a need to continue embedding reform in 2007/08, signalling a further shift towards building a self-improving system driven by local priorities.
Specifically, it sets out the health and service priorities for the year ahead, the next steps in reform and why these are important and the financial objectives
The document also stresses the need for PCTs to work with Local Authorities to improve health and well-being, reduce inequalities and achieve a shift towards prevention.
(Department of Health, 11 December 2006)
The Operating Framework sets out a brief overview of the priorities for the NHS next year. It is accompanied by annexes (some part of the document, some virtual) which provide more detail on the priorities, how they are measured and how the new arrangements for managing the system will work.
The 2008-09 Operating Framework sets out the health and service priorities for the year ahead, the reform levers and enabling strategies, the financial regime and the business processes.
(Department of Health, 13 December 2007)
Subtitled "High Quality Care for All", the operating framework 2009-10: for the NHS in England sets out:
(Department of Health, 08 December 2008)
The NHS Operating Framework for 2010/11 sets out a number of new and powerful shifts in national policies and levers to support the NHS. It provides a set of enablers and tools to support NHS staff to drive the transformation that will be required.
(Department of Health / NHS Finance, Performance & Operations, 16 December 2009)
This report includes a summary of the Next Stage Review and how the Third Sector can be involved in local planning and service delivery.
(Department of Health, 12 December 2008)
A report setting out the conclusions of the Third Sector Commissioning Task Force, set up to promote a sound commercial relationship between commissioners of health and social care services and the third sector as providers, and help remove barriers to entry for all potential providers of health and social care.
(Department of Health, 11 July 2006)
PCTs are required to undertake a baseline review of end of life care services in preparation for the End of Life Care Strategy. These questions are designed to provide all the information commissioners may need in order to develop stronger commissioning for end of life, working with a variety of service providers.
(Department of Health, 24 April 2007)
In July 2005, the Government announced a review of the social care workforce in England to be led jointly by the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) and the Department of Health (DH). This report draws together the different strands of work that have been developed as part of the Review, including consultations with service users, carers and frontline workers.
(Department of Health, 20 October 2006)
This White Paper sets a new direction for the whole health and social care system. It confirms the vision set out in the Department of Health Green Paper, Independence, Well-being and Choice. There will be a radical and sustained shift in the way in which services are delivered, ensuring that they are more personalised and that they fit into people's busy lives. We will give people a stronger voice so that they are the major drivers of service improvement.
(Department of Health, 30 January 2006)
The interim report sets out a 10 year vision for the NHS, reflecting what we’ve heard from patients, staff and the public over the last three months. It looks at how the NHS can become fairer, more personalised, effective and safe, acknowledging progress made so far and setting out immediate and longer term priorities in these areas.
(Department of Health, 04 October 2007)
NHS North East and NHS East Midlands are working with a range of providers to pilot quality accounts for primary care and community services providers. This pilot aims to explore how quality accounts for these providers could best develop and help inform the direction of any requirements relating to the production of quality accounts by primary care and community services providers.
The Department of Health has developed, in discussion with those involved in the pilot, a framework for quality reports by primary care and community services providers.
(Department of Health, 22 February 2010)
An introduction to Practice Based Commissioning (PBC) and illustrative examples of the potential of PBC in the context of joint commissioning of care services.
(Department of Health, 11 October 2006)
PCTs are responsible for ensuring that practices receive an indicative budget that reflects the needs of their population as accurately as possible. This allows a practice to access a 'fair share' of the resources available to the whole of the PCT for its patients. The Department of Health has updated the toolkit and guidance that can be used to determine weighted capitation indicative budgets at practice level.
(Department of Health, 11 February 2009)
The guidance contains a summary of the Primary Care clinical indicators across all diseases.
(Department of Health / NHS Confederation and the BMA, 25 August 2004)
The reconfiguring our specialist services to bring care closer to home will make a big difference to the lives of older people and their families
(Department of Health, 29 January 2007)
A report setting out the conclusions of the Third Sector Commissioning Task Force, set up to promote a sound commercial relationship between commissioners of health and social care services and the third sector as providers, and help remove barriers to entry for all potential providers of health and social care.
(Department of Health, 11 July 2006)
This Green Paper sets out a vision for a new care and support system. It highlights the challenges faced by the current system and the need for radical reform to develop a National Care Service that is fair, simple and affordable for everyone. Within the Green Paper, a number of consultation questions are set out inviting views about how the Government can make this vision a reality. The consultation will run from 14 July 2009 to 31 October 2009.
Further information is available on the Department of Health website.
(HM Government, 14 July 2009)
A Stronger local voice sets out the Government's plans for the future of patient and public involvement in health and social care. These plans include the establishment of Local Involvement Networks (LINks) which will replace patient forums. LINks will work with existing voluntary and community sector groups, as well as interested individuals to promote public and community influence in health and social care. The package of plans is designed to promote the importance of user and public involvement at all levels of the health and social care system, and to create a system which enables more people to become involved and have their voices heard.
(Department of Health, 13 July 2006)
This guide explains how health and social care services can support people with long term conditions to self care through an integrated package which includes information, self monitoring devices, self care skills education and training and self care support networks.
(Department of Health, 24 February 2006)
This Local Authority Circular sets out information to support councils and their partners in the ongoing transformation of adult social care as set out in Putting People First (2007), and preceding policy documents. It builds on Local Authority Circular (DH)(2008)1 and sets out, and reinforces the details of how the ring-fenced Social Care Reform Grant should continue to be used to help councils to redesign and reshape their systems over the remaining 2 years of the Grant. It also updates the information and support available to councils to drive the transformation of adult social care.
(Department of Health, 5 March 2009)
As people approach the end of their lives the availability of high quality, accessible care enables them and their families to make important choices about how they want to be cared for and their place of death. Competent and compassionate care is critical to allow patients a dignified death and giving families support in bereavement. It should be of the highest quality regardless of diagnosis and whether it is carried out at home, in a community hospital or another setting. This guide is a practical tool to ensure that this care is based on high quality evidence and best practice.
(Department of Health, 19 June 2009)
This is a reference document to provide guidance on currencies and pricing for commissioners and providers of community services and featuring currency (the unit of healthcare for which a provider is funded) models and options. The Department of Health will explore, with clinicians and managers, the potential for national currencies for end of life care and child health promotion.
(Department of Health, 5 January 2009)
This document has been developed for the NHS to provide advice on the basic principles and elements considered necessary in developing bereavement services locally. The advice also describes actual experiences and practical solutions already in place in some Trusts.
(Department of Health / Human Tissue Branch, 30 October 2005)
This document sets out a framework for establishing responsibility for commissioning an individual's care within the NHS, i.e. determining who pays for a patient’s care.
(Department of Health, September 2007 [File:242KB])
