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Week of 16th May 2005 Contents
Major Developments
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Major Developments
Jane Kennedy MP to
address APHG New Minister for Health, Jane Kennedy, will
now address APHG’s meeting to launch our Parliamentary Biomedicine
Survey. As a result of the ministerial reshuffle, Ms Kennedy replaces Lord
Norman Warner of Brockley as Minister with responsibility for genetics and
biotechnology. For further details, please see below. Ministerial
Responsibilities for Health Team The new ministerial responsibilities for
Secretary of State, Patricia Hewitt and her team, have been announced. Please
see below for further
details. Shadow Health Teams The Conservatives and Liberal Democrats have not made any changes to their shadow
health teams following the election. The Conservatives keep Andrew Lansley as
Shadow Secretary of State for Health, supported by John Baron, Dr Andrew
Murrison, Simon Burns and Tim Loughton as shadow ministers. Paul
Burstow remains Shadow Secretary for the Liberal Democrats and Patsy Calton
is still the main health spokesperson, with Sandra Gidley taking the lead on
issues involving older people and long term personal care. Future dates
Tuesday 17th
May The State Opening of Parliament for the 2005-06
Session will take place on Tuesday 17 May 2005. Monday 27th June Select Committees to be formally reappointed and
business to begin. New
Ministerial Responsibilities
Secretary of State – Patricia
Hewitt Minister of State for NHS delivery
(MS(D)) – Lord Norman Warner of Brockley Lord Warner has responsibility for NHS finance
issues, NHS workforce issues including education and training, Primary care
and Chronic disease. Also, NHS Foundation Trusts, IT, Access and delivery
(including unscheduled and emergency care), Winter planning, PFI and NHS LIFT
and Choice. Minister of State for health services
(MS(HS)) – Rosie Winterton Ms Winterton will have responsibility for
International and EU business, Cancer services and Cardiac services and diabetes,
in all of which she will be assisted by Caroline Flint. Furthermore, her
remit will include Emergency preparedness, Mental health (including the
Mental Health Bill), prison healthcare, dentistry, Patient and Public
Involvement, renal services and equality and diversity issues. Minister of State for quality and patient
safety (MS(Q)) – Jane Kennedy Responsibilities include standards,
inspection and performance; patient safety, including the National Patient
Safety Agency (NPSA); clinical governance and quality issues; clinical
negligence; MRSA; reducing bureaucracy; National Institute of Clinical
Excellence (NICE); genetics; Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory
Agency (MHRA) and medicines; pharmaceutical industry and pharmacy; R&D;
counter fraud; and Departmental management. Parliamentary Under Secretary of State
for Public Health – Caroline Flint Responsibilities include Public Health
White Paper implementation; health inequalities; drugs; tobacco; alcohol;
physical activity; diet and nutrition; communicable diseases; sexual health;
Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA); Food Standards Authority
(FSA); fluoridation; sustainable development. Parliamentary Under Secretary
of State for Public Health also supports the Minister of State for Health
Services on international business, cancer and cardiac services. Parliamentary Under Secretary of State
for Care Services – Liam Byrne Responsibilities include social care
finance, performance and workforce issues; Commission for Social Care
Inspection (CSCI) and Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE);
children’s health, maternity services, child and adult mental health
services; older people’s services, including intermediate care;
physical and learning disabilities, including services for vulnerable adults;
long-term conditions national service framework (NSF); services provided by
allied health professionals; voluntary sector. Department of Health and National Health Service
Key
issues from the Department of Health and NHS
Tuesday 10th May New chair of the Postgraduate Medical Education
and Training Board Sir Liam Donaldson, Chief Medical Officer
for Wednesday 11th May Chief Medical Officer Sir Liam Donaldson has launched a plan to ensure
health and social care professionals know what action to take in the event of
a major heatwave. The Heatwave Plan informs the public and health and social
care professionals of the dangers, encourages them to plan ahead for care,
and sets out practical action in the event of a heatwave. Independent Regulators The Healthcare Commission and Monitor are independent
bodies responsible to Parliament for regulating different elements of health
care provision. See below for details of the key issues from both: Key
issues from the Healthcare Commission
Thursday 12th May Review
bodies agree practices to improve health and social care in The main external review bodies inspecting, regulating and auditing health
and social care in Wales have published an agreement (a Concordat), designed
to support the improvement of services in health and social care in Wales and
help to eliminate any unnecessary burdens of external review. Friday 13th May Healthcare
regulator launches new bid to reduce "avoidable and unjust"
inequalities in health and healthcare provision The Healthcare Commission has published a three-year plan to improve
health services, stressing that healthcare organisations must reduce inequalities in people’s health care. The
Commission’s strategic plan for 2005-2008 highlights what the regulator
aims to achieve for patients and the public over the coming three years. It
aims to use its new system of assessment to drive improvement across the NHS
and independent healthcare sector, as well as ensuring that regulation
is efficient and well targeted. The strategic plan also details a substantial
programme of activity including a new risk-based approach to inspection,
which focuses on what matters most to patients and members of the public. Key
issues from Monitor
Tuesday 10th May NHS Foundation Trusts: Report on Elections and
Membership (May 2005) The
report covers the election and membership results of the foundation trusts
authorised in April 2005: Liverpool Women's NHS Foundation Trust, Lancashire
Teaching Hospitals, The Royal National Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases and The
Royal Bournemouth and Tuesday
10th May Updated Q&A on year end accounts and consolidation
processes Monitor ran workshops for finance
directors on the consolidation and year end account process in APHG and Website
Forthcoming
Meetings
APHG
PARLIAMENTARY BIOMEDICINE SURVEY LAUNCH
Tuesday 14th June Speaker: Jane Kennedy MP, Minister
of State for Health with responsibility for genetics. Chair: Baroness Julia
Cumberlege The project has assessed the perceptions and
attitudes of parliamentarians towards biomedicine and the biomedical sector
and provides a valuable insight into how MPs and Peers understand the
science, potential health benefits and wider social and economic implications
of this emerging area of medical advancement. Jane Kennedy MP, Minister of State for quality and
patient safety with responsibility for genetics and biotechnology, will
detail the Department of Health’s support for and policies toward new
and emerging biomedical technologies and Baroness Cumberlege will chair the
meeting. THE FUTURE OF THE NHS Tuesday 28th June With Sir Nigel Crisp, Chief Executive of the NHS. Chair:
Baroness Julia Cumberlege Sir
Nigel will discuss the future of the NHS in light of his reports, the recent Chief
Executive’s Report to the NHS and
Creating a Patient-led NHS, which detail progress of The NHS Plan since 2001 and future plans. Sir Nigel has been hugely influential
in the reforms being implemented and this meeting presents an excellent
opportunity to hear about the future direction of the NHS from its Chief
Executive and key ideas that will guide health policy over the coming term. Should you require further details on the meeting or any
other element of our programme, please do not hesitate to contact APHG on 020
7202 9415 or email lucy.cork@healthinparliament.org.uk.
Website
Links
To access our own site, containing information on
past and present meetings and access to constituency health data, click here. Useful Links
The National Health Service Website. Contains
details of local NHS services and information on how the NHS works. The Healthcare Commission’s website.
Includes information on their role, plus details of reports &
investigations that they have carried out. Information and links on health issues, including
self-help and in depth information on various topics such as breast cancer,
depression and diabetes. Source of information on Monitor-Independent Regulator of NHS
Foundation Trusts Monitor’s
website includes information on its role, the makeup of its Board and
Management Team, the Public Register of NHS Foundation Trusts and its latest
press releases. |
