1. Agenda For ChangePlease find attached the latest joint statement on the Agenda for Change talks. Please ensure that this receives the widest possible circulation amongst MSF groups in your Trust. The delay is unfortunate, however, the fact that negotiations will continue after the next spending review may indicate that the Department of Health is seeking to persuade the Treasury of the need to invest even more heavily in pay modernisation. The Minister’s commitment to this process was confirmed at a recent meeting with the Staff Side and in his speech to the CPHVA conference.
Please find attached the latest joint statement on the Agenda for Change talks. Please ensure that this receives the widest possible circulation amongst MSF groups in your Trust. The delay is unfortunate, however, the fact that negotiations will continue after the next spending review may indicate that the Department of Health is seeking to persuade the Treasury of the need to invest even more heavily in pay modernisation. The Minister’s commitment to this process was confirmed at a recent meeting with the Staff Side and in his speech to the CPHVA conference.
2. 2002 Spring Bank Holiday
The Department of Health has issued its Advance Letter (GC) 1/2001 on arrangements for the Spring Bank Holiday. This covers payments for working the Bank Holiday and the treatment of part-time staff.
The Advance Letter is available on www.doh.gov.uk/coinh.htm or by e-mail doh@prologisitics.co.uk or by telephoning the NHS Responseline on 08701 555 455.
3. Medical Technical Officers
MSF is urgently seeking information of Recruitment and Retention problems amongst MTO grades to form part of our claim to the PTB Whitley Council. Information has already been supplied by the MTO National Advisory Committee and some professional bodies. We are particularly seeking information where MTO shortages are preventing trusts meeting targets set within the NHS Plan and National Service Frameworks or has resulted in cancelled treatment for patients.
Please send any information that you have to adkinsc@msf.org.uk. Your trust will remain anonymous in any information that we submit.
4. Professional Regulation
The orders for the establishment of the Health Professions Council (www.doh.gov.uk/healthprofessionsorder/index.htm) and the Nurses and Midwives Council (www.doh.gov.uk/nursingandmidwiferyorder/index.htm) are available on the DoH website. The CPHVA called the order for the Nurses and Midwives Council as a massive victory.
5. Practice Nurses
The Department of Health has stated its commitment to seeing practice nurses' pay increased in line with the Nurses Pay Review Body's recommendations.
The Department has sent a letter to all Health Authorities and PCT/Gs. This letter stresses the importance placed on this commitment, including that in order to increase practice nurses' pay, GP practices should be adequately reimbursed for the employment of practice staff. The letter also states that the Healthy Authority or PCT/G must consult with the Local Medical Committees (LMCs) with the aim of reaching an agreement on the level of GP reimbursement.
This initiative is a genuinely positive step and a commitment to improving the working lives of practice nurses.
This follows representations made by the CPHVA and other Staff Side organisations to the Pay Review Body that often Practice Nurses pay was not increased in line with their annual recommendations.
For further information see www.doh.gov.uk/pricare/practicenursepay .
6. Community Budgets
The Chief Nursing Officer has written to Trust setting out arrangements for £3m of new money to provide community budgets for teams of community practitioners in all parts of the country. He encouraged Primary Care organisations to match this new investment from the centre with resources of their own so that each locality team would have a community budget worth at least £5,000 per year.
The community budgets are intended for PCTs or PCGs (Primary Care Organisations) to provide modest sums for community based public health work which can be accessed directly by teams of frontline community practitioners and health visitors.
This initiative was announced recently at the CPHVA conference. For further information see www.doh.gov.uk/cebulletin15november.htm#4.
7. ‘Public Works’
The TUC is organising a Rally and Lobby of Parliament on 4th December. There may also be Regional events, organised by Regional TUCs, to maximise the opportunity for members to be involved. The theme is that directly funded and managed public services, with directly employed staff, can deliver the improvements in service provision that the government seeks: that Public Works. This is exactly the message that MSF has been conveying to government. Making a positive case for the public sector rather than just being critical of alternatives. Although this event covers the whole of the public sector, MSF will be focusing on the main areas impacting on our membership ie; Health; Higher Education and the Voluntary Sector. The TUC is keen that the event should be well received by the public at large, as well as government and MPs. It is therefore intended to be a representative rather than a mass lobby. MSF has therefore arranged that each region of MSF should send 5 representatives, one each from the Voluntary Sector and Higher Education and three from the Health Sector. I have asked the NHS Lead officers in each region, in consultation with the Regional Advisory Committee Chair, to select the three to represent the NHS. The TUC is organising the rally in Central Hall Westminster, with entertainment as well as speakers drawn from public sector workers with a strong story to tell of the benefit they provide to the public. This will run from 12.30 to 3.00 pm. MSF is organising its own meeting of MSF reps and MSF member MPs in Portcullis House, opposite Parliament and the main office and conference facilities for the House and MPs. This will run from 11.15 to noon with MSF General Secretary Roger Lyons and speakers representing MSF public sector workers and MPs. For security reasons, the names of those attending will need to be submitted by the Lead NHS Officers. In addition to this representatives may wish to see their MPs directly in the Lobby of the House. Placards and leaflets for the day will be available. Equally important will be the regional events to celebrate the public sector. This is an opportunity for all public sector workers to show why the public sector ethos is essential to delivering a quality and efficient service to the public.
The theme is that directly funded and managed public services, with directly employed staff, can deliver the improvements in service provision that the government seeks: that Public Works.
This is exactly the message that MSF has been conveying to government. Making a positive case for the public sector rather than just being critical of alternatives. Although this event covers the whole of the public sector, MSF will be focusing on the main areas impacting on our membership ie; Health; Higher Education and the Voluntary Sector. The TUC is keen that the event should be well received by the public at large, as well as government and MPs. It is therefore intended to be a representative rather than a mass lobby. MSF has therefore arranged that each region of MSF should send 5 representatives, one each from the Voluntary Sector and Higher Education and three from the Health Sector. I have asked the NHS Lead officers in each region, in consultation with the Regional Advisory Committee Chair, to select the three to represent the NHS.
The TUC is organising the rally in Central Hall Westminster, with entertainment as well as speakers drawn from public sector workers with a strong story to tell of the benefit they provide to the public. This will run from 12.30 to 3.00 pm. MSF is organising its own meeting of MSF reps and MSF member MPs in Portcullis House, opposite Parliament and the main office and conference facilities for the House and MPs. This will run from 11.15 to noon with MSF General Secretary Roger Lyons and speakers representing MSF public sector workers and MPs. For security reasons, the names of those attending will need to be submitted by the Lead NHS Officers. In addition to this representatives may wish to see their MPs directly in the Lobby of the House. Placards and leaflets for the day will be available. Equally important will be the regional events to celebrate the public sector. This is an opportunity for all public sector workers to show why the public sector ethos is essential to delivering a quality and efficient service to the public.