The Director of Finance bulletin is issued to Directors of Finance throughout the NHS by NHS Shared Business Services whenever important news from NHS SBS needs to be shared. Some bulletins also incorporate news from the Electronic Staff Record project and from the Department of Health.
Download the November 2006 bulletin in PDF format 
All Director of finance bulletins are posted on the NHS Shared Business Services website at www.sbs.nhs.uk - go to News and Events, then click on DoF Bulletins.
- NHS Shared Business Services update
- Expertise wanted by voluntary organisation working with PCTs
- Screening for sickle cell now offered to all newborns in England
- High-activity Sealed Radioactive Sources and Orphan Sources (HASS) Directive (Council Directive 2003/122/Euratom)
- Guidance on non-emergency patient transport services (PTS): Consultation
- NHS Invited to Road-test Healthcare Resource Group products
- Statements on Internal Control 2006/2007 – Interim Assessment
- Optical Charges for Hospital Eye Service (HES) Patients
- General Ophthalmic Services – increases in the sight test fee, pre registration supervisors and training allowance
Please note that there will be no December 2006 DoF bulletin, the deadline for submissions to the January 2007 bulletin will be 24th January 2007.
All Director of finance bulletins are posted on the NHS Shared Business Services website at www.sbs.nhs.uk - go to News and Events, then click on DoF Bulletins.
NHS Shared Business Services update
NHS Shared Business Services recently held a series of roadshows for our clients to chart our service improvements and plan the way ahead. Working in partnership with our clients is key and the roadshows were an important part of our strategy to involve and engage NHS organisations in the work we do. They were also a great opportunity to find out what our clients think
of the service we provide and get their views as end users of the operation on where future improvements can be made.
We invited client Directors of Finance to three roadshows held in Leeds, Bristol and London. The roadshows gave us a chance to chart our growth and how we've faced the challenges of our first 18 months, demonstrate service improvements and together clarify plans for future development. Possibly, the most important aspect of the Road Shows was the ability to discuss our service with clients and sense check our future plans. The roadshows will be repeated early in the new year.
To find out more about how NHS SBS can work in partnership with your organisation to free up funds for frontline patient care, please contact Laurence Ansell, NHS SBS Business Development Sales Director on 07808 974 760 or email laurence.ansell@sbs.nhs.uk
Open days are planned at the Leeds and Bristol Shared Business Services Centres throughout the year and attract large numbers of visitors. The open days are a great opportunity to find out first hand about the services we offer and to see NHS Shared Business Services in action. If you would like details of dates or to arrange to attend an open day please contact Tessa Unitt at tessa.unitt@sbs.nhs.uk
Expertise wanted by voluntary organisation working with PCTs
The voluntary organisation Infertility Network UK is running a project, funded by DH, to work with PCTs on sharing best practice, and involving patients, in the provision of fertility services. They are looking for current or former NHS finance people to provide occasional advice and guidance on a voluntary basis. If you, or anyone you know, can help in this way, please contact Clare Brown on 08701 188088. She really would like to hear from anyone who thinks they can help out.
Screening for sickle cell now offered to all newborns in England
New standards for clinical care of sickle cell diseases in childhood
Screening for sickle cell disorders is now offered to all newborn babies in England as part of the Newborn Bloodspot Programme.
New guidelines and standards for the clinical care of children with sickle cell have been launched. Developed in consultation with stakeholders, they propose managed clinical networks of care in line with best practice for managing chronic disorders.
The guidelines and standards, together with standards for newborn and antenatal screening, can be viewed at: www.screening.nhs.uk/sickleandthal
High-activity Sealed Radioactive Sources and Orphan Sources (HASS) Directive
(Council Directive 2003/122/Euratom)
In accordance with the HASS Directive, the transitional period for implementation of the High Activity Sealed Sources and Orphan Sources Regulations 2005 (SI 2005 No.2686) runs until 1 January 2008. The Regulations specify that applications need to be made at least 4 months before a HASS is kept or used. In the case of any existing HASS – i.e. one that was placed on the market before 1 January 2006 - users will therefore need to make an application to the Environment Agency, including financial provisioning proposals, by 1 September 2007.
The Environment Agency's guidance to applicants is available at http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/business/444304/945840/1064273/?version=1&lang=_e .
Its Annex 2 provides guidance on financial provision, and refers to guidance that Defra has issued to the Environment Agency
http://www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/hass-regs-directions/hass-eaguidance.pdf
The Department wishes to advise NHS Trusts as follows:
- From now on, NHS Trusts should consider whether, from the perspective of end-of-life provisioning for a source, it may be most straightforward to purchase a HASS that is subject to a take-back, replacement or leasing agreement with the source supplier. Sections 5.1 and 5.2 of Annex 2 of the Environment Agency's guidance refer.
- Where existing sources (i.e. those already placed on the market before 1 January 2006) are not subject to a take-back/replacement/leasing agreement with the source supplier, then, with the exception of Foundation Trusts, in England, the Secretary of State for Health will underwrite the disposal costs to meet the regulations.
- Foundation Trusts, or Trusts moving towards Foundation status, will have to put a financial plan together to satisfy the legal requirements. As an example, one particular NHS Trust that is moving towards Foundation status used its annual revenue reserve for dealing with contingency situations but because it is not yet a foundation trust, the Secretary of State for England will underwrite its liabilities in the event of financial failure until it becomes a foundation trust. The Trust has engaged a commercial bank about the move to Foundation and will explore the option of a third party guarantee to provide for HASS financial provisioning. The Environment Agency accepted a letter about this from the Financial Director of that Trust. The Trust has also obtained a disposal quote for the sources that are outside of their take-back contract with their supplier.
- Foundation Trusts will need to demonstrate to the Environment Agency that the level of any financial provision is adequate. This may involve a Trust obtaining a quote for disposal of the source, or referring to historical disposal costs – and, in either case, making an appropriate allowance for inflation. Section 6 of Annex 2 of the Environment Agency's guidance refers.
Ian Chell. Policy Manager for Ionising Radiation
Room 520, Wellington House
133-155 Waterloo Road
London
SE1 8UG
0207 972 4663
Guidance on non-emergency patient transport services (PTS): Consultation
The White Paper, Our Health, Our Care, Our Say made a commitment to extend eligibility for non-emergency Patient Transport Services (PTS ) to procedures that were traditionally provided in hospital, but are now available in a community setting . A 13-week consultation was launched last week that seeks stakeholders' views on draft eligibility and finance guidance to enable implementation of this change.
Details of the consultation are available at: www.dh.gov.uk/consultations/fs/en
NHS Invited to Road-test Healthcare Resource Group products
NHS workers have been invited to appraise the Healthcare Resource Group products that will help the NHS implement HRG 4 for Reference Cost collections from 1 April 2007. Products include the HRG 4 toolkit and HRG 4 Grouper.
See release on The Information Centre for Health & Social Care's Casemix Service website: www.ic.nhs.uk/casemix/updates .
Statements on Internal Control 2006/2007 – Interim Assessments
Please see the letter on Statements on Internal Control which is attached to this bulletin.
Optical Charges for Hospital Eye Service (HES) Patients
This guidance replaces any previous guidance, in particular HC(89)12, on charges for HES patients who require sight tests and/or optical appliances.
This guidance is for action by NHS Trusts and Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) and for information for NHS Foundation Trusts. PCTs should also have regard to this guidance when contracting with Foundation Trusts.
Please download the guidance from www.dh.gov.uk/ophthalmicservices
General Ophthalmic Services – increases in the sight test fee, pre registration supervisors and training allowance
The letter referred to below informs Primary Care Trusts, Contractors on
PCT Ophthalmic Lists, Optometrists and Ophthalmic Medical Practitioners
(OMPs) of:
· New sight test fee of £18.85 from 1 April 2006.
· New domiciliary fees from 1 April 2006
· An increase in the pre-registration supervisors allowance for 2006/07.
· An increase in the continuing education and training allowance for 2006 payable in 2007. No action is required on this now and further guidance and a revised determination will be issued in 2007.
The Statement of General Ophthalmic Services remuneration is annexed to the letter and is effective from 20 December when the Statutory Instrument which changes the sight test fee comes into force.
Primary Care Trusts are asked to:
· reproduce from the website the number of copies they require and send to all optometrists and OMPs who are on their GOS lists.
· bring the letter to the attention of all staff dealing with general ophthalmic services, optometrists and ophthalmic medical practitioners.
pay GOS contractors the increased sight test fee and domiciliary fees for sight tests carried out on or after 1 April 2006.
· note that copies of the Statutory Instrument amending the National Health Service (Optical Charges and Payments) Regulations will be available from www.legislation.hmso.gov.uk under SI number 2006 No 3123 shortly.
The letter is available from www.dh.gov.uk/ophthalmicservices
Please direct any enquiries to Yewande Ipaye, Room 11/015 New Kings Beam
House, 22 Upper Ground, London, SE1 8UG, Email yewande.ipaye@dh.gsi.gov.uk
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