Feature / Technical round-up

28 November 2011

Total investment in mental health services for working age adults in 2010/11 was £6.55bn or £195.80 per head of weighted working age population, according to a Department of Health survey. The tenth annual working age adult report added investment had increased from £6.323bn in 2009/10, a 3.6% cash increase and a real increase of 0.7%. Most strategic health authorities either maintained their investment in real terms or reported increases in investment of up to 4.7%. Three reported reductions of up to 0.8% (East Midlands, East of England and Yorkshire and the Humber).

The Audit Commission has issued invitations to tender to 13 potential providers who have met the pre-qualification requirements as the watchdog looks to outsource the work currently undertaken by its in-house audit practice. The outsourcing is a consequence of the proposed abolition of the commission. The audits of clinical commissioning groups are expected to be included in the contracts from 2013/14.
A new hospital mortality indicator has been launched by the Department of Health. The summary hospital-level mortality indicator (SHMI) compares the number of deaths following treatment at a trust with the number who would be expected to die, given the characteristics of the patients. It considers all deaths at a trust and those within 30 days of discharge.
Department of Health has published statements of financial entitlements for general and personal dental services. The directions came into force from 21 October. ?
The government’s new offer on public service pensions reform would mean accrual rates will be 1/60ths rather than the 1/65ths offered in its earlier proposal. It also announced that more than a million people within 10 years of their pension age on 1 April 2012 will see no change in when they can retire and no decrease in the pension they receive at their normal pension age.
The Department of Health has given NHS organisations in England early sight of forms that may be included in the quarter three FMAs. Draft copies of the new agreement of balances and Transforming community services forms have been posted on the Department’s online finance manual. ?
General practice will deliver efficiency improvements of around 3.5% next year under a contract agreement set out by the Department of Health and the British Medical Association. While GPs’ pay will be frozen, there will be a 0.5% increase in contract payments. ?
Northern Ireland’s Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety has revised charges for meals services in the community. The charge will increase from £1.35 to £1.50 per meal. A circular reminded trusts they could not set their own prices, nor could they alter the Department-set price for meals. The revised charges were implemented from 1 November.

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