Feature / Technical round-up

Cost collection – MAQS template – visitor charges

• Monitor has published its updated Approved costing guidance, which sets out costing principles and advice for reference costs and patient-level information and costing systems collections for 2013/14. It includes the HFMA Acute health clinical costing standards 2014/15 and Mental health clinical costing standards 2014/15, as well as Department of Health reference costs guidance and Monitor PLICS collection guidance.
• In its reference cost collection guidance, the Department of Heath has confirmed the 2013/14 collection will be from 23 June to 1 August. Neither of this year’s mandatory education and training costs collections will affect the 2013/14 reference costs, it says, with trusts reporting reference costs net of education and training income as usual. A few trusts may be invited to resubmit their reference costs net of education and training costs later in 2014.
• The HFMA has published revised templates to support acute and mental health providers to calculate materiality and quality scores (MAQS) – used to assess their patient/service user costing systems and processes. The templates have been published alongside the HFMA’s clinical costing standards for 2014/15. There are some small changes to the acute MAQS template, and more significant changes to the mental health MAQS template.
• The Department of Health has contacted the HFMA for support in its work on charging overseas visitors for access to NHS services. The Department would like to hold a discussion with finance directors to look at some of the issues in more detail, particularly areas that would incentivise providers to take steps to identify and charge overseas visitors. If you want to be involved, most likely via conference call, please contact [email protected].
• An update on sustainability reporting and end-of-year issues has been added to the online NHS manual for accounts 2013/14. This follows the release of the Treasury sustainability reporting guidance.
• The NHS Staff Council has issued a frequently asked questions document on pay progression, to explain the effect of the revised arrangements introduced in April 2013 and to help local parties yet to finalise new arrangements.
• Monitor has issued guidance on the accounting treatment of the National Employment Savings Scheme after a question was raised at a recent HFMA event. The regulator said the scheme was a defined contribution pension scheme and FTs should make disclosures as required by IAS 19.
• NHS England has added three drugs to the cancer drugs fund list, targeted at breast and prostate cancers, as well as unresectable or metastatic melanomas. No drugs were removed from the list.
• Northern Ireland’s Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety has issued advice on dealing with errors that arise after annual accounts and reports are laid before the Assembly. In the first instance, health and social care bodies should contact the Department, which will then help determine the most appropriate action to rectify the error.