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ANNUAL REPORT 2003 - 2004- continued Patients Forum Meetings
2003 - 4 Summary of Presentations (for full presentation see minutes) Patient Choice and
Mental Health Legislation Patient
Choice Prerequisites to
meaningful choice are consistent delivery, reasonable quality, primary
care team training and information and support. Some key issues are
treatment choices (whether
medication /choice of medication, counselling and therapy, talking
treatments, exercise on prescription or complementary therapies) and
choice of professionals. With regard to choice
and the Mental Health Act, there would be compulsory powers for health
and safety of the patient or another person and a person cannot be
treated without compulsory powers and the need for a therapeutic
benefit. New Mental Health
Act This provides wide
grounds for compulsion including "Non resident"
status, the removal of therapeutic benefit, a wide definition of
"mental disorder" and the perception of risk to others. The patient chooses the
"nominated person" but their powers are reduced; consultation
with the carer is subject to veto by the patient; there is a duty to
consult both carer and the nominated person but no duty to consult the
patient about treatment; advocates will be available and there would be
access to the Mental Health Tribunal. Treatment could include
ECT, Psychosurgery and could be for longer than 3 months. In
capacity Bil This supported people to make their own decisions. Shaping community
pharmacy services - the new pharmacy contract The Department of
Health recently stated that pharmacy is "probably the biggest
untapped resource to health improvements.
Since September the NPA has been canvassing views on what
patients think about community pharmacy services now and what services
they might like to see provided in the future. The Government's Vision
for Pharmacy in the new NHS foresees future pharmacies as "places
where patients are able to access an increasing range of healthcare
services, a resource for improving health, especially for vulnerable and
deprived populations." "Pharmacies
should play a key role in delivering on National Service Frameworks and
should have a coherent public health role and be in integral part of the
NHS family. " "The current
contract is based on decisions made in 1987 and reform is needed because
it is based on quantity - the
number of prescriptions dispensed - rather than quality. The new contract will
extend the services provided to patients and will be introduced from
April 2004. It aims to provide clear minimum standards for community
pharmacy, clear and fair rewards for high quality service and to tap
into the skills of community pharmacists and their staff.
The contract is divided into three different services: Essential services
include the traditional role of community pharmacies, the dispensing
role, supplying medicines, giving advice and repeat dispensing. Other services include
signposting patients to other healthcare providers, public health
information, medication waste disposal and sharps disposal. Advanced services would
require accreditation and training for pharmacists and be gradually
introduced. Services would include Medicines Use Review,
Prescription Intervention and First Aid. Supplementary Services agreed nationally but commissioned by local PCTs would include minor ailments management, diabetes and coronary heart disease screening, substance misuse services, smoking cessation services, services to schools and more. Eve The Government's
intention is that every child will have the opportunity to fulfil their
potential, that no child slips through the net, that services intervene
earlier before crisis, there would be a shift in the balance towards
prevention, an improvement in early years education, a raising of school
standards, support for parents at each life stage and an improvement in
child health. Children Bill Proposals include a
Children's Commissioner for England, Local Safeguarding Children Boards,
a Director of Children's Services and Lead Member for Children's
Services, an integrated inspection framework, better sharing of
information, power for agencies to pool budgets and statutory duty to
ensure agencies work together. The vision for
Children's Trusts was a single entity led by the local authority with
clear objectives to fulfil the 5 Green Paper outcomes; a single
commissioning function with pooled fund, governance through a board, a
Director of Children's Services and a Lead Member accountable for the
Children's Trust and developing integrated provision. Features would include
the co-location of staff and multi disciplinary teams, having a lead
professional, joint training, information sharing, common assessment
processes and a range of providers. The aim was to provide
better outcomes for children and families through the efficient use of
expertise and resources, more choice, access and responsive, joined up
services. All children's services
to be considered important with joint work as standard. Children should be able
to live happy and fulfilling lives.
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| Last updated 8/10/2004 | © The Patients Forum 2004 |