NEWS
A new organisation, the Asso- ciation of Ambulance Chief Ex- ecutives (AACE), has been es- tablished to provide a point of contact with partner agencies and a platform for the co-ordination, management and implementation of key national programmes.
It will build on the work previously undertaken by the former Ambu- lance Chief Executive’s Group (ACEG), and represents chief ex- ecutives from all 11 of the NHS Ambulance Trusts and affiliated ambulance services elsewhere in the UK and Crown dependencies.
it has become increasingly appar- ent that we need a properly re- sourced, central organisation that has the ability to co-ordinate na- tional strategy for the ambulance service at the highest levels.
“The AACE will help individual ambulance services to work more closely together in a joined-up way, to ensure greater efficiency and a more effective national am- bulance service.”
Great Western Ambulance Service operations director Steve West (pictured) has been appointed
as interim director of the AACE. He said: “These are challenging times for ambulance services and
Work is ongoing to develop the AACE website, which will be at
www.aace.org.uk
Periods of suspension and ex- clusion of GPs and hospital and community practitioners are get- ting shorter across the NHS, ac- cording to the National Clinical Assessment Service (NCAS).
Since 2005, there have been more episodes of suspension or exclu- sion in the NHS but faster resolu- tions. An estimated 5,870 working weeks were lost as a result of this
in 2010/11, compared with 6,850 weeks lost in 2009/10. This 14% reduction means a significant sav- ing to the NHS.
The average duration for hospital and community doctors was 21 weeks in 2010/11, compared with 23 weeks the year before. GP sus- pensions lasted an average of 35 weeks in 2010/11, compared with 44 weeks the year before.
NCAS’s senior adviser Claire McLaughlan said: “These trends are good news for the service, for practitioners and for patient safety as increasing numbers of manag- ers are using suspension and ex- clusion appropriately.”
The reduction in lost working time would save the NHS over £3m.
McLaughlan said: “Although prac-
titioners usually remain on full pay while problems are investigated, time away from practice can be detrimental to their skills and ca- reers. It can also be very costly to the NHS.
“Therefore the decision to sus- pend or exclude a practitioner from practice should be carefully considered and, if taken, it should be closely monitored”.
Health staff who raise concerns about poor patient care will be protected by changes to the NHS Constitution in the future.
It will be made clear that ‘whistle- blowing’ is the duty of all NHS workers, despite a number of high-profile cases suggesting that those who raise concerns have faced being either ignored or vic- timised.
There are many examples of staff who have raised concerns finding their careers in jeopardy, and me- dia investigations by the BBC, Pri- vate Eye magazine and Channel 4 news, among others, have drawn further public attention to the is- sue, and suggested that many NHS organisations have ignored rules banning ‘gagging clauses’ against whistleblowers who end up being paid off and dismissed.
said NHS whistleblowers “should be reassured that the Government stands full square behind them”.
Dean Royles, director of NHS Em- ployers, said: “The Government’s recommended changes to the NHS Constitution are very wel- come and reinforce the responsi- bilities of staff and employers to report concerns and act on them. They also provide greater clarity to give staff the confidence to report concerns.
Committee found the NHS “large- ly unsupportive of whistleblowing” and said staff were “fearful about the consequences of going out- side official channels to bring un- safe care to light”. This report was one of the drivers for the planned new changes.
In a 2009 report, the Health Select 6 | national health executive Sep/Oct 11
Following a public consultation on
the topic, changes will be incor- porated into the new NHS Con- stitution from early 2012. These include an expectation that staff should raise concerns at the earli- est opportunity, and a pledge for organisations to support staff and investigate any claims fully.
Health Secretary Andrew Lansley
“Setting out duties and guidance with clarity is clearly helpful in en- suring that concerns are reported. Protecting patients is of para- mount importance and employers have worked hard to improve pro- cedures and policies for reporting any concerns about patient care.
“This guidance will help embed a culture where this becomes part of the organisation’s DNA.”
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