Correspondence

Foundation trust bulletin: September 2014

Published 1 December 2014

Applies to England

1. For action

1.1 Joint letter from Monitor, NHS England and the TDA

This letter informs you of the biggest priorities for trusts over the next few months. These include:

• a series of regional meetings in October/November (please hold the relevant region’s event in your diary; further details, including how to register, will follow shortly)
• expectations regarding NHS performance over the coming months
• an outline of the 2015/16 planning process
• longer term thinking about the NHS

You will shortly receive further information on the arrangements for re-profiling Referral to Treatment (RTT) activity plans over the next 3 months.

1.2 Monthly reporting of limited financial information - first report due Friday 26 September

We wrote to foundation trust finance directors on 15 September letting them know that from the 26 September all foundation trusts will be required to provide financial information each month to Monitor and the Department of Health (DH).

This information will be used to estimate the aggregate year end outturn for foundation trusts and their impact on the consolidated financial position of the DH group. This will help to ensure that the annual revenue and capital spending of the NHS remain within the limits set by Parliamentary votes. Monitor has agreed to take on the administration of this data request. However, the information will not trigger regulatory investigations.

A template has been sent to your Monitor portal inbox for completion. The file name starts with your MarsID and ends in ‘DEL reporting Aug14.xls. A new file will be issued just after the end of every month, for return 3 weeks later, and the information you provide will be collated and passed to DH. Please upload your completed template with the file name unchanged to your Monitor portal outbox classified as a ‘Trust Return’ for activity ‘Return for DH’.

The template is intended to be self-explanatory but in case of any uncertainty please email questions to compliance@monitor.gov.uk.

This month’s deadline is 5pm on Friday 26 September.

1.3 A&E information sharing audit – closes Tuesday 30 September

DH wants your help with their information sharing audit. They would like to know how information is shared between accident and emergency (A&E) departments and Community Safety partnerships.

Please share this data collection report with the relevant A&E staff in your organisation. You can read more about the audit in this letter.

The completion deadline is Tuesday 30 September.

1.4 Acute providers only: update on Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) data procedures

This letter from DH reminds chief executives that procedures for collecting data on FGM must be in place by Wednesday 1 October.

1.5 What actions are you taking to improve patient safety?

Monitor and the Health Foundation are conducting a short, anonymous survey asking NHS foundation trusts and NHS trusts about the actions you are taking to improve patient safety in light of the Berwick review. The results will inform conversations across the sector and highlight areas where improvements can be made. The survey was sent to chief executive officers and corporate secretaries. If your trust did not receive this email, you can get in touch by contacting us at development.enquiries@monitor.gov.uk.

Please complete the survey by Friday 10 October.

1.6 Ask your governors to tell us about their role

We’re asking governors to complete an online survey about their experiences of being a governor, and how well equipped they feel to carry out their role. The survey was sent out to foundation trust chairs and corporate secretaries.

We would be grateful if you could encourage your trust’s governors to complete it by Wednesday 22 October.

You can email development.enquiries@monitor.gov.uk or call 0203 747 0123 if you have any questions.

1.7 Consultation on the NAO’s new Code of Audit Practice

As part of the closure of the Audit Commission, the National Audit Office (NAO), on behalf of the Controller and Auditor General, will take on setting the Code of Audit Practice from 2015/16. This new Code of Audit Practice will cover much of the public sector, including NHS foundation trusts. This role for foundation trusts was previously performed by Monitor and is changing as a result of the Local Audit and Accountability Act 2014.

It is only the setting of the Code of Audit Practice which changes for NHS foundation trusts; existing rules in other areas are unchanged. Some guidance to foundation trusts that is currently included in Monitor’s Code of Audit Practice will be published elsewhere from 2015.

The NAO has developed a draft Code of Audit Practice and has issued it for consultation. The NAO is very keen to get views on the draft code and would welcome your participation.

The deadline for responses is Friday 31 October 2014.

2. For information

2.1 Quarter 1 performance report (2014/15)

For a summary of the sector’s performance for the 3 months ending 30 June 2014, read this report and helpful infographic.

2.2 Understanding choice and competition

We have published new guidance documents on choice and competition. They aim to help you make the best decisions for patients by explaining how Monitor applies competition rules. We have also published hypothetical scenarios for NHS healthcare providers which give examples of conduct that can breach the competition condition of the NHS provider licence and competition law.

2.3 How can the Independent Panel for Advising Governors help you?

Does your council of governors need independent advice because you are:

• concerned about the performance of your foundation trust and unsure what to do about it?
• unable to resolve an issue or unable to answer a question and need advice?
• worried that your foundation trust is not acting in line with its constitution, legal requirements or healthcare standards?

The panel is there to offer free, independent advice for any of these concerns and has recently taken on an additional role as the Independent Elections Arbitration Panel which you can read more about below.

Find out more about the Independent Panel for Advising Governors and how to submit a question.

2.4 Updated model election rules

New model election rules were published in August 2014 and are available on the Foundation Trust Network (FTN) website. Trusts can now vote for governors using e-voting technology. Challenges to the conduct of foundation trust elections will be determined by the Independent Elections Arbitration Panel instead of Monitor. Our guidance on the model core constitution gives more detail about these changes.

2.5 Do your patients know how to make a complaint?

We have just updated our complaints information for patients. This leaflet explains how patients can complain about NHS care, and this one explains how we use information from patient complaints about NHS care in our monitoring of NHS foundation trusts.

3. Events

3.1 Webinar: urgent and emergency care resilience and the effective use of data, 24 September 2014

For: Anyone who is responsible for delivering emergency care, including A&E doctors and nurses, chairs, and clinical leads. Read the full list of who should watch.

Why join the webinar? To discuss the issues that affect how patients flow through urgent and emergency care services.

This webinar will look at how using data effectively can help you prepare for, and manage, system pressures. The session will discuss how to develop an evidence-based capacity plan.

Sign up here.

You will have the opportunity to submit questions and comments during the webinar and we will put these to the speakers at the end of the session.

If you can’t join on the day, watch the recording afterwards.

3.2 Missed the last webinar ‘urgent and emergency care resilience and capacity planning’?

You can still watch this online. This webinar looks at the benefits of involving senior clinicians in the early stages when streaming patients referred from emergency care, ambulance and primary care.

3.3 Strategic development and transactions event, 16 October, London

For: A development event for chairs and chief executives of foundation trusts and NHS trusts only

Why attend? For insights into bringing about change in local health economies, strategic development, and competition rules and processes.

You’ll hear about the learning and good practice emerging from 2 year and 5 year plans submitted in 2014/15. Your peers will also tell you how they have successfully addressed planning in their local health economies and share their experiences of going through mergers and significant transactions. Confirmed speakers include Sheldon Mills, Senior Director, Mergers, Competition and Markets Authority; Matthew Kershaw, Chief Executive, Brighton & Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust; David Sloman, Chief Executive, Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust; Stephen Hay, Managing Director, Provider Regulation, Monitor; and Bob Alexander, Director of Finance at the NHS Trust Development Authority.

Book your place

For further information please contact Helen Crumley, helen.crumley@monitor.gov.uk

3.4 NHS strategic financial leadership programme, 20 to 24 October and 10 to 14 November 2014, London

For: Finance directors and deputy finance directors across the NHS

Why attend? To learn about effective financial leadership and develop the skills you need to perform your role to an optimum level.

The days will cover:

• corporate governance and business risk management
• modern treasury management and capital budgeting
• strategy
• change management
• business intelligence for business development
• negotiation skills
• the economics of health and demand management
• service line management
• business development processes

Find out more and sign up.

3.5 Monitor and FTN joint induction programme for new non-executive directors, 29 to 30 October, London

For: New NHS foundation trust non-executive directors and NHS trust non-executive directors nearing completion of the foundation trust application process

Why attend? To get an overview of the NHS, foundation trust governance and more.

The programme includes:

• an overview of the NHS and the role of foundation trusts
• foundation trust governance, risk and assurance
• Monitor’s regulatory regime and we work with the Care Quality Commission
• NHS foundation trusts, governance and the law
• governors, stakeholders and the public
• patients, quality and safety
• finance

Find out more and sign up.

4. External updates

4.1 Whistleblowing – changes to ‘prescribed persons’ come into force 1 October 2014

A Statutory Instrument (SI), ‘The Public Interest Disclosure (Prescribed Persons) Order 2014’ was laid before Parliament on 10 September. The SI updates the list of prescribed persons to whom ‘a protected disclosure’ may be made by a whistleblower. The list now includes auditors of NHS foundation trusts.

This letter gives more information about whistleblowing and the role of prescribed persons.

Please forward this letter on to your trust’s auditors.

4.2 Helping commissioners and providers to organise personalised and co-ordinated mental healthcare and support

National Voices and Think Local Act Personal have recently launched ‘No Assumptions: A Narrative for Personalised, Co-ordinated Care and Support in Mental Health’ for the benefit of mental health service users. This builds on the ‘Narrative for Person-centred, Coordinated Care’. It is designed to help NHS and local authority commissioners and providers organise person-centred care and recovery-oriented support for mental and physical health and know when they are achieving it.

5. Get in touch

5.1 Our latest job opportunities

For more information or to apply, please visit our recruitment website joinmonitor.com.

5.2 Queries or feedback

If you have any queries about the information in this bulletin, please contact your relationship manager at Monitor.

5.3 News alerts

You can subscribe to Monitor’s news update service and receive relevant information direct to your inbox.

5.4 Publications

All of our publications are available to download from our publications section.