Current Consultations
CURRENT CONSULTATIONS
Department for Work and Pensions consultation on reforming the Work Capability Assessment
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has launched a
consultation on reforming the Work Capability Assessment (WCA) to ensure that cancer patients receive the support they need.
The consultation will run until the 9th March and members who wish to may submit comments to WCA.team@dwp.gsi.gov.uk.
The consultation is seeking views from interested stakeholders, particularly from individuals who have been or are being affected by cancer, their families and carers, healthcare practitioners and
cancer specialists, and employers. It aims to gather evidence about the effects of different cancer treatments and the range of debilitating effects they can cause. In addition, it seeks views and experiences about the importance and appropriateness of work for individuals who are being treated for or recovering from cancer.
The consultation document including the annex, and supporting evidence can be found on the DWP website or by clicking here.
Consultation questions are:
Question 1: Given the evidence underpinning the proposals, do you believe that the selected group of treatments covers all the cancer treatments that should be included?
Question 2: How reasonable is it to assume that in some cases where the effects of cancer treatment are less debilitating, an individual can return to or continue to work?
Question 3: Given the wide variation in symptoms experienced as a result of cancer treatments, how important do you believe it is for some individuals to be able to work?
Question 4a: Do you agree that the debilitating effects of cancer treatments can vary from individual to individual?
Question 4b: In your experience, are some patients who are undergoing, or have undergone treatment for cancer able to continue with or return to some work (with appropriate adjustments)?
Question 5a: How important to you and/or your family was work during treatment for cancer or during recovery from that treatment?
Question 5b: If you are willing, please could you provide details about your treatment and the effects on your ability to work.
Question 6: Are you able to offer examples of workplace support that you have offered or provided for staff members undergoing cancer treatment? For example, flexible working patterns, work place adaptations, etc
Question 7: Is there anything else that you would like to tell us that you think is relevant to this subject?
The consultation will run until the 9th March
Healthwatch England membership consultation
Stakeholders and the public are being asked to contribute to the development of the Healthwatch England membership regulations.
Healthwatch England will be a national consumer champion that enables the collective views of the people who use health and social care services to influence national policy, advice and guidance.
This consultation asks questions on the key issues in relation to the membership of Healthwatch England that the Department has heard from stakeholders.
These issues are:
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the number of the members
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suitability for membership
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the process for appointing members
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the period of time a member should be appointed.
The full consultation document Consultation on the regulations for Healthwatch England Membership can be read here;
The consultations questions and response form can be read here:
http://www.westminsterlink.org.uk/sites/westminsterlink.org.uk/files/Consultation Questions and response form.pdf
The deadline for comments is Friday 2 March.
Consultation on low secure services and psychiatric intensive care
A consultation document on low secure services and psychiatric intensive care has been launched for a three month consultation.
The draft guidance is on how low secure services should be provided
Low secure services are part of a spectrum of mental health care that ranges from community-based services, hospital-based services and specialist secure services including medium and high security.
The draft guidance for comment covers
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Providing a safe therapeutic environment
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Service Environment
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Workforce
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Governance
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Equalities
Responses need to be received in advance of 19 April 2012 deadline. Final guidance will be issued by the middle of 2012.
Further information, the draft guidance and a response form can be found here; http://www.dh.gov.uk/health/2012/01/consultation-on-low-secure-services-and-psychiatric-intensive-care/
A Civic Contract for Westminster - ‘Everyone doing their bit for the good of the city’
A Green Paper consultation on the future direction of public services in Westminster
Westminster City Council has launched a consultation paper that sets out a new vision for the running of the city and how public services will be delivered and by whom.
Titled A Civic Contract for Westminster, the paper sets out the council’s response to the challenges currently facing local government.
This document is for public consultation which will take place between 12th December 2011 and 10th February 2012.
Read more about the consultation here:
http://www.westminster.gov.uk/services/councilgovernmentanddemocracy/civic-contract/
Read the full consultation document here:
Ombudsman launches public consultation on new ‘Information Promise’.
The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman, Ann Abraham, has launched a public consultation on the way information is handled by her Office. The Ombudsman’s office can consider complaints that the NHS in England have not acted properly or fairly or have provided a poor service.
She welcomes views on how the Ombudsman’s Office will value and look after information it receives from complainants and professional stakeholders.
The Information Promise out for consultation proposes that the Ombudsman will
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value the information entrusted to us and make sure we respect that trust;
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handle the information entrusted to us lawfully, appropriately and in accordance with our values and the Ombudsman’s Principles;
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let individuals and organisations know how we will use the information they give us;
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be clear and open about our approach to the sharing and publishing of the information we hold;
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have effective systems and processes in place to protect the confidentiality, integrity and security of the information we hold;
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ensure that our staff understand their responsibilities and handle information properly; and
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check that we are living up to our promise and report on how we are doing.
The Information Promise consultation closes on 31 January 2012.
For more details or to respond to the consultation, visit the Ombudsman’s website: http://www.ombudsman.org.uk/informationpromise.
Consultation on the doctors' code of conduct Good Medical Practice
The General Medical Council, which registers and regulates all doctors in the UK, is reviewing its good practice document for the profession and wants the publics’ views.
The GMC has launched a major public consultation on the new draft of the guidance Good Medical Practice, which sets out the standards, principles and values expected of doctors.
The GMC wants patients and public to give their views to help ensure it remains up-to-date and relevant to doctors in their day to day practice.
You can complete an online questionnaire on the GMC’s website at www.gmc-uk.org/gmp2012.
You can choose to answer:
The main questionnaire for organisations or individuals;
A questionnaire for doctors and other health professionals; or
A questionnaire for patients and the public.
Responses must come in by 10 February 2012.
If you would like to be more involved, receive copies in other languages or formats, or just want to find out more visit www.gmc-uk.org/gmp2012 or email the Standards Team at gmp2012@gmc-uk.org,
CURRENT CONSULTATIONS
The consultation will run until the 9th March