NEWS
COMMONS COMMITTEE REPORT RECOMMENDS COLLEGE BECOMES AN SCRAPPING FLAWED DISABILITY BENEFIT ACCREDITED LIVING A report by MPs recommending that a benefit for people who are unable to work because of disability or sickness should be scrapped because of design flaws has been welcomed by the RCN. The report by the Commons work and pensions committee warns that simply ‘rebranding’ the Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) system and appointing
nurses seeking advice about their ESA entitlement, many of whom had appealed decisions made by Atos. RCN advice and information officer Ian King said: ‘We agree with the findings that there must be a redesign, which will need to consider a person as an individual and in terms of their capability to work, instead of simply using a set of rigid criteria.’ In evidence submitted to the committee, the RCN identified a lack of flexibility on the part of Atos when carrying out assessments, which resulted in individuals being wrongly assessed. Earlier this year Atos announced plans to exit its £500 million contract early in the face of harsh criticism that the work capability assessment process was flawed. The government has indicated a new provider will be appointed early next year after admitting that Atos had become a ‘lightning rod for all the negativity around the ESA process’.
ATOS WAS A ‘LIGHTNING ROD FOR ALL THE NEGATIVITY AROUND THE ESA PROCESS’ a new contractor to replace Atos Healthcare will not solve the problems. The committee found the system was ‘not achieving its purpose’ of helping people back into employment. Nursing unions have repeatedly called for an overhaul of the controversial system. At the peak of the problems in 2012, the RCN was receiving daily calls from
WAGE EMPLOYER
The RCN has pledged to ensure all its staff and suppliers are paid a fair salary by becoming an accredited living wage employer. The college’s council last week overwhelmingly backed a recommendation that the RCN abide by the living wage, which is set at £7.65 per hour (£8.80 for greater London). It is above the minimum wage of £6.31 for those aged 21 and over. Although the RCN already pays its staff above the living wage, it is not yet an accredited living wage employer. Gaining accreditation would mean all contractors and suppliers to the RCN would also have to pay the living wage. The pledge follows a resolution at RCN congress in June urging the RCN to campaign for all NHS and independent providers to ensure contracted workers are paid the living wage.
£32 for 100 wipes – what a waste of NHS money Trusts in England are wasting up to £25 million a year – which would pay for 706 nurses – because they are not getting the best price on basic supplies including needles and toilet tissue. Figures published by the Department of Health (DH) last week revealed huge differences in the prices paid by 244 trusts for about 100 products. The DH’s efficiency league table showed that one trust spent £32 on 100 packs of toilet tissue, while another spent £66 – more than double.
Six trusts bought a box of 100 needles for £31.68, which are available for £3.95, and one trust paid £32.88 for 100 wipes, which can be bought for just £6.50. The DH is running the NHS Procurement Development Programme, which aims to save the NHS £1.5 billion by 2016. RCN head of policy Howard Catton said cutting procurement waste would release money to give every nurse in England the 1 per cent pay rise, recommended by the NHS Pay Review Body. Health secretary Jeremy Hunt rejected the
Price comparison for basic items Lowest price
Item
Highest price
£32.00 £3.95 £6.50
100 packs of toilet tissues Box of 100 needles 100 wipes
£66.00 £31.68 £32.88
recommendation in March, arguing that it was unaffordable. Mr Catton said: ‘We have a government saying it is unable to fund the award. That has created a lot of anger in the health service and it is having an effect on morale. NHS Confederation chief executive Rob Webster said: ‘The NHS must focus on delivering value for money so it can deliver savings needed to meet the tough financial challenge it has been set. ‘We recognise that the NHS procurement process is complicated and many decisions are made by front line staff, so we want to ensure those staff receive support to carry out their difficult roles.’ The data showed Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust in London could save the most annually – £633,519. In April 2014 it signed an agreement with the NHS supply chain to identify savings through product changes, which has delivered £800,000 savings. View the NHS Procurement Atlas of Variation at tinyurl.com/lbz7g7q
8 july 30 :: vol 28 no RCNi.com 48 :: 2014by ${individualUser.displayName} on Nov 20, 2015. For personal use only. NoNURSING STANDARD Downloaded from other uses without permission. Copyright © 2015 RCNi Ltd. All rights reserved.
COMMONS COMMITTEE REPORT RECOMMENDS COLLEGE BECOMES AN SCRAPPING FLAWED DISABILITY BENEFIT ACCREDITED LIVING A report by MPs recommending that a benefit for people who are unable to work because of disability or sickness should be scrapped because of design flaws has been welcomed by the RCN. The report by the Commons work and pensions committee warns that simply ‘rebranding’ the Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) system and appointing
nurses seeking advice about their ESA entitlement, many of whom had appealed decisions made by Atos. RCN advice and information officer Ian King said: ‘We agree with the findings that there must be a redesign, which will need to consider a person as an individual and in terms of their capability to work, instead of simply using a set of rigid criteria.’ In evidence submitted to the committee, the RCN identified a lack of flexibility on the part of Atos when carrying out assessments, which resulted in individuals being wrongly assessed. Earlier this year Atos announced plans to exit its £500 million contract early in the face of harsh criticism that the work capability assessment process was flawed. The government has indicated a new provider will be appointed early next year after admitting that Atos had become a ‘lightning rod for all the negativity around the ESA process’.
ATOS WAS A ‘LIGHTNING ROD FOR ALL THE NEGATIVITY AROUND THE ESA PROCESS’ a new contractor to replace Atos Healthcare will not solve the problems. The committee found the system was ‘not achieving its purpose’ of helping people back into employment. Nursing unions have repeatedly called for an overhaul of the controversial system. At the peak of the problems in 2012, the RCN was receiving daily calls from
WAGE EMPLOYER
The RCN has pledged to ensure all its staff and suppliers are paid a fair salary by becoming an accredited living wage employer. The college’s council last week overwhelmingly backed a recommendation that the RCN abide by the living wage, which is set at £7.65 per hour (£8.80 for greater London). It is above the minimum wage of £6.31 for those aged 21 and over. Although the RCN already pays its staff above the living wage, it is not yet an accredited living wage employer. Gaining accreditation would mean all contractors and suppliers to the RCN would also have to pay the living wage. The pledge follows a resolution at RCN congress in June urging the RCN to campaign for all NHS and independent providers to ensure contracted workers are paid the living wage.
£32 for 100 wipes – what a waste of NHS money Trusts in England are wasting up to £25 million a year – which would pay for 706 nurses – because they are not getting the best price on basic supplies including needles and toilet tissue. Figures published by the Department of Health (DH) last week revealed huge differences in the prices paid by 244 trusts for about 100 products. The DH’s efficiency league table showed that one trust spent £32 on 100 packs of toilet tissue, while another spent £66 – more than double.
Six trusts bought a box of 100 needles for £31.68, which are available for £3.95, and one trust paid £32.88 for 100 wipes, which can be bought for just £6.50. The DH is running the NHS Procurement Development Programme, which aims to save the NHS £1.5 billion by 2016. RCN head of policy Howard Catton said cutting procurement waste would release money to give every nurse in England the 1 per cent pay rise, recommended by the NHS Pay Review Body. Health secretary Jeremy Hunt rejected the
Price comparison for basic items Lowest price
Item
Highest price
£32.00 £3.95 £6.50
100 packs of toilet tissues Box of 100 needles 100 wipes
£66.00 £31.68 £32.88
recommendation in March, arguing that it was unaffordable. Mr Catton said: ‘We have a government saying it is unable to fund the award. That has created a lot of anger in the health service and it is having an effect on morale. NHS Confederation chief executive Rob Webster said: ‘The NHS must focus on delivering value for money so it can deliver savings needed to meet the tough financial challenge it has been set. ‘We recognise that the NHS procurement process is complicated and many decisions are made by front line staff, so we want to ensure those staff receive support to carry out their difficult roles.’ The data showed Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust in London could save the most annually – £633,519. In April 2014 it signed an agreement with the NHS supply chain to identify savings through product changes, which has delivered £800,000 savings. View the NHS Procurement Atlas of Variation at tinyurl.com/lbz7g7q
8 july 30 :: vol 28 no RCNi.com 48 :: 2014by ${individualUser.displayName} on Nov 20, 2015. For personal use only. NoNURSING STANDARD Downloaded from other uses without permission. Copyright © 2015 RCNi Ltd. All rights reserved.
