Chamber and committees

Healthcare Improvement Scotland is a relatively new organisation which has gone through significant change and restructure over the past 18 months. Some staff have experienced a period of uncertainty as they move into new structures and teams and have experienced changes in leadership and management reporting lines. Since the staff survey took place, support has been provided for new teams to help them build team relationships and support leaders and managers in taking forward their new teams. These statements reflect a culture of transparency and a strong commitment to improving internal ways of working.

This statement relates to work required to further embed the values and behaviours’ of Healthcare Improvement Scotland which are aligned to the 2020 Workforce Vision and does not relate to accusations of workplace bullying. Mechanisms are being put in place to ensure consistent cascading of information; further develop leadership and management and in engaging staff in difficult times and this will be reflected in the organisation’s Staff Governance Action Plan.

Five members of the Healthcare Improvement Scotland Executive Team met on 9 April 2013 at the Scottish Health Service Centre, an NHSScotland resource which is part of National Services Scotland. The cost was £277.

Like many organisations, Healthcare Improvement Scotland regularly survey staff to improve the way they work. The last survey, which was conducted in December 2012 shows improved scores in all areas. Some staff made comment around improving internal communications, which the organisation is taking seriously and working to ensure information is cascaded in a timely and consistent way.

The Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS) staff survey and responses to it were intended for internal use and reference and as such there was no intention to publish the results. The key themes of the survey have been shared with the HIS Partnership Forum and Corporate Management Team and will be incorporated into the Staff Governance Action Plan for 2013-14. All HIS staff will be fully engaged in the implementation of the Staff Governance Action Plan.

Everyone with dementia, including those with learning difficulties are entitled to receive care, treatment and support in line with the Standards of Care for Dementia in Scotland (2011). People with dementia and a learning difficulty should receive a multi-disciplinary assessment of their care needs, including attention to removing any barriers to effective communication between the person with dementia and service providers. The Promoting Excellence dementia skills framework, which is designed to help services meet the dementia standards, requires staff working at “Enhanced” level and above to understand the potential impact of a diagnosis of dementia on people with learning difficulties.

The new national HEAT target on post-diagnostic support provides the commitment that all people newly diagnosed with dementia from 1 April 2013, including those with a learning difficulty, will receive a minimum of a year’s worth of detailed and personalised care, treatment and support, coordinated by a link worker.

People with learning disabilities have a higher risk of developing dementia compared to the general population, with a significantly increased risk for people with Down syndrome and at a much earlier age. As part of the second National Dementia Strategy, to be published in June 2013, we intend to undertake a specific piece of work looking at the need for national action around linkages between dementia and other disabilities and chronic conditions; and the need for national action around early onset dementia.

Dentists in receipt of the dental bursary and unable to secure a vocational training (VT) place on graduation have a number of options, including deferring NHS dental work in Scotland for a year following graduation, or securing employment as an assistant in an independent practice which provides General Dental Services (GDS).

A dentist who is unable to secure a VT place following graduation will not therefore be required to repay their dental bursary, provided they did not turn down a VT place on geographical grounds, and they begin NHS dental work within one year of graduation.

It is anticipated that up to 175 students are expected to graduate from Scottish dental schools.

There are currently 140 dentistry vocational training (DVT) places available in Scotland, and NHS Education for Scotland is in the process of seeking additional dental practices willing to provide DVT in 2013.

We are aware of a potential mismatch between Scottish dental school graduates and availability of vocational training (VT) placements, and are actively exploring through NHS Education for Scotland several options to increase VT capacity in Scotland, including:

the initiation of a further recruitment drive of dental practice trainers (DVT);

contacting clinical leads in the salaried dental service in each of the territorial health boards to determine the extent of capacity;

determining capacity within the hospital dental service;

the relaxation of current criteria requirements in aspects of the recruitment of DVTs which will not affect the quality and development of the training provided.

As dental students are about to sit their finals, the overall supply and demand position remains fluid at this time and we will have a clearer picture on this issue by end May 2013.