NHS Direct to offer prescription ordering service. (Improved access to pharmacy for those in rural areas.)
We published a programme for modernising pharmacy in the NHS in September Pharmacy in the Future: Implementing the NHS Plan. Measures that will improve access for those in rural areas include electronic prescribing by ‘e-pharmacies’: by 2004 your doctor will be able to send your prescription over the NHS net to a pharmacy of your choice – for example, one which will deliver medicines to your door. |
4.2.4 & 4.2.5 |
Electronic Transmission of Prescriptions (ETP)
Three pilot schemes to test different approaches to the electronic transmission of prescriptions (ETP) finished in June 2003. ETP is expected to introduce significant benefits for patients, including fewer trips to the GP surgery to collect repeat prescriptions and an end to illegible and incomplete prescriptions. A comprehensive evaluation project examined the effectiveness of each pilot solution, organisational impact on GPs and pharmacies, and technical standards. It concluded that ETP is technically viable, and that on the whole patients, pharmacists and GPs are likely to find it acceptable. The development of ETP is now part of the National Programme for IT and the results of the evaluation are being reviewed to inform the development of the service. |
June 2003 |
 |
Department of Health |
Repeat Dispensing
Repeat dispensing allows patients to obtain prescriptions which can be dispensed in several instalments rather than having to go back to the surgery each time for a new prescription. The first 30 Pathfinder sites involving 32 PCTs started early May 2003. Over 50 more should be implementing the arrangements by March 2004. Regulations enabling 57 more PCTs to start implementing the arrangements came into force on 1 April 2004. Repeat Dispensing does not rely on ETP.
See the Department of Health website for further details. |
May 2003
|
| It is proposed that repeat dispensing be one of the essential services to be provided by all community pharmacists as part of the new community pharmacy contractual framework. National roll out beyond the pathfinder sites will therefore be considered in the context of timing of implementation of the New Pharmacy Contract. |
April 2004 |
| Provide over 100 one-stop primary care centres or mobile units |
4.2.6 |
The NHS Plans set a target to create 500 one-stop primary care centres from which a range of health and social care services may be provided. Primary Care Trusts are taking these forward to meet target date of December 2004 for the new facilities to be in place. As at December 2003, 268 one-stop primary care centres had been developed, with 78 centres or mobile service units accessed by a rural population. |
December 2003 |
NHS dentistry to be made available to everyone by September 2001
The Prime Minister's pledge in 1999 that within two years everyone will be able to find an NHS dentist by calling NHS Direct – rightly put the focus on NHS dentistry, and the current reforms, the biggest since 1948, directly flow from that |
4.2.7 |
Recently published NHS PCT Performance Indicators for 2003-04 include dentistry:
NHS Plan set out target for September 2001 of making high quality NHS dentistry available to all who want it. NHS Direct will help patients to access NHS dentistry. PCTs should have standards for provision of dentistry, in place and agreed with local stakeholders (detail as set out in NatPaCT competences framework). Close working with NHS Direct and local dentists will have been required to achieve the 2001 target and will need to have been maintained. An NHS Dentistry Support Team, backed by £9 million, was set up in August 2003 to work with those areas where it is hardest to find an NHS dentist. In September (‘03) a further £35 million and in November (‘03) an extra £15 million, for 2003/04 and 2004/05, was announced to enable primary care trusts to improve access, choice and quality for dental patients. From 2005, PCTs will be responsible for commissioning all dental services in their area. Approximately 250,000 people contact NHS Direct each year seeking help with finding a dentist. 93 per cent of those callers are referred to a dentist within local distance standards. |
August 03 |
| Rural areas to benefit from 7000 extra NHS beds nationally, many in smaller facilities closer to home |
4.2.8 |
7000 extra NHS beds nationally of which 5000 extra intermediate care beds. |
2004 |
 There were around 4100 additional intermediate care beds by 31 December 2003. Local Delivery Plans indicate that the Government’s target to provide 5,000 extra intermediate care beds compared with the 1999-2000 baseline is likely to be achieved during 2004.
(DN March 2004 figures not available until May/June)
|
December 2003 |
Current ambulance response time targets state 75% of life threatening (Category A) calls to be responded to within 8 minutes; 95% of other 999 calls (Categories B and C) in rural areas within 19 minutes
Please Note: NHS ambulance trusts work to nationally agreed targets. An emergency response is expected to arrive at the scene of immediately life threatening calls (Category A) within 8 minutes in 75% of cases, irrespective of location. Other emergency calls that are not immediately life threatening (Category B/C) should be responded to 95% of the time within 14 minutes in urban areas and 19 minutes in rural areas. |
4.2.8 and RSS
Chapter 2 |
In 2002-03, 74.6% of category A calls (immediately life threatening) resulted in an emergency response arriving at the scene of the incident within 8 minutes. 18 services responded to over 75% of Category A calls within 8 minutes.
14 services responded to 95% or more of Category B/C (other emergency) calls within 14 minutes (urban services) or 19 minutes (rural services). |
|
| Guaranteed access to a primary care professional within 24 hours and to a GP within 48 hours, to be achieved nationally by 2004 |
RSS
Chapter 2 |
Results for February 2004 show continued improvement:
Nationally 97%, of patients offered an appointment within 2 working days to see a GP.
Nationally 98%, of patients offered an appointment within 1 working day to see a PCP
This represents a significant and sustained improvement over the baseline of about 50% before The NHS Plan. |
February 2004 |
100% pre- booked appointments to allow
easier and more convenient treatment |
4.2.8 and
RSS
Chapter 2 |
All day cases to be pre- booked (96.5% by March 2004).
|
March
2004
|
| Two thirds of all first outpatient appointments and inpatient elective admissions (including daycase) pre-booked by March 2004. |
March
2004 |
Pilot 24-hour ‘Care Direct’ phone line in rural areas
(Details of ‘Care Direct’ on http://www.doh.gov.uk/caredirect/index.htm) |
4.2.9 |
All six first phase pilot local authorities - three of which (Devon, Gloucestershire and Somerset) cover substantial rural areas have become operational.
Outreach services being developed in all areas are operating in Gloucestershire and Devon: a variety of local rural access points via chemists, libraries, GP surgeries etc supported by local media advertising, talks and displays. Local rural services developing to integrate with local Primary Care Trust plans /Health Improvement.
Responsibility for the service transferred to the Department for Works and Pensions on 1 April |
Achieved |
 |
DH - DWP |
| Monitor the degree to which the social services agenda is being met in rural areas |
4.2.9 |
Star ratings for social services were published in November 2003. The ratings are based on a scale of four bands from zero to three stars. The results for English Shire Counties showed that the distribution of ratings was slightly better than the national picture with two thirds of shire counties being awarded two stars. The next round of ratings will be published in November 2004 by the new Commission for Social Care Inspection. |
May 2002
Nov 2003 |
|
Department of Health |
| Ensure national frameworks for health and social services take account of rural needs |
4.2.9 |
The NSF for Diabetes Delivery Strategy published. |
Jan 2003 |
|
Department of Health |
| National Clinical Director for Diabetes appointed |
Mar 2003 |
Getting the Right Start NSF for Children Emerging Findings; and, Getting the Right Start NSF for Children Hospital Standard published.
Next tranche of the NSF programme announced by Secretary of State, to include NSFs for renal services, children services and long term conditions focusing on neurological conditions.
The Mental Health NSF is to be rural proofed in 2003 |
April 2003 |
| Work to rural proof the NSF for Children, Young People and Maternity Services will take place in 2004 |
2004 |
Phase in the ‘Connexions’ service, with rural pilots in Cornwall, Devon and Lincolnshire, providing young people with access to a personal advisor who will provide help, support and guidance through their teenage years
|
4.3.2
|
Connexions Service is now fully operational over the whole of England. There are 47 Partnerships with the same boundaries as local Learning and Schools Councils. |
|
|
DfES |
| Changes will be made to the funding arrangements for Connexions Partnerships from April 2004 to increase support to the smaller Partnerships many of which are rural. |
Autumn 2003 |
| Countryside Agency and Connexions jointly published a good practice guide into Connexions implementation in rural areas in October 2003 which is available on the Connexions and Countryside Agency websites. |
October 2003 |
| Connexions Direct is a telephone helpline and Internet service for 13-19 year olds, which began piloting in September 2002. It is open 7 days a week, 365 days a year from 8am to 2am staffed by a team of advisers from a wide range of professional backgrounds – Social Workers, Careers specialists, Housing Advisers, Drugs Counsellors to name but a few. |
April 2004 |
| As part of the strategy, Connexion Card aims to increase participation and attainment in learning by reducing some of the financial barriers, such as travel costs, preventing young people remaining in education, such as travel costs. |
4.3.2 |
The Connexions Card is now available to all 16–19 year olds throughout England and is delivered through a Public Private Partnership between DfES and Capita. |
Ongoing from January 2002 |
|
DfES/Capita |
| There are a number of ways of making the Card more useful for young people in rural areas. A Pilot Project with Devon County Council’s ‘Life in the Bus Lane’ scheme saw a new dual functioning 16-19 travel card issued in November 2003. Young people in North Devon who are eligible are able to use their dual Connexions/Smartrider Card on local bus routes to access subsidised travel. The project will be evaluated early in 2004. |
February 2004 |
| Consider extending education maintenance allowance for 16-18 year olds to whole of country |
4.3.3 |
Achieved - The Chancellor of the Exchequer announced on 15 July 2002, that the Education Maintenance Allowance will be extended nationally from September 2004
The national EMA scheme will be administered through the Assessment and Payment Body Capita and will consist of a weekly allowance of up to £30, paid directly to the young person. Young people may also receive bonuses of £100 if they remain on their course and make good progress.
National EMA entitlement will depend upon an assessment of household income. A young person who wishes to stay on in FE and lives in a household with a income of £30,000 or less should apply for an EMA. The EMA allowance will be paid at three levels £10, £20 & £30. |
Sept 2004 |
|
DfES |
| Promotion of best practice in Neighbourhood Renewal and improving the skills and expertise of those involved, including what is likely to work in rural areas |
4.4.4 |
Achieved |
|
|
Office of the Deputy Prime Minister /
NRU |
| Publication of learning and development framework for Neighbourhood Renewal: |
June 2001 |
| Framework produced by Active Community Unit and handed over to NRU |
October 2002 |
| Full strategy was published |
October 2002 |
| Knowledge management system for neighbourhood renewal to be launched |
|
Neighbourhood Renewal community
capacity building projects and
neighbourhood management pathfinders in
deprived (mainly urban) areas to benefit
some rural places. |
4.4.4 |
Achieved |
|
|
|
| Neighbourhood Renewal Community Chests in 88 most deprived areas. |
|
HO -ACU/ |
| Community Learning Chests begin. |
April 2002 |
ODPM-NRU |
| Roll out of programmes across the 88 areas by GOs. |
Ongoing |
NRU |
| Delivery Plans for 2003-4 submitted |
March 2003 |
ODPM-NRU |
| National Evaluation Team’s interim evaluation of the Pathfinder programme to be made publicly available. |
Summer 2003 |
| Announcement of 2nd pathfinder round proposed. Criteria rural-proofed with Defra & Countryside Agency. Rural schemes to figure as a round 2 priority. |
June 2003 |
| Job vacancy information to be available on the internet, and via IT information points in public places |
4.4.10 |
Achieved - The Worktrain Website provides information about job vacancies, career opportunities, training, voluntary opportunities and childcare provision.
Worktrain now provides information on 177 street kiosks |
March 2001 |
|
DWP |
| Sure Start bringing together early education, health services, family support and advice on nurturing to disadvantaged families |
4.4.12 |
Third round pilots in 7 rural districts began delivering services (health, early education, social services) to children under four and their families from July 2001. |
Ongoing |
|
DfES - Sure Start Unit |
| Two Round 6 Sure Start local programmes in rural areas began delivering services in July 2003 |
July 2003 |
| £22 million fund to support small Sure Start programmes in rural areas and small pockets of deprivation announced. |
July 2001 |
by 30 April 2003 46 small programmes were approved and beginning to deliver Sure Start-type services. (Funding initially for 2 years only (2002-2004) but this has now been extended, following the outcome of SR2002, up to March 2006.)
Progress to be monitored and evaluated by the Sure Start Unit. Final report due March 2004. |
March 2004 |
| Launch Rural Social Exclusion Advisory Group |
4.4.13 |
Other activity and progress has superseded the need for this group. |
March 03 |
 |
Countryside Agency |
| £4.5m allocated to fund additional community development work to help rural community social exclusion projects |
4.4.14 |
Community Development Foundation (CDF) appointed to establish national network. |
Aug 02 |
|
Countryside Agency |
| Appointment of additional community development worker in each RCC to help rural communities tackle problems themselves. |
Dec 02 |
| Post approved in all 38 RCCs. |
|
| CDF annual progress report to the Countryside Agency |
Sept 03 |
| National standards for Public Library services |
4.4.16 |
Achieved - National standards published |
Feb 2001 |
|
Department of Culture, Media and Sport |
| Standards took effect in April 2001, but with a three year phase-in period. |
2001-02 to 2003-04 |
Increased arts, sports and leisure facilities and opportunities:
Spaces for Sports and the Arts (SSA) Scheme aimed at improving facilities in primary schools for dual school and community sports, drama, dance and other activities |
4.4.17 |
Nearly 500 outline proposals submitted to SSArts Project Board by the 65 LEAs targeted under the scheme. |
Dec 2000 |
|
Department of Culture, Media and Sport |
| Invited LEAs to work up detailed applications for around 300 projects, including some 70-100 in rural areas. |
Feb 2001 |
| Final award decisions made. A total of 304 award offers initially accepted. Number of projects has since fallen to 284 due to some LEAs experiencing difficulties meeting award conditions and others under estimating costs. Projects commence. |
Oct 2001 - Mar 2002 |
| The majority of building work expected to be undertaken. |
Apr 2002 -
Mar 2004 |
| To date 125 projects complete and a further 90 currently on site. The first revenue funding application received from Gateshead LEA. |
Jan 2004 |
| Creative Partnerships to provide enhanced opportunities for school children to participate in artistic and creative activities, through sustained partnerships between schools and creative organisations. |
4.4.17 |
Rural projects in Durham/Sunderland this year have included: Exploring, through drama, music and dance, rural sparsity versus urban compactness. |
Jan 03 |
|
Department of Culture, Media and Sport /Arts Council for England |
| Rural projects in Norfolk this year have included: Developing festival programmes as platforms for showcasing and raising the profile of local work. |
Jan 03 |
| Currently 892 projects underway in 412 schools |
July 03 |
| DCMS committed £70 million to continue to support the existing 16 Creative Partnerships and to develop 20 new Creative Partnerships over the next two years. |
June 03 |
| Phase 2 of rollout - nine new partnerships. |
Dec 03 – Sept 04 |
| Phase 3 of rollout - eleven new partnerships |
Apr 04 – Sept 05 |
| New Opportunities Fund Round 3 – Opportunities for Young People: PE and Sport in Schools - to provide opportunities in every LEA |
4.4.17 |
£581.25 million allocated to projects in England.There are a total of 2,026 projects including stage one applications. |
|
|
Department of Culture, Media and Sport |
| Assessment of Stage 1 applications (April –Nov) |
Nov 2002 |
| Applications to Decision Committees (Sept – Feb), if approved invited to Stage 2 |
Feb 2003 |
| Development support from NOF and Sport England for stage 2 applications. |
Ongoing |
| Final deadline for Stage 2 applications March 2004 |
March 2004 |
| Assessment of Stage 2 applications(ongoing) March 2005 |
March 2005 |
| Community Legal Service (CLS), improving access to legal advice on welfare benefits, housing debt immigration and employment problems |
4.4.18 |
Achieved - Population of England and Wales covered by CLS Partnerships has now reached over 99%. Confident of achieving 100% population coverage by the March 2004 deadline. |
March 2004 |
|
DCA- Public Legal Services Division (PLSD) |
| 70 successful projects funded by Round 1 of the Partnership Innovation Budget (PIB) are now up and running. Details of more than 65 projects successful in the bidding for Round 2 of the PIB were announced by the Legal Services Commission in May 2003. These projects are compiling their detailed project plans and will commence later this year. These are three year projects which are evaluated annually by the LSC. The round 1 projects will reach completion in September 2005. |
September 2005 |
DCA - PLSD |
| Developing local solutions through local crime reduction partnerships and strategies |
4.5.4 |
0n 8 April 2002 Nick Raynsford – Local Government Minister – announced the successful councils in Round 3 of the Beacon Council Scheme. Beacon status in ‘Crime Reduction in Rural Areas’ was awarded to Hambleton District Council and to Stroud District Council in partnership with Forest of Dean District Council and Tewkesbury Borough Council. They will hold beacon status until June 2003. The councils are now working with the Improvement and Development Agency (IDeA) to organise a showcase event, open days and other dissemination activities to enable their best practice to be shared with other councils. |
April 2002 |
|
Office of the Deputy Prime Minister - LGCM |
| Neighbourhood Wardens – projects in rural areas |
4.5.6 |
Achieved - Of 85 projects approved for funding, 4 in rural areas. |
Nov 2001 |
|
Home Office ODPM |
| Ten neighbourhood warden conferences (9 regional and Wales) held over last 12 months, highlighting most promising approaches.Regional networks for warden practitioners now established and supported with online dedicated community web forum |
Ongoing |
Good practice material will be issued regularly and may have wider application – e.g. to New Deal for Communities, Neighbourhood management and Local Strategic Partnerships.
|
|
| Evaluation report. |
Spring 2004 |
| Positive improvement in police response times |
4.5.8 |
Achieved - Each police authority in England and Wales report on their performance annually against a range of performance indicators., including one relating to the percentage of public satisfied the time taken to answer a 999 call. Details can be found in Local Policing Plans on individual police authority or force websites. |
2002 |
|
Home Office |
| The Police Performance Monitoring 2001/02 document published by the Home Office compares police forces performance against their ‘most similar forces’ |
Feb 2003 |
| The Policing Performance Assessment Framework (PPAF) is developing a set of national measures of performance to ensure that consistent 1st class policing is delivered across the country. An important strand is ‘Citizen Focus’ |
April 2004 |
| Encourage more active public consultation before rural police station closures |
4.5.10 |
Achieved - Police authorities are now required to report on plans for police station closures, changes to opening hours or movement to a different location, in their Annual Policing/Best Value Performance Plans. These are published by 30 June each year and are designed to inform and engage the local community. |
Plans are to be published by 30 June each year |
|
Home Office |
| The consultation document: “Policing: Building Safer Communities Together” asks for suggestions to empower local people to use information and networks to engage with their local police. This document can be found at www.policereform.gov.uk |
Responses due by end of Jan 2004 |
| Every major rural police station to have a drugs worker |
4.5.12 |
Achieved - All police forces now operate face to face arrest referral schemes covering all custody suites with the aim of identifying problem drug users and referring them to appropriate treatment. |
April 2002 |
|
Home Office |
| New Race Equality Grant – fund rural projects to help combat problems identified by research report ‘Challenging Racism in the Rural Idyll’ |
4.5.14 |
7 of 75 projects approved under first round of the Connecting Communities initiative included a focus on rural racism |
Oct 2000 |
|
Home Office |
| Connecting Communities reviewed to identify changing priorities and amend initiative. |
Jul-Oct 2002 |
| Second bidding round for grant launched. Grant prospectus explains criteria for applicants. |
Mar-Jun 2003 |
| Ministers announce outcome of bidding round. 75 projects approved of which 10 include a focus on rural racism. |
Sept 2003 |
| Projects funded under first round of initiative close. |
Oct 2003 |
| First grant payments to projects approved under second round made. |
Dec 2003 |
| Development of on-line Rural Crime Toolkit, drawing on examples of good practice in rural policing |
4.5.15 |
Rural Crime Toolkit launched |
March 2001 |
|
Home Office |
| Rural Crime Toolkit is being updated. |
August 2003 |
| Greater police visibility in rural areas |
4.5.16 |
Achieved - Police authorities report in Annual Policing/Best Value Performance Plans how they have spent the £30m last year and how they will spend the £30m grant which has been retained this year on improving policing services in rural areas. Details can be found in Local Policing Plans on individual police authority or force websites |
Plans are to be published by 30 June each year |
|
Home Office |
| 9 forces out of the 27 who made bids for funding for Community Support Officers (all were accepted) have projects which specifically assign CSOS to rural areas. These CSOs were deployed by April 2003 and will be evaluated over the following year. |
April 2003 |
| Allocation of funds under a new round of bidding for funding for CSOs were announced in May 2002, with a further eleven forces taking CSOs for the first time. Of these four will use CSOs in rural areas. |
May 2003 |
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