In her speech to Parliament last week, the Queen outlined measures to be included in the Health Bill that will create a constitution for the NHS, including setting out the rights and responsibilities of staff. She also formally announced the intention to introduce the new Equality Bill to bring together and strengthen existing legislation. NHS Employers is representing the views of employers in both these areas. For links to NHS Employers’ relevant work areas, please visit our homepage. A full response and briefing are available on the NHS Confederation homepage.

To support employers with the introduction of tiers 2 and 5 of the points-based immigration system, we have published a table showing which tiers some of the main NHS professions fall under. The table was featured in our briefing on the new immigration system, which was mailed to trusts when tiers 2 and 5 came into effect in the last week of November. It is now available separately on our website, or can be downloaded with the briefing. We have also updated our FAQs and related pages on the points-based system section of our website.

In May 2008 Skills for Health and Skills for Care published a guide to support the implementation of a set of common core principles to support self care. Employers are encouraged to work with staff side colleagues to build these principles into job descriptions and Knowledge and Skills Framework (KSF) post outlines and to use them to inform staff reviews, learning and development. To support this process, the KSF Group commissioned a project to link the self care principles to the KSF. The key links are outlined in a document which is available on our KSF web page, along with further information and guidance.

NHS Employers’ fourth annual equality and diversity conference takes place in London on 20 January 2009 against the backdrop of the new Equality Bill and NHS Reform Bill. Keynote speakers include Maria Eagle, parliamentary under secretary of state at the Government Equalities Office and the Ministry of Justice; and Ben Summerskill, chief executive of Stonewall and commissioner for the Equality and Human Rights Commission . This one-day event, sponsored by Ian Dodds Consulting, also features up-to-the-minute presentations and comprehensive workshops to give you an in-depth understanding of the latest issues in equality and diversity. To book your place, visit the events pages of our website.

NHS Careers is launching a national schools’ competition in January to dispel the myth that the NHS is made up of just doctors and nurses. The competition, under the Step into the NHS brand, is open to Year 9 students and aims to give them an honest appraisal of working in the health service. Working in groups, students will choose a career and prepare a job description, application form and CV for the ideal applicant. The judges will be looking for the most creative entry. For more information, or to get involved, contact Darren Aldrich on 020 7074 3265 or email Darren.Aldrich@nhsemployers.org.  

Our NHS 60th anniversary book, extraordinary, captures 60 NHS staff in photos, quotes and stories, with a focus on what makes them proud. Beautifully produced, it provides a snapshot of the NHS at 60, with a special introduction that tells the story of the NHS workforce. This exceptional book is for anyone who shares pride in the NHS. Buy it now for £19.95.

Last week, our directors attended an Open University and Royal College of Nursing Alliance event at the Queen’s Hotel in Leeds. We also attended the Health Service Journal (HSJ) awards dinner in London. We represented employers at the Healthcare People Management Association London Branch workshop on workforce for London. We met with the Nursing and Midwifery Council on nursing as a graduate profession and with the chief scientific officer on Modernising Scientific Careers. We also represented NHS Employers at the NHS Confederation UK board meeting.