Evidence Templates which must be completed by organisations prior to assessments against the 2012/13 risk management standards are now available:

• Acute, Community, MH & LD and Non-NHS Providers Evidence Template
• Ambulance Evidence Template
• Maternity Evidence Template

The templates can also be used by organisations to conduct self-assessments and create action plans to assist in preparing for future assessments and/or informal visits.

Guidelines to help organisations use the Evidence Templates are also available.

The standards against which ambulance services will be assessed from 1 April 2012 have now been released:

Compared with earlier versions, the language has been made clearer and simpler, the introduction revised to make it easier to understand and the rationale and references for each criterion, which previously appeared in a separate handbook, incorporated into the standards manual.  Appendix E provides details of changes made to the standards and assessment process since the previous version. 

The following standards manuals which will be used as the basis for assessments from 1 April 2012 have now been released:

• NHSLA Acute, Community, MH & LD and Non-NHS Providers of NHS Care Standards – 2012/13

The language throughout this manual has been made clearer and simpler than earlier versions and the introduction has been revised to make it easier to understand.  Changes to the standards and assessment process since the previous version can be found in Appendix E.  The rationale and references for each criterion, which previously appeared in a separate handbook, have now been incorporated into the standards manual.  

Evidence Templates, Frequently Asked Questions and Template Documents to support the 2012/13 standards will be released over the next few months.

We are advertising for case managers to join our clinical and non-clinical teams; for more details and to apply, click on “job vacancies” at the top of this page and follow the links.  Applications close on Friday 3 February.

There are two separate external groups which provide the NHSLA with advice and guidance in relation to the strategic direction of its risk management programme.  There are currently vacancies on both of these groups and the NHSLA is inviting applications for membership from those working at a senior level within NHS trusts.

The Department of Health has announced the re-appointment of Professor Dame Joan Higgins as the Authority’s Chair.  The press release is available on the Department of Health website via this link: Professor Dame Joan Higgins re-appointed as Chair.

We are currently advertising for our clinical case manager role, with a closing date of 24 November.  For more details and to apply, please go to the NHS Jobs website: http://www.jobs.nhs.uk/cgi-bin/vacdetails.cgi?selection=912768271.

Issue 5 of the NHSLA newsletter Risk E-News is now available. 

Steve Walker, who has been Chief Executive of the NHSLA since 1996, announced his retirement on August 25^th. He plans to leave in March 2012. Dame Joan Higgins, Chair of the Authority said that Steve had made a unique contribution to the creation and development of the NHSLA and he will be greatly missed. However, he is keen to enjoy family life and new opportunities in his retirement and everyone at the Authority, as well as colleagues in the legal and insurance industries, will want to wish him well. The arrangements for seeking a new Chief Executive will be publicised  in due course.

Following the ruling of Senior Costs Judge Hurst in the RSA Pursuit test cases in May 2005, the Litigation Authority entered into an accord with First Assist Insurance Services Limited, the providers of the After the Event (ATE) policy known as “Pursuit”, whereby disputes between our organisations would be resolved in accordance with the judgment in the test cases.

This accord is non-binding, but has resulted in many cases being concluded without recourse to expensive litigation.

For the avoidance of doubt, NHSLA is willing to talk to any other ATE provider with a view to determining whether an equivalent agreement may be possible.

Indeed, our philosophy has always been to resolve any dispute by discussion rather than litigation.

The NHSLA has issued a Press Statement announcing its intention to deal ‘fairly and speedily’ with claims arising from events considered by the Independent Inquiry into care provided by Mid-Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust.

NHSLA launches its Document Transfer System - click here to find out more.