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Latest News 2011

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Library: Nov 2011 CNO Bulletin Now Available

Posted 28 Nov 2011

The November 2011 issue of the Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) Bulletin is now available in the Other Bulletins section of the Resource Library.

Contents of the November edition includes:

Christine Beasley's Voicepiece.
Women's choice about place of birth.
School Nursing Development Programme engages with young people.
School Nursing Development Programme: the modules.
Essex's Safeguarding Children Clinical Network leads the way.
Mary Seacole Award winners.
NHS Evidence: an invaluable tool for nurses.
The Operating Framework for the NHS in England 2012/13.
News in brief.
Parliamentary Questions.

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General: Temporary Class Drugs

Posted 17 Nov 2011

The Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 has been amended to enable the Home Secretary to place a new psychoactive substance causing sufficient concern about its potential harms under temporary control by invoking a temporary class drug order. This new power is available from 15 November 2011.

A document summarising the temporary control provisions under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 is now available in the Clinical Guidelines section.

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General: Things are Happening at SCAN

Posted 11 Nov 2011

The new SCAN/Institute of Psychiatry Masterclass in the Advanced Clinical Management of Addictions will be launched on Thursday 8th December 2011 at the Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London.

The theme of the Masterclass is "New frontiers in the treatment of addiction" and the programme features an exciting mix of the latest developments in the treatment of addiction, with a strong emphasis on evidence-based practice.

In 2011 when its core funding ended, SCAN moved to the Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London with a grant from the Department of Health to support further educational developments for professionals working with addictions. The first development is this Masterclass jointly provided by SCAN and the Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London. Further educational initiatives are being planned, and information will appear when available.

This Masterclass will focus on key areas of importance where there is current controversy, important new evidence, or clinical problems for which there is currently a lack of clear evidence to guide practice. Topics include:

Clinical management of legal highs
Alcohol: the next frontier
Brain mechanisms of dependence
Pharmacology and comorbidity
Treatment resistant opioid addiction
Professionalism in psychiatry

...and will be presented by leading experts in these areas, including:

Prof David Nutt
Prof Tom Burns
Prof Colin Drummond
Prof Fabrizio Schifano
Prof Anne Lingford-Hughes
Prof Eilish Givarry
Prof John Strang

The Event Flyer can be downloaded below in Adobe Acrobat PDF format:

Event Flyer (PDF, 135K)

This masterclass will provide advanced knowledge of addiction treatment and will be suitable for psychiatrists, psychologists, nurses, GPs and other professionals with a working knowledge of addictive processes and interventions.

The Masterclass will be relevant to Continuing Professional Development. A certificate of attendance will be provided after the event.

Directions and other useful local area information including accommodation options will be sent to registrants.

Further information or to book please contact:

Web: www.scanmasterclasses.net

Catherine Elzerbi
E-mail: catherine.elzerbi@kcl.ac.uk
Tel: 0207 848 0436
Fax: 0207 848 0839

Amy Wolstenholme
E-mail: amy.wolstenholme@kcl.ac.uk
Dissemination and Engagement Project Manager
Tel: 0207 848 0442
Fax: 0207 848 0839

Addictions Department
National Addiction Centre
Institute of Psychiatry
King's College London
Addiction Sciences Building
4 Windsor Walk
London SE5 8BB

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General: ANSA Membership Review

Posted 07 Nov 2011

We are concerned that the contact details for some ANSA Members have changed over time and we no longer have any way to get in touch with them.

If your contact details have changed since you joined ANSA, please let us know so that we don't lose touch!

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General: ANSA Launching "New Generation Project"

Posted 06 Nov 2011

NEW GENERATION PROJECT

One of the key reasons why ANSA was initially established was to provide support, and a platform for nurses working within the field of substance use, who felt isolated and were struggling to get their respective voices heard about the importance and need to work with people and communities affected by substances within our society. For many years now ANSA has been attempting to be true to this objective, and while its members have continued to "fight the good fight", increasingly it is becoming more apparent that tobacco, alcohol and drug problems are continuing to impact, and that despite best efforts, there is a need for "greater participation" by all nurses to appreciate their role and potential to assist in this wider public health agenda. This is even more important given the achievements in tobacco, alcohol and drug problem research in public health and individual/family interventions that can reduce and promote recovery and abstinence.

Public health costs - Alcohol, tobacco and other drugs

Problematic substance use (including tobacco and alcohol) is part of everyday clinical practice for most working nurses. A fact that is not surprising when the magnitude of the problem is calculated in terms of the costs to society.

Over the last 10 years, the costs of illegal drug use to Britain has reached £110billion (£100 billion crime related costs; £10 billion on health related costs), compared with just £3billion has been spent on efforts to prevent, treat, and manage the problem.
Each person who remains dependent on illegal drugs costs the taxpayer approximately £44,000 per year or £16.4billion a year, which is more than one-and-a-half times the cost of the Olympic Games in 2012.
A further cost of £6 billion alcohol abuse can be added to the total associated with NHS bills, premature death, losses to business and drink-related crimes and accidents.
Figures released in 2007 revealed that the cost to the NHS in England of treating smoking related illness reached £2.7 billion a year; around £50 million every week.

Given these figures and the related underlying public health issues, nurses must recommit to our responsibility as key health care providers with a legitimate role to play in recognizing when substance use is problematic, and advocating for the most appropriate treatment response (which may include direct action or referral onto specialist care).

New Generation Project

As one strand of an overall strategy to support this recommitment, ANSA is setting up a new project called "THE NEW GENERATION" - if we are to truly bring around a sea change in attitude, knowledge and competencies needed to address this global health problem, ANSA believes that the hope lies with the new generation of nurses coming into the profession.

The objectives of the project are to:

Engage with all new nursing students in the UK regarding their role as it relates to harm reduction and recovery pathways for people whose health is affected by tobacco, alcohol and other drugs.
Ensure that all new nurses are aware of the evidence for effective early interventions and brief intervention models that exist to help those affected by tobacco, drug and alcohol misuse.
Ensure that nurses new to the profession have awareness of and access to national and international evidence based sources on interventions for tobacco, alcohol and other drug misuse, as well as local, national and international networks for learning and influencing the public health agenda e.g. international harm reduction nurses network.
Explore with new nurses their views on training/educational needs of student nurses related to alcohol, tobacco and other drugs.
Develop and publish core competencies/capabilities required to work with individuals across the spectrum of substance use (prevention to recovery).
Map these competencies to the Nursing Midwifery Council (NMC) standards of proficiency for pre-registration nursing education.
Seek to influence changes to the NMC standards of proficiency for pre-registration nursing education to ensure that the competencies/capabilities for working with problematic substance use are incorporated.
Provide a platform for student nurses with an interest in alcohol, tobacco and other drugs so that they can network and influence changes within their respective HEIs; service provider organizations; professional and service users influencing bodies, and local and national policy development bodies.
Commence a dialogue with HEIs with responsibility to deliver validated pre-registration nurse training on how to ensure that nurses on completion of their training have the requisite attitudes, knowledge and skills (competencies/capabilities) to undertake their legitimate role in working with individuals/families/society in the area of substance misuse.
To ensure that nurses new to the profession participate in local and national/international knowledge generation projects to enhance effective service development and delivery.
Assist service user and carer projects to work along side the "new generation" of nurses so that they can be aware and participate in the use of early intervention and brief interventions which could both assist them individually but could also be used by them to help others.

Next Steps

We are seeking to establish a project team to begin the above work as soon as possible. If you are a key stakeholder (which includes):

A representative of the new generation of nurses (e.g. student nurses)
Supporting/training the new generation of nurses e.g. qualified nurses (currently acting as mentors)
A nurse educator (currently working within HEIs delivering nurse training)
A service user
A carers
A clinical leader
A director or manager of services
A researcher
An advocate

...and interested in getting involved, please contact us.

The project leads within ANSA are:

Peter Kelly
Patrick Coyne
Carmel Clancy

We would love to hear from you. Please e-mail us at ANSA.

The above information is available as a downloadable PDF in the General Resources section of the Resource Library.

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General: ANSA Survey - Help Shape the Future of Substance Misuse Nursing

Posted 02 Nov 2011

In line with the US and Australia, courses are being developed to prepare nurse practitioner specialists in addictions. ANSA is working with the Royal College of Nursing to develop an online introductory course on addictions for all nurses.

ANSA is exploring how to prepare the nurses of the future and is about to launch a new project called "New Generation". ANSA's aim is to influence pre-registration curricula and engage with nursing students who are just embarking on their career.

As well as offering support and providing resources to nursing students, ANSA will look at what educational support and resources academics need.

The project is still in its early stages and ANSA invites all nurses and interested parties to take part in its survey and help shape the future of substance misuse nursing.

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Library: Oct 2011 CNO Bulletin Now Available

Posted 01 Nov 2011

The October 2011 issue of the Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) Bulletin is now available in the Other Bulletins section of the Resource Library.

Contents of the October edition includes:

Christine Beasley's Voicepiece.
NHS Commissioning Board Special Health Authority goes live.
Addressing the impact of substance misuse on health care.
Extending prescribing powers.
Clinical academic training: programme update.
Social care reform: engagement exercise.
News in brief.

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General: ANSA Extraordinary AGM - Minutes

Posted 18 Oct 2011

Minutes of the ANSA Extraordinary AGM, held Thursday 8 September 2011, are now available to download below in Adobe Acrobat PDF format, together with other documents from the meeting:

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Library: Sep 2011 CNO Bulletin Now Available

Posted 18 Sep 2011

The September 2011 issue of the Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) Bulletin is now available in the Other Bulletins section of the Resource Library.

Contents of the September edition includes:

Christine Beasley's Voicepiece.
Next steps for the NHS Future Forum.
Profile: School Nurse.
Partnership working: an example of better for less.
Safety express: delivering results fast.
Continuing Healthcare.
VTE Global Prevention Forum.
Personality disorder workforce strategy.
News in brief.

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General: New National Executive Committee Appointed

Posted 10 Sep 2011

Following the Extraordinary AGM on 8th September 2011 a new National Executive Committee was appointed. The new Chair Dr Carmel Clancy will be contacting members and issuing a formal statement in the coming days.

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General: ANSA Extraordinary AGM - Agenda

Posted 06 Sep 2011

Meeting Date: Thursday 8 September 2011
Venue: Riverside Medical Centre, Hobart House, St George Wharf, Wandsworth Road,
Vauxhall, London SW8 2JB
Time: 1pm-5pm

Agenda

Welcome, Introductions and Apologies
Minutes of previous meeting held 14th July 2011
Matters arising
Officers' reports
Response from members to notice of NEC resignations
Future of ANSA (including winding up process if required)
AoB
Next meeting

The Agenda can be downloaded below in Adobe Acrobat PDF format:

Extraordinary AGM Agenda (PDF, 49K)

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Library: Jul/Aug 2011 CNO Bulletin Now Available

Posted 10 Aug 2011

The July/August 2011 issue of the Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) Bulletin is now available in the Other Bulletins section of the Resource Library.

Contents of the July/August edition includes:

Voicepiece - "supporting our future leaders" by CNO Christine Beasley.
NHS commissioning reforms: next steps.
The art of networking.
Profile: VTE prevention nursing.
Energise for Excellence survey results.
Improving staff health and well-being.
NHS Innovation Challenge Prizes: apply now.
News in brief.

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General: ANSA Extraordinary AGM - A letter from the Chairman

Posted 26 Jul 2011

Dear ANSA Member

This is to inform the Membership that as of the 14th July 2011 all members of the Executive Committee, namely, Jim Jones (Chair), Clare Meachin (Treasurer), Sandy McManus (Conference Organiser), Simon Greasley (Education & Training), Malcolm Carr (Communications), Sue Piddington (Membership Secretary) and Kerry Webb (Journal Editor), have resigned. This will take effect as of the 9th (ninth) of September 2011.

There will be an extraordinary AGM on 8th (eighth) September 2011 in London. Venue and time will be confirmed on the website as soon as possible.

This decision by the Executive Committee has come after much thought and deliberation. It is with great sadness and regret that this decision has been reached, but the Association can no longer continue in its current format and a new Committee is needed to progress.

ANSA continues to be a financially viable organisation, but the present Executive Committee are unable to voluntarily give their time after considerable years' service.

If there is anyone within the membership who would like to take a position on the Executive Committee they should put this in writing, by 25th August 2011, to:

Jim Jones
Chair, ANSA
c/o 37 Star Street
Ware
SG12 7AA

The current Executive Committee, as individuals, will be willing to support and advise for a limited hand over period.

Yours sincerely
James Jones
Chair, ANSA

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Library: Jun 2011 CNO Bulletin Now Available

Posted 02 Jul 2011

The June 2011 issue of the Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) Bulletin is now available in the Other Bulletins section of the Resource Library.

Contents of the June edition includes:

Voicepiece - Christine Beasley.
Government accepts main Future Forum recommendations.
NHS Kidney Care: helping kidney patients grow up.
Commissioning cardiac improvements in Kent.
Celebrating the roles of nurse commissioners.
UK-wide Framework for Learning Disability Nursing.
What an honour!
News in brief.

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Library: May 2011 CNO Bulletin Now Available

Posted 28 May 2011

The May 2011 issue of the Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) Bulletin is now available in the Other Bulletins section of the Resource Library.

Contents of the May edition includes:

Voicepiece - Christine Beasley.
NHS listening exercise update.
Supporting prison healthcare.
Taking action on commissioning.
News in brief.

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Library: Apr 2011 CNO Bulletin Now Available

Posted 27 April 2011

The April 2011 issue of the Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) Bulletin is now available in the Other Bulletins section of the Resource Library.

Contents of the April edition includes:

Voicepiece - Christine Beasley.
Government launches NHS listening exercise.
Developing the role of nurse commissioners.
A good sign for expectant mothers.
Securing quality as our guiding principle.
Bright future for health visiting.
Improving health for the homeless.
News in brief.
Parliamentary questions.

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Library: Mar 2011 CNO Bulletin Now Available

Posted 1 April 2011

The March 2011 issue of the Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) Bulletin is now available in the Other Bulletins section of the Resource Library.

Contents of the March edition includes:

Voicepiece - Christine Beasley.
First woman appointed Chief Medical Officer for England.
Mainstreaming mental health and well-being.
In profile: end of life care.
Care of older people under review.
Health visitors take centre stage.
News in brief.

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Library: Feb 2011 CNO Bulletin Now Available

Posted 15 February 2011

The February 2011 issue of the Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) Bulletin is now available in the Other Bulletins section of the Resource Library.

Contents of the February edition includes:

Voicepiece - Christine Beasley.
Positive review of Family Nurse Partnerships.
Health and Social Care Bill: one step closer to a modernised NHS.
Take action for excellence: guidelines to help staff and managers make the transition to the new operating framework.
All eyes on innovation: Healthcare Innovation Expo and Innovation Challenge Prizes.
New research highlights the importance of staff engagement.
News in brief.
Diary.

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Library: Dec 2010 CNO Bulletin Now Available

Posted 15 February 2011

The December 2010 issue of the Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) Bulletin is now available in the Other Bulletins section of the Resource Library.

Contents of the December 2010 edition includes:

Read the Secretary of State's holiday message to NHS staff.
A new vision for public health.
First NHS Outcomes Framework published.
Government publishes NHS reform plans.
Voicepiece - Christine Beasley.
Profile of mental health nursing: a multi-disciplinary approach to traumatic incidents.
Maternity services update.
News in brief.
Diary.