Audit Tool for Developing Services for Minority Ethnic Older People
This recently published DoH audit tool provides practice guidance for all councils with social services responsibilities, and other local stakeholders (including the housing and voluntary sector) aiming to improve services for minority ethnic older people. www.doh.gov.uk/scg/race/audittool.htm

Stroke Service
What makes a good stroke service and how do we get there? This paper summarises a recent review identifying key factors in developing high quality stroke services. It is designed to help deliver the requirements of the NSF stroke standard. www.doh.gov.uk/nsf/olderpeople.htm

Age Discrimination Benchmarking
This is the first version of a tool designed to help those responsible for commissioning or delivering services at a local level to compare patterns of treatment at different ages with those in other areas. It initially focuses on a number of acute hospital procedures and proposed further development includes the provision of an expanded tool to investigate potential age discrimination in primary care and social care. An explanation of how to use the tool and how you might interpret results is given in the user guide. This includes some worked-through examples to illustrate the kinds of information and questions that can be raised by an analysis of the data. The DoH is seeking comments on the new tool by 31 January 2003. The BGS Policy Committee is preparing a response to this. www.doh.gov.uk/nsf/agediscrim.htm

Reimbursement arrangements for delayed discharge
During the second reading of the bill on 28th November, Alan Milburn announced a transfer of an extra £100 million over the next three years to social services for each full year of operation of the new scheme to tackle delayed discharges. The bill now moves to the committee stage. The BGS response to these proposals was published on pages 14 and 15 of the November 2002 Newsletter.

Discharge from Hospital – good practice checklist
The Department will be publishing a revised and updated version of the “hospital discharge workbook’ which will contain detailed and definitive guidance and examples of good practice (Dr Finbarr Martin is representing the BGS on this group). In the meantime, the Change Agents Team are preparing a brief checklist as a practical tool to help councils and their NHS partners assess their current arrangements and identify what changes may be needed to make easier the introduction of the new system. This should be available in the New Year.

Champions Toolkit
The resource is in 2 parts; an information section containing base line information on the levels of health and social care provided to older people and an explanation of the current structures, with contact names at the various levels and secondly a ‘Developing Understanding’ section - designed to help Champions understand their overall role and to look at the development of implementation of each NSF Standard.
www.doh.gov.uk/nsf/olderpeople.htm

Forthcoming dates
· 24th - 28th March National Older People’s NSF Engagement Week
· 27th March National Older People’s Champions Conference, London

Dr Finbarr Martin (BGS NSF Focus Group)
Louise Wykes (BGS Office)