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Goodbye Single Assessment Process, hello Common Assessment Framework?

Elsewhere in this issue, David Challis and colleagues have described the experience of geriatricians in implementing the Single Assessment Process, one of the features of the NSF for Older People. I do not know about you but my experience suggests that it is not yet possible to be certain that it has a significant beneficial impact on older people being treated in hospital. Anyway, the Department of Health waits for no one and I was invited to a meeting in London to discuss the next phase - the Common Assessment Framework, which will incorporate the SAP. The Common Assessment Framework will apply to all people with chronic diseases, not just those over 65 although the decision as to who is included and who not will be left to local decision making. A new feature will be that that social services will be able to extract certain information from the NHS spine (subject to patient consent). More news later!

Knowledge Based Assessments
The planning for the KBA continues. Our concerns reported in the last newsletter are shared by the other medical specialty societies and we are planning a joint meeting in November at which I hope we can agree a common stance. It looks as if we will not be able to agree to be involved in the assessments until next year at the earliest. Once things are finalised we will let you have the full details.

MMC and MTAS
Our Education and Training Committee has been busy responding to consultation requests from the Tooke enquiry, the House of Commons and MMC itself. The Tooke Report will not be published until the end of the year and it looks as if it will be necessary to start the 2008 appointment process before then. A recipe for discontent, I feel.

Re-licensing and Recertification
Members and Fellows of the London College have been canvassed for their views on what should be included in the package for recertification of specialist status. We will be using the same form to obtain the views of UKMC, which we will share with you. I am sure you will let us know if you disagree!

Human Rights
Our evidence featured in the report of the House of Lords/Commons Select Committee and was picked up also by the press.

IAGG
The IAGG want to establish collaborative centres – centres of excellence that could be referral points. I pointed out to them that this was difficult for us as all our centres were excellent! If you wish to learn more about this let me know.

Acute Medicine and the RCP London
August is usually a quiet time but a draft report from the RCP (London) generated numerous emails and serious disquiet. Professor Bryan Williams (Leicester) presented a report of a task force on acute medicine which contained hardly any mention of the special needs of older people (see Dave’s editorial). Although the importance of liaison with other medical specialties was described, liaison with our specialty did not feature. I was told that this was an error and a second version was produced which talked about “the elderly” and, although better, was still considered by UKMC as somewhat inadequate. We will take this up again with College officers at our next regular Joint Specialty Committee.

Harrogate 2007
I hope to see as many of you as possible at Harrogate for what I am sure will be an excellent conference.

Peter Crome

BGS Newsletter, October 2007
Issue 13 ISSN 1748-6343 13