Collaboration and local intelligence networks

Collaboration and local intelligence networks

Accountable officers must establish and operate arrangements for sharing information. Currently, primary care trust accountable officers have additional responsibilities, as they are required to establish and operate a local intelligence network (LIN). With the revised structures emerging for the NHS in England, similar arrangements will be put in place once PCTs are abolished.

A LIN must involve all accountable officers from local hospitals: NHS, including foundation trusts, independent sector, hospices, ambulance trusts and local care providers along with representatives from any relevant local and national agencies who may be involved in any aspect of CD management or inspection, such as professional regulatory bodies, the CQC and police forces. Although the Health Act placed a legal duty of collaboration on responsible bodies, the precise make-up of a LIN is decided locally.

LINs often have their own local information-sharing codes and proce-dures; they provide an excellent forum to share learning from CD incidents or investigations and can also act to encourage good practice developments.

The LIN enables concerns to be raised and encourages intelligence and information-sharing, which may include situations involving individuals who give cause for concern. Each accountable officer in the LIN must present quarterly occurrence reports to the primary care trust accountable officer who leads the network. Each occurrence report will describe details of any con-cerns the organisation has regarding the management of CDs, or confirmation that they have none.

All hospital pharmacy staff should be clear how they report concerns about CD issues, either through their management arrangements or in some instances directly to their organisation’s accountable officer.

The CQC is responsible for making sure that healthcare providers and regulators are creating a safer environment for the management of CDs. Designated bodies must notify the CQC of the appointment of their account-able officer and of any subsequent changes; the CQC is required to publish a list of accountable officers in England and this list can be found on the CQC website (http://www.cqc.org.uk/).