Maureen Johnson wins Queen of Teen prize

Thanks to the Guardian online for this one...

The American writer Maureen Johnson has carried off the 2012 Queen of Teen award.



Speaking in advance of Friday's ceremony, held in a pretty-pink tent in Surrey, Johnson said she was "thrilled" to win the award, and that she was looking forward to "bringing some American blood to your royal line"


"It is true we rebelled against the very idea of a crown," she said, "but I am prepared to put that aside and rule with a fair and temperate hand, and not to fire a few triumphant rounds in the air during the ceremony."


The prize aims to celebrate authors who deal with "real-life issues in a way that is honest, entertaining and fun" for a teenage audience. It is awarded once every two years on the results of an online poll, and this year saw a blizzard of campaigning from shortlisted authors on Twitter.


The American was up against nine other authors shortlisted in April for the award, who were Cathy Cassidy, Sarah Webb, Joanna Nadin, Cathy Hopkins, Samantha Mackintosh, Chris Higgins, Hayley Long, SC Ransom and James Dawson, the first male author to nominated for the Queen of Teen award. Cathy Cassidy won the crown in 2010, with Louise Rennison picking up the inaugural award in 2008.

Want support typing that award winning manuscript? Visit the Words Worth Reading Ltd website to find out about our manuscript typing service.

Are you trying to separate NHS and private practice?

The CQC provide guidelines explaining registration for private and NHS practices:

You only need to register your private services with CQC if they include regulated activities.
If you provide any regulated activities as a private service that is a separate legal entity from your NHS services (e.g. an individual who provides services separately from his partnership) you’ll need to register them in a separate registration application.

Providers of medical services whose main or sole purpose is NHS primary medical care have to register by April 2013.


Please note: if your sole or main purpose is not the provision of NHS primary medical services, you should have already registered with CQC.
There are a number of exemptions from registration. For example, some doctors in independent practice do not have to register if they also provide NHS services as an individual.


This can be a complicated area and more detailed guidance can be found on the CQC website in the Scope of registration – see the section on 'Exemptions without a time limit'. Alternatively contact the Words Worth Reading Ltd team and we can provide support tailored support to your specific needs.

CQC state more improvements needed at Barking, Havering and Redbridge

The CQC share that Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust have made progress, but more improvements need to be made across Queen’s Hospital and King George Hospital to ensure people receive the care they deserve.


The trust has met 27 of the 81 recommendations that the CQC made in October 2011 when they published their investigation report.


In particular, emergency care and staffing levels are still of serious concern. The CQC found that the trust is struggling to deal with the increased number of complaints it is receiving.


Some of the improvements that the trust has made are a result of stakeholders working more closely together. However, the CQC remain concerned with whether these improvements can be maintained.


The CQC plan to continue to conduct unannounced inspections on the trust to check that government standards are being met.

Visit the Health Services section of the Words Worth Reading Ltd website to view the CQC document downloads.

Get ready to start your registration application

Your CQC registration application form will be available online from early July, and you can start to fill it out once you’ve completed your registration set-up. The CQC will shortly be sending out letters about this, which will contain a web link to the registration set-up form and your 12-digit registration access code. You might receive more than one letter and access code if you have several contracts, but if your services are provided by one legal entity, you only need to complete one registration for your provider. Visit the CQC website to read their ‘quick tips’ guide to help you complete set-up and the application form.

For support and advice regarding any aspect of your CQC registration contact our experienced team.

Review of Redundancy

The Government has recently published it’s proposed changes to the collective redundancy consultation scheme. The consultation will close on 19 September 2012 and, if the consultation supports change to the current rules, the Government will seek to introduce the changes in Spring 2013.


To create a more effective regime, the Government is consulting on a package of reforms. The key reforms are based around:



• Reducing the minimum 90-day consultation period before redundancies of 100 or more employees can take effect. The Government is seeking views on the impact of reducing this to either a 30-day minimum period for all collective redundancies or a 45-day minimum period for planned redundancies of 100 or more employees.


• Issuing a new, non-statutory, Code of Practice, which would address the principles and behaviours behind a good quality consultation, with a particular focus on dealing effectively with the most contentious issues. The Code would provide guidance but allow enough flexibility for parties to tailor the consultation process appropriately. The Government has identified how to define an "establishment" as a particular issue, which would be addressed in the Code, along with the application of the collective redundancy consultation process to fixed-term contracts, which it will seek to address through guidance and the Code.


• Improving guidance for employers and employees on the support on offer from Government. The Government will review the existing guidance to ensure that it is accurate and fit for purpose.

Visit the Business section of the Words Worth Reading Ltd website to find out how we can reduce your policy and procedure writing workload.

Introducing David Haslam

David Haslam has explained his role within the CQC. He is one of their National Professional Advisors. With a background as a GP, and a former RCGP Chairman, David has been representing the interests of clinicians since working for the Healthcare Commission, and now with CQC.

"My background is as a GP in Cambridgeshire but over the last 10 years or so I have become more and more interested in national health policy and politics. After completing my term as RCGP Chairman in 2004, I was recruited to a senior advisory role in the Healthcare Commission – where I recall my responsibility was described as 'represent clinicians in the Commission and the Commission to clinicians'– so no challenge there then!

When CQC was formed in 2009, my role transferred over – and I still try to give myself the same overall task. Although I am a GP, and much of my focus has recently been on the upcoming regulation of primary care by CQC, I have always tried to take on board the importance of all clinicians.

I have a number of roles that are linked with healthcare quality, including being an ‘expert member’ of the National Quality Board, chairing their Quality Information Committee, co-chairing the NHS Future Forum work on Information, and chairing the NICE Evidence.

Inevitably I find that contacts and discussions in all these roles are of real benefit to my work at CQC. I also represent CQC in a number of organisations, including the Royal College of Physicians ‘Future Hospital Commission’, and on the Professional Standards Board at the Department of Health.

Perhaps the main focus of my work in the last year or so has related to the registration and regulation of general practice. My life both as a GP, and a leader in general practice, has taught me what an exceptionally busy and complex task general medical practice is: how most well-intentioned policies tend to have unintended negative consequences, and how many GPs are really struggling with issues around workload, workforce, constant change, commissioning, complaints, and revalidation – not to mention the day-to-day business of trying to heal the sick and save lives.

And so it was vital that we worked with representatives of all the major primary care organisations from the start, to ensure that regulation focused on the things that really matter, and we try and avoid duplication and wasting time.

I have been delighted with the help, response, support, criticism, and advice we have received. I don’t expect anyone to like the regulator, but I do want professionals in primary care to think we are fair.

So that’s what I do – that and advising the chair and chief executive, attending numerous different committees and boards, speaking at conferences, writing articles, trying to ensure that the voice of clinicians is heard, and linking with external organisations like the General Medical Council.

As a GP I never knew what was going to happen next. In CQC I feel much the same. That’s what makes it fascinating."

Business Awards

HP launch their Smart Business Awards.The annual awards, started in 2012,  will celebrate the best achievements of the UK's small and medium sized businesses. Each of the seven award categories recognises a different area of business, shining the spotlight on some of the country's most dynamic and hardworking businesses, whatever sector they may be in.

One business will also be awarded the overall title of HP Smart Business of the Year 2012.  

Entering your business for an award is easy, simply read through the categories, decide which is most relevant to your business or employer and fill out the form at the bottom of the page.
The awards are open for entry from 29/05/12. A panel of experts will then judge the entries and shortlist the businesses they feel to be leading the way in terms of a smart and innovative approach to business in the UK.

If you'd like to apply check out how our awards services can help you.