Date : 17/03/20110
1 / Title / Hertfordshire Equipment Service (HES)
Non Stock (Special) and Chair Panel
2 / Accountable to: / Hertfordshire Equipment Service Strategic Commissioning Group
3 / How is accountability demonstrated? / Panel meetings are chaired by Deputy Area Manager or County Occupational Development Manager
4 / Purpose of Group / To ensure the smooth running of the Panel, apply a standardised process, to agree and make decisions about the purchase of new non stock (special) items, including chairs and ensure that spend is appropriate and offers value for money.
5 / Terms of Reference / Details
5.1 / Discuss requests for the purchase of new non stock/specials
5.2 / Provide consistent decision making by:
- Identifying if a stock item is more appropriate
- Reviewing the returned special stock to check if a close technical equivalent is already available to meet the need
5.3 / Ensure the purchase of a new non stock/special item will:
- provide a benefit to the user and the service
- prevent an admission to hospital
- maintain independence
- prevent or reduce a care package
5.4 / Consider alternative funding sources e.g. Continuing Health Care, direct payments
5.5 / Take into account the risk of not providing the item or similar items
5.6 / Identify items ordered on a regular basis and consider inclusion as standard catalogue stock
5.7 / Avoid duplication of orders
5.8 / Monitor prescribing practice and identify areas of inconsistency
5.9 / Highlight training needs for prescribers and authorisers
6 / Membership
Deputy Area Manager or County Occupational Development Manager
Specialist Advisor
General Manager HES or Commissioning Manager Community Equipment
Clinical advisor
To invite others as appropriate dependent on the applications received by the panel
7 / Chair of Group / Deputy Area Manager or County Occupational Development Manager
8 / Support Officer
9 / Quorum / 3 members must be present at the panel
10 / Delegated limits / N/A
11 / Decision Making / Decisions are agreed by the members and recorded on the Special Equipment Exception Panel request form or the Special Chair Request form.
12 / Papers / Special Equipment Exception Panel request forms or Special Chair Request forms, order forms and quotes are submitted to the Support Officer in advance of the Panel
13 / Minutes of Meetings / Minutes are not taken but decisions are recorded on the Special Panel request form and held on file by the HES monitoring team.
14 / Reports from and to / Decisions taken at Panel are emailed to the relevant prescriber. Reports are provided to the HES Strategic Commissioning Group on a bi monthly basis
15 / Confidentiality / Panels are held in private. Papers are not exempt from the Freedom of Information Act.
16 / Regulation and
Control / Unless otherwise agreed, the Group/Individual will be governed by the Standing Orders and Standing Financial Instructions of their partner organisations.
17 / Amendments to Terms of Reference / Only with the approval of the HES Strategic Commissioning Group
Terms of reference Agreed on / 1stOctober 2010
HCS 842 Issue 3 terms of reference