This day summit will cover a range of contemporary issues facing those who govern public bodies as they attempt to guide their organisations through the challenging and turbulent years that lie ahead.

We have had confirmed by the Parliament Bureau that the day of the chronic pain debate will be Wed. 29th May, afternoon. There is a chance to hear MSPs from all Parties raise as many chronic pain issues as possible. This is a Government debate, arranged by the cabinet secretary for health, Mr. Alex Neil, who will outline the actions he proposes to take and the Opposition debaters likely to be led by Jackie Baillie MSP. 

This is a unique opportunity to come and hear such a debate as this will be the biggest debate on chronic pain ever in the Scottish Parliament. This time there will also be a vote at 5pm.

Tickets are available via The Scottish Parliament's website. We have been informed that it is best you hit the section "both afternoon time slots" rather than 2 - 4 or 4 - 6 pm. People can still leave the gallery when they choose. The Parliament just needs to see names and numbers for security purposes. 

Everyone who is interested in  chronic pain can attend , you do not need to be a member of the CPG.

MSPs have been hearing about the apparent postcode lottery on the prescribing of new drugs. Holyrood's health committee was told that across Scotland on average a third of requests for new medicines were rejected. Doctors and politicians criticised the process branding it "overly complex". However, the Scottish government rejected the postcode lottery claim, saying patients were treated on a case by case basis. For more information, go to the BBC website

More than three quarters of benefit claimants in Scotland would struggle to apply for payments online, according to a new report. The UK government is moving to a system which will eventually see most people claim benefits using the internet.

A Citizens Advice Scotland survey suggested 76% of those currently receiving benefits would find this difficult. The government has said it will work to identify those who need extra help. For more information go to the BBC website

The health benefits of exposing skin to sunlight may far outweigh the risk of developing skin cancer, according to scientists. Edinburgh University research suggests sunlight helps reduce blood pressure, cutting heart attack and stroke risks and even prolonging life. UV rays were found to release a compound that lowers blood pressure. Researchers said more studies would be carried out to determine if it is time to reconsider advice on skin exposure. Heart disease and stroke linked to high blood pressure are estimated to lead to about 80 times more deaths than those from skin cancer in the UK. For more information go to the BBC website

A two-year trial investigating the health benefits and risks of spending time in the sun has been launched in Salford. It aims to help clarify the balance between getting enough of the 'sunshine vitamin', and how much sun is too much. Seventy-five volunteers taking part in the Cancer Research UK-funded research at Salford Royal Hospital will be exposed to short periods of controlled ultra violet light. Lesley Rhodes, from the University of Manchester, who is leading the study, said: "What we are aiming to do is to attempt to find the optimal balance, and that is going to differ between skin types and and skin colours". For more information go to the BBC website

The second of the national learning sessions for the Person-Centred Health and Care Collaborative will take place on Thursday 30th and Friday 31st May 2013 in Glasgow’s Scottish Exhibition Centre.  This event is for NHS, local authorities, third sector and people who use health and social care services and self-directed support. Registration is now open here

The latest newsletter from the Health and Social Care Alliance Scotland is now available to view here. This month's edition features news from the Alliance's annual conference, Parliamentary news, and events from across Scotland.

The body which advises NHS boards on whether to use new drugs should meet in public, a review has said.The Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) provides advice to NHS boards about the clinical and cost-effectiveness of all newly-licensed medicines.The New Medicines Review made a series of recommendations including letting patients and health professionals observe the appraisal process.For more information on this story, go to the BBC website

Bill Kidd MSP invites you to attend The Arthritis Care Scotland Professional Lecture “The 3R’s of Arthritis: Recognise, Respond, Relieve” at the Scottish Parliament, 6pm – 9pm, Thursday 16 May, 2013, Committee Room 1. As part of Arthritis Awareness Week, Arthritis Care Scotland's first professional lecture will inform policy makers and professionals about the latest ideas on tackling arthritis. Chaired by Scottish Society for Rheumatology chairman Dr Alan MacDonald, speakers include Dr Duncan Porter, Dr Philip Mackie and Arthritis Care Scotland Director, Angela Donaldson.

The evening will also offer the opportunity to discuss the wider issues surrounding living with arthritis with people of all ages who face these challenges on a daily basis, such as; patient choice, self-management, access, information and equality. RSVPs can be made to Joanne Moss, either by telephone on 0141 954 7776 or by email at JoanneMoss@arthritiscare.org.uk.

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde is introducing a new online ‘Patient Feedback’ system. This new system will provide a confidential, user friendly way for patients, their families and the wider public to share their healthcare experiences, good or bad. These comments will then be passed to relevant staff who can use the feedback to help changes services. Before the ‘Patient Feedback’ project is launched NHS GGC would like to invite you to give feedback and comments about the service including suggestions for how it could be improved.
To take part go to www.nhsggc.org.uk/patientfeedback

The Cross Party Group on Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis invites you to a briefing and Q & A on 17th April 2013. Dr James Hogg, Deputy Medical Director for NHS Grampian, will deliver a lecture entitled 'Developing ways that technology can be used to help patients understand and manage a huge variety of conditions' which will be held from 6 - 8pm in the Committee Room 6 of the Scottish Parliament (entry via Horse Wynd, Edinburgh EH99 1SP). For any queries or if attending, RSVP (for security) to mary.blackford@scottish.parliament.uk 0131 348 5724

You could get between £21 and £134.40 a week to help with the extra costs caused by a disability if you’re aged under 16 or 65 or over. Disability Living Allowance (DLA) is paid at different rates depending on the level of help you need. You may need an assessment to work out what you need. For more information go to the Gov.UK website

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is abolishing the discretionary Social Fund from 1 April 2013.  This includes DWP’s Community Care Grants and Crisis Loans for living expenses. A new £33 million Scottish Welfare Fund (SWF) that is being introduced by the Scottish Government from that date. Information about the SWF can be found at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/People/welfarereform/scottishwelfarefund.

The event aims to bring together individuals from the voluntary and public sector to discuss consumer health issues in Scotland. Some of the topics of focus will include collaboration between voluntary and statutory sectors to reduce duplication and improve partnership working;information needs across health and social care services; supporting improved quality of information provision in terms of content and access; health literacy, and social media. For more information go to the PIF website

The newsletter contains information about the Patient Advice and Support Service's new website and the consultation on the 20/20 Vision strategy which is being led by NHS Education for Scotland and sets out the vision for the healthcare workforce in Scotland. You can read the newsletter here

The University of Dundee has been awarded almost £1.7m to help its research into the causes of inflammatory and autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis.Prof Sir Philip Cohen has received a Wellcome Trust Senior Investigator Award to carry out research over the next five years.
For more information go to the BBC website

PSALV will be attending the Patients and Carers event organised by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, and will host a stall with information about psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis and the work of PSALV. The event will showcase the work that is going on in Glasgow to support people with long term conditions, and will include information about the change to how some patients with long term conditions will be invited for check ups within primary care and the services available to help people manage multiple medications.
For more information contact pauline.fletcher@ggc.scot.nhs.uk

A free discussion based webex exploring different approaches to spreading Patient Opinion across your organisation and increasing the amount of feedback you receive. The webex will look at Patient Opinion widgets, creative ways to use feedback and different ways to share information about Patient Opinion with patients, service users, carers and staff. For more information go to the Patient Opinion website increasing the amount of feedback you receive. For more information go to the Patient Opinion website

Your email account is at increased risk of being hacked if your password contains a word that can be found in a dictionary.
To find out how secure your password is go to www.howsecureismypassword.net

Musculoskeletal conditions are the greatest cause of disability in the UK according to a report by international experts, published in The Lancet on 5th March 2013.
In the first comprehensive study of the impact of all diseases and risk factors worldwide, musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions have the third greatest impact on the overall health of the population, considering both death and disability. This landmark study of the burden of all diseases provides indisputable evidence that musculoskeletal conditions are an enormous and increasing problem in the UK as well as globally, and need to be given the same priority for policy and resources as other major conditions like cancer, mental health and cardiovascular disease. You can read the study in The Lancet and the full statement from ARMA

This event is to be held Tuesday 19th March from 4-7.30pm in Maryhill Burgh Halls, and attendees will be able to hear about services and care for people with long term conditions such as asthma, COPD, heart disease, arthritis (amongst others). There will also be opportunities to share views and experiences, and to get involved in improving care and services.
For more information contact emma.kinghorn@ggc.scot.nhs.uk

NHS Fife is leading the way in encouraging people aged 16 and over in Scotland who are interested in helping with medical research to register for SHARE. The launch of SHARE is taking place on Friday 1st March at 10am in the Education Centre Lecture Theatre, Victoria Hospital, Kirkaldy. For more information contact nealstevenson@nhs.net or visit www.registerforshare.org