Guidance for 2015 to 2016 education and training tariffs consultation – Department of Health (DH)
This consultation seeks views on the draft guidance for using education and training tariffs for healthcare placements. The consultation is not addressing the tariff prices but rather how the tariffs are used. Feedback will be accepted up until 16 January 2015.

Response to the consultation on funding formula for implementation of the Care Act in 2015/16 – Department of Health (DH)
This consultation response sets out local authority funding in the financial year 2015 to 2016 for early assessments for against the cap on care costs; universal deferred payment agreements; carers and Care Act Implementation; and social care in prisons. The funding for the first 3 grants will be paid to local authorities as a Department for Communities and Local Government revenue grant, and the funding for social care in prisons will be paid as a Department of Health revenue grant.

NHS England to support SMS for primary care organisations until September 2015 – NHS England 
The Department of Health has made a decision to withdraw central funding for NHSmail SMS and fax services for all organisations on 31 March 2015.  However, NHS England has now formally agreed to support a replacement SMS service for primary care organisations that use the current NHSmail SMS service (including Clinical Commissioning Groups, GP practices, Pharmacists, Optometrists, Dentists) until 30 September 2015. NHS England have taken this decision  to provide additional time for existing primary care services, to make provisions with general practices, to transition this to a local service from 1st October 2015.

Planning guidance 2015/16 – NHS Trust Development Authority
Joint planning guidance from Monitor, NHS England, the NHS Trust Development Authority, the Care Quality Commission, Public Health England and Health Education England has been published.

NHS staff to strike in new year – BBC News Service
There will be a fresh wave of strikes across the NHS in England in new year, it has been announced.