Knowledge for healthcare
Health Education England has published Knowledge for healthcare: a development framework for NHS library and knowledge services in England 2015-2020.  The framework articulates an ambitious vision through which the outputs and expertise of healthcare library and knowledge staff will underpin improvements in patient care and safety, experience and outcomes through informed decision-making, and the spread of innovation.  Following on from this framework, Health Education England will develop an action plan in conjunction with stakeholders and partners.

The A to Z of measurement – NHS Improving Quality 
This guide aims to demystify the key terminology in the field of measurement by providing concise definitions.

The One Hour Improvement Expert: How to Become an Improvement Measure Expert in 60 Minutes – NHS Improving Quality 
This guide is designed to offer an interactive introduction to the topic of improvement measurement, and features signposting to experts and key resources. It is divided up into a series of sections giving staff simple steps they can take to improve their knowledge and apply it to the workplace. Topics include indicators, sourcing and collecting data, driver diagrams, variation, and analysis.

Evidence for the NHS Pay Review Body – Department of Health
These documents provide the Department of Health’s evidence to the Review Body on Doctors’ and Dentists’ Remuneration (DDRB) and the NHS Pay Review Body (NHS PRB) for staff that are subject to the Agenda for Change pay system. The Government asked the pay review bodies to consider and make observations on the barriers and enablers within NHS employment contracts for the delivery of affordable seven day services. They are asked to make recommendations in the case of doctors in training.

RCN response to 7 day working submission to Pay Review Body –  Royal College of Nursing 
Tom Sanford, Director of RCN England, responds to the Department of Health’s submission to the Pay Review Body (PRB) on 7 day working for nurses.

SAS doctor development workshops and survey – NHS Employers
Book onto one of the upcoming SAS doctor development workshops

Comorbidity and the cost implications for long term conditions – NHS Imprving Quality
Webinar from NHS IQ with the following learning outcomes:

• Understand the importance of transition for people with multi morbidity
• Know how to use local data for targeted improvement interventions for people with multiple long term conditions
• Consider how to use pairing of complex diseases to drive pathway development and potential contracting arrangements.

How to make care and support planning a 2 way dynamic – NHS Improving Quality
This webinar relates to the first NHS IQ Long Term Conditions Improvement Programmes Wednesday Lunch & Learn Webinar Series. How to make care and support planning a 2 way dynamic hosted by Dr Alan Nye & Brook Howells from AQuA. This webinar discussed how to encourage patients, carers and the public to work alongside (in equal partnership) with clinicians and managers.

Frailty as a long term condition – NHS Improving Quality 
Webinar on Frailty as a Long Term Condition

Self-Management Support Return on Investment – NHS Improving Quality
Self-management support return on investment webinar, led by Renata Drinkwater, CEO Self-Management UK and Beverley Matthews, LTC Programme Lead, NHS Improving Quality.

Reducing Care Utilisation through Self-management Interventions (RECURSIVE): a systematic review and meta-analysistags: Patient involvement, experience and feedback. – NHS National Institute for Health Research (NIHR)
The aim of this research was to determine which models of self-management support are associated with significant reductions in health services utilisation (including hospital use) without compromising outcomes, among patients with long-term conditions.

Cancer services taskforce announced
NHS England has announced a new independent taskforce to develop a five year action plan for cancer services that will improve survival rates and save lives.  Alongside the taskforce, NHS England announced the launch of a major early-diagnosis programme; the extension of NHS England’s Commissioning through Evaluation programme to innovative radiotherapy treatment, stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR); and an improvement to the monitoring of cancer survival at local level.

Care Act 2014: implications for providers
The Local Government Association has published Guide to the Care Act 2014 and the implications for providers.  This guide sets out the key changes which providers should be aware of and provides details of new areas and new opportunities for providers.  Most of the changes take effect from April 2015 although the major funding reforms will not come into operation until April 2016.

Healthwatch survey: 2015 health and care issues
Results from a survey of local Healthwatch conducted during November and December 2014 have found that getting an appointment with a GP is the number one priority for the NHS to address over the next year.  The survey asked local Healthwatch to identify the biggest health and care issues for their local residents for 2015.  Other key issues were for a greater focus around discharge planning and ensuring people are properly engaged and involved in discussions around changes to local services.

Bulletins

• GP and Practice Team bulletin – December 2014
• Information Governance bulletin – Issue 21 (7 January