£1.2m fund for volunteers to help under pressure A&Es – Health Service Journal
Trusts will be given an extra £1.2m to fund 700 volunteers to help ease pressures on accident and emergency departments.

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New presentation for Choice 2 and the 2015 NHS Pension Scheme – NHS Employers
David Levy, HR Director at Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust shares his trusts presentation on Choice 2 and the new 2015 NHS Pension Scheme.

National Apprenticeship Week 2015 – NHS Employers 
It’s time to start getting ready for National Apprenticeship Week, which runs from 9-13 March 2015.

Care certificate guidance
NHS Employers has made available new guidance and resources aimed to help employers implement the new Care Certificate for health and social care support workers, which launches in March 2015. The resources are intended to be used to support employers as they prepare to implement the Care Certificate which has been developed to create more consistency in standards of care among healthcare assistants and social care support workers.

 3 tests for a credible health policy – Health Foundation
This paper outlines the actions politicians need to take to maintain and improve the quality of care both now and for the future. It argues that the English NHS needs to focus on maintaining and improving care quality; transforming the way care is delivered in the future; and achieving financial balance.

Patient safety alert – Risk of death from asphyxiation by accidental ingestion of fluid/food thickening powder – NHS England 
A patient safety alert has been issued by NHS England to raise awareness of the need for proper storage and management of thickening powder used as part of the treatment of people with dysphagia (swallowing problems).

The NHS under the coalition government – part 1: NHS reform – The King’s Fund
A major assessment of the coalition government’s record on NHS reform by The King’s Fund concludes that the upheaval caused by the Health and Social Care Act has been damaging and distracting. The new report highlights some positive developments as a result of the Act including closer involvement of GPs in commissioning services, giving local authorities responsibility for public health and the establishment of health and wellbeing boards. However, it criticises the decision to implement complex organisational changes at a time when the NHS should have been focused on tackling growing pressures on services and an unprecedented funding squeeze. 

Webinar for Care Makers: how to implement the 6Cs and bring Compassion in Practice to life – NHS Employers
This webinar for Care Makers will highlight some of the work that has been completed since the launch of Compassion in Practice and how Care Makers will play a central role as ambassadors in the future.

Other Bulletins

• Information governance bulletin – 22nd Edition – February 2015
•  NHS Benchmarking Network – February Newsletter

…and finally …”What on earth could be more luxurious than a sofa, a book and a cup of coffee?” – ANTHONY TROLLOPE