How is the NHS performing? April 2015 Quarterly Monitoring Report – The King’s Fund
Mounting deficits, worsening performance and declining staff morale leave the NHS facing its biggest challenges for many years, according to our latest quarterly monitoring report.

Hinchingbrooke rating upgraded following re-inspection – Health Service Journal
The Care Quality Commission has upgraded Hinchingbrooke Health Care Trust’s rating from ‘inadequate’ to ‘requires improvement’ but it remains in special measures.

New legal order on doctors’ referral and financial incentives – NHS Employers 
Information on a new legal order prohibiting employers from offering clinicians financial incentives for referrals to independent private facilities.

Healthcare scientists in the NHS
NHS Employers has published a new poster Healthcare scientists in the NHS.  It aims tohighlight some key facts about the healthcare science workforce and information from the NHS staff survey. It can also be used to encourage engagement with the healthcare science workforce to understand how technology, innovation and new ways of delivering scientific services can create efficiencies and cost savings.  

What the NHS can expect from the EU
The impact of the EU agenda on our health system  specifically on planning, resourcing and providing healthcare  is constantly increasing, bringing with it both challenges and opportunities for the NHS. The NHS European Office, part of the NHS Confederation, is the central link for the service to engage with Brussels. It has published Adding value to the NHS through EU engagement . This overview provides details of its main priorities for 2015/16 across the areas of EU policy, EU funding and the exchange of good practice.  

Emergency care models in 2015/16
The NHS Confederation has published Rip off the sticking plaster now: Enabling the local implementation of sustainable urgent and emergency care models in 2015/16. The Confederation believes that without immediate action, the NHS is set for a winter crisis in 2015/16. NHS organisations need to take action now in order to prevent this from happening. Planning and policy guidance have been issued but has been affected by the electoral cycle. This report collates the guidance and urges immediate action from NHS organisations, national bodies and the incoming Government.

New tools to help employers develop the support workforce
Health Education England has produced two new tools which employers can use to demonstrate their commitment to the development of the healthcare support workforce. ‘Talent for care’ and ‘Widening participation: it matters’ are two strategic frameworks developed by Health Education England with a range of national partners, including NHS Employers. Both frameworks share a common aim to improve the quality of patient care in a system that faces a challenging future.

NICE guidance on caesarean section
The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) have reiterated its support for the NICE guidance on elective caesarean section. This follows media coverage of new WHO guidelines, which state that caesarean sections should only be used for medical reasons. The WHO guidelines have been issued in response to the growing caesarean section rates in some countries.  Current NICE guidelines state that pregnant women should be offered evidence-based information to support decision-making on the method of childbirth during the ante-natal period. The RCOG believes that if a woman requests a caesarean section, she should be informed of all the risks and benefits of the procedure and, if appropriate, be given the support of a counsellor or psychologist.