CQC: Night staff should be allowed rests to ensure safety – Health Service Journal
NHS trusts should comply with guidelines on allowing doctors and nurses to rest at night, the Care Quality Commission has said.

Efficiency drive key to free at the point of use NHS, says DH official – Health Service Journal
The Department of Health is planning to roll out barcoding technology to 25 more trusts to help them save money and improve patient safety.

GMC pilots scheme to reduce fitness to practise investigations – NHE
A scheme to cut the number of investigations into doctors deemed fit to practise is being piloted by the General Medical Council (GMC). Under the scheme, the GMC will not immediately open an investigation into cases where doctors have allegedly made a mistake involving poor clinical care.

Recognising signs of sepsis in children
Health Education England has announced details of a new film Think Sepsis which aims to help health care professionals to spot and respond to the warning signs of sepsis in children. The film highlights the key signs that healthcare staff should be looking out for and asks them to think, ‘could this be sepsis’ when assessing and diagnosing patients. Whilst aimed at clinical trainers the film contains valuable information for GPs and other clinicians working across both primary and secondary care. 

NICE guidance updated
NICE has published updated guidance the details of the updates are as follows:

• NG17      Type 1 diabetes in adults: diagnosis and management: This guideline updates and replaces the sections for adults in NICE guideline CG15.  In July 2016, recommendation 1.15.1 has been reworded to clarify the role of GPs in referring people for eye screening and also to add information on when this should happen.

• NG28     Type 2 diabetes in adults: management: This guideline updates and replaces NICE guideline CG87, NICE guideline CG66, NICE technology appraisal guidance 248 and NICE technology appraisal guidance 203. In July 2016, recommendation 1.7.17 has been reworded to clarify the role of GPs in referring people for eye screening and also to add information on when this should happen.

Competency framework for all prescribers
The Royal Pharmaceutical Society in collaboration with NICE has published A competency framework for all prescribers.  This updated framework can be used by any prescriber at any point in their career to underpin professional responsibility for prescribing. It can also be used by regulators, education providers, professional organisations and specialist groups to inform standards, the development of education, and to inform guidance and advice. It outlines ten key prescribing competencies under two areas: the consultation, and prescribing governance. Within these areas, statements describe the activity or outcomes prescribers should be able to demonstrate.

Greater national action needed on management of controlled drugs – NHE
Management of controlled drugs in the NHS is generally safe, but needs greater sharing of information to build a better picture, the CQC has said. The CQC has been required to ensure that all health providers practice safe management of controlled drugs following the fourth report of the Shipman Inquiry.

Spending on specialised services
The House of Commons Public Accounts Committee has published a report on NHS specialised services. The report warns that the disproportionate growth in spending on specialised services poses a risk to the financial sustainability of the wider NHS.  The Committee is concerned that NHS England and the Department of Health “painted an unduly healthy picture of the state of commissioning specialised services in England”. It highlights the ongoing shortcomings in the collection of data and the potential impact this has on decision-making and efficiency.  Among its recommendations to Government, the  Committee is calling on NHS England to set out publicly by October how specialised services fit within the NHS Five Year Forward View as well as the £22 billion efficiency challenge facing the NHS.

May shakes up DH ministerial team – Health Service Journal
Theresa May has implemented a substantial restructure of the Department of Health ministerial team as part of her wide-ranging reshuffle.

CCGs and council consider ‘formal integration’ – Health Service Journal
STRUCTURE: A consultancy firm has been commissioned to consider the benefits of formally integrating Manchester’s three clinical commissioning groups and commissioners of social care services.