Waiting list error could see thousands of patients assessed for clinical harm – Health Service Journal
PERFORMANCE: A large teaching hospital may have to assess thousands of patients for clinical harm after an investigation found its data systems could not guarantee people had been treated.

The National Back Pain Pathway – Prof Charles Greenough – NHS England Blog
Back pain is the largest single cause of disability in the UK, with lower back pain alone accounting for 11% of the total disability of the UK population. Referrals for spinal surgery are increasing year on year and a growing number of patients are waiting longer than 18 weeks from referral to treatment.

Accessible Information Standard comes into force – NHS England
New framework will ensure clearer health and care information for disabled people and their carers. People with disabilities will benefit from improved health and care after new requirements come into force today, ensuring they receive easily accessible information and support. The Accessible Information Standard aims to ensure that people who have a disability, impairment or […]

Funding for practice nurse training and recruitment – Nursing Times
NHS England has announced has it is releasing some of the funding previously earmarked to ease pressures on general practice, including money for staff recruitment and training.

Gloucestershire Hospitals FT agrees A&E action plan with NHSI – NHE
NHS Improvement has agreed a plan with Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS FT to support improvement in the trust’s A&E department after it found that waiting times were too long. The trust first developed an A&E plan in March after an investigation by Monitor (now NHS Improvement), which has led to some improvements.

Provider chosen to take over unsustainable mental health trust – Health Service Journal
STRUCTURE: Greater Manchester West Mental Health Foundation Trust has been chosen to take over a struggling neighbouring trust.

New Cancer Drugs Fund opens – NHE
The reinvented Cancer Drugs Fund (CDF) has opened despite the fact that it is has not yet published conclusive guidance on which drugs will be available. It was announced earlier this year that the CDF would lose the power to prescribe drugs not approved by NICE after long-running concerns about its finances, after it was forced to stop…

Caldicott Review: Third time lucky – NHE
Dr Mark Davies, former medical director of the Health and Social Care Information Centre and GP of 20 years, reflects on the recent Caldicott review. This month saw the publication of Dame Fiona Caldicott’s long-awaited review into data security in the NHS. This is the third time Dame Fiona has been asked to produce some…

New Brexit and the NHS workforce web section – NHS Employers
A new web section containing the latest information you need to know about Brexit and the NHS workforce is now live.

Bulletins

• PHE bulletin – 28 July 2016

Statistics

• Critical care bed capacity and cancelled urgent operations – June 2016
• Never events data report – June 2016