Annual A&E statistics published – NHS Digital
New official figures published today provide details of Accident and Emergency activity in NHS hospitals in England during 2015-16.

NHS winter Accident and Emergency figures highlight the need for stability and urgent action – NHS Confederation
Stephen Dalton, Chief Executive of the NHS Confederation, has commented on (6 January 2017) weekly winter statistics from NHS England which show a 34 per cent increase in demand on major A&E services in the final week of 2016 compared to the same period one year earlier.

Jeremy Hunt casts doubt on NHSs four-hour A&E target – BBC News Service
The four-hour target to assess patients in A&E in England may be relaxed, Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt suggests.

Health data breaches on the rise – Digital Health
ICO figures show the health sector, including the NHS, reported more than 230 security incidents, including, cyber-attacks, in just three months. The NHS is facing a growing number of cyber threats, with more than 70 cyber incidents disclosed in

Improvement tools and resources
NHS Improvement shared learning has updated its Improvement directory. The directory is a list of websites that provide online improvement tools, resources or networks on health and social care.   The directory is still in development.

BMJ Case Report published by staff from Southport & Ormskirk Department of Trauma and Orthopaedics
Thumb and index finger macrodactyly with first carpometacarpal and scaphotrapezotrapezoidal joints fusion: inevitable consequence?
Karthikeyan P Iyengar, Hosam E Matar, Khushroo Suraliwala, BMJ Case Rep. 2017 Jan 06;2017

Diaries for critical care patients – Evidence-Based Nursing blog
Critical care nurses have a duty to provide rehabilitative care (NICE, 2009). So how can nurses make a positive impact on their patients’ psychological recovery? Patient diaries are increasing in popularity in the UK after originating in Scandinavia. The subject of a recent Cochrane review (Ullman et al., 2015), the evidence base for diaries and guidance for those completing them remains scanty. However, the premise is simple and low cost. Nurses complete entries throughout the patient’s critical care admission, describing events and the environment in layman’s terms. The diary is given to the patient after discharge, often at a follow-up clinic where further support can be accessed. The aim is, simply, to fill in memory gaps and encourage discussion

Oral health in care homes and hospitals: NICE quality standard – National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE)
This draft quality standard, out for consultation, advises care home staff to assess the oral health needs of their residents on admission and record these in personal care plans. It also advises that care home residents should be supported to clean their teeth or dentures on a regular basis to maintain oral health and enhance dignity and self-esteem. The consultation on this quality standard closes on 3 February 2017.

Diabetic eye screening: competencies for administrative staff – Public Health England (PHE)
This guidance aims  to help diabetic eye screening providers develop local frameworks to train and develop administrative staff. Local diabetic eye screening providers are advised to implement the competencies in this document and any additional competencies relevant to their local service. This will help to make sure administrative work is carried out effectively and appropriately.

Learning from appraisal could help to spot doctors in difficulty, say researchers – BMJ News
A group of researchers are seeking to gather doctors’ experiences of appraisal and revalidation in a bid to see if more can be done to spot those who are in difficulty sooner. Researchers want to recruit around 20 doctors who have completed the fitness to practise (FTP) process after being referred by their employer.

Manual for Caldicott Guardians
The UK Caldicott Guardian Council has published A manual for Caldicott Guardians (pdf).  This manual of good practice is intended to help Caldicott Guardians address their duties.  It includes information regarding Caldicott principles; legal and ethical aspects of the role; Data Protection Act principles; information sharing and disclosure; and the use of patient information in research.  It also includes a checklist for new guardians, sources of help and guidance and details of key legislation.

Depression: let’s talk
The World Health Organisation has announced World Health Day 2017 will focus on depression.  At the core of the campaign is the importance of talking about depression as a vital component of recovery and the campaign slogan is “Depression: let’s talk”.  WHO has issued materials to support the day which will be held on 7 April 2017.