New guide for SAS doctor development – NHS Employers
The British Medical Association, Health Education England, the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges and NHS Employers have published new guidance on the development of specialty and associate specialist (SAS) doctors in the NHS in England.

Be “less precious” about training, royal colleges are told – BMJ
Medical royal colleges must be “less precious” about the content of their training programmes in order to deliver the workforce competencies and skills needed to transform local health and care services, the chair of Health Education England has said.

‘Future workforce needs must be addressed in post-Brexit policies’ – NHS Employers
Speaking before the Health Select Committee yesterday (21 February), Daniel Mortimer, chief executive of NHS Employers, told MPs that future workforce needs must be addressed in post-Brexit policies to ensure the sustainability of the health and social care system.

Brexit news straight to your inbox – NHS Employers
Sign up for the new bulletin from the NHS European office for the latest Brexit updates.

Latest NHS Staff Sickness Absence Statistics – NHS Employers
Figures released by NHS Digital show an increase in sickness absence for October 2016 find out more.

Winter insight: NHS 111 – Nuffield Trust
This briefing contains an analysis of how NHS 111 has fared, especially over the winter period. It finds that the service seems to steer people away from emergency services, though there is great variability across England.

‘Risk-averse’ 111 service sending more callers to struggling A&E and ambulances – NHE
NHS 111 is sending growing numbers of callers to A&E or ambulances because the service can be too risk-averse to deal with illnesses, which health leaders believe can be contributing to the mounting strain on emergency services nationwide. A Nuffield Trust investigation found that the proportion of 111 callers being dispatched to…

HSJ roundup: (contact the library for further details on any of these HSJ articles)

• Pharma giant’s vaccine offer ‘negative for the NHS’  
  Commissioners in the West Midlands have warned local GPs against buying a discounted flu vaccine directly from one of the world’s biggest pharmaceutical firms as it may have “a negative impact for the NHS and taxpayers”.
• Simon Stevens warned again after second bed shortage death 
  NHS England chief executive Simon Stevens has been told for a second time by a coroner that patients could die because a shortage of intensive care beds stops them receiving urgent surgery.
• Two-thirds of hospital inspectors not confident in CQC data  
  More than 70 per cent of hospital inspectors do not have confidence that Care Quality Commission data can identify risks to patients before a visit.