CCGs to join up for STP-wide commissioning – HSJ
All the clinical commissioning groups across a sustainability and transformation plan footprint have signed up to form a commissioning committee covering the whole patch.

New immigration charges could cost NHS millions – HSJ 
NHS England’s chief nurse has called on the NHS to support European nursing staff as the country prepares for Brexit and the NHS faces a new immigration charge from next month.

Interim managers demand higher rates to offset tax losses – HSJ
Some NHS trusts have been asked to pay higher rates by interim senior managers, locum doctors and other agency staff to compensate for new tax rules.

Learning from deaths in the NHS: national guidance – NHS Improvement
A framework to help standardise and improve how NHS providers identify, report, investigate and learn from deaths.

Understanding NHS financial pressures
The King’s Fund has published Understanding NHS financial pressures: how are they affecting patient care?  This study investigates the impact of financial pressures in four areas of the health service: genito-urinary medicine (GUM), district nursing, elective hip replacement and neonatal services.  It aims to understand whether and how the slowdown in NHS funding has affected patient access to high quality care and whether the financial pressures are felt differently in different areas of the healthcare system.

Expansion Of Undergraduate Medical Education – Department of Health 
The government proposes to increase the number of student places at medical schools in England by 1,500. The first 500 places will be allocated to medical schools and will be available to students in September 2018. This consultation seeks views on how to maximise the benefits from the increases in medical student numbers.

Fair care for trans patients: An RCN guide for nursing and health care professionals: 2nd ed. – Royal College of Nursing 
The RCN recognises that trans people frequently experience prejudice and discrimination. The nursing community can, through its professional actions and interests, work to eliminate this at both an individual and a societal level in partnership with a range of organisations, including those who represent the needs of trans people. This resource is designed to help you respond to the needs of patients and clients who identify as transgender. Initially created in response to an RCN Congress resolution, this guidance has been updated following further research from other organisations.

Understanding devolution: a critical appraisal of the Greater Manchester devolution deal – New Economics Foundation (NEF)
This paper presents an assessment of the devolution process in Greater Manchester so far and highlights key issues for consideration for future devolved local areas. The analysis identifies the integration of health and social care as the service area which will undergo the greatest change in terms of public service reform in devolved regions.

NHS England Dementia: Good Care Planning: Information for primary care providers and commissioners – NHS England
This guide is aimed at primary care and commissioners, particularly GPs, who provide care plan reviews. It is designed to help improve care planning in dementia by supporting a standardised approach, highlighting good practice, ensuring alignment with relevant cross condition care plans and help to reduce local variation in the process.

Health in rural areas
The Local Government Association has published Health and wellbeing in rural areas: case studies. This document presents case studies to encourage local authorities to build on and share their work in designing health and care interventions that target those most in need in rural communities. It includes examples that go beyond the traditional ‘medical model’ of public health and build on some of local authorities’ other responsibilities including planning, housing, economic regeneration and leisure services.

Apprenticeships: shaping the healthcare workforce  – NHS Employers
In an article for the Nursing Times, Danny Mortimer, chief executive of NHS Employers, looks at the shape of the future workforce and the role that apprenticeships can play.

What self-management after stroke means to stroke survivors and physiotherapists
A new study Exploring stroke survivors’ and physiotherapists’ views of self-management after stroke: a qualitative study in the UK has been published in BMJ Open.  This UK study looks for the first time at both stroke survivors’ and physiotherapists’ views of self-management after stroke. Based on interviews with thirteen stroke survivors recently admitted to a London stroke unit and thirteen physiotherapists involved in their care, key differences were found in how self-management was understood.

Health and wellbeing of NHS staff
NHS Employers has launched a new web page and published a new poster to show the eight elements that are critical to delivering a robust and effective health and wellbeing offer for staff. The eight elements have been developed by network of health and wellbeing leads across the NHS.

NICE guidance
Evidence summary
ES8         Narcolepsy with or without cataplexy in adults: pitolisant 

Clinical Guidance update
CG68      Stroke and transient ischaemic attack in over 16s: diagnosis and initial management