STPs: destined to fail or the road to better care? – the hospital doctors’ view – Hospital Consultants and Specialists Association
This report aims to contributes to existing debates, setting out HCSA members’ experience and views of STPs. The key themes covered in this research were: hospital clinicians’ knowledge of the STP process; clinicians’ engagement in the STP process; and clinicians’ views on the impact of STPs.

A realist informed mixed methods evaluation of Schwartz Center Rounds in England – National Institute of Health Research (NIHR)
This summary outlines initial findings from an in-depth study of Schwartz Center Rounds and the impact that they have on clinical and non-clinical staff. Researchers from The King’s Fund, the University of Surrey, Kings College London and the University of Sheffield found that health care staff who regularly share the emotional, social or ethical challenges they face in the workplace experience less psychological distress, improved teamwork and increased empathy and compassion for patients and colleagues.

Behavioural design teams: the next frontier in clinical delivery innovation? – Commonwealth Fund
This briefing examines how embedded behavioural design teams could help providers rethinking the delivery of care in their organisations. Using interviews with experts in clinical delivery innovation and members of behavioural design teams, it highlights best practice in embedded behavioural design teams within health care organisations.

Commissioning children’s palliative care in England: 2017 edition – Together for Short Lives
This report highlights that only a third of CCGs in England are implementing a government commitment to the prioritisation of palliative care for babies, children and young people. It finds that whilst 90 per cent of CCGs commission community children’s nursing services, only 67 per cent provide this service out of hours and at weekends.

Primary medical care policy and guidance manual
NHS England has published two annexes to the Primary Medical Care Policy and Guidance Manual.  The annexes cover managing patient assignments and practice visits.  The policy provides commissioners of GP services with the context, information and tools to commission and manage GP contracts.

Finance and governance glossary
The Healthcare Financial Management Association has published Glossary for NHS and local government finance and governance.  This briefing provides a glossary of frequently used terms relating to finance and governance.

Prevention of Type 2 diabetes and obesity
NHS England, Public Health England and Diabetes UK have launched a pilot project which uses digital interventions to help prevent Type 2 diabetes and obesity.  Over 5000 patients are expected to be recruited to the project over a six month period and will be given access to digital products for up to 12 months.  Users will be able to access health coaches and online support groups as well as set and monitor goals electronically.

Single Oversight Framework
NHS Improvement has updated its Single Oversight Framework.  This document sets out NHS Improvement’s approach to overseeing and supporting NHS trusts.  It explains what the framework is, how it is applied and how it relates to NHS Improvement’s duties and strategic priorities.  It is accompanied by separate documentation which sets out the detail of the metrics used to assess performance.

Preventing infections and reducing antimicrobial resistance
Public Health England has published Health matters: preventing infections and reducing antimicrobial resistance.  This professional resource outlines the importance of infection prevention and control and how it can contribute to reducing antimicrobial resistance.  It includes two case studies:

• Reducing catheter-associated UTI rates in hospital
• Improving UTI management in the community

Accountable care: eight steps
NHS Providers and Hempsons have published Accountable care – the art of the possible: an eight step guide to accountable care.  This report is based on discussions at a roundtable event to find out what advice NHS trusts needed in order to progress towards accountable care systems and organisations.  It sets out eight steps and key considerations to help trusts work more closely with partners.  The eight steps identified are: phasing, partners, governance, contracting, funding, organisational form, enablers and competition.

Quality improvement in health care
The King’s Fund has published Embedding a culture of quality improvement.  This report includes learning from organisations that have adopted quality improvement approaches and focuses on how senior leaders can create the right conditions for quality improvement to flourish within health care.  It draws on a roundtable event, interviews with NHS leaders and stakeholders involved in quality improvement initiatives, and a literature review.

Early pregnancy care
The Royal College of Nursing has published Clinical nurse specialist in early pregnancy care.  This document outlines the key skills and knowledge required to develop the role of the clinical nurse specialist in early pregnancy care.  It is intended to provide direction for commissioners and managers when creating roles to support best practice in local service provision for women and their families.

Statistics

• Health Protection Report – 10 November 2017
• National Diabetes Audit Report 1: care process and treatment targets 2016-17
• NHS performance statistics  – 9 November 2017
• Friends and Family Test data – September 2017
• Recorded dementia diagnoses – October 2017
• Patients registered at a GP Practice – November 2017
• Mental health community teams activity – quarter ending September 2017
• Winter health watch: weekly summaries 2017-2018  – 9 November 2017 (this is the first weekly summaries from Public Health England monitoring winter health indicators)

HSJ Roundup (contact the Library for further details)

• NHS England accused of ‘smoke and mirrors’ over £1bn fund 
  NHS England has been accused of using “smoke and mirrors” in its spending of the £1bn primary care fund promised in 2014 by the British Medical Association.
• Inadequate trust to get rating upgrade despite maternity concerns 
  A trust in the West Midlands is expected to have its overall rating upgraded from inadequate to requires improvement, but will keep the inadequate rating for its struggling maternity services, HSJ has learned.
• Quarter of hospital patients denied rapid review – even on weekdays 
  More than a quarter of patients do not see a consultant within the first 14 hours of admission, new data from NHS England reveals.
• Analysis by trust: Large majority provide less consultant access at weekends 
  The majority of trusts continue to provide patients with less access to consultants at the weekend compared to a weekday, new data reveals.
• Trusts could face regulatory action over out of area placements 
  Trusts could face regulatory action for not reducing the time people spend being treated at mental health inpatient units miles away from home, HSJ can reveal.
• Accountable care providers may gain access to NHS pension 
  The government has launched a consultation to make it easier for independent providers and organisations involved in new care model and accountable care contracts to have access to the NHS pension scheme.