Business case process guidance
NHS England has refreshed its Business case development, assurance and approval process guidance.  This guidance has been developed to enable commissioners, Sustainability and Transformation Partnerships and regional teams to develop and assure business cases, which are properly constructed and have strong local ownership to aid timely and efficient approval decision making.

Care staffing in the NHS: the good, the bad and the promising – BPP University School of Nursing
The NHS is the biggest employer in England and the fifth biggest in the world. But it is struggling to recruit enough nurses and care staff. In 2018, BPP approached 220 NHS trusts in England – of which 89 per cent responded as part of this report. While it is clear that NHS trusts are having to deal with budgetary pressures and a skills shortage which may be exacerbated by Brexit, they are also facing significant changes to their traditional training models. This includes factors such as cuts to bursaries and the declining numbers of those applying for nursing degrees.

Taking our health for granted: plugging the public health grant funding gap – The Health Foundation
This briefing paper states that an additional £3.2 billion a year is required to reverse the impact of government cuts to the public health grant and ensure that it is re-allocated according to need. The grant enables local authorities to deliver vital public health services, such as obesity programmes, drug and alcohol services and sexual health services, but the paper finds that it has seen a £700 million real terms reduction in funding between 2014/15 and 2019/20 – a fall of almost a quarter (23.5 per cent) per person.

Autumn budget 2018: background briefing – House of Commons Library
This briefing sets out the background to Autumn Budget 2018 which will take place on Monday 29 October. It includes a section on NHS financing. The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) will publish revised forecasts for the economy and public finances on the same day.

Managing malnutrition to improve lives and save money – British Association for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (BAPEN)
This report explains why malnutrition costs so much and highlights the importance of identifying and appropriately managing malnutrition and the cost savings that can be achieved by better management of malnutrition.

Flu fighter award winners case studies – NHS Employers
Read the latest case studies from this year’s flu fighter award winners to hear more about their successful flu fighter campaigns.

Complex recovery assessment and consultation team: ensuring patients with complex needs are not stranded in the system – NHS Improvement Shared learning
A case study describing work by a multidisciplinary team at Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust to improve patient safety, quality of care and speed of flow throughout the system.

The Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust – nursing development opportunities – NHS Improvement Shared learning
This brochure details the fantastic opportunities available to nurses working at Mid Yorkshire, and is a great example of what providers can do to provide a supportive and caring environment in which staff enjoy working and are able to thrive.

Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust – flexible working guide –  NHS Improvement Shared learning
This guide produced by Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust provides a detailed look into the trust’s approach to flexible working, outlining the many advantages for the individual and the employer.

Medical devices and clinical consumables
The Department of Health and Social Care has published a letter from Matt Hancock to suppliers of medical devices and clinical consumables about contingency planning for a no-deal Brexit.

Statistics

• Practice Level Prescribing – August 2018
• Breastfeeding at 6 to 8 weeks after birth – 2018 to 2019 quarterly data
• Breastfeeding at 6 to 8 weeks after birth – annual data
• Public Health Outcomes Framework Indicators – November 2018
• Child development outcomes at 2 to 2 and a half years – 2017-2018
• Health visitor service delivery metrics – quarter 1, 2018 to 2019

NICE guidance

 Medtech innovation briefing

NICE guidance (update)