Voluntary scheme for branded medicines
The Department of Health and Social Care has published The 2019 voluntary scheme for branded medicines pricing and access.  This paper sets out an agreement between DHSC and the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry on getting the best value and most effective medicines into use more quickly.  The voluntary scheme will start on 1 January 2019 and will be in place for 5 years until 2023.

Fracture Liaison Services
The Royal College of Physicians has published Fracture Liaison Service Database annual report December 2018.  This report describes the assessment and treatment for osteoporosis for 52,731 patients who sustained a fragility fracture in 2017. It also describes the impact of the implementation of Fracture Liaison Service improvement plans, by comparing performance measures before and after as well as assessing whether any improvement was sustained.

Health Service Safety Investigations Bill
The Department of Health and Social Care has published Government response to joint committee report on the draft Health Service Safety Investigations Bill.  In this response to the draft Health Service Safety Investigations Bill, the government commits to developing the bill taking into account the committee’s recommendations and will look to introduce a revised bill soon.

The role of volunteers in the NHS
The King’s Fund has published The role of volunteers in the NHS: views from the front line. This report, commissioned by Royal Voluntary Service and Helpforce, looks at the perceptions of frontline NHS staff working in acute care about the operational pressures they face, how they understand the roles and value of volunteers and what gaps there are that volunteers could fill.  Additional links: King’s Fund press release | King’s Fund blog

Nursing care for people experiencing homelessness
The Queen’s Nursing Institute has published Nursing care for people experiencing homelessness. This report analyses a survey of more than 200 homeless health nurses about issues facing their area of practice. It explores the structural, contextual, environmental and practical changes needed to reduce, prevent and eliminate homelessness, and tackle the associated burden of disease.

Mortality profile / PHE profiles
Public Health England has launched the Mortality Profile. This new profile tool brings together a selection of mortality indicators from other PHE data tools, making it easier to assess outcomes across a range of causes of death. Public Health England has also updated the following profiles:

Health survey for England
NHS Digital has published Health Survey for England 2017. The survey monitors trends in the nation’s health and care, providing information about adults and children living in private households in England. It is used to monitor overweight and obesity and to estimate the proportion of people in England who have certain health conditions and the prevalence of risk factors and health related behaviours, such as smoking and drinking alcohol.  Additional link: NHS Digital press release

NICE guidance

NICE guideline

 Technology appraisal guidance

NHS England case studies

• I’d like to see a clinical pharmacist – a GP practice in Bournemouth employs a clinical pharmacist to carry out clinical medicines reviews
• Musculoskeletal First Contact Practitioners, Lincolnshire
• Award-winning partnership transforming specialist mental health services – South West Regional Secure Services

Atlas of Shared Learning
The following case studies have been added to the Atlas of Shared Learning:

• Supporting young people through transition into adult care services – Sheffield Teaching Hospitals
• Improvement Labs to support staff in delivering compassionate care
• Urinary tract infection checklist for care homes – South Norfolk CCG
• Improving acquired pressure area care at Newcastle upon Tyne NHS Foundation Trust
• Integrated 24/7 multi-agency mental health first response service – Bradford District Care Trust
• The implementation of PEWS (Paediatric Early Warning System) at Great Ormond Street Hospital
• Vaccination audit for asplenic patients – Greater Nottinghamshire Clinical Commissioning Partnership
• Reducing health inequalities – learning disability services in North Staffordshire
• Outpatient parental antibiotic therapy at Whittington Health NHS Trust

Statistics

• Appointments in General Practice – October 2018
• Data on written complaints in the NHS 2018-19 – Quarter 2
• Substance misuse treatment for young people – statistics 2017 to 2018
• Statistics on Women’s Smoking Status at Time of Delivery, England – Quarter 2, 2018-19
• Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) – July 2018 to September 2018, Experimental Statistics Report
• Wheelchair services: operational data collection – July-September 2018
• Alcohol-specific deaths in UK – registered in 2017
• Venous thromboembolism (VTE) risk assessment 2018/19 – quarter 2
• Klebsiella spp. bacteraemia: monthly data by onset and CCG – September 2017 to September 2018
• HPV vaccine coverage annual report – 2017 to 2018