New Charter agreed for SAS doctors – NHS Employers
A new Charter for specialty and associate specialist (SAS) doctors sets out what SAS doctors and employers can expect from each other. Agreed by the British Medical Association, the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, HEE and NHS Employers, the Charter also sets out the objectives and the support mechanism that Health Education England (HEE) promotes and provides through individual Local Education Training Boards (LETBs) and Local Education Providers (LEPs).

NHS Outcomes Framework 2015 to 2016
The Department of Health has published the NHS Outcomes Framework 2015 to 16 which sets out the outcomes and corresponding indicators that will be used to hold NHS England to account for improvements in health outcomes.  The Department of Health has made a limited number of changes to the framework following a consultation held earlier this year.  The NHS Outcomes Framework 2015/16: what we heard and the Government’s response provides a summary of views expressed during stakeholder engagement over summer 2014 on the Department’s proposed amendments to the NHS Outcomes Framework, and the Department’s response.

NHS Mandate 2015 to 2016
The Department of Health has published A mandate from the Government to NHS England: April 2015 to March 2016. : April 2015 to March 2016.  This mandate carries forward all existing objectives from the mandate for 2014 to 2015. There are 2 important updates to existing objectives where we expect NHS England to make further progress:  to join up health and social care services through the Better Care Fund; and to introduce access and waiting time standards in important areas of mental health services by March 2016.

Leadership vacancies in the NHS
The King’s Fund, in collaboration with the Health Service Journal Future of NHS Leadership vacancies in the NHS: what can be done about them?  : what can be done about them?  The report details the levels of board-level vacancies across the NHS provider organisations and their impact and suggests reasons for this.  The information used in the report was obtained from a Freedom of Information request, in-depth interviews and a literature review.

Public health commissioning in  the NHS
The Department of Health and Public Health England have issued NHS public health functions agreement 2015 to 2016. .  This agreement sets out the arrangements under which the Secretary of State delegates responsibility to NHS England for certain public health services (known as Section 7A services). It aims to: improve public health outcomes and reduce health inequalities; and contribute to a more sustainable public health, health and care system.  The 30 service specifications provide details of the public health evidence and advice needed to support effective commissioning.

Allocation of funding for 0-5 public health services
Transfer of 0-5 children’s public health commissioning to local authorities: baseline agreement exercise. .  This document sets out the proposed funding allocations for local authorities for the commissioning of children’s 0-5 public health services from 1 October 2015 to 31 March 2016. It also explains the process for how local authorities can respond before the Department finalises the allocations.  Closing date for comments is 16 January 2015.

CQC / GMC joint operating protocol
A new agreement to help drive improvements to patient care has been formalised between the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and the General Medical Council (GMC).  Operational protocol: a practical guide for staff has been updated to reflect the CQC’s new approach to inspections and confirm that relevant information will continue to be shared between the two organisations.

NICE consultations

• Pressure ulcers: quality standard consultation.  Closing date for comments: 20 January 2015.
• Diabetes in children and young people: guideline consultation. .  Closing date for comments: 4 March 2015.
• Preventing unintentional injury: topic engagement exercise. .  Closing date for comments: 5 January 2015.
• Type 1 Diabetes (update): guideline consultation. .  Closing date for comments: 4 March 2015.
• Psoriatic arthritis (active) – ustekinumab (Rapid Review TA313): appraisal consultation): appraisal consultation.  Closing date for comments: 7 January 2015.