Is the NHS delivering too much of the wrong things? – The King’s Fund
More health care is not always better health care. Sometimes the NHS delivers services that people don’t want or need: the problem of overuse. Overuse happens when health care is delivered even though the potential for harm outweighs the benefits.

Fair and transparent pricing for NHS services: a consultation on proposals for revising the objection mechanism to the pricing method –  Department of Health
This consultation is about proposals to revise the objection mechanism to the pricing method for NHS services in England, which applies when proposals for the national tariff are published for consultation. The Health and Social Care Act 2012 (the Act) introduced a new independent, transparent and fair pricing system that requires Monitor and NHS England to collaborate to set prices and further develop new payment models across different services. Monitor is required to consult on proposals for the national tariff. The Act makes provision about when certain percentage levels of objection are received from commissioners or providers, when certain actions are required, and the relevant threshold levels for objections are prescribed by regulations. This consultation closes on 11 September 2015.

NHS England publishes new monthly data – NHS England
NHS England has today published its first set of monthly data covering key areas of urgent and emergency care, cancer treatment and patient waiting times.This follows a recommendation from Sir Bruce Keogh to NHS England’s Chief Executive Simon Stevens in a letter published in June entitled ‘making waiting times work for patients’.

Community Engagement: Improving Health And Wellbeing And Reducing Health Inequalities – Draft For Consultation – NICE
This guideline covers approaches to community engagement to help communities improve their health and wellbeing and reduce health inequalities. The closing date for comments is 24 September 2015.

Making Payment Work Better To Support New Models Of Urgent And Emergency Care: An Introduction – Monitor
This document is for all organisations involved in the commissioning or delivery of urgent and emergency care services, including NHS 111, community pharmacy, community care urgent response and social care urgent response services, in-hours urgent primary care, GP out-of-hours, 999, ambulance, walk-in centres, urgent care centres, emergency department attendances and emergency admissions. It is intended for chief executives, clinicians and others who require a broad understanding of a potential new payment approach being developed by Monitor and NHS England to support the service reform, but who do not need to access detailed guidance on payment design and implementation.

Practices to take on minor injuries work as plans for specialist unit are shelved – Pulse
GPs in South Gloucestershire are likely to deal with minor injuries including minor fractures, minor burns and scalds as part of a pilot scheme, after the health secretary vetoed plans for a minor injury unit in a local hospital. NHS South Gloucestershire CCG said that, under its proposals, ‘additional staffing and resources will be put in place to provide the necessary extra capacity’ so minor injuries services could be delivered by practice-based nurses supported by GPs.

GP practices set for £1m emergency assistance fund from NHS board – Pulse
An NHS board is considering plans to allocate a £1m ‘emergency assistance’ fund for GP practices after it emerged one in six local practices had closed its list.  A committee of the NHS Lothian board reported that 20 out of 127 practices had reported closed lists, and pushed for the board to allocate the funding to pay for new GPs, help retain current GPs and upgrade services.

DH makes £185m early raid on capital budget – Health Service Journal
The Department of Health has already taken £185m from its capital budget to prop up its revenue spending for 2015-16.

• Contact the Library & Knowledge Service to request this article in full or Phn. 01704 704202

NHS Employers lobbies Home Office over immigration rules – Health Service Journal
Nurses recruited from outside the EU are having their visa applications to work in the NHS rejected and new immigration rules are prompting some NHS nurses to resign.

• Contact the Library & Knowledge Service to request this article in full or Phn. 01704 704202

Quality of care in local areas – CQC
The Care Quality Commission has launched a pilot project to enable people and their families who use a range of different health and social care services to learn more about what the quality of care is like across a whole local area.  The Quality of care in a place pilot will focus on Greater Manchester and North Lincolnshire to test out how well coordinated health and care services are in local areas. By using the results of inspections, together with other intelligence from local and national organisations, the project will assess whether bringing together knowledge about the quality of care of a whole place can help to encourage providers of health and social care to make improvements locally, and tell people more about how well their local services work together.

Improving urgent care for older people commission: learning tour – NHS Confederation
The independent commission formed to drive improvements in urgent and emergency care for older people has begun a series of visits to discover more about innovative approaches to unscheduled care and initiatives keeping people out of hospital.  Taking place over August and early September, the visits will consider a range of urgent care systems spanning acute and primary care, voluntary sector and local government partners, and commissioners.  The learning tour forms part of the commission’s work to develop patient-centred, evidence-based solutions to the challenges of caring for the frail elderly – both within and outside of hospitals.

Transition service for young people: pilot survey – Picker Institute
Picker Institute Europe has developed a new questionnaire to obtain feedback about young people’s experiences of transition services in acute healthcare settings.  The survey asks adolescents and young adults about the healthcare they received during and around the time their care was transferred from paediatric to adult services.  The survey is now being piloted with Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust using a postal survey to gather data from those approaching transfer to adult services, in addition to those who have recently transferred.

Respiratory tract infections: infection control – Public Health England
Public Health England has published Infection control precautions to minimise transmission of acute respiratory tract infections in healthcare settings.  This document summarises recommendations for the prevention and control of acute respiratory infections in healthcare settings for clinical and public health colleagues.  The guidance explores transmission routes, hygiene and the use of personal protective equipment.  It replaces the HPA Version 1 guidance document of the same name, which was reviewed and updated in December 2014.

Eye health and sight loss website and resources
VISION 2020 UK has launched a new accessible website and resource hub providing access to resources around eye health and sight loss.  VISION 2020 is the umbrella organisation which facilitates greater collaboration and co-operation between organisations across the eye health and sight loss sectors.