Contact the Library for further information on any of the topics listed below.

Trusts begin search for junior doctors ‘safe working guardians’ – Health Service Journal
Trusts have begun recruiting for the new “guardian of safe working” post intended to stop junior doctors being overworked under the new contract.

NHS Employers responds to junior doctors full walk out – NHS Employers
Employers recognise the strongly held concerns of doctors in training, but there is no justification for refusing to care for the sickest patients.

How many agency shifts breached 2015-16 pay caps – Health Service Journal
The number of NHS agency shifts per week that breached new pay caps rose by more than 10,000 in the first three months after they were introduced, new data shows.

Pushing the call button on unsafe staffing: who will come to our aid? –  Unison
This report presents the results of a UK-wide annual survey of nursing professionals and it finds that almost 63 per cent of respondents said that they felt there were inadequate numbers of staff on the wards to ensure safe, dignified and compassionate care. 67 per cent of those surveyed believed that staffing levels had deteriorated since last year’s survey and 68 per cent had considered leaving their role in the previous year.

Shaping the future of medical revalidation: interim report –  General Medical Council (GMC)
This report presents emerging findings from a study into the regulatory impacts of revalidation. It finds that the majority of GMC licensed doctors are engaged in an annual appraisal process but scepticism was expressed about whether revalidation has led to improved patient safety. The majority of responsible officers surveyed felt that the numbers of concerns about doctors had not increased since the introduction of revalidation. The report also highlights the lack of awareness on the part of patients and the public on revalidation and the purposes of the process.

Pharmaceutical expenditure and policies: past trends and future challenges –  Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
This paper looks at recent trends in pharmaceutical spending across OECD countries. It examines the drivers of recent spending trends, highlighting differences across therapeutic classes. The paper then looks at emerging challenges for policy makers in the management of pharmaceutical spending.

A paperless NHS: electronic health records – House of Commons Library
This briefing outlines the current use of electronic health records in the NHS in England in relation to the pledge that the NHS will be paper-free by 2020.

Suspension of NICE staffing guidance sparks safety fears among nurses – Health Service Journal
The suspension of safe staffing guidance produced by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has left almost three quarters of nurses worried that patient safety will suffer, a UK-wide survey has revealed.

Vanguard CCGs cut better care fund pot – Health Service Journal
Five clinical commissioning groups, including two involved in NHS England’s vanguard programme, have cut their planned better care fund contributions for next year.