Sustainability and Transformation Plans: what we know so far –  Nuffield Trust
1 Sep 2016. Nigel Edwards
Sustainability and Transformation Plans (STPs) – the 44 regionally specific blueprints for improving health and social care services and finances for the coming five years – are taking shape, and final versions are expected to be submitted in the coming weeks. With this in mind, the Nuffield Trust and the Healthcare Financial Management Association recently held a workshop for STP leaders that was designed to help those involved in STP ‘footprints’ to develop their plans. We have drawn together insights from the workshop, from members of our learning networks for hospital CEOs and CCG accountable officers, and from a series of conversations with other STP leads. We have also reviewed a number of draft plans.

BMA announce details of prolonged industrial action – NHS Employers
On 31 August the British Medical Association (BMA) Council confirmed it supported a recommendation for industrial action from the BMA Junior Doctors Committee.  Industrial action will take place in the form of a full withdrawal of labour for five days, between the hours of 8am and 5pm during the following periods:

• 12 – 16 September
• 5, 6 and 7 October (weekend covered) and then 10 – 11 October
• 14 – 18 November
• 5 – 9 December.

Emergency cover will not be provided.

Case study published by doctors at Southport and Ormskirk Hospital
An Unusual Case of Kirschner Wire Migration in the Foot. Kong, Roderick; Mohamed, Mohamed; Toh, Eugene. Journal of Foot & Ankle Surgery; 09/01/2016.
“We describe a rare case, never before published, of migration of a Kirschner wire used for fusion of the proximal interphalangeal in a lesser toe in a 67-year-old female into the calcaneum. This patient presented to the orthopedic clinic 6 months after elective surgery complaining of pain in her right foot. Radiographs of the foot revealed that the Kirschner wire had migrated toward the calcaneum. Computed tomography of the right foot demonstrated the Kirschner wire within the calcaneum.”

Quality Improvement study published by doctors at Southport and Ormskirk Hospital
Improving the diagnostic quality and adequacy of shoulder radiographs in a District General Hospital. BMJ Quality Improvement Reports; August 2016. Richards B, Riley J, Saithna A.
“A high rate of suboptimal shoulder radiographs was identified during a service evaluation exercise in our orthopaedic outpatient clinics. Inadequate radiographs require a return to the radiology department for further imaging, a resultant increased workload, delays in the clinic, increased radiation for patients, and inconvenience and decreased patient satisfaction. Furthermore, if a sub-optimal radiograph is accepted there is concern that diagnoses may be missed. The aim of this project was to decrease the rate of suboptimal radiographs by delivering a teaching package directed towards quality improvement.”

Help your colleagues talk performance – NHS Employers
We have created a new pack of information for communications colleagues in trusts to help them spread the word about one of our popular resources, the People performance management toolkit.

Council chief executive to lead CCG after ‘symbolic’ appointment – Health Service Journal
A council chief executive has taken over the leadership of a clinical commissioning group in Greater Manchester, following the creation of a single commissioning body.

CCGs asked to ensure fetal medicine access following HSJ investigation – Health Service Journal
Clinical commissioning groups have been asked about their arrangements for ensuring women and their babies have access to fetal medicine services, after an HSJ investigation raised concerns babies were “dying unnecessarily” because of a flawed funding system.

Legal challenge issued against ‘unlawful’ Grantham hospital A&E closure – NHE
A patient group has launched a legal challenge against United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust’s decision to cut opening hours at a local hospital A&E. The trust announced last month that it has been forced to close Grantham and District Hospital A&E between 6.30pm and 9am for the next three months because it does not have…

District nursing services – The King’s Fund
The Kings Fund has published Understanding quality in district nursing services: learning from patients, carers and staff.  This report investigates what ‘good’ district nursing care looks like from the perspective of people receiving this care, unpaid carers and district nursing staff and puts forward a framework for understanding the components involved.  The report makes recommendations to policy-makers, regulators, commissioners and provider organisations.

District nursing ‘crisis’ putting care in the community aims at risk – NHE
District nurses are struggling to deliver care because staff numbers are not keeping pace with demand, the King’s Fund has said. A new report from the think tank, based on research into three district nursing services which provide care at home, found staff at all three are reporting a dramatic increase in the number of patients and…

Bias in leadership: What’s your story? – NHS Employers
In his insightful blog Dan Robertson from the Employers Network for Equality & Inclusion, talks about bias in leadership and the key qualities of an exceptional leader.

NICE guidance update:  stable angina
NICE has updated its guidance Stable angina: management (CG126).  A footnote has been added to recommendations 1.4.11 and 1.4.12 covering the new advice from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) about safety concerns related to ivabradine and nicorandil.

Trust-level 30-day mortality after systemic anticancer treatment for breast and lung cancer in England: companion reporttags: Quality of care and clinical outcomes. – Public Health England (PHE)
This report, co-authored by PHE’s National Cancer Registration and Analysis Service and Cancer Research UK, is the first major report using systemic anticancer treatment data. This data gives trust-level insights about real-world chemotherapy treatment of patients in the NHS in England which was previously only available from clinical trials. The report shows that age, general wellbeing and other factors can affect 30-day mortality following chemotherapy for breast and lung cancer. This report is a companion to an open-access study paper published in The Lancet Oncology.

New minister needed for embedding public health across all policies – MPs – NHE
A ministerial position is needed to fulfil the government’s aim of integrating and promoting public health across other government departments, the Health Select Committee has said. In a new report on public health since the passing of the Health and Social Care Act 2012, the committee said that although there has been progress on..

Provider bulletin: 31 August 2016 – NHS Improvement
This fortnightly newsletter is sent to NHS trust and foundation trust chairs, chief executives, finance, medical and nursing directors, and foundation trust board secretaries.