What do the numbers say about emergency readmissions to hospital? – HealthWatch
Analysis of the number of people readmitted within the 30-day period after discharge, as well as information about why they were readmitted 2013- 2016 found that:

• The number of emergency readmissions has risen over the last five years by 22.8%, from 372,805 to 457,880.
• The number of emergency readmissions within 24 hours of discharge has risen by 29.2%,  from 49,529 to 63,964.
• The number of readmissions within 48 hours has risen by 27%, from 77,927 to 98,955.
• Readmissions within 48 hours account for more than 1 in 5 (21.61%) of the total.

The regulation of e-cigarettes – House of Commons Library 
This briefing provides an overview on the regulation of e-cigarettes in the UK and across Europe. It also outlines new product requirements for e-cigarettes and identifies where national regulations have gone beyond what is in EU regulations.

Confidentiality: guidance for registrants – Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) 
This refreshed guidance provides advice for HCPC registrants on how they should handle and share information about service users. The update provides clarification on the definition of ‘consent’ by a service users to the use or disclosure of confidential information.

Promoting professionalism, reforming regulation – Department of Health (DH)
This consultation seeks views on proposals to reform the regulation system for health care professionals in the UK. The proposed new model of professional regulation aims to secure public trust, improve clinical practice and adapt to developments in health care. The consultation closes on 23 January 2018.

Agency, bank and overtime spending in UK maternity units in 2016 – Royal College of Midwives (RCM)
This report finds that NHS spending on temporary staffing in midwifery reached more than £97 million in 2016. It argues that the current shortage of midwives and pay restraint are contributory factors to the increasing reliance on temporary staffing.

Clinical leadership – moving from good will to good practice – The King’s Fund Blog
It is widely accepted that clinical leadership is a critical factor in health and care delivery. This is demonstrated clearly in a variety of documented examples where clinical leadership has contributed to improved services and quality of care.

Measuring up: your community and your workforce – NHS Employers
Find out more about NHS Employers’ new tool which compares your current workforce data with data from your local community, in order to start the conversation about recruiting locally to increase workforce supply.

Reducing agency spend using a mobile app – NHS Employers
Find out how Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust has developed a new mobile app to increase use of the trust bank and reduce agency spend.

HSJ Roundup (contact the Library for further details)

• New quango warns £560m NHS fraud going undetected 
  The new NHS Counter Fraud Authority believes the health service is losing more than half a billion pounds in likely but uncorroborated fraud.
• Latest Carter review identifies nearly £200m in back-office savings 
  Findings from Lord Carter’s efficiency review into mental and community health services has identified almost £200m of potential savings through scaling up trusts’ corporate services.
• NHS Improvement knocks back multimillion pound reconfiguration 
  NHS Improvement’s board has halted a £500m reconfiguration programme in north west London after concerns about activity projections.
• Trust worst hit by cyberattack yet to receive extra security funding 
  The trust worst hit by the WannaCry cyberattack has still not received any of the central funding promised to trauma centres this summer, Barts Health Trust’s top digital doctor has said.
• Revealed: ‘NHS Airbnb’ could have launched as early as December
  Plans to pilot a controversial care model with private households renting spare rooms to NHS patients post discharge could have gone live from as early as December and are not dead in the water, HSJ understands.
• Largest trusts could pay £1m annual fee to CQC 
  The largest trusts in the NHS face paying more than £1m pounds a year to the Care Quality Commission under new fee proposals from the regulator.
• CQC admits providers sometimes identify its whistleblowers 
  The CQC has admitted providers can sometimes “fairly easily” identify whistleblowers who have raised concerns with it.
• Stevens: Higher pay needed to help recruitment in unpopular regions 
  NHS staff should be paid more to work in unpopular areas of the country to maintain “equitable access” to healthcare, Simon Stevens has said.

Our Fabulous NHS – Academy of Fabulous Stuff
***Get involved*** –  share your fab stuff!

• National recognition for our patient safety checklist At UH Bristol patient safety is a priority, whilst ensuring we deliver best care and improve flow though our hospitals. An award-winning patient safety checklist piloted by the adult emergency department addresses these aspects of care and has been nationally recognised for producing significant improvements. The adult emergency medicine team at the Bristol Royal Infirmary […]
• Palliative Care Symptom Observation Chart – Quality Improvement Project at Yeovil Hospital We identified potential for improvement in end of life care on general medical wards. Our ambition was to improve and standardise the care of the dying patient according to NICE End of Life Guidelines. This features sixteen quality statements that when delivered cumulatively contribute to improving the effectiveness, safety and experience of end of life