Clinical correspondence handling at NHS Shared Business Services – Public Accounts Select Committee
This report looks at the failures in the handling of sensitive clinical data. It makes several recommendations around the correct handling of clinical correspondence and misdirected and unprocessed correspondence.

A rapid resolution and redress scheme for severe avoidable birth injury: government summary consultation response – Department of Health
This consultation response document summarises the views received through the 12-week Consultation on rapid resolution and redress scheme for severe birth injury, launched in March 2017. Over 200 unique responses were received, from a range of stakeholders, including: family members with personal experience of birth injury; the organisations that support them; and frontline clinical and legal professionals.

Maternity strategy
The Government has announced a new maternity strategy  to improve maternity safety with more rigorous investigation.  Families who suffer stillbirth or life-changing injuries to their babies will be offered an independent investigation to find out what went wrong and why. The government is also bringing forward from 2030 to 2025 the ambition to halve rates of stillbirths, neonatal and maternal deaths, and brain injuries occurring during or soon after birth.

‘Serious concerns’ voiced over stillbirth documentary filming – BBC News – Health
“Serious concerns” are raised over the filming of TV documentary about stillbirths at a maternity unit.

Clinical Nurse Specialist in Early Pregnancy Care – Royal College of Nursing 
This document outlines the key skills and knowledge required to develop the role of this specialist nurse/midwife and should provide clear direction for commissioners and managers when creating roles to support best practice in local service provision for women and their families.

Perinatal confidential enquiry
The Maternal, Newborn and Infant Clinical Outcome Review Programme has published MBRRACE-UK Perinatal Confidential Enquiry Report 2017. This report represents the findings of the third perinatal confidential enquiry and focuses on term, singleton, intrapartum stillbirths and intrapartum-related neonatal deaths.  Since the last confidential enquiry into intrapartum stillbirths and intrapartum-related deaths in 1993-1995, overall stillbirth rates have reduced by just over a fifth and neonatal death rates by over a third although these are still high compared with other high income countries.

The role of lay members in the future of commissioning
NHS Clinical Commissioners has published the following documents which focus on the role that CCG lay members will play in the future of commissioning:

• Supporting change in your NHS: the non-executive community in transformational change – summarises discussions held at two events earlier this year on the lay member and non-executive director (NED) role; insights on current system change and views on the next steps for lay members and NEDs
• Checklist for professional development of CCG lay members – this is the third checklist looking at different aspects of the lay member role.  It covers appraisals, professional development, career development opportunities, and planning for the future.

National audit of intermediate care
NHS Benchmarking Network has published National Audit of Intermediate Care: summary report – England 2017.  This report provides a summary of the findings from both the commissioner and provider aspects of the 2017 audit of intermediate care.  The key themes include effectiveness of care, service user experience, integration, investment and capacity, access to services, workforce, mental health provision within services, and demographics and processes.  Bespoke dashboard reports from the survey will be available in December.

Transforming gastroenterology elective care services – NHS England
This handbook aimed at commissioners, providers and those leading the local transformation of services intends to support local health and care systems to work together to:

• Better manage rising demand for elective care services;
• Improve patient experience and access to care;
• Provide more integrated, person-centred care

NHS financial briefing
The Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA) has published NHS financial temperature check: finance directors’ views on financial challenges facing the NHS in England. This is the eighth in a series of briefings setting out finance directors’ views on the financial issues facing the NHS in England. The briefing draws on the responses of 80 finance directors of trusts and foundation trusts and chief finance officers of 56 CCGs.

Statistics

• Social Indicators 2017
• Learning Disability Services Monthly Statistics Commissioner Census – October 2017, Provisional Statistics
• Hospital Outpatient Activity – 2016-17
• National Population Projections – 2016-based extra variants

HSJ Roundup (contact the Library for further details)

• Hospital boss appointed NHS Improvement chief executive 
  NHS Improvement has appointed the boss of a leading hospital trust as its chief executive, and will pay him a salary of £287,000, HSJ can reveal.
• Trust faces £48m repair bill for PFI hospital 
  A trust faces a £48m repair bill to make one of its hospitals safe because of loopholes in the drafting of its private finance initiative contract, Department of Health documents reveal.
• Cyberattack costs trust £9.5m in lost income 
  The WannaCry cyberattack in May cost one NHS trust £9.5m in lost income, its latest board report reveals.
• Hospital trust fined over patients’ deaths 
  A Midlands trust has pleaded guilty to failings in the care of five patients who died after falling in its hospitals.
• New job for former procurement hub chief 
  The former chief executive of a large regional NHS procurement hub has been appointed chair of a company that helps trusts reduce costs.
• Internal market and FT ‘islands’ hamper safe care, says Hunt 
  The NHS internal market and the independence of foundation trusts are hampering efforts to deliver standardised safe care, the health secretary has said.
• Hunt: New NHS workforce plan will ‘lay foundations’ for next decade 
  Jeremy Hunt has said he wants the new NHS workforce strategy to “lay the foundations” for the next decade.
• Health secretary reveals ambitions for pay reform 
  More than 1 million NHS staff could have their basic pay increased but have weekend and nightshift pay cut as part of Agenda for Change reforms.

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

• Frailty Flying Squad The Frailty Flying Squad is a unique service to the Royal United Hospital Bath and was nominated to a Nursing Times Award. The team is made up of a like minded, hard working and passionate MDT members, who strive for the best possible care for vulnerable frail individuals in an environment not suited to them […]
• Northumberland I organised, promoted, ran and took part in a randomised coffee trial (RCT) across my organisation. I involved colleagues to help. We publicised it in the Trust’s news bulletin, on the intranet, on Trust computer screen savers, by all user emails and in senior meetings. A total of 80 people took part and made new […]