Always events
Picker has published Always Events® Evaluation: Phase 4: scale-up and spread. This document outlines the key learnings from NHS trusts involved in the scale-up and spread of Always Events, an initiative undertaken by Picker, NHS England and the Institute for Healthcare Improvement.  Always Events are aspects of the patient experience that are so important to patients and family members that health care providers must aim to perform them consistently for every individual, every time.

Safe management of hyperkalaemia
NHS Improvement has published resources to support safe and timely management of hyperkalaemia. These resources have been posted to assist providers in implementing the actions of the Patient Safety Alert: Resources to support safe and timely management of hyperkalaemia.

Hepatitis C reports
Public Health England has published Hepatitis C in the UK: 2018 report.  This report includes the latest national estimates of individuals who are chronically infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV) in the UK.  The report is accompanied by a report for England only, a slide-set and infographic.

Named Social Worker pilot
SCIE and the Innovation Unit have published Named Social Worker pilot: programme evaluation – final report.  This document evaluates the Named Social Worker programme which looked to build an understanding of how having a named social worker can contribute to people with learning disabilities, autism or mental health needs achieving better outcomes.

NICE guidance

Quality Standard

 Technology appraisal guidance

Ophthalmic and dental services contracts
NHS England has published the following documents:

• Model contracts and contract variations: General ophthalmic services – sets out the terms and conditions of the model contract that NHS England will use when commissioning General Ophthalmic Services
• Model contracts and contract variations: Dental services – sets out the terms and conditions of the model contract that NHS England will use when commissioning General Dental Services (GDS) contracts and Personal Dental Services (PDS) agreements

Intermediate care including reablement
NICE has published a Quality Standard Intermediate care including reablement (QS173).  This quality standard covers referral and assessment for intermediate care and how to deliver the service. It covers bed-based intermediate care, crisis response, home-based intermediate care and reablement. It describes high-quality care in priority areas for improvement.

Branded health service medicines
The Department of Health and Social Care has launched a consultation Statutory scheme to control costs of branded health service medicines.  The government is consulting on proposed changes to legislation to ensure that the overall growth of branded medicines sales made to the NHS by pharmaceutical manufacturers in the statutory medicines pricing scheme remains at a sustainable level.  Consultation closes 18 September 2018.

NIHR Signals

• Adding emollients to the bath unlikely to help children with eczema
• Factors in men’s choice of active surveillance for low-risk prostate cancer
• Music can reduce pain and anxiety following surgery
• A fifth of people, who have no improvement on antidepressants at four weeks, respond if given more time

Statistics

• Ambulance quality indicators: clinical outcomes – March 2018
• Ambulance quality indicators: systems indicators – July 2018
• Provisional accident and emergency quality indicators for England – June 2018 by provider
• A&E attendances and emergency admissions – July 2018
• NHS 111 minimum data set – July 2018
• Critical care bed capacity and urgent operations cancelled – June 2018
• Waiting times for suspected and diagnosed cancer patients – Q1 2018/19 (Commissioner based)
• Waiting times for suspected and diagnosed cancer patients – Q1 2018/19 (Provider based)
• Waiting times for suspected and diagnosed cancer patients – June 2018
• Referral to treatment waiting time statistics for consultant-led elective care – June 2018
• Monthly hospital activity data – June 2018
• Provisional monthly hospital episode statistics for admitted patient care, outpatient and accident and emergency data – April to June 2018
• Delayed transfers of care – June 2018
• Mixed sex accommodation breaches – June 2018
• Diagnostic waiting times and activity – June 2018
• NHS cancelled elective operations – Q1, 2018/19