Budget 2018 – NHS Employers
Read a summary of the budget for the key points affecting the NHS and its workforce.

The King’s Fund responds to the 2018 Budget
Richard Murray, Director of Policy at The King’s Fund responding to yesterday’s Budget

Social care needs more than another sticking plaster, says NHS Confederation in response to the Budget – NHS Confederation
Niall Dickson, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, responds to yesterday’s budget announcement

Your NHE 2018 Budget Round-Up – NHE | NEWS
Philip Hammond has announced a number of mental health initiatives as part of £2bn funding, £650m for social care and money for air ambulances and mentally ill veterans in his Budget for 2018. The chancellor confirmed that the NHS would receive £20bn from the government by 2023 to relieve pressures on the health service…

Clinical negligence: patient motivation in making a claim
NHS Resolution has published Behavioural insights into patient motivation to make a claim for clinical negligence.  This research sets out the factors which lead patients to consider a claim for compensation when something goes wrong in their healthcare.  A key finding of the research was that the response following an incident and the handling of any complaint made at the time featured highly in decisions to make a claim for compensation.

Antimicrobial utilisation and resistance
Public Health England has published English Surveillance Programme for Antimicrobial Utilisation and Resistance (ESPAUR) report 2018.  The ESPAUR report includes national data on antibiotic prescribing and resistance, antimicrobial stewardship implementation, education and engagement activities.

Amending the 2012 Act
The King’s Fund has published a long read Amending the 2012 Act: can it be done?  This short article identifies some of the main complaints about how the current Health and Social Care Act 2012 operates; outlines some of the implications should attempts be made to amend it; and asks how far progress could be made within the existing legislation.

Stopping fraud against the NHS
The Department of Health and Social Care has announced how it will take tougher action on fraud over the next 5 years.  The measures include digesting prescription payment exemptions and a new collaboration between the NHS and a leading UK fraud prevention service.

Children who need palliative care
The All-Party Parliamentary Group for Children Who Need Palliative Care has published End of life care: strengthening choice.  This is the report of an inquiry into the extent to which the government is meeting its end of life care choice commitment for babies, children and young people.  The inquiry identified a number of challenges and makes recommendations which need to be met if the government is to meet its end of life care choice commitment by 2020.

The NHS: a role as a lifestyle coach?
Healthwatch has surveyed over 2000 adults about their confidence in the ability of health and social care services to meet their needs today and in 20-30 years’ time.  Over 60% of people said they were confident in current services.  When asked about their confidence in the ability of services to meet their needs in 30 years’ time, less than a third (30%) agreed they were confident.  People also indicated that they should be responsible for staying healthy themselves but want the NHS to help.

Keep antibiotics working
The Keep Antibiotics Working campaign has returned to alert the public to the risks of antibiotic resistance, urging them to always take their doctor, nurse or healthcare professional’s advice on antibiotics.  The campaign also provides effective self-care advice to help individuals and their families feel better if they are not prescribed antibiotics.

Specialised services
NHS England has published three infographics showing how specialised services have improved outcomes for patients over the past 70 years of the NHS.  The infographics cover cancer in children, kidney failure, and scoliosis.

NHS England case studies
NHS England has published the following case studies:

• “Had we not made the changes we did the practice would have struggled to survive in the long-term” – Bottreaux Surgery, South West
• Changes in admin team processes help reduce GP pressures – West4GPs, London
• Making the best use of a practice’s services – Measham Medical Unit, North Midlands
• Boosting confidence after breast cancer in Salisbury

Statistics

• Deaths registered by area in England and Wales, monthly provisional – September 2018
• Quality and Outcomes Framework, Achievement, prevalence and exceptions data – 2017-18 [PAS]
• National Audit of Pulmonary Hypertension, 9th Annual Report
• NHS Workforce Statistics – July 2018
• NHS Sickness Absence Rates – April 2018 to June 2018
• Statistics on NHS Stop Smoking Services in England – April 2018 to June 2018
• Fit Notes Issued by GP Practices, England – June 2018
• [MI] National Data Opt-Out – October 2018
• Diagnostic Imaging Dataset – June 2018
• Maternity Services Monthly Statistics – July 2018, Experimental statistics
• NHS Maternity Statistics – 2017-18

NICE Shared Learning
NICE has published the following Shared Learning case studies relating to the implementation of NICE guidance:

• Oxfordshire Headache Pathway for the Efficient Diagnostic and Management Support of Headache Disorders
• Improving Patient Safety: Error Reporting and Risk Management
• Audit proposal to address cough augmentation for people with Motor Neurone Disease (MND) – a shared resource tool
• Behaviour Change: Enabling Allied Health Professionals to have Healthy Conversations

NICE consultations

• Abemaciclib with an aromatase inhibitor for untreated advanced hormone-receptor positive, HER2-negative breast cancer ID1227: appraisal consultation.  Closing date for comments: 8 November 2018.
• Venetoclax in combination with rituximab for treating relapsed or refractory chronic lymphocytic leukaemia [ID1097]: appraisal consultation.  Closing date for comments: 16 November 2018.
• High-intensity focused ultrasound for symptomatic benign thyroid nodules: interventional procedure consultation.  Closing date for comments: 22 November 2018.
• Percutaneous mechanical thrombectomy for acute deep vein thrombosis of the leg: interventional procedure consultation.  Closing date for comments: 22 November 2018.
• Barnett Continent Intestinal Reservoir (modified continent ileostomy) to restore continence after colon and rectum removal.  Draft guidance consultation.  Closing date for comments: 22 November 2018.