Mental health and wellbeing resource for doctors
The Royal College of Physicians has launched an online mental health and wellbeing resource which aims to open up the conversation about physicians’ mental health issues and their impact. Additional link: RCP press release

Digital champions for health
NHS Digital has published Digital champions for health: a blueprint for success. This report details the findings of a project that was set up to explore the value of a standardized, national Digital Champions for Health model. The research found that specially trained health and social care staff and volunteers can support individuals to safely and confidently manage their health online which increases their confidence to use digital health tools. Additional link: NHS Digital press release

Scrutiny of ICSs and STPs
NHS Confederation has published Improving the scrutiny of integrated care systems and sustainability and transformation partnerships: a guide to good practice. The paper covers the experiences of scrutiny leads and their supporting officers in engaging with ICSs and STPs to date; the steps that ICSs and STPs could take to improve these relationship; and the way that the role of health scrutiny might evolve to support the move to whole system partnership thinking

GP contract update
The British Medical Association and NHS England have published Update to the GP contract agreement 2020/21 – 2023/24. This agreement document updates and enhances the existing five-year GP contract agreement ‘Investment and Evolution’.

Additional links:

• GP contract web pages
• Letter from Director, Primary Care Strategy and NHS Contracts
• NHS England blog

QOF quality improvement modules
NHS England and NHS Improvement have published guidance on the two quality improvement topics for QOF for 2020/21 focusing on supporting people with learning disabilities and early diagnosis of cancer.

Health and social care to support people with learning disabilities
The National Institute for Health Research has published Better health and care for all. This review brings together NIHR-funded research for and about health and social care services for people with learning disabilities. It features 23 recent studies with important findings for those who commission, deliver, work in and use these services which range from qualitative research on user experience to randomised trials of complex new services. Many of these studies involved people with learning disability and family carers in the research and in delivering some of the interventions.

Medical Devices Registry proposal
The Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership has published Proposal for a Medical Devices Registry. This report makes 33 recommendations in support of the development and implementation of a national implantable medical devices registry. Additional link: HQIP press release

Reducing loneliness and isolation
The Department of Health and Social Care has published Evidence scope: loneliness and social work. This evidence scope was commissioned by the Chief Social Worker for Adults to look at the role of social workers in preventing and reducing loneliness and isolation.

Monitoring the Mental Health Act
The Care Quality Commission has published Monitoring the Mental Health Act in 2018/19. This is the CQC annual report on the use of the Mental Health Act. It looks at how providers are caring for patients, and whether patients’ rights are being protected. The report finds there has been an improvement in the number of people being given information about their rights and being offered the support of an Independent Mental Health Advocate (IMHA). However, services need to do more to ensure that they are complying with their human rights duties. Additional link: CQC press release

NICE Surveillance reports
NICE has published the Surveillance Reports below. These provide a summary of new evidence published related to a NICE guideline and include the decision that NICE has taken about the need to update the guideline.

• Acutely ill adults in hospital: recognising and responding to deterioration (CG50, 2007) – surveillance decision: NICE will not update the guideline.
• Suspected cancer: recognition and referral (NG12, 2015) – surveillance decision: NICE will not update the guideline.
• Exceptional review – Neutropenic sepsis: prevention and management in people with cancer (CG151, 2012) – surveillance decision: NICE will not update the guideline but will amend recommendation 1.2.1.1 about fluoroquinolones for prophylaxis of neutropenic sepsis

NICE consultations

• Upadacitinib for treating moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis: appraisal consultation. Closing date for comments: 21 February 2020.
• Electrical stimulation to improve muscle strength in non-neurological chronic conditions: interventional procedure consultation. Closing date for comments: 5 March 2020.

Exemption checking for prescriptions
NHS Digital has announced the national expansion of the Real time Exemption Checking service for prescriptions. The system enables pharmacies to immediately check if a patient is eligible for free prescriptions saving time and helping patients claim free prescriptions correctly. An average of two minutes per request is saved in the pharmacy when an exemption is confirmed digitally.

Healthcare briefings
The House of Lord’s Library has published the following briefings:

• Coronavirus: a public health emergency
• NHS and Social Care: Targets, Priorities and Pressures
• NHS Long Term Plan: Recent Developments
• Access to Palliative Care and Treatment of Children Bill [HL]: Briefing for Lords Stages
• Improvement of Care for Eating Disorders
• Falling Vaccination Rates: The Case of the MMR Jab
• Depression in Young People

The House of Commons Library has published the following briefings:

• Funding for healthcare students in England
• Acquired brain injury

Bulletins

• NHS Workforce Bulletin – 28 January 2020
• New Product Evaluations – January 2020