Research links online patient feedback and hospital performance

Independent research linking patient feedback left on the NHS Choices website and objective measures of hospital performance has been published by Imperial College London. Better-rated hospitals tend to have lower death rates and lower readmission rates. Hospitals rated as cleaner by patients have also been found to have lower MRSA rates.

Guidance on varying the 2012/13 NHS Standard Contract

This letter from David Flory, Deputy NHS Chief Executive, provides an update on guidance on 2012/12 NHS Standard Contract one year default contract duration.

New organisational models for delivering health and social care

This briefing paper pulls together information on the development of employee ownership and social enterprises in health and social care.

Promoting of personal injury legal services in NHS premises

Following recent media and parliamentary interest in advertising and other forms of promotion of the services of personal injury lawyers or claims management companies on NHS premises, David Nicholson has written to clarify that these should not be supported as they risk undermining the NHS’s relationship with, and responsibilities to patients.

Introducing a single operating model

Between February and May 2012, strategic health authority (SHA) clusters will be introducing a single operating model (SOM) to support and assure NHS trusts through their foundation trust (FT) applications. Drawing on best practice, the model will introduce one common set of tools, processes and guidance for FT development and application.

Sector regulation: a short guide to the Health and Social Care Bill

The Department of Health has produced a short guide, specifically for providers of NHS-funded services which outlines the proposals for the sector regulation regime; how Monitor’s current role as independent regulator for foundation trusts will expand.

Liberating the NHS: Developing the Healthcare Workforce - From Design to Delivery

The DoH has published details of the new policy framework for the education and training system. The Education Outcomes Framework will directly link education and learning to improvements in patient outcomes, to help address variation in standards.