The Office of the Strategic Health Authorities commissioned the Emergency Services Review (ESR) to review recent performance and support the identification and adoption of best practice. The ESR team has produced a series of publications outlining its findings and providing guidance to ensure local health economies continue to provide resilient, sustainable and integrated emergency and urgent care arrangements. Please see OSHA Programmes for the documents and more information.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) and England’s Strategic Health Authorities have agreed a joint Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) outlining their shared principles and committing to working together. All the involved parties recognise they share interests and commit to working together to improve quality, transparency and implement the upcoming registration system.

The Appointments Commission has named Kate Lampard as Chair of NHS South East Coast. Miss Lampard will join the strategic health authority’s board of non-executive directors, supporting the NHS across the region to deliver high quality care for people across Kent, Surrey and Sussex. Miss Lampard will take up the role of Chair for NHS South East Coast on 1 May 2009.

Following a 2008 strategic review of the Office of the Strategic Health Authorities, the Office has taken on a focused role to support the Strategic Health Authorities collective responsibilities.

The programme is ensuring that local health economies have resilient, sustainable and integrated emergency and urgent care arrangements now and into the future.

David Donegan is the new Director of OSHA, recruitment will start soon for small team to deliver OSHA's responsibilities. More information on David is available. Read more

The second National Care of the Dying Audit of Hospitals (NCDAH) published today, shows that patients on the Liverpool Care Pathway for the Dying Patient (LCP) are receiving high quality care in the last hours and days of life.

QIPP needs to become woven into the NHSs DNA, and efficiencies come from the avoidable use of NHS resources, effective partnerships and best...

Connecting for Health has begun a consultation on what stakeholders want from GP systems and work on an enhanced roadmap for GP Systems of Choice. CfH told EHI Primary Care initial consultation has started with key stakeholders from GPs, patients, the Department of Health, strategic health authorities and...

The man closely involved in designing the current GMS contract for GPs is to lead a new drive for more physical activity amongst the English population.

Specialist stroke and major trauma centres will start to open across London next year.

An independent report to clarify the rules on organ transplants for NHS patients and non-UK EU residents was published today by Elisabeth Buggins, former Chair of the Organ Donation Taskforce.

The health sector is crying out for skilled IT professionals to fill a range of challenging...

The NHS will be subjected to a stress test next month (September 2009) to see whether it can cope ahead of the swine influenza pandemic reaching its peak later in the year.

| By Clare Lomas Nurses will soon be able to benchmark the quality of patient care against other trusts in England under a new strategic health authority initiative.

BBC presenter Ashley Blake faces jail and his career was in ruins today after a jury found him guilty of wounding a teenager and lying to police. The newsreader already has a string of previous convictions, including theft and handling stolen goods, it was revealed following his trial.