| From 11 November all care home workers and other visiting professionals needed to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 unless they have an exemption or there is an emergency. The DHSC guidance sets out what constitutes an emergency. This refers to 999 situations, not GP, nurse or other visits from HCPs, including pharmacists, paramedics or physician associates. If someone is entering the care home for emergency assistance for an incident, they will not need to show proof of vaccination or medical exemption. It is important that all providers delivering NHS-funded services into a care home: - are aware of the new government regulation and associated guidance
- carry out proactive workforce planning to ensure: ‒ only staff who are vaccinated, or exempt, are ever deployed to enter a care home; ‒ service provision is not disrupted now that this government regulation has come into force.
General practices should have read the NHS letter and anticipated any necessary changes to visiting arrangements to avoid disruption to care for people in residential care for who they are responsible.  World Antimicrobial Awareness week took place this year between 18 – 24 November. The aim was to increase awareness of global antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and to encourage best practices amongst the general public, health workers and policy makers, to avoid further emergence and spread of drug resistant infections. Antibiotic resistance is one of the biggest threats facing us today. Now, more than ever, raising awareness of the risks of antimicrobial resistance remains important as we continue to work together to prevent serious infections – including COVID-19, as well as reducing inappropriate antibiotic use. You can sign up to be an antibiotic guardian, and make a personal pledge on the antibiotic guardian website A new good practice guidelines for antimicrobial prescribing in dentistry has also been produced.  All providers, including independent doctors and clinics, that carry out a regulated activity listed in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities Regulations) Regulations 2010 must register with CQC. This means that where a service provider is carrying on a regulated activity, regardless of how much activity they are doing or how it is commissioned (NHS or private), they must register with CQC. Section 10 of the Health and Social Care Act makes it clear that anyone who carries on a regulated activity without being registered is guilty of an offence. Since October 2013, certain exemptions have applied to the private practice of independent medical practitioners, meaning that in some cases providers may not need to register with CQC. It is the responsibility of the provider to determine whether they are exempt from registration. 
Better Security, Better Care dispels some of the myths about data protection and the Data Security and Protection Toolkit. For example, 68 per cent of respondents to a recent online quiz think that NHSmail gives care providers access to patient information systems. It doesn't.
NHSmail is a great secure email system for communicating directly with NHS colleagues. But it does not give providers access to shared systems such as proxy access to GP or medication ordering systems. NHSX and NHS Digital are very clear that they must have reached at least Standards Met on the Data Security and Protection Toolkit in order to access these systems. The reason is care providers need to give assurance that they are practising good data security and that personal information is handled correctly.  In this month's report, we look at medication safety in NHS trusts, focusing on the role of medication safety officers. We want these insight reports to help everyone involved in health and social care to learn from what we know through our conversations and regulatory activity. This includes: - sharing and reflecting on what has gone well
- understanding and learning what hasn't
- helping health and care systems work together better in the future.
In their new blog, Victoria Watkins, Deputy Chief Inspector lead for children and young people, and Jemima Burnage, Deputy Chief Inspector of mental health, discuss our latest provider collaboration review, which focused on mental health care of children and young people during the COVID-19 pandemic. | 
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