The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) has been in existence for over 50 years. There have been calls for change from various bodies, including the Patient Association. A new set of PHSO values has been formulated, new clinical standards published in August 2018 and a 2018/21 strategy defining the PHSO’s vision of being a model service. This is seen as one able to evolve and learn from best practice and improve organisational performance over ensuing years. While the PHSO Service Charter advises that the majority of people who go to the PHSO experience good service, there are instances where this is not the case and it recognises more needs to be done to address this. As an organisation, PHSO acknowledges achieving change will take time, but is aiming for demonstrable progress as soon as possible. Deborah Bellamy investigates.

Subscribers have asked us for more information on specific risk assessments, the cornerstone of health and safety management. Beverly Coleman advises on how to conduct assessments for how many defibrillators you might need, thermal comfort and mental ill health.

The early days of winter embrace Christmas and New Year, when people are generally happy and looking forward to celebrations. But in January on return to work, the mood changes. Life seems flat and the holidays months away. Harsh weather makes journeys to work unpleasant — and not surprisingly it is a time when illness peaks. Bob Patchett looks at how to manage winter problems in the workplace and beat the January blues.

2018 has been an interesting year in the world of HR with the UK Government introducing some major changes to existing employment law. Here, we summarise the latest changes with eight things to look out for in 2019, as well as a recap of 2018 in employment law.

Difficult people are everywhere, says Bob Patchett, and any sizeable workforce probably includes a few near-saints, a larger group of people who can be difficult occasionally, and a few who thrive on being difficult.

As the temperature drops, it is important to prepare for the worst. With the nights getting darker, the chill is setting in and beginning to bite, with prospects of frost, ice and snow. Nicola Mullineux, Group Manager at Croner, details how companies can prepare for these conditions in advance, to ensure minimal disruption to businesses during the winter.

New guidance on training in adult safeguarding has been published. Adult Safeguarding: Roles and Competencies for Health Care Staff was published in August 2018. The guidance is referred to as an intercollegiate document as it has been developed by a wide range of different healthcare organisations, including the Royal College of General Practitioners. The guidance sets out minimum training requirements relating to adult safeguarding. A similar intercollegiate document has existed for many years in the area of child safeguarding. This reflects not only the importance of the subject matter but also the key message that all healthcare organisations and staff must work within a common framework to ensure that adults at risk are adequately protected. Martin Hodgson examines the guidance and what it means for those working in general practice.

David Price, CEO of Health Assured, suggests six ways to help employees destress on the job.

According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), accidents in the healthcare sector involving slips and trips resulting in falls are responsible for nearly half of all reported injuries. Such injuries can be serious. Some can even be fatal. Managers in general practice settings must ensure that they are controlling the risks of slips and trips as effectively as possible. In such settings, the risks not only affect staff but can also be a significant hazard for patients and visitors. Martin Hodgson, a writer in health and safety, lists the 10 most effective actions managers can take.

In this feature Thoreya Swage, healthcare consultant, highlights the interim findings of the GP Partnership Review, published on 2 October 2018.