This report is a flexible summary, with the aim of sharing and highlighting a wide range of data and policy information relating to London general practice published in a given week. Where we view information to be of significant interest it is reproduced directly below the links to make the key points quicker to digest.
Please feel free to share any useful stats/links you think we could include in future reports.
Official bodies
NHS Digital
- All recent data releases can be seen here.
- Guidance: Inherited metabolic diseases: suspected condition template GP letter [15/9].
- Guidance:Inherited metabolic diseases: confirmed diagnosis template GP letter [15/9].
- Guidance:COVID-19 mRNA vaccine (5 years and over) Patient Group Direction[16/9].
- NHS Standard Contract:2024/25 NHS Standard Contract and final 2025/26: Comparison documents [17/9].
Department of Health and Social Care
- Press release: 14 NHS trusts the focus of national maternity investigation [15/9].
- Press release: Support for adults facing staggering waits for gender services [15/9].
- Press release: RAAC removed from 7 more NHS hospitals [15/9].
- Backed by up to £440 million in funding this year, a further 12 hospitals are on track to complete removals by the end of March 2026.
- Press release:Hundreds of thousands of children benefit from major dental health drive [16/9].
- Guidance:Oliver McGowan code of practice (easy read)[18/9].
- Guidance about the training on learning disability and autism that health and care staff must do if they work in services registered with CQC in England.
- New joint executive team marks next steps of the transition to one organisation.
UK Health Security Agency
- Guidance: Marburg and Ebola contact tracing matrix [15/9].
- Guidance:National protocol for COVID-19 vaccine (5 years and over) [16/9].
- Guidance: Antimicrobial resistance awareness: toolkit for healthcare providers [18/9].
Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency
- Press release: MHRA and Department for Education embed medicine safety into school curriculum to empower young people [17/9].
BMA
- Press release:Survey of grassroots doctors in England reveals deep concerns about the Government’s 10-Year Plan [14/9].
Policy, think tanks, charities, and representative bodies
The King’s Fund
- Does the government’s 10 Year Health Plan measure up to the current state of population health? [16/9].
- This blog critically assesses the UK government’s 10-Year Health Plan against the backdrop of declining population health. It highlights that UK life expectancy is among the lowest in high-income countries, with widening inequalities—men in the most deprived areas live over 10 years less than those in the least deprived. Mortality rates among working-age adults have worsened, contributing to economic inactivity and poor health outcomes. The blog argues that the plan’s ambitions are too modest and lack urgency, especially in tackling the root causes of ill health. It calls for bold, immediate action on prevention and stronger cross-government strategies to reduce health inequalities and improve outcomes.
General Medical Council
- This blog highlights urgent challenges facing the UK medical workforce. It reveals rising burnout, stress-related absences, and intentions to leave UK practice, especially among ethnic minority and obstetrics doctors.
These issues are linked to poor workplace culture, discrimination, and leadership failures, which directly impact patient safety. Charlie Massey, Chief Executive of the GMC, calls for cultural reform, better support from employers, and modernised medical training to ensure a sustainable, inclusive workforce that prioritises safe, high-quality care.
Policy Exchange
- This report argues that the NHS is failing to recover treatment costs from overseas patients, losing over £250 million between 2021 and 2024. It calls for stricter enforcement, better reporting, and immigration-linked penalties to ensure the NHS prioritises UK residents.
Digital Health
- A pilot programme at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, run in partnership with Philips, tested out-of-hours MRI scanning between January and July 2025. Using remote support technology, radiographers operated scanners from 8pm to midnight, improving patient flexibility and access.
- The initiative significantly reduced Did Not Attend (DNA) rates from 5–7% to just 1.1% and shortened waiting lists by enabling an extra 1,356 evening appointments. The pilot also doubled radiographer training capacity and speed, highlighting the potential of digital infrastructure and remote operations to ease NHS workforce pressures and improve diagnostic services.
Ipsos
- Almost one in five (18%) say they have used AI as a source of advice on personal problems. Three in four (67%) say they use polite language when interacting with AI, with over a third (36%) believing that it increases the likelihood of a helpful output.
London Trusts
Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust
King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust