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: Research matters: enabling and sustaining a research-positive culture for nurses, midwives and allied health professionals [20/10].
- Guidance: Tackling modern slavery in NHS procurement (post consultation updated draft guidance) [20/10].
- Guidance: Congenital heart disease: information for parents [22/10].
- Report: Expenses incurred by NHS England national directors [22/10].
- Guidance: Improvement guide: acute and emergency care acute patient flow [23/10].
Department of Health and Social Care
- Guidance: Adult Social Care Learning and Development Support Scheme grant determination: 2025 to 2026 [20/10].
- News: Gemma Aldridge appointed to the Department of Health and Social Care [20/10].
- Press release: Major NHS AI trial delivers unprecedented time and cost savings [21/10].
- Press release: Major NHS update brings menopause into routine health checks [23/10].
- Press release: Government announces Women’s Health Strategy to be renewed [23/10].
- Press release: NHS sites to cut bills with Great British Energy solar panels [24/10].
UK Health Security Agency
- Guidance: BCG vaccination and SCID screening: data pathway [21/10].
- Guidance: Respiratory virus circulation: England and Wales [23/10].
- Guidance: Flu vaccination programme 2025 to 2026: healthcare practitioners [23/10].
Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency
- Press release: Side effects from drug interactions to be predicted by AI before reaching patients [22/10].
Policy, think tanks, charities, and representative bodies
The Health Foundation
- Social care: a year in, what prospects for reform? [22/10].
- Over a year into Labour’s term, progress on social care reform has been slow, with key promises like fair pay and a National Care Service delayed. Funding is limited, and major changes aren’t expected until at least 2028, leaving the future of reform uncertain.
- Can the NHS meet its 2% productivity challenge? Here’s what experts think [21/10].
- The Health Foundation blog explores whether the NHS can meet the UK government’s target of 2% annual productivity growth until 2028/29. Experts from clinical, policy, and research backgrounds assessed two scenarios: a “momentum” path where the NHS continues as is, and a “tech-enabled” path with strong investment in digital transformation. Under the momentum scenario, productivity is expected to average just 1% annually—well below the target—while the tech-enabled scenario could potentially exceed the 2% goal, but only with significant cultural, operational, and technological changes. Key enablers include effective tech use and strong leadership, while barriers include workforce challenges and underinvestment. The Health Foundation has launched a Productivity Commission to explore long-term solutions, with a final report due in autumn 2026.
Care Quality Commission
- CQC warns lack of investment in community services threatens shift towards care outside hospital – and risks ‘erosion’ of care quality [24/10].
- The health and social care system remains fragmented and under severe strain as it prepares for a major shift from hospital to community care, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) has warned in its annual State of Care report.
- Sir Julian Hartley steps down as Chief Executive of CQC [23/10].
The King’s Fund
- Carbon net zero by 2040: is the NHS on track? [23/10].
- The NHS has made notable progress toward its goal of becoming carbon net zero by 2040, achieving a 14% reduction in direct emissions since 2019/20 through measures like cutting emissions from anaesthetic gases and inhalers, phasing out Desflurane, and expanding solar energy use. However, challenges remain—particularly with indirect emissions from supply chains and construction, which have not improved significantly. While the NHS is on track for its 2032 interim targets, sustaining momentum will require stronger national leadership, better accountability, and embedding sustainability across all NHS operations.
London Trusts
Barts Health NHS Trust
- Article: East London is to get its own dedicated breast cancer centre of excellence when two hospital buildings are returned to NHS use next year [24/10].
- Thousands of women will benefit from faster diagnosis, safer surgery and fairer access to advanced treatment and reconstruction in bespoke facilities at St Bartholomew’s Hospital in the City of London.