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  • Health landscape report: 23-27 March

Health landscape report: 23-27 March

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This weekly report shares new data and policy information relating to general practice, with selected facts and figures highlighted.

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 

Department of Health and Social Care 

UK Health Security Agency 

Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency 

Policy, think tanks, charities, and representative bodies  

The King’s Fund 

  • How can we fix health care spending? Views from across the political spectrum [27/3].  
  • This blog presents four contrasting perspectives on how to make rising health care spending sustainable, as part of its wider good health for all projects. Contributors emphasise different priorities: David Blumenthal argues the UK must restore funding lost to austerity, strengthen primary care and avoid disruptive reorganisations; Ruth Curtice highlights the distributional challenge of health spending absorbing an ever-greater share of public funds, warning that without higher taxation other services may be squeezed; Kristian Niemietz challenges the assumption that the NHS simply needs more money, suggesting the UK should consider non‑state alternatives rather than continually expanding public provision; and Mariana Mazzucato argues that the wrong question is being asked, contending that health should be seen as a long‑term economic investment requiring a whole‑of‑government mission spanning housing, education, transport and more. Together, the views underline the scale of the challenge and the divergent philosophies shaping the debate on how to finance the future of UK health care. 
  • Healthier lives and a healthier NHS: the role of social prescribing [26/3].  
  • This blog argues that social prescribing is becoming an increasingly important tool for improving health and easing pressure on the NHS, with mounting evidence that it supports people facing issues such as social isolation, financial or housing difficulties, long‑term conditions and poor mental health. Although social prescribing is complex and not always suited to traditional trial methods, decades of practice and research show its impact on wellbeing and patient outcomes, and its national rollout has seen more than 3,300 link workers embedded in primary care. The author emphasises that link workers add value by having the time and community knowledge to address the social factors that GPs often cannot tackle in short appointments, but warns that rising demand, limited funding and pressures on GP practices threaten their effectiveness. With more than 35 countries now adopting similar models, the piece calls for sustained investment in link workers, stronger voluntary sector support and better system coordination to ensure social prescribing fulfils its potential as a core part of a more preventative, community‑centred health system. 
  • Why the NHS needs a ‘slow policymaking’ movement [23/3].  
  • This blog argues that the NHS needs a “slow policymaking” movement to counter years of rapid, reactive reforms that have produced constant reorganisations and instability. Slow policymaking, the author suggests, would build on existing structures rather than repeatedly replacing them, set more realistic ambitions, prioritise stable relationships and institutional memory, and better align health policy with other sectors. The piece imagines how the NHS might look today had commissioning and planning been allowed to evolve steadily over decades—potentially with stronger local relationships, more coherent accountability, better cross‑sector data, and a more prevention‑focused system. Ultimately, the blog contends that while slower policymaking may generate fewer headlines, it could enable more meaningful, long‑term improvements by giving the NHS the time, stability and leadership continuity it currently lacks 

The Health Foundation 

  • Testing and spreading AI in health care: the case for rapid revolution [23/3].  
  • This blog argues that with NHS resources increasingly outpaced by demand, AI offers one of the strongest opportunities to boost productivity—but only if it is developed, tested and scaled much faster than it is today. Drawing on leading international health systems, the author highlights common factors behind successful AI adoption, such as strong data infrastructure, dedicated innovation hubs, mixed in‑house and vendor development, robust governance, long-term tech partnerships and staff training. The piece stresses that the UK’s biggest barrier is slow, inconsistent and often low‑quality evaluation of AI in real‑world settings, which delays spread and undermines credibility. To accelerate progress, it calls for standardised, rapid, implementation‑focused evaluation methods, early testing in the most “mature” NHS sites, and a national network to support faster, safer scaling and ongoing assurance—warning that without this, the NHS risks wasting time, money and opportunities for meaningful improvement. 

Nuffield Trust 

  • Glimmers of light but no new dawn in public satisfaction with the NHS [25/3].  
  • This blog reports a cautious rise in public satisfaction with the NHS, with the 2025 British Social Attitudes survey showing a statistically significant six‑point increase and the largest drop in dissatisfaction in 25 years. While this offers genuine hope, the authors stress that overall satisfaction remains very low—just over one in four people are satisfied, the third‑lowest level in the survey’s 42‑year history—and optimism about future improvement is at a record low. Satisfaction with social care is even worse at 14%. The blog argues that recent modest improvements, such as stabilising waiting lists and slight gains in productivity and patient experience, reflect gradual recovery rather than the success of government reforms. Deep divisions across age and political groups, low trust in government, and economic fragility pose major challenges, even as support for the NHS’s founding principles remains strong. The authors conclude that sustaining improvements and making changes visible to the public will be essential—and uncertain—before the next election. 

General Medical Council 

  • Doctors urged to share workplace learning and culture experiences to identify where action is needed [24/3].  
  • The GMC has launched its 2026 national training survey, urging doctors to share their experiences of workplace learning, support and organisational culture to help identify where improvements are most needed. For the first time, the survey asks whether employers foster shared learning across multidisciplinary teams—an important factor in ensuring safe patient care. With more than 71,000 participants last year, the survey provides vital insight into areas of good practice and where action is required, including in response to previous safety concerns raised by trainees. The regulator says the results will directly inform steps to better support trainees, protect patients and strengthen training environments across the UK. 
  • GMC welcomes healthcare regulation consultation [24/3].  
  • The GMC has welcomed the Department of Health and Social Care’s (DHSC) announcement of its consultation on legislation to reform professional healthcare regulation in the UK. 

Ipsos 

YouGov 

  • Forever young? Great Britain anti-ageing report 2026 [25/3].  
  • This report explores how Brits perceive ageing and the growing market around preventing it, revealing that while awareness of anti‑ageing products is high, active adoption remains limited beyond core skincare categories. It highlights who is trying to prevent ageing, which skincare, supplements, and treatments consumers are open to, typical monthly spending, and where people learn about new products. The report also compares UK attitudes with more than 15 global markets, showing a mix of enthusiasm—from those investing in routines and advanced treatments, including AI‑powered skin analysis tools—to those taking a more relaxed approach. Overall, the findings depict a competitive but still maturing market where interest is strong, but behaviour varies widely. 

London Trusts    

Barts Health NHS Trust 

Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust 

King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust 

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