Health landscape report: 30 December – 3 January

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: National genomic test directory [2/1/25]. 
• Policy:National Cancer Drugs Fund list [3/1/25]. 

Department of Health and Social Care 

• Guidance: Local stop smoking services and support: funding for 2025 to 2026 [30/12/24]. 
• Press release: Record numbers complete NHS Couch to 5K app [31/12/24]. 
• Press release:New reforms and independent commission to transform social care[3/1/25]. 

UK Health Security Agency 

• Press release:UKHSA issues Cold Weather Alert as low temperatures forecast[2/1/25].
• News: Christmas saw anticipated rise in flu, latest UKHSA data shows [3/1/25]. 
  • Public urged to prevent further ‘new year spread’ by following good hygiene and taking up ‘final chance’ vaccines where still available 

Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency 

• Press release:UK medicines regulator warns against buying weight loss medicines without a prescription this New Year [30/12/24]. 
• Guidance: 150-day assessment for national applications for medicines [31/12/24]. 
• Guidance: Renewing marketing authorisations for medicines [31/12/24]. 
• News:New MHRA Chair Anthony Harnden outlines priorities as he starts role [2/1/25] 

Policy, think tanks, charities and representative bodies  

The Health Foundation 

• Analysis: The NHS maintenance backlog: rising costs and falling investment [20/12/24]. 
• Press release: Health Foundation responds to latest Urgent and Emergency Care Situation Reports [3/1/25]. 

Nuffield Trust 

• Press release:Nuffield Trust response to announcement on social care commission and support measures [3/1/25]. 

 The King’s Fund 

• Press release: The King’s Fund responds to Department of Health and Social Care announcement of a Commission on Social Care [3/1/25]. 

London Trusts    

Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust 

• Article:A 7-year-old boy has become the first child in London to successfully undergo an operation using a ‘revolutionary’ surgical robotic system at Evelina London Children’s Hospital as part of a landmark clinical trial [2/1/25]. 

Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust 

• Article:An artificial intelligence (AI) model can be used to predict both the risk of high blood pressure and which patients may go on to experience complications from high blood pressure using an electrocardiogram (ECG), according to a new study published in JAMA Cardiology[3/1/25].