06/01/2025
Bevan Brittan provides high quality, comprehensive advice to the NHS, independent healthcare sector and local authorities. This update contains brief details of recent Government publications, legislation, cases and other developments relevant to those involved in health and social care work, both in the NHS, independent sector and local authorities which have been published in the last month.
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Bevan Brittan Free Training Events
There is no charge for any of the events listed below
Webinars
These are internal hour long lunch time training sessions. You can sign up to watch the training sessions remotely via our webinar facility. Please contact Claire Bentley.
Improving Healthcare access for Deaf people through the Accessible Information Standard - 16/01/25 at 12.30pm
A day in the life of a cardiac surgeon. - 04/02/25 at 12.30pm
The Legal Framework for Clinical Decision-Making - 13/02/25 at 12.30pm
The Darzi Review - Horizon Scanning for Primary Care and Maternity Services - 25/02/25 at 12.30pm
Deputyships and Lasting Powers of Attorney for Property and Affairs - 13/03/25 at 12.30pm
Medico-Legal Issues in Ophthalmology - 25/03/15 at 12.30pm
Case Law Update – Mental Capacity Act 2005 - 03/04/25 at 12.30pm
Quantum Update for Clinical Negligence Practitioners - 29/04/25 at 12.30pm
Please note that registration for each webinar will close one hour before the webinar starts, so please do ensure you have booked your place in advance to guarantee attendance.
Acute and emergency care
News
Ambulance handover delays surge in the north and Midlands
Realising the health mission: from emergency care to prevention. Reflecting on the patients she met on a shift with the London Ambulance Service, Sarah Woolnough (Chief Executive, The King's Fund) considers what it will take to make the shift towards prevention.
How we can help
If you wish to discuss any queries you may have around acute and emergency issues please contact Claire Bentley.
Children and young people
Publications/Guidance
National review into child sexual abuse within the family environment. National child safeguarding practice review investigating the experiences of children who were sexually abused by a family member.
Child Sexual Abuse Response Pathway. An interactive online resource to guide professionals through how they can protect and support children and their families when there are concerns of sexual abuse.
Child sexual abuse of African, Asian and Caribbean heritage children. This new review explores the nature of sexual abuse, its impacts, the barriers that prevent children talking about it, and how concerns about it are identified and responded to, both within communities and by services. It draws on 79 publications, based on 59 separate research projects, and four focus group sessions with African, Asian and Caribbean heritage academics, professionals and experts by experience.
Child sexual exploitation and abuse. The Digital Futures for Children centre has published a report exploring technology-facilitated child sexual exploitation and abuse (CSEA). Based on expert interviews, consultation and desk research, the report sets out six guiding principles to support policymakers, researchers, and practitioners in understanding and responding to technology-facilitated CSEA. The principles are based on a holistic and context-sensitive child rights approach. Key recommendations include: children’s voices count and should be used to inform the design of measures to respond to technology-facilitated CSEA; language matters and professionals should avoid using words that blame children; and responses to technology-facilitated CSEA, whether by legislators, law enforcement, social welfare institutions or parents, must avoid placing blame on children, both explicitly and implicitly.
Ban on puberty blockers to be made indefinite on experts’ advice. Existing emergency measures banning the sale and supply of puberty-suppressing hormones will be made indefinite, following official advice from medical experts.
Proposed changes to the availability of puberty blockers for under 18s. Proposal to make a permanent order to prevent new patients aged under 18 from beginning to take puberty blockers for the purposes of gender incongruence and/or gender dysphoria, under the care of private prescribers.
Kinship carers in England. An overview of kinship care in England, including the different types of kinship care arrangement, support available for kinship carers, issues, and Government policy.
Where do girls live when in custody? A review of the care and placement of girls in the secure estate has been announced, following the experience of girls placed in a prison for boys.
Child safeguarding incidents. NSPCC Learning has published a CASPAR briefing summarising the recent Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel’s annual report, which looked at the child safeguarding system in England, based on serious child safeguarding incidents occurring between April 2023 and March 2024. The CASPAR briefing summarises: the context and challenges in the safeguarding and child protection system; data from rapid reviews; spotlight themes and learning for practice; and plans for the Panel’s future work.
Unregistered children’s homes. The Children’s Commissioner for England has published a new report on the use of unregistered children’s homes in England. The Commissioner requested information from local authorities about looked after children placed in unregistered children’s homes on 1 September 2024. The report found that: 775 looked after children were living in unregistered placements; the majority of children in unregistered homes were older teens; and the majority of children were placed in out-of-local-authority-area accommodation. Recommendations include: investment in developing therapeutic children’s homes with joint health and social care support and stronger disincentives for providers and local authorities to prevent the use of unregistered children’s homes.
Care experienced young people. The Children’s Commissioner for England’s Care Experienced Advisory Board have designed a hierarchy of needs for care experienced young people. Based on Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, the visual guide aims to help professionals support and understand the needs of care experienced young people. The needs include: physical/physiological; safety; integration and belonging; and self-esteem, independence and autonomy.
Children in need. The Children’s Commissioner for England has published a report on deaths of children in need, including looked after children, children on a child protection plan, and children on a child in need plan. The report examines the characteristics of children and young people who die having had social care involvement, and how they compare to all child deaths. It highlights the specific risks faced by children known to social care services and issues around information sharing between services and limited contact with children’s services professionals. Recommendations from the Commissioner include: a change in the law to give children in England equal protection from physical assault to adults; schools to be at the centre of safeguarding arrangements; and greater oversight of home educated children.
Disabled Children’s Social Care Consultation. The Law Commission is reviewing the legal framework governing social care for disabled children in England to ensure that the law is fair, modern and accessible, allowing children with disabilities to access the support they need. They have published a consultation paper asking people to tell them about their experiences of the current system and setting out our provisional proposals on how it could be improved. They invite views on these proposals. The consultation is open until 20 January 2025.
How we can help
If you wish to discuss any queries you may have around children please contact Deborah Jeremiah.
Clinical Risk / Patient Safety
Publications/Guidance
National state of patient safety 2024: prioritising improvement efforts in a system under stress. This report finds that patient safety in England has deteriorated in a majority of categories over the past two years. Analysis of publicly available data for the report shows worsening performance on several key patient safety indicators, particularly in maternity services. It also highlights a stark divide between the North and South of England: harmful, unintended effects of medical treatment are twice as high in the North East than in Greater London. See also.
National paediatric critical care report (PICANet). The Paediatric Intensive Care Audit Network (PICANet) has published a report summarising paediatric critical care activity within designated Level 3 paediatric intensive care units (PICU) and Specialist Paediatric Critical Care Transport Services in the UK and Republic of Ireland between 2021 and 2023.
MBRRACE-UK – Perinatal care of recent migrant women with language barriers. The Maternal, Newborn and Infant Clinical Outcome Review Programme has published an MBRRACE-UK Perinatal Confidential Enquiry report on the care of recent migrant women with language barriers who have experienced a stillbirth or neonatal death. RCOG responds to MBRRACE-UK’s Perinatal confidential enquiry report. The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) has responded to MBRRACE-UK’s latest report, which explores the care of recent migrant women with language barriers who have experienced a stillbirth or neonatal death. See also
Change the NHS consultation: A response by the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers. Responding to the Department of Health and Social Care's consultation on NHS England's ten-year health plan, the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers states that it strongly advocates for a coordinated overarching strategy to address the issues which cause needless injuries and deaths in the first place where the current fragmented approach to patient safety, they assert, is not working. It comments that significant improvements in patient safety require strong and coherent leadership with an overarching link between patients, regulators, healthcare providers and policymakers, and that recent reforms proposed by past governments have indicated a disproportionate focus on reducing the costs of clinical negligence to the NHS.
Investigating suspected criminal activity in healthcare: MoU Memorandum of understanding for investigating healthcare incidents where suspected criminal activity may have contributed to death or serious life-changing harm.
New journal paper explores women’s experiences of OASI Care Bundle during pregnancy and birth. A paper published this week in the British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (BJOG) explores women’s experiences of a quality improvement initiative to reduce obstetric anal sphincter injury (OASI) during childbirth.
News
Training and risk assessments recommended to address workplace violence in the NHS
Bevan Brittan Updates
Bevan Brittan Events
A day in the life of a cardiac surgeon. - 04/02/25 at 12.30pm
The Legal Framework for Clinical Decision-Making - 13/02/25 at 12.30pm
The Darzi Review - Horizon Scanning for Primary Care and Maternity Services - 25/02/25 at 12.30pm
Medico-Legal Issues in Ophthalmology - 25/03/15 at 12.30pm
Quantum Update for Clinical Negligence Practitioners - 29/04/25 at 12.30pm
How we can help
We are working with clients on formulating policies and making it easier to balance treatment with finite resources. We are helping with social care policies and day to day activities such as contact and isolation, human rights issues and life/death decisions. We are working on notifications of harm and death, RIDDOR, CQC compliance, judicial review, infection control law and grappling with the new regulations and guidance. For more information click here.
If you wish to discuss any clinical risk or patient safety issues please contact Joanne Easterbrook or Tim Hodgetts.
Digital Health
Publications/guidance
Digital health trends 2024: implications for research and patient care. This report examines trends across various segments of the digital health market, which are becoming increasingly defined. It examines digital diagnostics alongside maturing therapeutic product segments like digital therapeutics (DTx) and digital care (DCs), and looks at consumer apps and non-prescription digital therapeutics that aim to reduce health symptoms. The report also examines how life sciences companies are strategically deploying wearable sensors and other patient monitoring tools in research. Free registration required to access this report.
An engagement paper on the effective use of artificial intelligence in NHS communications. A taskforce was established in early 2024 to explore the potential use of AI in NHS communications and to guide communications professionals in how to take advantage of the opportunities offered by AI, while mitigating the risks. This engagement paper, published in partnership with the NHS Confederation, outlines proposals for implementing AI tools across all NHS communications channels. The document synthesises the insights gathered so far and poses targeted questions to NHS communications professionals. This engagement period will end on 28 February 2025. In the spring of 2025, a final operating framework will be published.
News
NHS artificial intelligence (AI) giving patients better care and support.
Why returns have been slow to follow investment in digital health. Medical tech is increasingly mainstream but needs path to profitability
The new tech treatments that could improve mental health
How we can help
If you wish to discuss any queries you may have around Digital Health please contact Daniel Morris.
Employment/HR
Publications/guidance
The illusion of inclusion? LGBTQ+ staff experience in health care. LGBTQ+ staff represent 1 in 20 of the NHS workforce, yet successive NHS staff surveys have shown that there is persistent inequity in staff experience. The Health and Care LGBTQ+ Leaders Network conducted its largest ever survey with its members in August 2024 – with a remit to delve deeper and capture specific insight to better understand the trends exposed in the NHS Staff Survey. The survey aimed to understand the realities of LGBTQ+ experience from the perspective of LGBTQ+ staff and allies. It also sought to benchmark progress towards inclusion and uncover the day-to-day challenges facing LGBTQ+ staff, and how the network can use its collective power to tackle those challenges. This briefing provides a snapshot of the main findings. See also BMA news
RCOG continues push towards race equity with a new report. A diverse O&G workforce brings significant value to both healthcare providers and patients. Enhanced diversity brings about a myriad of benefits and improves the overall quality of care.
Interim guidance for physician associates working in the medical specialties. This interim guidance covers scope of practice for general internal medicine, supervision and employment of physician associates (PAs), and how PAs should describe their role to patients, employers, other health care professionals and the public. It will be reviewed in collaboration with stakeholders, including RCP fellows and members, following the publication of the report of the Leng review.
Supplementary evidence to pay review bodies: hospital and community health sector, 2025 to 2026. These tables are provided alongside the DHSC’s evidence to the pay review bodies, which require detailed information on the size and average costs of different sections of the workforce to perform their role effectively. These data tables estimate the average basic pay, total earnings and paybill cost of employing small sections of hospital and community health sector workforce in England. This includes staff working for NHS trusts, NHS foundation trusts, integrated care boards (formerly clinical commissioning groups), and central and support organisations.
DHSC evidence for the NHS Pay Review Body (NHSPRB): pay round 2025 to 2026. The NHSPRB has been asked to make pay recommendations for the pay round 2025 to 2026. This written evidence seeks to enable the NHSPRB to make independent recommendations, weighing all of the evidence, within the current economic and fiscal context, along with recruitment and retention trends and staff motivation.
DHSC's written evidence to the Review Body on Doctors' and Dentists' Remuneration (DDRB) for the pay round 2025 to 2026. The DDRB has been asked to make pay recommendations for the pay round 2025 to 2026 on: uplifts for consultants, doctors and dentists in training, and specialist, associate specialist and specialty doctors; uplifts for contractor general medical practitioners and the minimum and maximum pay ranges for salaried general medical practitioners; and the pay element of remuneration for dentists employed by or providing services to the NHS.
DHSC's written evidence to the Senior Salaries Review Body (SSRB) for the pay round 2025 to 2026. The SSRB has been asked to make a pay recommendation on the current levels of pay for very senior managers (VSMs) in the NHS and executive and senior managers (ESMs) in DHSC’s arm’s length bodies (ALBs). The written evidence seeks to enable the SSRB to make independent observations on the levels of pay of VSMs and ESMs to form part of the wider SSRB report, which will include observations on the levels of pay for other senior public sector workers. The written evidence includes information on NHS senior pay strategy along with recruitment and retention information.
The racist riots and the NHS: what next? During the riots in August 2024, health and care workers were targeted physically and on social media. This paper suggests five steps that should be taken by the NHS from the national to the local level to protect workers against incidents like the racist riots, as well as preventive action to root out the everyday racism staff face. It argues that the riots were examples of exceptional crises following years of mounting evidence that more must be done to address racism within Britain and the NHS.
Male violence against minoritised ethnic women: exacerbating ethnic health inequity and endangering staff. Year-round action is needed to tackle the intersecting racialised and sexualised violence targeting minoritised ethnic women receiving and providing healthcare. The ways in which this violence exacerbates ethnic health inequity and endangers healthcare staff should be interrogated and acted upon by all partners working in the healthcare sector.
News
PM sets out plan to end waiting list backlogs through millions more appointments
‘Punishment beatings’ cause NHS leaders to hide problems, says Streeting
Training and risk assessments recommended to address workplace violence in the NHS
Physician associate body preparing over 180 legal cases against GP practices
Bevan Brittan Events
December Employment Law Update. 2024 proved to be a remarkable year for HR professionals. The centrepiece, was of course, the Government’s ambitious Employment Rights Bill. Lee Carroll, Siobhan Mulrey, Catherine Colvin and Rumana Khanom gave a practical and comprehensive overview of the proposed legislative reforms. This included ‘casual’ workers’ rights, day one rights, collective redundancy / ‘fire and rehire’ practices, unfair dismissal law, trade union legislation and SSP. We also looked back at some key Employment law cases and other policy changes, and gave an overview of the key legal changes facing your organisation and how you can prepare for 2025.
How we can help
We can offer support and advice on managing many workforce issues including flexing your workforce to respond to the pandemic, managing bank staff, redeployment, vulnerable groups, sick pay, leave options, supporting staff well-being, presenteeism, remote and home working, through FAQs, helpline or policy guidance and practical day to day advice.
If you wish to discuss any employment issues generally please contact Jodie Sinclair, Alastair Currie, Oonagh Sharma, James Gutteridge or Andrew Uttley.
Health Inequalities
Publications/Guidance
Innovation for Healthcare Inequalities Programme: impact and learning report. The Innovation for Healthcare Inequalities Programme (InHIP) is a collaboration between the Accelerated Access Collaborative (AAC), NHS England’s National Healthcare Inequalities Improvement Programme and the Health Innovation Network, delivered in partnership with integrated care systems. It aims to address local health inequalities experienced by deprived and other under-served populations. This report finds that more than 34,000 people from under-served groups or deprived areas have benefited from InHIP Wave 1 interventions, with around 8,000 patients gaining access to an innovative product on a treatment pathway.
Improving health equity for patients living with cancer and/or blood disorders. This report addresses health disparities and the social determinants of health with a focus on people living with cancer and/or blood disorders. The project explores how to reduce health inequalities and improve access to quality social and health care for under-served communities. Among the recommendations are increasing investments in the social determinants of health and implementing policies and interventions that address those; and providing education and training to health and social care staff to better meet the needs of under-served communities, address discrimination and racism, and improve health equity.
Bridging the gap: a guide to making health inequalities a strategic priority for NHS leaders. This guidance aims to build physician understanding of health inequalities and the actions that medical staff can take to make this a bigger priority in their workplace. It explains the importance of addressing health inequalities in the NHS and sets out the existing statutory duties and guidance given to NHS organisations on health inequalities. It also identifies the barriers and enablers to systems in prioritising work on health inequalities.
A review of NHS Health Communications with (and for) Jewish Communities. This report addresses healthcare communications within Jewish communities across England. Commissioned by the NHS Race and Health Observatory in 2022, and co-developed by Intent Health, this work identifies best practice and community-led actions with co-produced communication resources to improve public health initiatives, understanding and engagement between the NHS and Jewish communities.
Male violence against minoritised ethnic women: exacerbating ethnic health inequity and endangering staff. Year-round action is needed to tackle the intersecting racialised and sexualised violence targeting minoritised ethnic women receiving and providing healthcare. The ways in which this violence exacerbates ethnic health inequity and endangers healthcare staff should be interrogated and acted upon by all partners working in the healthcare sector.
Women’s reproductive health conditions. This report finds that women experiencing painful reproductive health conditions such as endometriosis, adenomyosis and heavy menstrual bleeding are frequently finding their symptoms ‘normalised’ and their ‘pain dismissed’ when seeking help. It found that despite such conditions being highly prevalent in the UK, accessing diagnosis and treatment can take years, leaving women and girls to endure pain and discomfort that interferes with every aspect of their daily lives, including their education, careers, relationships and fertility, while their conditions worsen. Additionally, many women are resorting to expensive private health care. See also RCOG response.
R. (on the application of Traveller Movement) v Chair of the UK COVID-19 Inquiry. When determining whether a body participating in a public inquiry was a "substantial body" and therefore should not receive public funding for legal representation, it was sufficient for the decision-maker to undertake a broad, high-level analysis of its size and resources. They did not have to descend to the detail of individual funding sources or determine what activities the body might have to forgo in order to fund its legal representation.
Events
Improving Healthcare access for Deaf people through the Accessible Information Standard - 16/01/25 at 12.30pm
How we can help
We have a multidisciplinary team advising NHS commissioners and providers on all aspects of tackling health inequalities, ranging from:
- advising on the new legal framework and compliance with the relevant statutory duties, particularly in the context of service reconfiguration;
- addressing workforce inequalities;
- taking action on patient safety to reduce health inequalities;
- the role of the Care Quality Commission in tackling health inequalities; and
- lessons to be learnt from the Covid-19 pandemic.
If you wish to discuss any queries you may have around health inequalities please contact Julia Jones.
Housing
Publications/Guidance
Intermediate care for people experiencing homelessness: cost-benefit analysis. This report finds that people facing homelessness experience some of the worst health in our society, and are admitted to hospital up to six times more often than those who do have homes. At the same time, the combination of pressure on health services and the housing crisis means that they are often discharged to the street while still recovering from treatment. The report suggests intermediate care as a solution. Intermediate care offers short-term accommodation and support for homeless individuals recovering after a hospital stay, improving their health and housing outcomes and reducing future hospital admissions. This analysis shows that a proposed nationwide initiative to expand specialist intermediate care for people experiencing homelessness has an estimated financial benefit of £1.20 and societal benefit of £4.30 for every £1 spent. This is equal to financial savings of approximately £5,200 per patient. Further information.
Our future homes: housing that promotes wellbeing and community for an ageing population. This report seeks to understand the market in England for older people’s housing today and into the future. It outlines the enablers for older people when seeking to move into appropriate or specialist housing. It also looks at the opportunities and benefits of broadening provision and choice for older people, including continuing to live in their own home if they wish to do so. It aims to develop a viable and implementable approach for enhancing choice for older people in the housing market.
Bevan Brittan Events
Senior Independent Director Network Meeting
How we can help
If you wish to discuss any queries you may have around housing please contact Julia Jones or George Riach
Independent Health
Publications/Guidance
Women’s reproductive health conditions. This report finds that women experiencing painful reproductive health conditions such as endometriosis, adenomyosis and heavy menstrual bleeding are frequently finding their symptoms ‘normalised’ and their ‘pain dismissed’ when seeking help. It found that despite such conditions being highly prevalent in the UK, accessing diagnosis and treatment can take years, leaving women and girls to endure pain and discomfort that interferes with every aspect of their daily lives, including their education, careers, relationships and fertility, while their conditions worsen. Additionally, many women are resorting to private health care.
News
PM sets out plan to tackle hospital backlog. More NHS hubs will be set up in community locations and there will be greater use of the private sector to help reduce hospital waiting lists in England.
£100 million public-private health research boost. 20 new clinical research hubs to be set up across UK to accelerate research into the next generation of treatments.
How we can help
For more information on issues around independent health, please contact Tim Hodgetts or Julie Charlton
Information sharing/data
News
The NHS must take back control of its data
How we can help
If you wish to discuss any issues around information sharing or data please contact Jane Bennett.
Integrated Care
Publications/Guidance
NHS Audit Market Study Emerging Findings A Financial Reporting Council report sets out the emerging findings from its NHS Audit Market Study which focused on how the audit market for NHS providers and Integrated Care Boards in England is functioning, how it should function in the future, and whether there are any lessons on good practice for the wider local audit market. The study found that while most stakeholders considered the market to be functioning, there were issues raised which may risk future resilience in the market, including concerns regarding potential constraints on market capacity as well as limited auditor choice. In addition, respondents highlighted issues with the procurement processes used for external audit within the NHS. Comments are requested by 6 February 2025 on the initial findings. The FRC intends to publish the final report in spring 2025.
Empowering ICBs: a blueprint for fixing the NHS. This report offers policy recommendations to strengthen integrated care boards (ICBs) in four areas: the funding of ICBs; performance measurement of ICBs; governance and involvement of ICBs; and supporting ICBs that are ‘lighthouses’.
Principles for assessing and managing risks across integrated care systems. This document outlines principles for managing quality risks within integrated care systems, particularly in rapidly changing environments. It supports the delivery of safe, effective and personalised care while addressing inequalities across health services.
How we can help
If you wish to discuss any queries you may have around integrated care, please contact Anna Davies.
Mental Health
Publications/Guidance
Dementia – Care in General Hospitals (NAD) The National Audit of Dementia (NAD) has published a report on Care in General Hospitals 2023-2024, which underscores the need for a continued strong focus on governance, monitoring and oversight of dementia care.
Monitoring Places of Detention. - 15th Annual Report of the United Kingdoms National Preventive Mechanism 2023/2024. The report highlights numerous ongoing concerns from different settings of deprivation of liberty. Summary.
Legislation
Mental Health Bill: Inquiry - call for evidence. The Joint Committee on Human Rights calls for evidence as part of its scrutiny of the Mental Health Bill 2024-25 to assess its compatibility with international and domestic human rights standards. The Bill would introduce wide-ranging changes to the Mental Health Act 1983, including removing the power for autistic people and people with learning disabilities to be detained under s.3 on the basis of their autism or learning disability. It would also allow conditions amounting to a deprivation of liberty to be applied as part of a conditional discharge. Comments by 24 January 2025.
Bevan Brittan Events
The Legal Framework for Clinical Decision-Making - 13/02/25 at 12.30pm
Deputyships and Lasting Powers of Attorney for Property and Affairs - 13/03/25 at 12.30pm
Case Law Update – Mental Capacity Act 2005 - 03/04/25 at 12.30pm
How we can help
We are experts in advising commissioners, providers and care co-ordinators on the relevant legal frameworks. We deal with complex issues such as deprivation of liberty, state involvement, use of CCTV monitoring, seclusion, physical restraint and covert medication. We can help providers with queries about admission and detention, consent to treatment, forensic service users, transfers, leave, discharge planning and hearings. We can advise commissioners on all matters concerning commissioning responsibility, liability and disputes. For more information click here
If you wish to discuss any mental health issues facing your organisation please contact Simon Lindsay or Hannah Taylor.
Primary Care
Publications/Guidance
Ordering and retaining medical certificates of cause of death (MCCDs). Guidance for GP practices, hospitals, hospices and medical examiner offices about when to order more MCCDs and what to do with completed MCCDs.
GP reforms to cut red tape and bring back family doctor. The Government will consult on its proposals for the GP Contract 2025/26 with the British Medical Association's General Practice Committee over the coming weeks, before unveiling it in spring 2025. The proposals include incentivising GPs to ensure patients most in need see the same doctor at every GP appointment. The proposed measures would also reduce the number of outdated performance targets that GPs must meet, in a further step to reduce bureaucracy and ensure doctors can spend more time with their patients.
Creating integrated neighbourhood teams: learning from experience. This paper presents the collective view of the NAPC leadership and brings together NAPC’s experience of how to make integrated neighbourhood teams work and how to manage the process of change, bringing in evidence from the UK and internationally.
Fairer funding for general practice in England: what’s the problem, why is it so hard to fix, and what should the government do? This briefing outlines how general practice funding is inequitable. It concludes that the Carr-Hill formula, which decides the distribution of funding, is outdated and fails to take account of socio-economic deprivation. The briefing, produced in collaboration with the Health Equity Evidence Centre, proposes replacing Carr-Hill with a modern, needs-based formula.
Bevan Brittan Events
The Darzi Review - Horizon Scanning for Primary Care and Maternity Services - 25/02/25 at 12.30pm
How we can help
If you wish to discuss any issues in primary care then please contact Joanne Easterbrook.
Prison Health
Publications/Guidance
Monitoring Places of Detention. - 15th Annual Report of the United Kingdoms National Preventive Mechanism 2023/2024. The report highlights numerous ongoing concerns from different settings of deprivation of liberty. Summary.
Where do girls live when in custody? A review of the care and placement of girls in the secure estate has been announced, following the experience of girls placed in a prison for boys.
How we can help
If you wish to discuss any issues in prison health then please contact Joanne Easterbrook.
Public Health
Publications/Guidance
Public health commissioning in the NHS: 2024 to 2025. Information about NHS England’s objectives and funding arrangements as it commissions public health services.
NHS public health functions agreements. Agreements setting out the outcomes to be achieved and the funding provided for NHS England to commission public health services.
If you wish to discuss any issues in public health, then please contact Claire Bentley.
Social Care
Publications/Guidance
New reforms and independent commission to transform social care. The Government has announced that Baroness Louise Casey will chair an independent commission into adult social care. The first phase, reporting in 2026, will identify the critical issues facing adult social care and set out recommendations for effective reform and improvement in the medium term. The second phase, reporting by 2028, will make longer-term recommendations. The Government also set out immediate investment and reforms to improve adult social care and support the workforce, including confirmation of an £86 million increase to the disabled facilities grant for this financial year, on top of the £86 million announced for the next financial year at the Budget. It is also harnessing the power of care technology with the aim of transforming care and supporting older people to live at home for longer and the national career structure for care staff will be expanded, ensuring there are opportunities for career progression and development pathways.
How we can help
For ways in which we can help with Social Care issues click here.
If you wish to discuss any queries you may have around social care please contact Siwan Griffiths.
General
Publications/Guidance
Government to publish a National Cancer Plan, as recommended by Health and Social Care Committee. Correspondence from the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, responding to the Health and Social Care Committee's Future Cancer Inquiry, sets out the Government's intention to publish a National Cancer Plan and announces that it is "currently working on what form this plan will take and how it is aligned with the conclusions of the 10 Year Health Plan". The letter also sets out the steps the Department is taking to support NHS performance and address the preventative causes of cancers.
Cancer statistics for England. This briefing gives an overview of cancer statistics for England. It covers information on cancer diagnoses and deaths, as well as statistics on NHS screening and treatment.
Patients, the NHS and the Life Sciences sector set to benefit from new clinical trials framework being laid in parliament Legislation was laid in Parliament on 12 December 2024 to amend the regulatory framework under the Medicines for Human Use (Clinical Trials) Regulations 2004 to speed up clinical trials approvals and encourage innovation. The legislation, which once made into law will come into force following a 12-month implementation period to ensure readiness, aims to reduce unnecessary administrative burdens on trial sponsors without compromising patient safety. It will see duplicative requirements removed and processes streamlined, with the introduction of the combined review and notification scheme for some clinical trial initial applications and amendments embedded into law.
Government Response to the Infected Blood Inquiry A Cabinet Office document details the Government's response to the recommendations made by the Infected Blood Inquiry. It announces that regulations establishing the Infected Blood Compensation Scheme were debated and approved in October 2024, and that further regulations will follow to extend the Scheme for the affected cohort and to establish supplementary compensation routes beyond the core route. The Government intends for these regulations to be in force by 31 March 2025. The response also announces: different amounts of compensation will be paid to those who are infected and affected, depending on the severity of the infection suffered or familial relationship; the Scheme will use a tariff-based framework to calculate the amount of compensation payable to those eligible; all those registered with an infected blood support scheme before 1 April 2025, both living infected persons and bereaved partners, can choose to receive regular support scheme payments for life; and plans to legislate for a duty of candour for public servants before the next anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster in April 2025. The response also notes that the Government will give a further update to Parliament before the end of March 2025.
First compensation offered to infected blood victims after decades of injustice In a historic milestone reached by the Government, the first of thousands of victims of the infected blood scandal will be compensated in the coming days, with 10 people offered a total of over £13 million. Twenty five more people have recently been invited to make their claim for compensation and once doing so, will also receive offers from the Infected Blood Compensation Authority. This follows commitments to deliver compensation after allocating £11.8 billion in the 2024 Autumn Budget.
The 10-year health plan: our recommendations. The government has a mission to improve health, and as part of that it is working to produce a 10-year plan for health in order to reform the health system, structured around three shifts: from a service treating sickness to one focused on preventing illness occurring in the first place; from delivering care in hospitals to delivering care closer to home, in communities and in primary care; and digital transformation of service delivery. In this long read, The Kings Fund set out the key recommendations it is making to the government to support the development of the 10-year health plan and realise these shifts.
Chief Medical Officer's annual report 2024: health in cities. This report finds that people in cities often use the NHS and health care differently than those in other areas, given the transient nature of some groups within city populations. Health challenges in cities addressed in the report include: the health effects of housing; the food environment; lower vaccination and screening rates; high rates of sexually transmitted infections; access to exercise and physical activity; and air pollution.
Right Care, Right Person. The Right Care, Right Person (RCRP) approach aims to ensure that people of all ages who have health and/or social care needs are responded to by the right person, with the right skills, training and experience to best meet their needs. This analysis, carried out in partnership with the Home Office, evaluates the implementation of the RCRP approach from a sample of police, fire, health and social care services in England.
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