In December 2019, we published five draft service specifications for engagement; these followed agreement with the British Medical Association General Practitioners Committee (BMA GPC) in January 2019 that the five specifications would form part of the Network DES for 2020/21. Huge thanks are due to the large numbers of GPs, local medical committees (LMCs) and […]

From this summer, all women and girls being cared for by the NHS will be given, on request, appropriate sanitary products free of charge. Many already provide them but this will be mandated in the new standard contract with hospitals for 2019-20. The announcement by NHS England and supported by the BMA, was welcomed by […]

NHS hospitals will no longer provide office or advertising space for law firms or claims management companies who encourage patients or their families to take the NHS to court. Every effort must also be made to ensure lawyers and claims managers don’t approach patients or their families in hospital to drum up business without being […]

Monitor and NHS England today report that 210 out of 240 NHS trusts and foundation trusts (88 percent of all NHS providers) will move to the new voluntary tariff option (the ‘Enhanced Tariff Option’) for 2015/16. They will gain their share of the improved tariff funding made available to the NHS in December’s Autumn Statement, […]

Care Homes – Never Events For the attention of commissioners of Care Homes: Action is required to ensure that new and varied commissioning contracts include the Never Events applicable to Care Homes. Commissioners should read the alert (document is available via our archived website) and take the appropriate action in respect of their Care Homes […]