The NHS updates nationally commissioned services every few years. In 2016 NHS England put in place a new service specification for gender identity development services for children and young people and committed to conducting a review of this specification and associated policies for 2020. Gender identity development services help to support young people and their […]

NHS Chief Sir Simon Stevens has today announced the NHS and its staff will step up action to tackle the climate “health emergency” this year, helping prevent illness, reducing pressure on A&Es, and saving tens of thousands of lives. The initiative follows the launch of the Climate Assembly UK this week, which is discussing how the […]

Expert rapid response teams will be on hand within two hours to help support older people to remain well at home and avoid hospital admissions, under new plans outlined by the NHS today. Local health service and council teams will begin the roll out of Urgent Community Response teams from April, as part of the […]

Issued at 8.37am on Wednesday 22 January 2019 Temperatures/weather conditions are not expected to exceed Cold Weather Alert threshold criteria in any region from 9.00 am until further notice. More details about this weather alert are available on the Met Office website.

Issued at 8.56am on Monday 20 January 2020 There is a 70% probability of severe cold weather between 9.00am on Monday 20 January and 9.00am on Wednesday 22 January in parts of England.  This weather could increase the health risks to vulnerable patients and disrupt the delivery of services. Find out more about staying well this […]

Hundreds of lives will be spared every year in England thanks to a more sensitive cervical screening test rolled out as part of the NHS Long Term Plan. NHS experts said that there is “potential” to eliminate cervical cancer completely thanks to the change in primary test within the NHS Cervical Cancer Screening Programme, combined […]

NHS mental health director Claire Murdoch has today called on gaming companies to crack down on gambling addiction risks by banning loot boxes from their products. Ms Murdoch has warned video game firms that they risk “setting kids up for addiction” by building gambling tasks into their games. In response to growing concerns about addiction […]

Issued at 8.47am on Friday 17 January 2020 There is a 70% probability of severe cold weather/icy conditions/heavy snow between 6.00pm on Sunday 19 January and 6.00pm on Tuesday 21 January in parts of England. This weather could increase the health risks to vulnerable patients and disrupt the delivery of services. Find out more about staying […]

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 […]

The head of mental health care in England has written to the heads of top gambling firms, demanding urgent action to tackle betting-related ill health. NHS mental health director Claire Murdoch has ramped up pressure on companies to take action, following reports that gambling giants continue to nudge losing punters into more betting. The NHS […]