357: Primary Care Bulletin - NHS Updates for 18 September 2025

Introduction

This article summarises the NHS England Primary Care Bulletin for 18 September 2025, the weekly email update for teams in general practice, dentistry, community pharmacy, and optometry.

Main themes of the week

The bulletin highlights several important updates for healthcare professionals, including resources for the upcoming autumn 2025 COVID-19 vaccination programme, key requirements for GP contract changes effective from 1 October 2025, and the observance of World Pharmacists Day on 25 September. These updates are crucial for ensuring that practices and services are well-prepared and informed about current initiatives and requirements.

Primary care

Resources for the autumn 2025 COVID-19 programme

The COVID-19 vaccination e-learning for the autumn 2025 seasonal programme is now available on the e-learning for healthcare website. Additionally, the Patient Group Direction (PGD) and the National Protocol to support the vaccination programme have been published. Vaccinating teams must read and understand these documents before commencing vaccinations and share them with relevant stakeholders.

Evolving the NHS’s approach to patient safety

NHS England has released findings from its Never Events framework consultation, revealing that 66% of respondents believe the current framework is unfit for purpose. In response, NHS England's National Patient Safety Team will develop a revised Never Events framework aimed at enhancing safety and promoting a just culture for reporting. Until the new framework is implemented, existing protocols for reporting Never Events will remain in effect.

National Medical Examiner’s 2024 report

Since the introduction of Death Certification Reforms and the statutory medical examiner system on 9 September 2024, independent medical examiners have reviewed over half a million deaths. This initiative allows bereaved individuals to raise concerns about care with an independent authority. More details can be found in the National Medical Examiner’s 2024 report.

NHS App update webinar

An upcoming webinar on Tuesday, 14 October from 11.30 to 12.30pm will provide updates on the NHS App national campaign, including enhancements to the communications toolkit, engagement with NHS App Ambassadors, and partnership efforts. Participants will gain insights into the updated design and functionality of the NHS App. Interested parties can register via the website.

RCGP webinar on managing paediatric respiratory tract infections

On Wednesday, 15 October from 6.30 to 7.30pm, the Royal College of General Practitioners will host a webinar focused on the management of paediatric respiratory tract infections. This session will provide evidence-based guidance and resources useful for clinicians in primary care settings. More information about the webinar is available online.

Nurturing compassionate and inclusive NHS cultures

NHS England is offering a free online course aimed at fostering compassionate and inclusive cultures across health and social care settings. The course introduces participants to the NHS Culture and Leadership Programme (CLP) and provides practical tools for culture transformation. Interested individuals can find out more and register.

General practice

Reminder: GP contract changes 2025/26

As a reminder regarding the GP contract changes for 2025/26, three key requirements will take effect from 1 October 2025: online consultation tools must be operational during core hours, the You and Your General Practice resource must be accessible on practice websites, and GP Connect Access Record functionalities must be enabled. These measures are designed to enhance patient access and streamline services.

NHS England expands OpenSAFELY platform

NHS England has directed GP practices to instruct their clinical system suppliers to make data available to the OpenSAFELY platform as per the NHS OpenSAFELY Data Analytics Service Pilot Directions 2025. Practices using TPP or Optum should follow specified steps to ensure compliance. OpenSAFELY employs pseudonymised GP data, ensuring patient confidentiality. More information is available on the NHS England Digital website and in the FAQs.

Healthy Living for people with type 2 diabetes

GP practices can now refer patients with type 2 diabetes to Healthy Living, a free online structured education programme. This platform empowers participants to manage their condition effectively and promote healthy lifestyle choices. Practices are encouraged to facilitate self-referrals through bulk SMS, which can be sent via Healthy Living's website.

Community pharmacy

World Pharmacists Day - 25 September

World Pharmacists Day is celebrated on 25 September each year, recognising the contributions of pharmacists to global health. This year's theme is "Think Health, Think Pharmacist". Community pharmacists are encouraged to participate and promote the event through social media channels.

Engage, empower, improve health: support Self-Care Week

Self-Care Week, occurring from 17 to 23 November, presents an opportunity to support patients in taking control of their health. The Living Self-Care Survey Study indicates that patients desire greater involvement in their health management. Primary care teams can leverage this campaign to enhance patient engagement in self-care practices. Free resources to support participation can be found on the Self-Care Forum's website.

Help define the next era of nursing and midwifery in England

The deadline is approaching to share your views on the professional strategy for nursing and midwifery in England. Contributions will shape a long-term vision for these professions, recognising their essential role in transforming health and care. Responses are needed by 29 September.

Upcoming webinars and events

A selection of upcoming webinars and events includes:

• 24 Sept, 12.30-2pm: MSATS – safe use of medicine in palliative and end of life care

• 30 Sept, 12-1pm: Realising the potential of primary care provider collaboratives

• 30 Sept, 12:30-1:30pm: NHS England webinar series: New Ways of Working to Improve Workforce Productivity

• 30 Sept, 1-2pm: Primary care discussions: biosimilar insulin

• 14 Oct, 11:30-12:30pm: NHS App Update webinar

• 15 Oct, 10-12pm: Embedding Healthy Speaking Up Cultures

• 15 Oct, 6.30-7.30pm: RCGP webinar on managing paediatric respiratory tract infections

• 6 Nov, 5-6pm: General Practice webinar

Catch up

For those who missed recent national webinars, slides and recordings are available for review. View General Practice webinars.

Content in this article is drawn from the NHS England Primary Care Bulletin. Patient.info edits and formats the updates to provide a clear, accessible archive for professionals.

For the original email, click here.