358: NHS Primary Care Bulletin - 25 September 2025

Overview of the NHS England Primary Care Bulletin for 25 September 2025

This article summarises the NHS England Primary Care Bulletin for 25 September 2025, the weekly email update for teams in general practice, dentistry, community pharmacy, and optometry.

The key themes of this week include the announcement of Jess’s Rule for improved diagnostic practices, the requirement for online consultation systems in GP practices starting 1 October, updates to the NHS Pharmacy First Service, and the availability of the flu vaccine for toddlers at community pharmacies.

General practice

Implementation of Jess’s Rule: Three strikes and we rethink

The Department for Health and Social Care and NHS England have announced the implementation of Jess’s Rule, which encourages GP teams to critically re-evaluate patient diagnoses if a patient presents three times with the same concerns and their condition remains unresolved or is deteriorating. This initiative aims to reduce diagnostic delays and is named in memory of Jessica Brady, who faced challenges in obtaining a cancer diagnosis. More information can be found on the Jess's Rule webpage.

Online consultation switch on from 1 October

From 1 October 2025, all GP practices will need to have their online consultation systems operational during core hours for non-urgent appointment requests and medication queries. Resources, including case studies and joint webinars, are available to support practices in this transition. NHS Resolution has confirmed that indemnity cover will be provided for claims related to online consultations under the Clinical Negligence Scheme for General Practice (CNSGP) here.

Reminder: Link to ‘You and Your General Practice’ on practice websites

Every practice must link to the You and Your General Practice (YYGP) information on their websites by 1 October 2025. This resource outlines mutual expectations between practices and patients, including how patients can provide feedback. Guidance for implementation is available on the NHS England website.

Clinical systems experience survey for general practice now open

A clinical systems experience survey has been launched to gather insights on the effectiveness of digital tools within general practice. Open until 16 November 2025, the survey is aimed at all staff who use clinical systems and will inform future improvements. A communications toolkit is available to promote participation.

Primary care

Seasonal vaccinations site campaign guide AW2025/26 version update

The Seasonal Vaccinations Site Campaign Guide has been updated to assist healthcare professionals with vaccination campaigns this winter. Key updates include new slides for the National Booking Service and additional onboarding steps for community pharmacies. NHS England has also created resources to support flu vaccination for health and social care workers, accessible via the Health and Social Care Worker flu vaccination campaign materials and the Winter 2025/26 Communications Toolkit.

MHRA confirms safety of paracetamol during pregnancy

The MHRA has released a statement confirming that taking paracetamol during pregnancy is safe and does not increase the risk of autism in children. Further details can be found in their official statement.

On violence and abuse towards NHS staff

Primary care teams can access materials to promote respect for NHS staff in healthcare settings. Practices are encouraged to utilise updated resources for violence prevention and reduction, including a 1-hour e-Learning course and advanced training options via the Royal Society of Public Health.

Community pharmacy

Flu vaccine for toddlers now available at community pharmacies

For the first time, parents can obtain flu vaccinations for their two and three-year-olds at local pharmacies this autumn. Approximately 4,000 pharmacies have signed up to administer the vaccine to the 1.2 million eligible toddlers starting next week. More information is available here.

Updates to NHS Pharmacy First Service clinical pathways

The NHS Pharmacy First Service has undergone updates to clinical pathways, patient group directions, and protocols to enhance patient care. These changes will take effect from 1 October 2025, and pharmacy teams should review the updated documents and sign relevant authorisation sheets for compliance.

Update your NHS profile information for flu and COVID-19 offers

Community pharmacies must verify and update their NHS profile information by 30 September 2025 to ensure accurate representation of services and facilitate the autumn and winter vaccination programme. They should contact nhswebsite.servicedesk@nhs.net for assistance.

Enabling pharmacist flexibilities when dispensing medicines – consultation

A consultation has been launched regarding proposed amendments to the Human Medicines Regulations 2012, aimed at increasing pharmacist flexibilities in dispensing medications. More information and the opportunity to provide feedback can be found here.

Community Pharmacy workforce survey 2025 now live

The Community Pharmacy Workforce Survey (CPWS) 2025 is now open until 21 November 2025. This survey provides crucial insights for future workforce planning in pharmacy services. Contractors can also access the survey through their Manage Your Service (MYS) portal, with more details available on the NHS England CPWS webpage and the Community Pharmacy England CPWS webpage.

Dentistry

Launch of urgent dental care incentive scheme

NHS England has introduced a new incentive scheme for urgent dental care, aimed at increasing appointment availability. Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) must implement this scheme by 25 September 2025. Further details are provided in the letter to ICBs. A webinar for dental providers is scheduled for 30 September to discuss this initiative, and registration is available here.

Upcoming webinars and events

A range of webinars and events are scheduled, including:

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

• 30 Sept, 12:30pm – 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 – learning event

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

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

Catch up

Missed a recent national webinar?

Slides and recordings from recent webinars are available, including 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.