402 - Primary Care Bulletin: NHS Updates for 20 August 2026

Introduction

This article summarises the NHS England Primary Care Bulletin for 20 August 2026, the weekly email update for teams in general practice, dentistry, community pharmacy, and optometry.

Main themes of the week

Key updates include reminders for the seasonal flu programme and resources aimed at tackling urinary tract infections (UTIs) in older adults. Additionally, the NHS Community Pharmacy Hypertension Case-Finding Service has seen updates, and guidance for NHS dentistry has been published.

Primary care updates

Reminder to opt in for the children's flu programme 2026-27

Providers wishing to participate in the 2026-27 childhood seasonal influenza vaccination programme can now sign up. GP providers may do this via CQRS, while pharmacies can register through the NHSBSA. Detailed information is available in the enhanced specification and advanced specification.

Publish appointments for pregnant women booking

From 1 September 2026, providers utilising the national booking system (NBS) for the seasonal flu programme must publish appointments on Manage Your Appointments (MYA) for both adult and children's cohorts. Guidance on MYA can be found here.

Resources for urinary tract infections in older adults

NHS England and UKHSA have created a practical communications toolkit and resource pack to raise awareness of UTIs, which are a significant health concern. New materials include a prevention awareness video and translated posters.

General practice updates

Update to the NHS Community Pharmacy hypertension case-finding service

The updated service specification for the NHS Community Pharmacy Hypertension Case-Finding Service will take effect from 3 September 2026. The update aligns the service with its initial goal of hypertension case finding and incorporates NICE guideline NG136.

GP Staff Survey submission deadline

The deadline for submitting staff lists for the 2026 General Practice Staff Survey (GPSS) is 1 September 2026. Practices are required to submit staff details as part of the GP contract requirements. Further information and submission can be done through the sampling portal.

Community pharmacy updates

MenB vaccination programme

As of 27 August 2026, all eligible individuals can book appointments for MenB vaccinations through the NBS. This includes individuals born on or after 21 July 2001 who are beginning university or further education. Providers are reminded to inform patients about the necessity of a second dose.

Expressions of interest for Teach and Treat programme

Organisations can apply for funding through the expression of interest form for the NHS England Teach and Treat programme, which supports the development of community pharmacist Independent Prescribers (IPs). Applications close at 11:59pm on 23 August 2026.

Optometry updates

Updated policy book for ophthalmic services

NHS England has released an updated policy book for ophthalmic services in HTML format to improve accessibility. Templates are now available in Word or Excel formats for easier use.

Dentistry updates

NHS dentistry care pathways guidance

The new NHS dentistry: care pathways guidance has been published, providing a clinical framework for the new care pathways. It accompanies the updated NHS dentistry: quality and payment reforms guidance. A recording of the related webinar is accessible on NHS Futures.

Get involved

Improving information sharing in the NHS

The NHS Innovator Passport seeks examples of local approaches to enhance consistent Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) assurance. Examples can be submitted to mse.cepinsites@nhs.net.

Help improve test results information in the NHS App

The NHS website team is collecting feedback from general practice professionals regarding potential changes to test result information in the NHS App. To contribute, take the survey here by 30 August 2026.

Volunteering for health guides

New Volunteering for health: learning into action guides provide recommendations to strengthen volunteering across health systems, focusing on diverse participation and workforce development.

Upcoming webinars and events

Consultation on single and multi-neighbourhood provider contracts

A webinar will be held on 26 August to discuss proposals for new single and multi-neighbourhood provider contracts. Register here.

National earlier lung cancer diagnosis webinar

GatewayC will host a CPD-accredited webinar on 24 September discussing lung cancer screening. More information and registration can be found here.

NHS cervical screening programme webinar

On 9 September, a webinar will cover the new HPV self-testing pathway for cervical screening. Register here.

Closing

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. View the original email.