27/01/2026
Bevan Brittan provides high quality, comprehensive advice to the NHS, independent healthcare sector and local authorities. This update contains brief details of recent Government publications, legislation, cases and other developments relevant to those involved in health and social care work, both in the NHS, independent sector and local authorities which have been published in the last month.
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Bevan Brittan Free Training Events
There is no charge for any of the events listed below
Webinars
These are internal hour long lunch time training sessions. You can sign up to watch the training sessions remotely via our webinar facility by clicking on the links below.
Mental Health Act 2025 - An update on the new legislation and practical implications. Join Hannah Taylor and Simon Lindsay for this webinar, in which they will provide:
* An update on the Mental Health Act 2025 – where are we now? A
* An overview of the key reforms
* Timescales for implementation and further guidance anticipated
* Practical considerations and how to prepare for changes
Tales of the Unexpected: The realities of medico-legal expert work. In this webinar Daniel Morris, Partner, will lead a panel discussion between us and medico-legal expert, Dr Janet Rennie, Dr Gregor Campbell-Hewson, Mr Richard Mannion, and Dr Kevin Barraclough. Our panel will be looking at the do’s and don’ts of expert work and what advice would they give to their younger selves or anyone considering entering the field now.
Watch on Catch Up!
The General Medical Council: introduction to the regulatory regime and fitness to practise. Tracey Longfield was joined by Ben Lambert and Anna Lyp, specialists in healthcare regulatory proceedings in Bevan Brittan’s Health and Care Regulatory and Resolution team, who presented on key issues surrounding the General Medical Council’s regulatory powers.
Talking Heads: NHS 10 Year Health Plan for England - Fit For the Future - ICB Reconfiguration. Anna Davies, Partner, outlines some of the key governance issues that organisations will need to navigate, including managing costs, clustering models and decision-making arrangements. Anna is joined by Laura Brealey, a Partner and procurement specialist, who examines the procurement implications of the proposed arrangements. Lee Carroll, a Partner in our Employment team, adds the workforce perspective, addressing the HR considerations and organisational impacts that may arise as ICBs evolve.
Medicolegal Experts – Webinar Training Series. In this webinar Joanne Easterbrook was joined by Richard Furniss, Barrister at 42BR Barristers. Richard provided his expert view on how to ensure compliance with Part 35 of The Civil Procedure Rules and what to expect at trial. Richard looked at the CPR and providing insights into report writing, managing joint expert discussions and cross-examination at trial.
Diagnosing Death: Clinical and Legal Considerations - 27.11.25 Dr Dale Gardiner, an Intensive Care Consultant at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, and Victoria Butler-Cole KC of 39 Essex Chambers joined Julia Jones to discuss the clinical and legal aspects of diagnosing death.
Please note that registration for each webinar will close one hour before the webinar starts, so please do ensure you have booked your place in advance to guarantee attendance.
Acute and Emergency Care
Publications/guidance
State of the provider sector. This report outlines the findings of NHS Providers' annual State of the provider sector survey, providing a snapshot of the issues facing hospital, mental health, ambulance and community services across England.
Is there a quick route to reducing health care costs or visits to A&E? A recent US study showed one simple intervention resulted in 27% fewer visits to emergency services. Could it work in the UK too?
Bracing for winter: a close look at NHS emergency and elective care in England and its implications for corridor care. This report examines the increasing pressures on the NHS in England and its implications for corridor care as the winter period begins. It explores how rising demand, pressures, and challenges with patient flow for emergency and elective services has contributed to the persistence of corridor care, and why winter pressures risk making the situation worse.
Faster treatments and support for health workers as AI tackles A&E bottlenecks. Over 50 NHS organisations across England are using artificial intelligence (AI) to help predict when accident and emergency (A&E) departments will be busiest. With the forecasting tool being trained on seasonal health data, it will help to spot surges in demand for health services before they happen. The tool uses this data to highlight when demand is likely to be higher across the course of the year. That includes areas, from Met Office temperature forecasts and hospital admissions through to which days of the week are busier than others. This tool forms part of the Prime Minister's AI Exemplars programme.
Beyond winter pressures: the endemic crisis of corridor care in the UK. This briefing provides a summary of evidence showing that corridor care has become embedded practice across many parts of the UK and is now a persistent, year-round crisis. It draws on updated testimonies from RCN members and new public polling commissioned by the RCN, underscoring the enduring scale and severity of the problem.
How we can help
For more information on issues around acute and emergency care, please contact Claire Bentley.
Children and young people
Publications/Guidance
Online safety: private messaging. NSPCC Learning has published a new report examining the technologies available to combat online grooming, and the role the UK government, Ofcom and tech platforms can play to protect children.
Girls in custody. The government has published its response to the independent review into placements and care for girls in custody in England and Wales published earlier this year in March.
Youth custody. The Children’s Commissioner for England has published a report looking at children’s experiences of custodial remand.
Children educated at home. NSPCC Learning has published a report exploring some of the challenges local authorities face to safeguard children educated at home. The findings are based on a review of UK literature, data from a Freedom of Information request, interviews with local authority home education teams, and insights from Childline and the NSPCC Helpline. Key findings include: many families choose home education because mainstream schools are unable to meet their children’s needs; Elective Home Education teams are under-resourced to meet the needs of a growing cohort of home-educated children; and the child’s voice is under-represented in local authority practice. Recommendations for the Department for Education include: update and strengthen national guidance to reflect the scale and nature of home education; and provide stable and sufficient funding for local authorities to safeguard and support home educated children.
Child deaths. The National Child Mortality Database (NCMD) has published data on the number and nature of child deaths in England in the year ending 31 March 2025. Key findings include: 3,492 children in England died in 2024-25, a decrease of 2% from 2023-24; the death rate for children in the most deprived areas of England was more than twice that for children in the least deprived areas; 17% of children were known to social care at the time of their death; and a further 15% of children had been previously known to social care before their death.
What is the state of children's health in England? This explainer offers a snapshot of the current state of children’s health in England, drawing on the latest available evidence. It focuses on outcomes across physical and mental health, the inequalities and wider determinants that shape those outcomes, and how well the health and care system is responding. It closes with The King’s Fund’s view on priorities for action and a look ahead to a second explainer, which will map the system for children and young people in England – setting out who is responsible for what, how services are delivered, and the levers available to improve outcomes and reduce inequalities.
Paediatric and perinatal pathology workforce report. This report highlights the crisis across UK paediatric and perinatal pathology services. Severe workforce shortages prevent consultants from meeting demand, causing unacceptable delays for families awaiting test results and increased waiting times or transfer out of region for post-mortem examinations of babies and children. Urgent, long-overdue workforce strategies are needed to resolve this worsening situation.
Child protection plans. NSPCC Learning has updated the England factsheet in its collection of statistics that look at children who are the subject of a child protection plan or on a child protection register for each UK nation. The factsheets set out: the number of children who are the subject of a child protection plan or on a child protection register; the reasons children are the subject of a plan or on a register; and the age and gender of children who are the subject of a plan or on a register.
Children and violence. The Youth Endowment Fund (YEF) has published a new report exploring children’s experiences of violence in England and Wales as part of its annual Children, violence and vulnerability research. The YEF surveyed nearly 11,000 13- to 17-year-olds about their experiences. Findings include: physical assault was the most common type of violence experienced; while half of the teenagers in the survey said they had witnessed violence in person, even more said they had encountered it online with 70% seeing real-world violence shared on social media in the past year; and 82% reported seeing social media posts about harming specific groups such as migrants or people of certain ethnicities or sexualities. The report includes calls for social skills training, mentoring and sports programmes to help reduce violence in the real world and help children navigate content online.
Children in care: trafficked and unaccompanied children. Every Child Protected Against Trafficking (ECPAT UK) and Missing People have published a new report on unaccompanied and trafficked children going missing from care in the UK. The report looks at the scale of the issue and draws data from Freedom of Information (FOI) requests issued to local authority children’s services. Findings show that trafficked children continue to be one of the groups who are most at risk of going missing with nearly 2 in 5 going missing from care in 2024. Unaccompanied children also remain at greater risk of going missing with a rate of 13% compared to 10% of the looked after child population in England. These children remain at high risk of going missing from care, a persistent finding over the last decade which the report highlights as a continuing and significant failure in safeguarding. Recommendations include calls for local authorities and police forces to ensure new arrivals to the UK are supported and focus on preventing children from going missing.
Harmful sexual behaviour. NSPCC Learning has published new information about the NSPCC’s Safe Home programme. Safe Home supports the parents and carers of children who have displayed harmful sexual behaviour (HSB). Practitioners work with parents and carers across 13 sessions to help them to: reflect upon and process what has happened; develop their understanding of appropriate, problematic and harmful sexual behaviour; learn the signs of sexual abuse; and create a personalised safety plan with practical steps to prevent or minimise risk of sexual harm to and from their child in the future. NSPCC Learning provides information about Safe Home’s development and evaluation, and the support available for organisations wanting to adopt, implement and deliver the programme in their local area.
Relationship abuse. The National Youth Agency (NYA), Refuge and Tender have launched new guidance to support youth workers to tackle intimate partner abuse amongst 16-to-25-year-olds. The guidance includes: advice on recognising and responding to abuse; information about technology-facilitated and intimate image abuse; insights into intersectionality and tailored support for diverse identities, including people who have disabilities and LGBTQ+ young people; and tools for trauma-informed practice and listening to the voice of the young person.
Government extends free NHS services for care leavers. Major boost for children leaving care with free prescriptions, dental and eyecare services.
News
Child sexual abuse. The NSPCC has published a news story about delays to court cases relating to child sexual abuse and exploitation offences, highlighting the negative impact these delays have on children who have experienced sexual abuse. Figures from the Ministry of Justice show child sexual abuse and exploitation offence cases awaiting trial at the Crown Court, being tried, or awaiting sentencing in England and Wales have risen to nearly 7,000 in the past year, a 9% rise on the previous year. The NSPCC is calling on criminal justice agencies to fast-track court proceedings to help clear the backlog and to invest in specialist support for all young victims of abuse and exploitation.
Bevan Brittan Updates
Updates on the Child Protection Authority and grooming gangs inquiry - Amrita Hurst
How we can help
If you wish to discuss any queries you may have around children please contact Deborah Jeremiah or Callum Scott .
Clinical Risk / Patient Safety
Publications/Guidance
Failings in black maternal health: Govt responds to Committee’s report. The government’s response to recommendations made by the House of Commons Health and Social Care Committee’s inquiry into Black maternal health.
Maternity services in England. This briefing gives an overview of women’s experiences of maternity services in England, including disparities in the care received by women from minority ethnic groups. It provides details of investigations into maternity units at individual NHS trusts, the government-commissioned national maternity and neonatal investigation, and policies to improve care. This briefing supplements the Library paper Quality and safety of maternity care (England) which contains information on key policy documents and developments (until February 2025).
Independent Investigation into Maternity and Neonatal Services in England - Reflections and Initial Impressions. Valerie Amos, who is leading the national maternity and neonatal investigation (NMNI), has shared her initial findings after visiting seven trusts, talking with families and meeting NHS staff.
State of the provider sector. This report outlines the findings of NHS Providers' annual State of the provider sector survey, providing a snapshot of the issues facing hospital, mental health, ambulance and community services across England.
How to tackle obesity: why industry must step up. Nearly two-thirds of adults are overweight or obese. Child obesity is growing at an unprecedented rate. Urgent action is needed to tackle today's weight crisis in the UK.
Effects of maternal exposure to ambient air pollution on adverse birth outcomes. This report, written by the Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants, examines the evidence regarding the impact of outdoor air pollution on adverse birth outcomes. The authors conducted a review of epidemiological research available to mid-2021. It also considers mechanistic studies and discusses how the biological impacts of air pollution might be linked to the outcomes studied. The findings show that many of the published systematic reviews were not of a suitable quality to draw firm conclusions regarding the likelihood that air pollutants (particulate matter – PM2.5 and PM10, nitrogen dioxide and ozone) are associated with low birth weight, pre-term birth or stillbirth. It concludes that new systematic reviews and meta-analyses are required that would include recently published studies.
Infected Blood Inquiry: recommendations for recognition, healthcare and patient safety. The Infected Blood Inquiry made recommendations to improve patient care and safety, and strengthen the voice of patients in the healthcare system.
2025 maternity survey: statistical release. This survey looked at the experiences of pregnant women and new mothers who used NHS maternity services in 2025. The survey shows overall improvement in many areas of maternity care over the past year, especially in experiences of communication during antenatal care and involvement in decisions during postnatal care. However, there remain other areas of maternity care where women report poorer experiences, particularly communication during postnatal care.
Delayed diagnosis of cancer: a thematic review of general practice indemnity claims. NHS Resolution’s latest comprehensive thematic review identifies three key areas for improvement: optimising diagnostic processes, enhancing communication within consultations and across the healthcare system, and empowering patients through increased self-referral pathways and escalation mechanisms.
News
Life-saving Jess’s Rule to be advertised in every GP surgery. Government rolling out Jess's Rule posters to all GP surgeries in England to act as reminder of a life-saving patient safety initiative.
Top NHS trusts given new powers to improve care. High-performing NHS trusts will be given more independence to deliver faster, better and more personalised care.
CQC admits it falsely claimed not to know about trust maternity concerns
Visionary leader appointed for Health Data Research Service
Bevan Brittan Updates
Reinforcing the defence of illegality – an update for psychiatric healthcare providers - Deborah Pyzer and Dan Morris
Bevan Brittan Events
Tales of the Unexpected: The realities of medico-legal expert work. In this webinar Daniel Morris, Partner, will lead a panel discussion between us and medico-legal expert, Dr Janet Rennie, Dr Gregor Campbell-Hewson, Mr Richard Mannion, and Dr Kevin Barraclough. Our panel will be looking at the do’s and don’ts of expert work and what advice would they give to their younger selves or anyone considering entering the field now.
How we can help
We are working with clients on formulating policies and making it easier to balance treatment with finite resources. We are helping with social care policies and day to day activities such as contact and isolation, human rights issues and life/death decisions. We are working on notifications of harm and death, RIDDOR, CQC compliance, judicial review, infection control law and grappling with the new regulations and guidance. For more information click here.
If you wish to discuss any clinical risk or patient safety issues please contact Joanne Easterbrook or Daniel Morris.
Digital Health
Publications/guidance
Public-service reform in the age of AI. Despite record spending, research shows that people in Britain – as in other developed economies – are increasingly frustrated with public services. This report argues that a new agenda of reform is needed to build personalised, preventive, always-on services. It looks at how this transformation can be achieved with AI, digital ID, data consent, real-time intelligence and public innovation.
How are GPs using AI? Insights from the front line. According to this report, over 1 in 4 GPs (28%) say they use AI tools to help with their work, but they are faced with a “wild west” when deciding which tools to use and how, due to a lack of consistent national guidance or formal AI training. This raises concerns about patient safety, and could also worsen health inequalities, as practices in deprived areas are less likely to provide access to AI tools.
Faster treatments and support for health workers as AI tackles A&E bottlenecks. Over 50 NHS organisations across England are using artificial intelligence (AI) to help predict when accident and emergency (A&E) departments will be busiest. With the forecasting tool being trained on seasonal health data, it will help to spot surges in demand for health services before they happen. The tool uses this data to highlight when demand is likely to be higher across the course of the year. That includes areas, from Met Office temperature forecasts and hospital admissions through to which days of the week are busier than others. This tool forms part of the Prime Minister's AI Exemplars programme.
Open call for evidence: Regulation of AI in Healthcare. A Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) call for evidence seeks views on how AI in healthcare should be regulated, aiming to inform recommendations from the National Commission into the Regulation of AI in Healthcare. Topics include: the sufficiency of the UK's AI in healthcare regulatory framework; how this framework could be improved to ensure fast access to safe and effective AI medical devices; approaches for checking safety once devices are in use; and how responsibility and liability are managed among parties involved in deploying AI medical devices. Comments by 23.59 on 2 February 2026.
How we can help
If you wish to discuss any queries you may have around Digital Health please contact Daniel Morris.
Employment/HR
Publications/guidance
NHS pay and pensions. This briefing outlines trends in NHS pay and pensions and explains how pay decisions are made.
Happier staff, healthier patients: the benefits of flexible working. This case study outlines the Bridgewater Community Healthcare Foundation Trust's Making Flexible Work campaign which aims to benefit both staff and patients.
NHS staff from overseas: statistics. Around one in five NHS staff in England report a nationality other than British. This briefing has statistics on the nationality of NHS staff for doctors, nurses and other groups, figures on EU nationals, and changes since the Brexit vote.
The state of medical education and practice in the UK: workforce report 2025. This report presents findings from the GMC's analysis of trends in the number, demographics, and place of primary medical qualification of doctors holding a licence to practise in the UK. It explores key issues across the UK workforce, including the potential impact of changing patterns in the number of doctors joining and leaving the register; and in applications and offers for postgraduate training posts. It highlights shifting dynamics within the profession, including a focused look at the history of female doctors in the workforce, following the number of women surpassing men on the medical register for the first time in 2024; and a significant change in the number of doctors declaring a disability since 2021.
Securing the NHS workforce for the future: our recommendations for action. Delivering the 10-Year Health Plan won’t be easy. Here’s why workforce planning, accountability and investment in people matter and what needs to happen next.
Closing referral black holes: how to improve experiences and reduce NHS workload. This research finds that one in seven patients who have been referred by their GP are stuck waiting for specialist care due to GP referrals being delayed, lost, or rejected. The poll was of 2,622 adults in England who had been referred by their GP for specialist tests or treatment in the last year. The results suggest that quicker referral confirmations, clearer communication, and greater patient choice significantly improve people’s satisfaction with the referral process.
Abolished to perfection? Building a better centre for the NHS. Reorganisation has been a regular feature of NHS history, but has often failed to deliver its goals. The abolition of NHS England marks the biggest restructure of the health service’s command structure for over a decade, at a time of particular scrutiny and pressure. This report from the Nuffield Trust and the Institute for Government looks at the opportunities and risks from the abolition, the deep issues it may not resolve, and lessons from the past about how to scrap public bodies as effectively as possible.
Good intentions aren’t enough: implementing a Fair Pay Agreement that works for social care. With the Employment Rights Act receiving royal assent on 18 December 2025, the Fair Pay Agreement for social care proposed within it moves a step closer to becoming reality, potentially offering an opportunity to improve pay, conditions and workforce stability for a struggling sector. But there is a long way still to go, and proposals can only succeed if they are designed carefully and funded properly. This briefing brings together evidence from England and beyond to provide an overview of what is needed to make a success of the Fair Pay Agreement.
Preventing and managing workplace violence webinar resources. On Tuesday 7 October 2025, NHS Resolution hosted a national webinar focused on tackling workplace violence (WPV) in the NHS. The event brought together speakers from NHS trusts and partner organisations to share the workplace violence report and how claims learning, local data analysis, implementing local violence reduction strategies, and being responsive to staff after incidents are helping create safer working environments for NHS staff. The recording will be of interest to anyone working in healthcare safety, governance, human resources, or occupational health, and looking for effective approaches to workplace violence prevention and response.
News
Hospital violated trans complaint nurses' dignity, tribunal rules
Legislation
The Medical Training (Prioritisation) Bill 2024-2026. The bill would prioritise UK medical graduates and certain other groups for NHS foundation and speciality training from 2026.
Bevan Brittan Updates
Post For Women Scotland: Where Are We Now? - Jane Bennett
How we can help
We can offer support and advice on managing many workforce issues including flexing your workforce to respond to the pandemic, managing bank staff, redeployment, vulnerable groups, sick pay, leave options, supporting staff well-being, presenteeism, remote and home working, through FAQs, helpline or policy guidance and practical day to day advice.
If you wish to discuss any employment issues generally please contact Jodie Sinclair, Alastair Currie, Oonagh Sharma, James Gutteridge, Andrew Uttley, Joanna Burrows and Lee Carroll.
Finance
Publications/guidance
How does health care funding in England work? Frequently asked questions about funding flows and allocations in the English health care system.
NHS Expenditure. NHS expenditure was £242 billion in 2024/25. It has increased by an average of 3.6% per year over the last 50 years.
How are medicines prices set in the UK? The price of medicines in the UK is influenced by multiple factors, including agreements with the pharmaceutical industry to cap spending on branded medicines.
What does the Autumn Budget 2025 mean for health and care? The Chancellor's budget announced several measures to boost the nation's health, from an extra £300m in new capital funding for technology through to removing the two-child limit in Universal Credit. How effective will the measures be? This analysis is from Kings Fund.
How we can help
For more information on issues around finance, please contact Claire Bentley.
Health Inequalities
Publications/Guidance
Men's health: a strategic vision for England. This document sets out the government’s 10-year strategy for men’s health in England. It details the government’s vision for men’s health over the next 10 years and the actions being taken to improve the health and wellbeing of all men and boys in England.
Men’s health: how to improve health outcomes, knowledge, and behaviours. This report outlines Healthwatch England's research into men’s knowledge, attitudes, preferences, and experiences of healthcare in England. It aims to inform the government’s upcoming Men’s Health Strategy and focuses on three broad areas: improving health outcomes for conditions that disproportionately affect men; improving men’s health literacy and knowledge; and improving support for healthier behaviours and interaction with the NHS. The report also makes evidence-based recommendations that, if implemented, will help improve access to and experiences of healthcare, resulting in better health outcomes for men.
Exploring ethnicity data use and gaps in health care. This report identifies the barriers to the collection, availability and use of quality ethnicity data and opportunities and best practice to overcome these barriers. It makes recommendations to leverage existing ethnicity data sets and proposes long-term steps to build coherent and equitable data systems capable of driving real change.
How we can help
We have a multidisciplinary team advising NHS commissioners and providers on all aspects of tackling health inequalities, ranging from:
- advising on the new legal framework and compliance with the relevant statutory duties, particularly in the context of service reconfiguration;
- addressing workforce inequalities;
- taking action on patient safety to reduce health inequalities;
- the role of the Care Quality Commission in tackling health inequalities; and
- lessons to be learnt from the Covid-19 pandemic.
If you wish to discuss any queries you may have around health inequalities please contact Julia Jones.
Integrated Care
Publications/Guidance
NHS integrated care board (ICB) funding in England. NHS England funding allocations distributed to Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) from 2025/26 to 2028/29.
Expert Panel: Evaluation of Palliative care in England - Third Special Report of Session 2024-26. A Health and Social Care Committee report sets out an evaluation of palliative and end-of-life care (PEoLC) in England, finding variable commissioning priorities amongst integrated care boards (ICBs), under the Health and Care Act 2022, creating a postcode lottery. The committee warns that most ICBs lack adequate understanding of population needs, hindering their ability to commission appropriate PEoLC services, whilst competing financial pressures result in insufficient funding. It concludes that services are under strain, the workforce is ill-equipped, and structural inequalities persist.
How we can help
If you wish to discuss any queries you may have around integrated care, please contact Anna Davies.
Mental Health
Publications/Guidance
Bringing care closer to home: reducing inappropriate out of area placements in mental health services. Inappropriate out of area placements can have severe consequences for patients, carers and the wider system. This report highlights that impact, presents ways of responding to the challenge and provides examples of positive practice.
Mental Health Bill [HL] 2024-25: progress of the bill. The Mental Health Bill received Royal Assent on 18 December 2025. This briefing provides an overview of the progress of the bill through the House of Commons.
Suicide prevention policy. Suicide rates in the England have reached their highest level since 1999. The government introduced a new suicide prevention strategy for England in September 2023.
State of the provider sector. This report outlines the findings of NHS Providers' annual State of the provider sector survey, providing a snapshot of the issues facing hospital, mental health, ambulance and community services across England.
Climate change and mental health: thematic assessment report. This report provides an update on the evidence base of the mental health impacts from climate change and adverse weather that the UK is currently facing and will likely experience in future. An assessment of confidence in the evidence has been applied to help readers understand the level of confidence around the statements.
Safeguarding adults, England, 2024 to 2025. Official statistics on adult safeguarding concerns that were raised and where enquiries took place during 2024 to 2025 in England.
Blood transfusion: patient consent. Recommendations from the advisory committee on the Safety of Blood, Tissues and Organs (SaBTO) on patient consent for blood transfusion.
Independent review into mental health conditions, ADHD and autism: terms of reference Terms of reference for an independent review into the prevalence and support for mental health conditions, ADHD and autism.
Cases
Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council v EKK [2025] EWCOP 42. Determination of a preliminary issue concerning the appropriate approach for deciding whether the EKK - in her eighties and with vascular dementia - has the capacity to decide on whether to marry.
King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust v LE [2025] EWCOP 46 (T3). Applications regarding medical treatment for LE who needs surgery on gangrenous fingers after complications from a heart attack.
University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust & Anor v AB & Ors [2025] EWCOP 45 (T3) Best interests decision regarding whether AB should have a new PEG tube fitted where his deputy, and mother, was unsupportive of the plans.
Royal Free NHS Foundation Trust v EF. Court of Protection | [2025] EWCOP 52 (T3) An order was made for a man with Down's syndrome and kidney failure to be removed from his father's care and placed in a supported living placement to ensure that he received a sufficient level of dialysis and medication.
News
MHRA and NICE receive £2 million from Wellcome to improve safety and effectiveness of digital mental health technologies. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) have secured £2 million in funding from global charitable foundation Wellcome to work on regulation and evaluation of digital mental health technologies. The next phase will include: establishing a digital mental health regulatory sandbox for AI medical devices which lets companies test tools with the regulator before NHS roll-out; exploring international reliance and mutual recognition for the regulation of digital mental health technologies; and driving quality and evidence for digital mental health technologies on the UK market.
Bevan Brittan Updates
Mental Health Bill gains Royal Assent – Mental Health Act 2025: A New Era for Mental Health Law in England and Wales - Julia Jones
Bevan Brittan Events
Mental Health Act 2025 - An update on the new legislation and practical implications. Join Hannah Taylor and Simon Lindsay for this webinar, in which they will provide:
* An update on the Mental Health Act 2025 – where are we now? A
* An overview of the key reforms
* Timescales for implementation and further guidance anticipated
* Practical considerations and how to prepare for changes
How we can help
We are experts in advising commissioners, providers and care co-ordinators on the relevant legal frameworks. We deal with complex issues such as deprivation of liberty, state involvement, use of CCTV monitoring, seclusion, physical restraint and covert medication. We can help providers with queries about admission and detention, consent to treatment, forensic service users, transfers, leave, discharge planning and hearings. We can advise commissioners on all matters concerning commissioning responsibility, liability and disputes. For more information click here
If you wish to discuss any mental health issues facing your organisation please contact Hannah Taylor or Simon Lindsay
Primary Care
Publications/Guidance
How are GPs using AI? Insights from the front line. According to this report, over 1 in 4 GPs (28%) say they use AI tools to help with their work, but they are faced with a “wild west” when deciding which tools to use and how, due to a lack of consistent national guidance or formal AI training. This raises concerns about patient safety, and could also worsen health inequalities, as practices in deprived areas are less likely to provide access to AI tools.
Why does England have unemployed GPs when patients can’t get GP appointments? With public satisfaction with general practice at an all-time low and patients frustrated by how difficult it is to secure a GP appointment, it is an irony that many GPs are struggling to find NHS work. This briefing looks at what lies behind this underemployment of GPs in England.
How we can help
If you wish to discuss any issues in primary care then please contact Joanne Easterbrook.
Prison Health
Publications/Guidance
Girls in custody. The government has published its response to the independent review into placements and care for girls in custody in England and Wales published earlier this year in March.
Youth custody. The Children’s Commissioner for England has published a report looking at children’s experiences of custodial remand.
How we can help
If you wish to discuss any issues in prison health then please contact Joanne Easterbrook.
Social Care
Publications/Guidance
Briefing for Impact Statement: 10 Year Health Plan for England (January 2026). This briefing explains the DHSC’s Impact statement for the 10 Year Health Plan for England, published in January 2026, and outlines its relevance for social care providers. The impact statement accompanies the 10 Year Health Plan and is intended to explain the rationale for reform, the evidence base supporting it, and the potential costs, benefits, and risks. It is not an implementation plan and does not set out firm funding commitments or delivery models.
Caring together: a joint vision for the future of cooperation between adult social care and the NHS. This report presents a shared vision of what is possible today, and what could become possible in the future, at the interface between adult social care and the NHS. It makes seven recommendations around joint commissioning, delegated health tasks, Continuing Healthcare and more.
Good intentions aren’t enough: implementing a Fair Pay Agreement that works for social care. With the Employment Rights Act receiving royal assent on 18 December 2025, the Fair Pay Agreement for social care proposed within it moves a step closer to becoming reality, potentially offering an opportunity to improve pay, conditions and workforce stability for a struggling sector. But there is a long way still to go, and proposals can only succeed if they are designed carefully and funded properly. This briefing brings together evidence from England and beyond to provide an overview of what is needed to make a success of the Fair Pay Agreement.
Adult social care priorities for local authorities. Sets out national priority outcomes, expectations and notional allocations for local authorities that deliver adult social care services.
How we can help
For ways in which we can help with Social Care issues click here.
If you wish to discuss any queries you may have around social care please contact Claire Bentley.
General
Publications/Guidance
The role of the NHS in preventing domestic homicides and domestic abuse-related deaths A general debate on the role of the NHS in preventing domestic homicides and domestic abuse-related deaths took place in Westminster Hall on the 20 January 2026. The debate was led by Dr Simon Opher MP.
Freedom from violence and abuse: a cross-government strategy to build a safer society for women and girls. This strategy sets out the government’s vision and actions for meeting its ambition to halve violence against women and girls (VAWG) in a decade. It prioritises prevention and tackling the root causes of VAWG, pursues perpetrators, and supports victims and survivors of violence and abuse. It argues that a ‘whole of society’ approach is needed to tackle VAWG, working across government, public services, and wider society to make lasting, meaningful change.
Trailblazing scheme to reconnect thousands with HIV treatment. The government has launched a scheme which will see thousands of people benefit from improved HIV testing and treatment under a new action plan.
Chief Medical Officer’s annual report 2025: infections. Professor Chris Whitty’s annual report considers trends, successes and challenges in preventing and treating infectious diseases.
An analysis of the asylum system
Making the NHS Friends and Family Test ‘fit for the future’. This report sets out a roadmap for reforming the NHS Friends and Family Test (FFT), with recommendations for the Department of Health and Social Care, NHS England and local NHS providers. It explores the historical context of the FFT and its current structure, strengths and weaknesses, before exploring options to reform the feedback mechanism first introduced in 2013. The report finds that while the FFT has raised the profile of patient experience and provides valuable qualitative insights, it also shows limited variation in results and lacks comparability due to the use of inconsistent methodologies.
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