Health & Care Update - June 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. 

Training Events	Housing
Acute and urgent Care	Information Sharing /Data
Children/young people	Inquests
Clinical Risk/Patient Safety	Mental Health
Commissioning and Integrated Care	Primary Care
Digital Health	Public Health
Employment/HR	Social Care
Finance	General
Health Inequalities

 

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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.

Understanding Executive Function and How its Dysfunction Might Impact Capacity. 25th June 2026 In this webinar, Hannah Taylor will be joined by Francesca Gardner, Barrister at 39 Essex Street Chambers and Dr Catriona McIntosh, Consultant Clinical Neuropsychologist will discuss key issues including:

• Executive Functioning, capacity and the Mental Capacity Act 2025
• What are Executive Functioning Impairments?
• An overview of the frontal lobe paradox and how impairments in these areas can impact on the ability
• to use and weigh information in capacity assessments
• A review of key case law involving Executive Functioning
• How to approach cases involving Executive Functioning

Employment Law Update - June 2026 - 25th June 2026. 2026 continues to be a year of change for the employment law landscape with the phased implementation of the Employment Rights Act 2025. With implementation well and truly underway employers need must be ready, ensuring compliance and mitigating risk in a rapidly evolving legal landscape. This session will look at the reforms that have already been implemented, discuss what is on the horizon for employers under the October 2026 phase of reform, including the new duties in relation to harassment, restrictions on fire and rehire, the (re)introduction of a two tier code of practice on public sector outsourcing, and extending Employment Tribunal time limits. We will also and look ahead at what is in store for 2027.

Psychiatry for Lawyers – An update on common conditions and treatments and recent cases. 30th June 2026. In this webinar Dr Boris Iankov will discuss the mental disorders that most commonly arise in clinical negligence claims looking at:

• Diagnosis and treatment of psychotic illness
• Affective disorders
• Adjustment disorder and PTSD
• Medico legal issues in recent cases

Workforce Forum: Sexual Safety and Managing Patterns of Misconduct in Health and Care | Bevan Brittan LLP – Jo Lloyd – IN PERSON – London – 30th June 2026  Panel of guest speakers are:-

• Vicky Voller - Director of Advice and Appeals, NHS Resolution
• Dawn Hodgkins - Director of Regulation, IHPN
• Sarah Pinch - Managing Director, Pinch Point Communications
• Bernadette George - Director of Nursing, Midwifery, and Allied Health Professions, Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust
• Joanna Lloyd - Partner, Bevan Brittan LLP
• Chair: Alastair Currie - Partner, Bevan Brittan LLP

Watch on Catch Up! 

Civil Procedure Rules, less common applications and recent decisions in the last 12 months. Nadia Whittaker from Crown Office Chambers considered the following:

• Civil Procedure Rule changes in the last 12 months
• Less common applications such as strike outs and wasted costs orders
• Case decisions in the last 12 months that will impact on handling clinical negligence cases  

Claims against Private Patient Units in the NHS.  In this webinar, Joanne Easterbrook was joined by Andrew Bershadski, a clinical negligence barrister from 2 Temple Gardens who discussed some of the issues that can arise from both a claimant and a defendant perspective when bringing a claim.

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.

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Acute and urgent care

Publications/Guidance

Mental health: self harm 2025 national report. This report finds that around half of higher-risk mental health patients in emergency departments (EDs) were not properly observed during their stay in 2025. The RCEM’s Quality Improvement Programmes (QIP) are designed to improve care and awareness of particular issues in EDs among clinicians, offer recommendations on practice and in turn drive improvements to patient care. This report is the final one for the QIP on mental health and self harm, which ran from 2022-2025 and tracked progress in the care for patients attending EDs across the UK at risk of self harm and absconding. The report makes a series of recommendations aimed at driving further improvements for each clinical standard for care of mental health patients in EDs. 

The state of emergency medicine in England. This report examines the scale of overcrowding in emergency departments and the impact this is having on patient safety and staff. Drawing on national data, research and frontline evidence from clinicians, it highlights how long waits, high bed occupancy and a lack of patient flow continue to lead to overcrowded emergency departments. Long waits are closely linked to an increased chance of death within the following 30 days. The analysis estimates that there were 15,860 excess deaths associated with long waiting times in English emergency departments in 2025. While the number of deaths is slightly lower than 2024 (16,644), further analysis reveals that the estimated mortality figure increased almost tenfold when compared to 2015 (1,657).

What’s the emergency when prisoners go to A&E? : A&E attendances by people in prisons in England
There are huge pressures facing prison health services. This new report is the first to offer an in-depth assessment of A&E use by people in prison and adds to mounting evidence that health care is harder for prisoners to access. It finds a higher-than-expected number of A&E attendances by prisoners due to paracetamol overdose, seizures, and acute coronary syndrome, with opportunities for targeted intervention in these areas to avoid health crises.

Electronic prescribing and medicines administration: procurement and safety learning in acute hospitals. This report warns that inconsistent design, procurement and regulation of electronic prescribing and medicines administration (ePMA) systems across NHS trusts pose risks to patient safety and may increase medication-related harm. While digital technologies offer clear benefits, the current framework does not adequately support safe, large-scale adoption. The findings highlight the need for more consistent standards and stronger oversight as digital transformation accelerates.

News

20,000 fewer A&E visits a year thanks to single patient record. NHS Modernisation Bill will introduce the single patient record, resulting in safer, more co-ordinated care for patients.

How we can help

If you wish to discuss any queries you may have around acute and urgent care please contact Claire Bentley. 

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Children and young people

Publications/Guidance

‘Higgledy piggledy’: Systems of support for young people aged 14–24 with poor mental health. ‘Higgledy piggledy’: Systems of support for young people aged 14–24 with poor mental health is the third in a series of data commentaries under the Grown up? programme[1]. This data commentary is for anyone with an interest in mental health and young people aged 14–24, but will be particularly relevant for researchers, policymakers, and commissioners of services. It takes a broad lens in examining the mental health needs and services available for young people aged 14–24, as they move from being teenagers to young adults. It explores what is known about the prevalence of poor mental health in this age group and the support provided, drawing on data from prevalence surveys alongside administrative data, as well as insights from young people and practitioners.

Government response to the Women and Equalities Committee’s 12th report of session 2024 to 2026: menstrual health of girls and young women. A Department of Health and Social Care Command Paper sets out the Government response to the Women and Equalities Committee's report on the menstrual health of girls and young women. The Government accepts the need to improve menstrual education, information and patient experience, and links action to the renewed Women's Health Strategy and 10 Year Health Plan for England. Key planned measures include: £1 million for education in schools and communities; NHS website and App signposting to a period symptom checker; and work on femtech, pain management, contraception access, disability data and research.

Delivering the children’s social care reset: An implementation plan for local partners: 2026-2029.  A Department for Education implementation plan for local partners sets out the next steps for whole system reform of the children’s social care and child protection system. The plan sets out how reforms in the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026 will be rolled out across England. Under the plans: every local authority will deliver a single Family Help service; new multi-agency child protection teams will strengthen safeguarding for vulnerable children; support for kinship carers will be strengthened; foster care capacity will be increased and regional care cooperatives expanded; care leavers will receive strengthened support through a national Staying Close offer from 2029; and new corporate parenting responsibilities across public bodies will help ensure a more joined-up approach to supporting children in care and care leavers.

Young people with mental health conditions are now more likely to be NEET. This analysis examines the relationship between the number of young people who are not in education, employment or training (NEET) and the prevalence of mental health conditions. As Alan Milburn's review of Young People and Work publishes interim findings, the analysis highlights the significant role mental health is playing in the rising number of young people who are NEET. 

Bevan Brittan Updates

Alert! - SEND Consultation closes on 18th May 2026 - Callum Scott

How we can help

If you wish to discuss any queries you may have around children please contact Deborah Jeremiah or  Callum Scott .

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Clinical Risk / Patient Safety

Publications/Guidance 

Health Bill: patient safety – fact sheet. Outlines the proposed legislative changes in the upcoming Health Bill to the way patient safety is being strengthened. 

Health Bill: single patient record - fact sheet. Explains how the Health Bill will enable the creation of a single patient record.

NHS complaints in England. Find out how to make complaints about NHS care and treatment in England.

Independent investigation of the NHS in England. Lord Darzi's report on the state of the National Health Service in England.

Government regulation of maternity nurses, nannies and the infant sleep industry: Research Briefing. A House of Commons Library briefing examines stakeholder concerns about the regulation of maternity nurses, nannies and the infant sleep industry ahead of a debate on 8 June 2026. It highlights warnings that unqualified advice and online misinformation about infant sleep may put babies' health at risk, after it was found some self-described sleep experts were giving guidance that conflicted with National Health Service safer sleep advice, prompting calls for evidence-based standards, training and qualifications. The briefing also notes concerns from the Lullaby Trust about misleading marketing of baby products and unsafe sleep practices becoming normalised.

Bias and discrimination in patient safety investigations. A Health Services Safety Investigations Body briefing, informed by contributions from a national roundtable held in November 2025, aims to raise awareness and encourage positive change around bias and discrimination in patient safety investigations at all levels across the NHS. The briefing identifies a series of recommendations, which include: embedding explicit consideration of racism within investigation standards; improving expectations for family involvement; strengthening leadership accountability for equity; ensuring more consistent use of data to identify inequalities; anti-racism to be a core component of patient safety investigations; and robust mechanisms to monitor implementation and impact.

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.

The state of emergency medicine in England. This report examines the scale of overcrowding in emergency departments and the impact this is having on patient safety and staff. Drawing on national data, research and frontline evidence from clinicians, it highlights how long waits, high bed occupancy and a lack of patient flow continue to lead to overcrowded emergency departments. Long waits are closely linked to an increased chance of death within the following 30 days. The analysis estimates that there were 15,860 excess deaths associated with long waiting times in English emergency departments in 2025. While the number of deaths is slightly lower than 2024 (16,644), further analysis reveals that the estimated mortality figure increased almost tenfold when compared to 2015 (1,657).

Principles to support anti-racism in midwifery and nursing education and practice. These anti-racism principles set out some of the ways educators, organisations, registrants and employers can address concerns around inequities in care and racism across health and social care practice, education, and regulation. The principles are designed to: strengthen cultural safety, curiosity and respect in practice and education; and explicitly advance meaningful, sustained anti-racist, bias-aware practice. It is the NMC's expectation that universities and healthcare organisations will adopt these principles in course content, training and service provision.

Electronic prescribing and medicines administration: procurement and safety learning in acute hospitals. This report warns that inconsistent design, procurement and regulation of electronic prescribing and medicines administration (ePMA) systems across NHS trusts pose risks to patient safety and may increase medication-related harm. While digital technologies offer clear benefits, the current framework does not adequately support safe, large-scale adoption. The findings highlight the need for more consistent standards and stronger oversight as digital transformation accelerates.

Learning from claims related to early onset Group B Streptococcal (GBS) disease in neonates. This report examines clinical negligence claims related to early onset GBS disease in neonates. The analysis reviewed 19 closed claims notified between January 2016 and March 2023, of which 11 were settled with damages paid. The total cost of these closed claims was £1,430,894, including claimant legal costs, NHS legal costs and damages. The report makes practical recommendations for maternity and neonatal services, including improved triage systems, robust processes for tracking and communicating test results, and enhanced staff training in recognising signs of sepsis.

News

Maternity Adviser to champion safer care for mothers and babies. Michelle Welsh MP appointed as the government's first Maternity Adviser.

Scope of maternity review confirmed. Sussex families to get answers as maternity review scope confirmed.

Bevan Brittan Events

Psychiatry for Lawyers – An update on common conditions and treatments and recent cases. 30th June 2026. In this webinar Dr Boris Iankov will discuss the mental disorders that most commonly arise in clinical negligence claims looking at:

• Diagnosis and treatment of psychotic illness
• Affective disorders
• Adjustment disorder and PTSD
• Medico legal issues in recent cases

Workforce Forum: Sexual Safety and Managing Patterns of Misconduct in Health and Care | Bevan Brittan LLP – Jo Lloyd – IN PERSON – London – 30th June 2026  Panel of guest speakers are:-

• Vicky Voller - Director of Advice and Appeals, NHS Resolution
• Dawn Hodgkins - Director of Regulation, IHPN
• Sarah Pinch - Managing Director, Pinch Point Communications
• Bernadette George - Director of Nursing, Midwifery, and Allied Health Professions, Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust
• Joanna Lloyd - Partner, Bevan Brittan LLP
• Chair: Alastair Currie - Partner, Bevan Brittan LLP 

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.

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Commissioning and Integrated Care

Publications/Guidance

Health Bill: ICBs as strategic commissioners – fact sheet. Outlines how  integrated care boards (ICBs) will focus on their role as strategic commissioners of local health services. 

How we can help

If you wish to discuss any queries you may have around commissioning or integrated care, please contact Anna Davies or Katrina McCrory

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Digital Health

Publications/guidance

Apply AI Strategy - Survey on AI in Healthcare and Pharmaceuticals. A European Commission consultation seeks views on artificial intelligence (AI) applications in healthcare and pharmaceuticals, including the benefits, enablers, and barriers to AI adoption in this sector. Following the publication of the Apply AI Strategy, it seeks feedback on the deployment of AI in healthcare and pharmaceuticals, including type of EU level support needed, key barriers to adoption, and conditions for scaling solutions across health systems. The findings will inform future policy actions to support effective and trustworthy AI uptake in healthcare and pharmaceuticals. Comments by 16.00 on 26 June 2026.

In Focus - Artificial intelligence: Impact on human relationships and society A House of Lords Library briefing discusses artificial intelligence's (AI) impact on human relationships and society, ahead of a debate on that motion on 5 June 2026. It summarises evidence that over half of UK over-16s use generative AI, including some for companionship, and notes limited evidence on effects on human relationships. It also outlines implications for work, education, healthcare, creative industries, copyright, data centres and the environment, including possible productivity gains and job disruption. It cites work on AI screening, NHS administration, classroom use, copyright reform and energy demand.

The use of AI in UK healthcare: public perceptions and healthcare priorities. This study finds that AI is creating a shift in how people access health care, yet public attitudes to the technology remain divided. The research finds that one in seven of the public have used AI chatbots for health advice instead of contacting a GP or other NHS service, and 10% say they have used AI for mental health therapy or wellbeing support instead of seeing a trained professional. However, 20% of those who sought health advice from AI say the technology did not encourage them to seek a professional opinion – and a similar proportion (21%) report having decided against seeking professional health care advice because of something an AI chatbot said.

Deliberation for better decisions in health technology assessment: conjectures and tests. Health technology assessment increasingly relies on formal tools such as cost-effectiveness analysis, Quality-Adjusted Life-Years, thresholds and structured evidence reviews. These tools are useful, but they cannot settle questions of relevance, interpretation, fairness, implementation or public justification by themselves. This research paper argues that deliberative processes in health technology assessment matter not because deliberation is inherently virtuous, nor because algorithms are unhelpful, but because decisions about health technologies involve different types of evidence, contested values, uncertainty and context-sensitive trade-offs that cannot responsibly be resolved by algorithm alone.

Rewiring the state: delivering digital government. This report urges the government to exercise the 2027 break clause in the NHS Federated Data Platform Contract with Palantir and either develop an in-house replacement or seek an alternative UK provider. It argues that vendor lock-in should not be seen as inevitable and calls for a strategy to end lock-in across the public sector, diversify suppliers and strengthen digital resilience. It identifies Palantir as the most concerning example of the public sector’s growing reliance on a small number of major technology providers, including Microsoft and Amazon Web Services. 

Is the NHS ready for the AI-powered patient? This analysis stems from a roundtable on what direct-to-consumer care means for the NHS and how the health service can adapt, with the report setting out a series of recommendations. It highlights the need to respond to a world where more people will increasingly receive a combination of NHS care, private services, workplace support, digital tools and AI advice. 

The risk of standing still: governing AI in health systems under pressure. This paper considers how governments should weigh the risks and benefits of adopting AI in health when health systems everywhere are struggling to meet people’s needs. It proposes a framework for assessing new health technologies against current practice, focusing on comparative risk. The paper also outlines the practical steps that governments can take to create the conditions for safe adoption at scale, thereby improving services and outcomes for their populations. 

Bevan Brittan Updates

The Future of Regulated Health Tech and AI-Enabled Healthcare: Key Takeaways for Developers, Investors and Clinicians - Brett Lambe and Dan Morris 

How we can help

If you wish to discuss any queries you may have around Digital Health please contact Daniel Morris.

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Employment/HR  

Publications/guidance

NHS, heal thyself!: the avoidable cost and impact of sickness absence in the NHS. This report finds that sickness absence in the NHS has reached unsustainable levels at rates nearly three times higher than the private sector. Based on Freedom of Information requests to NHS Trusts and Integrated Care Boards, analysis of NHS workforce data, and interviews with occupational health and HR professionals, the report concludes that sickness management in the NHS is financially unsustainable, operationally damaging and ultimately unfair to both patients and staff. It calls for a modernisation and overhaul of the way the NHS manages sickness absence and makes a number of recommendations.

Lord Mann review of antisemitism and other forms of racism in the NHS and healthcare regulatory system - Independent report. A Department of Health and Social Care publication sets out Lord Mann's independent report on antisemitism and other forms of racism in the NHS and healthcare regulatory system. It recommends: adopting the NHS Race and Health Observatory anti-racism principles; considering Jewish and Sikh ethnicities in health data; stronger workforce race equality plans under the public sector equality duty; public metrics in the NHS Oversight Framework; board oversight of racism investigations; updated uniform guidance; national investigatory frameworks and training for complaints handlers; support for victims and witnesses; agreed definitions of racism and religious hatred across regulators; and access to counselling.

Government response to the Lord Mann review on antisemitism and other forms of racism in the NHS. The government response to the Lord Mann review into antisemitism and other forms of racism in the NHS.

Initial findings from the Royal College of Nursing 2026 Last Shift Survey. Every two years, the RCN undertakes their ‘Last Shift Survey’: a large-scale survey with RCN members on staffing levels which seeks to identify issues, risks or areas where progress has been made.  This briefing sets out some of the key headline findings from the 2026 survey, and the implications for nursing. Of the 13,000 nursing staff who completed the survey, almost a quarter (22%) say registered nurse numbers are “so far below” what is required, there’s now a “high risk” of harm on shift. 

Developing quality T Level industry placements in health and care settings: a toolkit for employers. This toolkit has been developed to support health and care employers in delivering high-quality T Level industry placements. These placements are a vital component of T Level qualifications, giving students meaningful, hands-on experience in real health and care settings. By participating, employers play a crucial role in shaping the future workforce and helping students gain the practical skills and confidence they need to succeed in their careers.

Guidance on recognition of experience gained outside of the NHS. This guidance supports NHS employers in England on the recognition of experience gained outside of the NHS, both in the UK and

Forty-eighth annual report on senior salaries. This report sets out the Senior Salaries Review Body’s analysis of evidence and makes recommendations on the remuneration of senior civil servants, members of the judiciary, and senior leaders in the NHS in England.

Getting the next workforce plan right: eight insights from our research. The government’s 10 Year Health Plan proposes long-term NHS reforms framed across three shifts: hospital to community care, analogue to digital, and sickness to prevention. The policy stresses that success hinges on NHS staff and promises the forthcoming workforce plan will set out how the workforce is to be expanded and enabled to support these changes. This analysis present eight insights from Health Foundation research for the new workforce plan: the assumptions it should rest on, the capabilities needed to deliver it, the policy levers that shape staff supply and the wider workforce dynamics on which delivery depends. 

Bevan Brittan Events 

Employment Law Update - June 2026 - 25th June 2026. 2026 continues to be a year of change for the employment law landscape with the phased implementation of the Employment Rights Act 2025. With implementation well and truly underway employers need must be ready, ensuring compliance and mitigating risk in a rapidly evolving legal landscape. This session will look at the reforms that have already been implemented, discuss what is on the horizon for employers under the October 2026 phase of reform, including the new duties in relation to harassment, restrictions on fire and rehire, the (re)introduction of a two tier code of practice on public sector outsourcing, and extending Employment Tribunal time limits. We will also and look ahead at what is in store for 2027.

Workforce Forum: Sexual Safety and Managing Patterns of Misconduct in Health and Care | Bevan Brittan LLP – Jo Lloyd – IN PERSON – London – 30th June 2026  Panel of guest speakers are:-

• Vicky Voller - Director of Advice and Appeals, NHS Resolution
• Dawn Hodgkins - Director of Regulation, IHPN
• Sarah Pinch - Managing Director, Pinch Point Communications
• Bernadette George - Director of Nursing, Midwifery, and Allied Health Professions, Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust
• Joanna Lloyd - Partner, Bevan Brittan LLP
• Chair: Alastair Currie - Partner, Bevan Brittan LLP 

Bevan Brittan Updates

Employment Eye – May 2026 - Samantha Ross 

The Mann Review is here, and it demands serious attention from every NHS board - Courtney Janotta

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, James Gutteridge, Andrew Uttley, Joanna Burrows and Lee Carroll.

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Finance 

Publications/guidance

Targets and trade-offs: NHS finance and performance ambitions in 2026/27. Ahead of financial year-end, NHS Alliance surveyed integrated care boards, NHS trusts and foundation trusts, and general practice providers to build a broad understanding of experiences across the NHS. The findings reveal the progress made in the last year despite ongoing challenges from industrial action, rising demand and constrained finances. They also reveal the difficult trade-offs required – and those still ahead – to improve financial sustainability and operational performance. The research highlights that the measures taken to meet financial plans have come at a cost, impacting efforts to build a more prevention- and community-focused model of care and staff morale.

Paying for health: learning from international experience in health financing. This publication brings together insights from over fifty global experts to examine how health care financing shapes access to care and progress toward universal health coverage, offering evidence-based tools for policymakers and health leaders worldwide.

NHS cost recovery – overseas visitors. Information for NHS bodies who need to make and recover hospital charges from overseas visitors.

How we can help

For more information on issues around finance, please contact Claire Bentley.

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Health Inequalities 

Publications/Guidance

Unlocking the door to dementia diagnosis and treatments. Two new reports published by the Alzheimer’s Society reveal that dementia patients routinely face prolonged delays to diagnosis, followed by gaps and stark inequalities in treatment and support - highlighting the need for the same focus and urgency seen in other major conditions. The reports examine the entire dementia diagnosis and treatment pathway revealing patients are not just delayed once, but are repeatedly missing opportunities for diagnosis, treatment and support at every stage.

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.

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Housing

Publications/Guidance

Better homes, better health: insights from linking housing and health data. This briefing presents new findings from the Networked Data Lab, a UK-wide network of analysts led by the Health Foundation. Teams in five areas of the country (Cheshire and Merseyside, North West London, West Yorkshire, Grampian and Wales) accessed, linked and analysed local data sources to produce new evidence on the links between housing and health.

Housing and health in local strategic health planning. This report reviews how housing is reflected within local strategic health planning in England, focusing on joint strategic needs assessments (JSNAs) and joint local health and wellbeing strategies (JLHWSs). The report: provides a national overview of current practice; identifies gaps and opportunities; and offers recommendations to support local systems to strengthen the use of housing data and evidence within strategic health planning. The report is intended as a reference document and practical tool for local councils, integrated care boards (ICBs), health and wellbeing boards (HWBs) and their partners.

A nation of neighbours: rebuilding Britain from the ground up. This report argues that community-led action is central to addressing social, economic and health challenges in the UK. It highlights how strong local relationships, social infrastructure and community control of resources can improve wellbeing, reduce loneliness and support prevention. It calls for policy shifts towards devolution, long-term funding and relational public services, positioning communities as key partners in delivering more responsive, sustainable and equitable health and care outcomes.

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 housing and health, please contact Julia Jones.

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Information sharing/data

Publications and guidance

Health Bill: single patient record - fact sheet. Explains how the Health Bill will enable the creation of a single patient record.

Kings Fund response to the NHS Modernisation Bill and measures for a single patient record. The introduction of a single patient record has the potential to make a substantial difference to patients’ experience of care — but delivering real change is dependent on how well it's implemented.
  
Sarah Woolnough sets out what this could achieve alongside the challenges that still need to be addressed. 

Health Bill: patient voice – fact sheet. Outlines the proposed legislative changes in the upcoming Health Bill to the way patient and public voice is listened to and acted upon within the health and care system. 

How personal data is used and shared during the NHS continuing healthcare process. This guidance is an overview of the rules and legal basis for using and sharing personal data during the NHS continuing healthcare process.

AI v Information Commissioner. First-tier Tribunal (General Regulatory Chamber) | [2026] UKFTT 752 The First-tier Tribunal (General Regulatory Chamber) allowed a GP's appeal against the Information Commissioner's decision that a freedom of information request made to an NHS trust was vexatious under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 Pt I s. 14(1), finding that the request was targeted and narrow in scope, would not place an undue burden on the trust or cause distress to its staff, and was not a disproportionate, manifestly unjustified, inappropriate or improper use of the Act.

Bevan Brittan Updates

The Single Patient Record – the cornerstone of the NHS Modernisation Bill? - Joanna Lloyd

How we can help

Our specialist team brings a unique combination of experience and skill from across the health, social care, and local authority sectors to help you meet the wide ranging challenges faced organisationally as you deal with the various and complex legislation in respect of information law.  That team understands the practical way those legal frameworks impact the range of issues faced, as well as the diverse nature of both public and regulatory expectation in relation to “personal data”, “data protection”, “freedom of information”, “access to health records” and wider “information governance”.  As well as assisting your organisation in dealing with challenging requests for disclosure, we can also help to provide strategic advice in relation to policy and information security, as well as bespoke organisational training on key legal issues.

If you wish to discuss any information law and / or governance issues facing your organisation, and how we may help, please contact Jane Bennett.

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Inquests

Publications and guidance

New and updated chapters for the Chief Coroner's Bench Guidance. The Chief Coroner has updated three chapters of the Bench Book. Chapter 1 incorporates the Burrows addition, extending guidance on inquest openings to disputes over the release of a body for burial or cremation, with reference to Burrows v HM Coroner for Preston and the application of intestacy priority rules. Chapter 16 has been revised to clarify the role of Prevention of Future Deaths (PFD) reports, confirming that they are ancillary to the inquest and setting out when the statutory duty arises, the limits of jurisdiction and the courts’ approach under the Coroners and Justice Act 2009.

Bevan Brittan Updates

Reflections on Navigating Inquests with Confidence: A Practical Workshop for Healthcare Leaders - Amanda Wright-Kluger 

How we can help

Our specialist team brings a unique combination of experience and skill from across the health, social care, and local authority sectors to help you meet the wide ranging challenges faced organisationally as you deal with the various and complex legislation in respect of information law.  That team understands the practical way those legal frameworks impact the range of issues faced, as well as the diverse nature of both public and regulatory expectation in relation to “personal data”, “data protection”, “freedom of information”, “access to health records” and wider “information governance”.  As well as assisting your organisation in dealing with challenging requests for disclosure, we can also help to provide strategic advice in relation to policy and information security, as well as bespoke organisational training on key legal issues.

If If you wish to discuss any queries you may have around inquests, please contact Amanda Wright- Kluger, Tracey Longfield  or Claire Leonard.

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Mental Health

Publications/Guidance  

Mental Health Act 2025: What the reforms mean for you - Bevan Brittan Information 

CQC statement on the Supreme Court's judgment on deprivation of liberty. On 2 June 2026, the Supreme Court handed down its judgment in A Reference by the Attorney General for Northern Ireland. The Supreme Court judgment is a significant development in case law. The judgment establishes a new approach to establishing whether a person may be deprived of their liberty. 

ADASS responds to Supreme Court ruling on Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards. On June 2, the Supreme Court overruled the Cheshire West ruling on the meaning of deprivation of liberty. Rashpal Bishop is the Executive Director of Adults, Social Care and Health at Sandwell Council and the ADASS Vice President. She is also the ADASS Lead on Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards, and responds to the judgement.

Mental health: self harm 2025 national report. This report finds that around half of higher-risk mental health patients in emergency departments (EDs) were not properly observed during their stay in 2025. The RCEM’s Quality Improvement Programmes (QIP) are designed to improve care and awareness of particular issues in EDs among clinicians, offer recommendations on practice and in turn drive improvements to patient care. This report is the final one for the QIP on mental health and self harm, which ran from 2022-2025 and tracked progress in the care for patients attending EDs across the UK at risk of self harm and absconding. The report makes a series of recommendations aimed at driving further improvements for each clinical standard for care of mental health patients in EDs.  

Stability beyond care: why welfare advice matters for mental health. This briefing, commissioned by Citizens Advice, finds that welfare advice in inpatient and community mental health is essential to effective care and recovery. It argues that financial insecurity, debt, unstable housing, and the complexity of the benefits system are not peripheral issues for people with mental health problems – they are all drivers of poor mental health.

Government to transform Mental Health care with new strategy. New Mental Health strategy will transform care in England and drive shift from crisis intervention to preventative care.

‘Higgledy piggledy’: Systems of support for young people aged 14–24 with poor mental health. ‘Higgledy piggledy’: Systems of support for young people aged 14–24 with poor mental health is the third in a series of data commentaries under the Grown up? programme[1]. This data commentary is for anyone with an interest in mental health and young people aged 14–24, but will be particularly relevant for researchers, policymakers, and commissioners of services. It takes a broad lens in examining the mental health needs and services available for young people aged 14–24, as they move from being teenagers to young adults. It explores what is known about the prevalence of poor mental health in this age group and the support provided, drawing on data from prevalence surveys alongside administrative data, as well as insights from young people and practitioners. 

Mental health conditions: Prevalence, impacts and government action. A House of Lords Library article examines the prevalence and impacts of common mental health conditions, including depression and anxiety, and outlines recent Government action. It notes evidence of rising diagnoses, particularly among 16- to 24-year-olds, and highlights Government-commissioned reviews into the effects on education, employment, and wider participation in society and the economy. It also discusses related initiatives, including the 10 Year health plan, the National Youth Strategy, a consultation on a new mental health strategy, and progress towards the target of recruiting 8,500 additional mental health workers.

Consultations

Open call for evidence. Informing the mental health strategy for England. The DHSS are seeking practical examples and implementation evidence to inform a mental health strategy for England. This call for evidence closes at 11:59pm on 10 July 2026. This call for evidence seeks to inform a new strategic cross-government approach to mental health under the 10 Year Health Plan for England. We welcome examples of good practice, from across the UK and internationally, and from across sectors including:

• mental health and wider health services
• local government
• education and training settings
• workplaces
• community settings
  They expect respondents to be mainly service providers and those who have direct experience of service provision.

Bevan Brittan Events

Understanding Executive Function and How its Dysfunction Might Impact Capacity. 25th June 2026 In this webinar, Hannah Taylor will be joined by Francesca Gardner, Barrister at 39 Essex Street Chambers and Dr Catriona McIntosh, Consultant Clinical Neuropsychologist will discuss key issues including:

• Executive Functioning, capacity and the Mental Capacity Act 2025
• What are Executive Functioning Impairments?
• An overview of the frontal lobe paradox and how impairments in these areas can impact on the ability
• to use and weigh information in capacity assessments
• A review of key case law involving Executive Functioning
• How to approach cases involving Executive Functioning

Psychiatry for Lawyers – An update on common conditions and treatments and recent cases. 30th June 2026. In this webinar Dr Boris Iankov will discuss the mental disorders that most commonly arise in clinical negligence claims looking at:

• Diagnosis and treatment of psychotic illness
• Affective disorders
• Adjustment disorder and PTSD
• Medico legal issues in recent cases

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

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Primary Care  

Publications/Guidance 

Supporting people with frailty outside hospitals - Seventy-ninth Report of Session 2024–26. A Public Accounts Committee (PAC) report examines support for people with frailty outside hospitals. Noting that GPs assessed 17% of patients aged 65 or over for frailty in 2024-25 and that only 16% of 226,000 patients diagnosed with severe frailty had a medication review, it finds that GPs might not be prioritising care for this group as their limited capacity is taken up with delivering NHS England (NHSE) priorities. Recommendations include: NHSE and the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) should set out, by the end of 2026, how they will ensure GPs assess more people with frailty; NHSE should seek to reduce variation in support for people with frailty by establishing a threshold for intervening in areas of poor performance; and NHSE and DHSC should set out how new accountability arrangements will improve how GPs assess and support people living with, or at risk of, frailty.

Broken fit note system to be overhauled. Patients, employers and GPs are set to benefit from an overhaul of the broken fit note system following the launch of several pilots by the Government today to reform the system for workers who fall ill. 

How we can help

If you wish to discuss any issues in primary care then please contact Joanne Easterbrook.   

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Public Health  

Publications/Guidance 

What would it take for the NHS to treat violence against women and girls as a public health emergency? The NHS sees the effects of violence against women and girls every day. What needs to change to ensure it plays its full part in preventing and responding to it? 

How we can help

If you wish to discuss any issues in Public Health please contact Claire Bentley.  

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Social Care  

Publications/Guidance 

Investment in social care nursing. This briefing sets out key findings from research on adult social care nursing across the UK, highlighting workforce pressures, funding challenges, and their impact on care delivery. It outlines the implications for the nursing workforce and the need for sustained action to support safe, effective care. 

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.

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General

Publications/Guidance 

Competition and regulation in the healthcare sector. An OECD policy paper examines how regulation interacts with competition in healthcare markets and identifies areas where competition authorities can advocate for pro-competitive regulation. The paper presents a framework for identifying and reviewing regulatory barriers to competition, finding that rules such as needs-based entry restrictions, or incumbents’ involvement in licensing decisions, can limit entry and reduce capacity. It highlights concerns around professional regulation, where restrictive definitions of tasks and limited portability of licences can exacerbate workforce shortages and reduce access. The paper concludes that pro-competitive regulation can support patients and payers.

Explaining the Health Bill (NHS Modernisation Bill 2026): what does it mean for health and care? The NHS is facing its biggest reorganisation in over a decade — but what will this really mean for health and care? What does it propose and why does it matter? What are some of the major opportunities — and risks — associated with it?

Health Bill: oversight of the health system – fact sheet. Outlines how the Department of Health and Social Care will set direction and maintain oversight of the health system, once NHS England has been abolished.

Health Bill: role and functions of the restructured DHSC – fact sheet. Outlines the role and functions of the restructured Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC). 

SIGN UP FOR PUBLICATIONS

If you would like to sign up for any of our Bevan Brittan publications including this Health and Care Update click here.

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