Contents
In this month's newsletter:
- Primary Care Communications Toolkit: Introduction of MMRV Vaccine & the New 18-Month Appointment
- Refreshed Palliative & End of Life Care Resources for Professionals
- Improving Perinatal Pelvic Health Support for Women Across South Yorkshire
- Stakeholder Update: Bassetlaw Children’s Learning Disability Service
- Dental Contract Reform: Summary for Dental Teams Ahead of April 2026
- Registration Open for the 2026/27 COVID-19 Vaccination Service
- New South Yorkshire Guidance to Support Non-Medical and Independent Prescribers in Primary Care
- CVD Prevention Learning Lunch: Cardiorenal Metabolic Syndrome
- Changes to the Administration of the Sheffield FGM Risk Assessment Panel
- Promote Pharmacy First This February
- Jess’s Rule Posters Arriving in GP Practices
- Applications Open: CVDRM Fellowship – North East and Yorkshire
- Foundations of Health Webinar Series 2026
- New Resources to Support Informal Carers
- Update to Iron Profile Reporting – BRILS
- UKHSA Alert: Recall of Certain Nestlé SMA Infant Formula Products
News
Primary Care Communications Toolkit: Introduction of MMRV vaccine & the new 18-month appointment
As you will be aware, the NHS introduced the MMRV vaccination into the routine childhood vaccination schedule from 1 January 2026, replacing the MMR vaccination.
The new routine MMRV vaccine schedule will offer 2 doses, with the first dose recommended at the 12-month appointment. The second dose will be offered at the new 18-month appointment. Older children will receive a second dose at 3 years 4 months. Please find a primary care communications pack and assets here.
The pack contains the schedule, key messages, how to order the vaccine and payment and assets, including leaflets, posters, stickers, social media, screen messages, bulletins and letters.
Refreshed Palliative & End of Life Care Resources for Professionals
The palliative and end-of-life care webpages on the NHS South Yorkshire ICB website have recently been refreshed, making them clearer, easier to navigate, and more user-friendly for healthcare professionals. The site brings together practical resources to support advance care planning, ReSPECT conversations, bereavement support, and access to local specialist services.
The refreshed pages are designed to help clinicians quickly find and share relevant information with patients and carers, and include links to training and further support across South Yorkshire.
View the resources here.
Improving Perinatal Pelvic Health Support for Women Across South Yorkshire
You may be aware of changes to the support available to women in relation to pelvic health during and after pregnancy in South Yorkshire. Over the past 3-years, the South Yorkshire Local Maternity and Neonatal (LMNS) programme team have been working on a national perinatal pelvic health project, to ensure women receive the support they need and are able to recognise the signs and symptoms of pelvic health problems.
Key changes to the support available include:
- Implementation of the SY perinatal pelvic health specification and pathway
- Discussions on pelvic health at all antenatal appointments
- Access / self-referral to physiotherapy services during pregnancy and up to one year after birth across South Yorkshire
- Self-assessment during pregnancy and postnatally.
We have also developed several service user resources, including:
- Perineal massage leaflet
- Bladder care animation (ongoing)
- Pelvic health video (available with BSL interpretation) Pelvic Health - Pelvic floor exercises - BSL Version
- What to expect at a physiotherapy appointment (available with BSL interpretation). Pelvic Health - What to expect - BSL Version
One of the key developments has been the launch of the FREE getUBetter app with three key support pathways:
1. Pelvic health
2. Pelvic health during pregnancy
3. Pelvic health after birth.
We now have over 5,000 users, with over 50% using the app outside of traditional clinic hours for support, information and access to the pelvic floor trainer.
For more information about getUBetter or the perinatal pelvic health project, or for getUBetter leaflets and posters to share in your practice, please contact syicb-sheffield.syblmspmo@nhs.net.
Stakeholder Update: Bassetlaw Children’s Learning Disability Service
Nottingham and Nottinghamshire ICB has taken the decision to cease the Bassetlaw Children’s Learning Disability Service on 31 March 2026, with referrals no longer being accepted. This decision was taken in consultation with Nottinghamshire Healthcare Trust, which currently provides the service.
Bassetlaw is the only area offering this service, and the change will ensure a more equitable offer across Nottingham and Nottinghamshire. The service supports children and young people aged 0–24 with moderate to severe learning disabilities on a time-limited basis, including behavioural, sleep, continence and social support.
Families currently receiving support will continue to do so and will be helped to transition to alternative services before closure. Families awaiting assessment are being contacted, and a directory of alternative services is available via Nottinghamshire Healthcare Trust.
Dental contract reform: summary for dental teams ahead of April
Read more about the upcoming dental contract reform changes in a special NHS Dentistry and Oral Health Update. This edition of the bulletin explains what the changes, which will be introduced from April 2026, mean for practices across England.
Registration for the 2026/27 COVID-19 vaccination service open
GPs and community pharmacy contractors can sign up to provide the 2026/27 COVID-19 vaccination service:
- GPs can sign up via CQRS and complete the data collection form
- Community pharmacy contractors must use this registration form
Providers must sign up by 2 February 2026 to receive COVID-19 vaccine in time for the start of the Spring campaign. Where providers sign up to deliver the COVID-19 vaccination service, they will also be required to deliver the 2026-27 adult flu vaccination service.
For more information, read the GP enhanced service specification, and the community pharmacy advanced service specification.
New South Yorkshire Guidance to Support Non-Medical and Independent Prescribers in Primary Care
To support Non-Medical Prescribers (NMPs) and Independent Prescribers (IPs) working in primary care, South Yorkshire ICB has developed a policy and framework, alongside an audit tool (Appendix 2) and a matrix of employer responsibilities (Appendix 3). These resources are designed to support organisations employing qualified prescribers.
The guidance is intended to complement, not replace, existing local policies. It brings together national standards and best practice into a single, locally agreed set of resources, recognising that smaller practices may not have the capacity to develop this material independently.
The framework has been reviewed and ratified by the South Yorkshire ICB Chief Medical Officer, Chief Pharmacy Officer and Chief Nursing Officer, with engagement from local stakeholders. It supports CQC requirements, individual clinical practice, and professional revalidation.
Further information is available here.
CVD Prevention learning lunch: Cardiorenal Metabolic Syndrome
Tuesday 3rd March 2026, 12:30-13:30.
Register by clicking here.
Join us for an upcoming CVD Prevention Learning Lunch focused on Cardiorenal Metabolic Syndrome, designed to support primary care clinicians in improving early identification and management of this increasingly common condition.
The session will explore how cardiovascular, renal and metabolic disease intersect, helping clinicians recognise shared risk factors and key clinical features. Attendees will gain practical insights into interpreting clinical data to support early diagnosis and risk stratification, and will review evidence-based management approaches, including lifestyle interventions and newer therapies such as SGLT2 inhibitors and GLP-1 receptor agonists. Case-based discussion will highlight how to apply current guidelines and care pathways to optimise patient outcomes.
Changes to the administration of the Sheffield FGM Risk Assessment Panel
Due to organisational change within SYICB the administration of the FGM Risk Assessment Panel (RAP) will transfer to Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHSFT on 12th January 2026. The pathway and processes remain unchanged.
The maternity safeguarding administration team will manage all referrals and processes. They will also take on responsibility for applying the FGM-IS alert to summary care records of older female children in the families discussed where the alert is not already present.
What does this mean for you? Continue reading below.
FGM RAP members – all communication from 12th January 2026 will come from and need to be emailed to sth.maternitysafeguardingteam@nhs.net. For the 0-19 service, this includes any referrals into the panel.
Jessop Wing Community Liaison Office – with immediate effect, referrals will need to be emailed to sth.maternitysafeguardingteam@nhs.net
Primary Care – any referrals for non-pregnant women will need to be emailed to sth.maternitysafeguardingteam@nhs.net
You will only receive an outcome proforma for cases that you have referred to the panel.
You will no longer receive outcome proformas for or be asked to apply the FGMIS alert to older female children in the families discussed.
Please update any local/agency guidance to reflect these minor changes.
Promote Pharmacy First this February
As part of the Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework (CPCF) 2025/26, pharmacy contractors are required to take part in two national health campaigns promoting the Pharmacy First service to the public.
The second campaign runs from 2 to 22 February 2026. Pharmacies can meet the requirements of the campaign through any of the following activities:
- displaying posters, leaflets or other promotional materials at the pharmacy;
- information on your pharmacy’s website;
- information posted on your pharmacy’s social media channels; and
- including information in emails or SMS sent to patients.
Updated digital materials are available for use on the DHSC Campaign Resource Centre.
Jess’s Rule posters
Expected to arrive this week, all GP practices across South Yorkshire will receive a physical copy of the Jess’s Rule: Three Strikes and we Rethink poster for display in consultation rooms.
Under Jess’s Rule, GP teams are encouraged to critically re-think a diagnosis if a patient presents three times with symptoms that are unexpectedly persisting or escalating, and an existing treatment plan isn’t working. The posters have been funded by the Jessica Brady CEDAR Trust and created by Jess’s parents, Andrea and Simon Brady, in collaboration with NHS England and the Department for Health and Social Care.
Applications Open: CVDRM Fellowship – North East and Yorkshire
Applications opened 6 January 2026 and close 27 January 2026.
The North East and Yorkshire Health Innovation Network Cardiovascular, Renal & Metabolic (CVDRM) Fellowship has now launched, and early feedback has been very positive. This flagship regional development programme is designed to build leadership capability and support system-level improvement across cardiovascular, renal and metabolic care.
Co-designed with stakeholders across the region and endorsed by the NEY Regional Team and all four ICBs, the Fellowship welcomes applicants from primary, community and secondary care, as well as wider system partners. We particularly encourage applications from underrepresented or underserved areas.
Full programme details and project inspiration can be found in the attached documents. Application forms can be found here: Yorkshire & Humber CVDRM Fellowship Application – Fill out form
Foundation of Health 2026 Series
We are pleased to invite you to the Foundations of Health Webinar Series 2026, building on the success of the 2025 programme.
This series of 6 lunchtime webinars explores evidence-based lifestyle and non-pharmaceutical approaches to supporting physical and mental wellbeing through practical, sustainable behaviour change.
- Tuesdays, 12:30–13:30 | February–March 2026
- Open to all: healthcare professionals, ICS/NHS staff, and anyone with an interest in health
- Sessions will be recorded for those unable to attend live
Full details, session topics, dates, and speakers can be found in the attached leaflet.
To register: Please complete the registration form or scan the QR code on the leaflet.
If you have any questions, please contact Katie Whitehead, Practice Nurse Educator, Katie.Whitehead@nhs.net
Please feel free to share this invitation with colleagues and networks.
New Resources to Support Informal Carers
The Sheffield Place Safeguarding Team has developed a new educational resource pack to improve awareness and recognition of informal carers across services. Informal carers are adults or children who provide unpaid support to someone with illness, disability, mental health needs, frailty or addiction.
Recent safeguarding reviews highlight the importance of identifying carers and ensuring they can access appropriate support. Practices are encouraged to share and use this resource pack (10MB ZIP file) to prompt discussion and improve practice. For further support, contact syicb-sheffield.safeguardingteam@nhs.net.
Update to Iron Profile Reporting – BRILS
Barnsley & Rotherham Integrated Laboratory Services (BRILS) has confirmed that transferrin assay availability has been restored. However, changes have been made to Iron Profile reporting to align with BSH and GIRFT guidance.
Ferritin, transferrin and percentage transferrin saturation will now be reported, while serum iron will not be routinely reported. Iron results above 55 µmol/L will continue to be telephoned and reported electronically. If iron poisoning is suspected, clinicians should contact the biochemistry laboratory to request publication of the iron result.
If any further information is required, please contact:
- Mrs Cat Dibden: Phone 01709 424103 email: catherine.dibden@nhs.net or
- Mr Ben Nicholson: Phone 01709 426766 email: ben.nicholson@nhs.net
Updates
UKHSA Alert: Recall of Certain Nestlé SMA Infant Formula Products
UKHSA has issued an alert following a Food Standards Agency product recall of certain Nestlé SMA Infant and Follow-On Formula products due to the possible presence of cereulide, a toxin produced by some strains of Bacillus cereus. Healthcare professionals should be alert to potential cases and aware of the ongoing national investigation linked to affected SMA products. Read the full briefing note here.
