Primary Care Bulletin - March 2026

Contents

In this month's newsletter:

• South Yorkshire Paediatric Palliative and End of Life Care Education Package
• Neighbourhood health framework published
• Same-Day Access: new technical resources published
• Software updates to Windows 11
• Experiences of GP services in England – analysis
• Community X-ray Pilot Showcase: Rotherham
• The NHS Digital Weight Management Programme
• Are you currently involved or interested in Primary Care-based research?
• Outbreak of meningococcal disease linked to University of Kent and the area of Canterbury
• Measles update
• Preparing for NHS dental quality and payment contract reforms

News

South Yorkshire Paediatric Palliative and End of Life Care Education Package

We are pleased to share the South Yorkshire Paediatric Palliative and End of Life Care Education Package, bringing together a range of learning opportunities to support professionals working with babies, children and young people with life-limiting or life-threatening conditions.

The programme includes study days, simulation training and education sessions suitable for staff across acute, community, hospice, voluntary and hospital settings, and for all levels of experience. Full details, including dates and booking information, are available in the attached brochure (below), which also includes an Education Day hosted by Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice.

Please see the attached event flyers and brochures below for sharing widely within your teams.

Neighbourhood health framework published

The Neighbourhood Health Framework, published on 17 March 2026, sets out a vision for more integrated, locally delivered care, bringing services closer to communities. For primary care providers, this means a stronger role in multidisciplinary neighbourhood teams, working alongside community, mental health, social care and voluntary sector partners to coordinate care around patient needs.

The framework emphasises prevention, population health management and reducing health inequalities, supported by better use of data and digital tools. It also highlights the importance of flexible working, collaboration across PCNs, and empowering primary care to lead local service design to improve access, continuity and outcomes for patients. Read the policy paper here.

Same‑Day Access: new technical resources published

NHS England has published two new technical resources to support delivery against the 2026/27 GP Contract requirement for clinically urgent patients to be dealt with on the same day. It is for the GP practice to determine which patients are clinically urgent.

• Recording Same Day Appointments for Clinically Urgent Patients sets out how practices should record these appointments using national GP Appointments Data (GPAD) categories.

• The GP Appointments Data Dashboard – National Category Mapping Guide provides practical advice on using the GPAD dashboard to accurately map national categories to appointment slots.

NHS England is hosting a national webinar to support practices. The session will provide practical guidance on correct appointment category recording, improving data quality, and using GPAD dashboards. Register for the webinar here.

Software updates to Windows 11

SYICB IT Services has a responsibility to ensure that all software on your devices is kept on supported versions. Over the next few months, we will be rolling out a major update to Windows 11 to ensure that it remains supported.

The update will take place in the background, but when it is complete, it will require a restart, which may take from 30 to 90 minutes. You will be prompted when the device is ready to restart with a six-hour countdown. You can ignore this prompt, and the device will restart at the end of the countdown, or you can click “Restart Now” prior to this point when it is convenient for you.

The deployment will be randomised across the estate to ensure multiple devices are not affected at individual practices. Any issues should be referred to the IT Service Desk. 

Experiences of GP services in England – analysis

The Health Insight Survey latest figures report a positive trend in the percentage of people describing contact with their GP as easy (76.8 per cent). This is now at the highest level since the survey began and is a key metric for improving access to general practice as outlined in the Medium-Term Planning Framework.

Alongside the data, the Office for National Statistics has published a thematic analysis of people’s experiences of GP services and an interactive dashboard to explore the data in more detail.

Community X-ray Pilot Showcase: Rotherham

The Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust and Yorkshire Ambulance Service are hosting a showcase event on their innovative community X-ray pilot.

This six-month pilot has explored the use of portable imaging in care homes to support frail patients and help reduce unnecessary hospital attendances. The event will share key insights and lessons learned, along with a live demonstration of the technology in action, including the Fujifilm Xair system and a specially equipped community vehicle.

Colleagues interested in community diagnostics and frailty pathways are encouraged to attend.

Find out more and register here.

The NHS Digital Weight Management Programme

General practice referrals into the NHS Digital Weight Management Programme made by practices registered for the current Weight Management Enhanced Service (WMES) to and including 31 March 2026 will qualify for payment under the current scheme. All claims must be submitted in line with existing WMES requirements.

From April 2026, two new Quality and Outcomes Framework (QoF) indicators will support the weight management pathway in primary care, including referral to the NHS Digital Weight Management Programme. These indicators will strengthen obesity management in general practice, promote equitable access to evidence-based interventions, and embed weight management within long-term condition prevention and care. More information on the programme and how to refer is available on NHS England's website.

Are you currently involved or interested in Primary Care-based research?

The South Yorkshire Primary Care Research Collaborative (SYPCRC) is keen to hear from PCN’s, GPs, Pharmacists and other clinical colleagues who are currently engaged in primary care research activity, and those who might be interested in becoming involved.

They are gathering information on Primary Care-based research activity across South Yorkshire as part of the Working Together in Research (WTiR) programme, which brings together partners across research, communities, and services to build more inclusive, collaborative approaches based on shared principles to enable meaningful co-production and engagement.

Updates

Outbreak of meningococcal disease linked to University of Kent and the area of Canterbury

Between 13 and 16 March 2026, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) identified 15 cases of invasive meningococcal disease in the South East. Read the letter from Dr Shona Arora and Professor Claire Fuller regarding the outbreak of meningococcal disease linked to University of Kent and the area of Canterbury here.

Measles update

UKHSA Yorkshire and Humber Health Protection Team has recently been notified of several confirmed measles cases across the region, following an increase in cases being notified around the country. We are continuing to monitor this and will work with partners to respond to the situation. Please see the full letter from UKHSA here.

Preparing for NHS dental quality and payment contract reforms

A recording of the NHS dental quality and payment reforms webinar for providers and commissioners, held earlier this month, is available on the Dental Training Future NHS workspace (log-in required).