9 July 2025
Bulletin
Launch of 10 year plan; Business continuity for primary care: Education and training; and more.

Welcome to this week's primary care bulletin

Key points this week include:
  • launch of Fit for the Future: 10 Year Health Plan for England
  • business continuity for primary care
  • harmonisation of north west London MSK imaging referral pathway – all referrals via community MSK interface services
  • RSV vaccination programme campaign launch
  • online consultation and SMS systems in north west London questionnaire 
  • Patient Group Direction update
  • encouraging your patients to create a Universal Care Plan
  • One You Westminster and Kensington and Chelsea
  • fully integrated radiology requesting Clinical Decision Support Tool
  • update to Imperial's referral process for non-cancer upper GI patients

Webinars and training, including:

  •  north west London primary care webinar taking place next Wednesday.

If you have any submissions for this bulletin please email them to the communications inbox - nhsnwl.communications.nwl@nhs.net. View previous editions.

Please note the deadline for submissions is 3pm each Monday.

Launch of Fit for the Future: 10 Year Health Plan for England

The Government’s new NHS 10 Year Health Plan ‘Fit for the Future’ has been published. 

The plan is based on three shifts to improve patient care:
  • analogue to digital,
  • hospital to communities and
  • sickness to prevention.
Read about the plan in more detail.
Business continuity for primary care

In light of several recent incidents across the region, the Emergency Preparedness, Resilience and Response (EPRR) team at NHS North West London would like to remind all practices of the importance of maintaining and regularly reviewing business continuity plans.

To support this, we have produced a short guidance document to help you assess and strengthen your existing plans.
 
Please do take a moment to review it and share it with relevant members of your team.
Harmonisation of north west London MSK imaging referral pathway – all referrals via community MSK interface services

From 14 July 2025, London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust's imaging department will no longer accept direct access MSK Imaging referrals for ultrasound or MRI exams. The option to refer electronically for this will be removed from the Integrated Clinical Environment interface. This will bring trust in line with the other acute providers in the sector.

Find out more about the change and read the pathway document.
RSV vaccination programme campaign launch

From w/c 28 July 2025 NHS England will launch a national RSV invitation campaign. Invitations will be sent over a three-week period with email invitations being sent first, followed by NHS App and SMS invitations. Those without an NHS App read receipt in 24 hours, and without an accepted SMS number will be sent a letter.

Find out more about how and when eligible groups will be invited.
Online consultation and SMS systems in north west London questionnaire

Please complete a questionnaire to help us understand what online consultation and SMS supplier systems are currently used in north west London. We would also like to know what are your preferred systems moving forward in 2026. We appreciate your help.
Encouraging your patients to create a Universal Care Plan

The Universal Care Plan (UCP) is an NHS service that digitally shares the care preferences and support needs of residents in London.

Currently the UCP supports Londoners of all ages receiving end-of-life and palliative care as well as those with sickle cell disease and other long-term conditions including dementia, frailty, learning disabilities and autism. It also supports carers by recording carer contingency plans.
 
The benefit to patients are substantial as it better enables them to be cared for and treated in a way that is compatible with their wishes and expectations. It also reduces the chance of patients needing to repeat information to others involved in their care, or have their needs misunderstood.

However, we realise that not all patients in these vulnerable groups have a UCP set-up. We would encourage you to approach any patients eligible to do so, and have an initial conversation with them to draw up the initial parts of the plan

We also request that you encourage patients who are signed up to UCP remind them they can review their plan in the NHS App. This will allow them to check what information is being held on them, and that it is up-to-date and accurate.
Patient Group Direction update

The live attenuated influenza vaccine nasal spray suspension (LAIV) Patient Group Direction (PGD) has been updated.

Practices should ensure that any registered healthcare professional who is due to administer vaccinations under this PGD should be made aware of this updated version.

If you have any queries, please contact the London Immunisations team via england.londonimms@nhs.net.
One You Westminster and Kensington and Chelsea

Practice managers in west and central London have received a letter from Westminster and Kensington and Chelsea Councils’ Public Health Team reminding you of the wide range of One You services available to your patients.

The free One You services support behaviour change in: 
  • smoking cessation (including access to NRT, Varenicline and Cytisinicline)
  • weight management
  • physical activity
  • reducing alcohol intake
  • improving dietaddressing the psychological challenges associated with striving towards a healthy lifestyle.
The letter was shared with practice managers the w/c 30 June. If you have not received the letter, or have any questions, comments or feedback, please contact: 

Westminster based practices: PublicHealthDepartment@westminster.gov.uk
Kensington and Chelsea based practices: PublicHealthDepartment@rbkc.gov.uk
Fully integrated radiology requesting Clinical Decision Support Tool

The Clinical Decision Support Tool piloted in Hillingdon and London North West University NHS Trust incorporating the NHS North West London guidelines for imaging requests made through the Integrated Clinical Environment (ICE) system has been enabled for all GPs referring into Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust. This is fully integrated with ICE requesting and provides point-of-care advice to the clinician on the most appropriate imaging for their patient. 

Find out more.
Update to Imperial's referral process for non-cancer upper GI patients

A new referral process has come into place. Learn about what's changed and why.

Please note that a poster and new referral form are available to download.

Education and training

Primary care webinar taking place next Wednesday

RM Partners (cancer alliance) will be hosting a webinar on Wednesday 16 July 2025, 1 - 2pm, to talk about the north west London WSIC bowel and cervical screening dashboards and resources available to primary care in north west London with regards to bowel, breast, cervical and lung screening and the HPV vaccine.

Join via Teams at the start of the session.

Please note the recording and slides will be made available for anyone who cannot attend.