24 July 2025
Bulletin
Resident doctors' strike; Urgent upgrade requirement; Communications toolkit on measles; Education and training; and more.

Welcome to this week's primary care bulletin

Key points this week include:
  • Board decision on future model of the ICB
  • Resident doctors' strike begins on Friday
  • urgent upgrade requirement – medical devices 
  • upgrade of GP computers - reminder
  • communications toolkit on measles
  • Inviting unvaccinated residents for HPV vaccine
  • seasonal influenza vaccine programme 2025-2026
  • COVID-19 vaccination messages sent by GP practices using AccuRx platform
  • response to the recommendations of the Independent Review of Physician Associates and Anaesthesia Associates (the Leng Review)
  • Serious Shortage Protocol for venlafaxine – withdrawal
  • Controlled Drugs Newsletter
  • Hounslow Healthy Child Programme changes to support more vulnerable families.
Education and training:
  • North West London Cervical Screening Forum Q2
  • GP with Extended Role (GPwER) in Gastroenterology Training Programme
  • webinars on supporting vaccine update.

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.
Board decision on future model of the ICB

Yesterday, Wednesday 23 July 2025, the North West London ICB Board met in public. As part of yesterday's meeting agenda an options appraisal for the future model of our organisation was put forward, which included a recommendation for the Board to consider and vote on.  

Based on an assessment of the options and the evidence available, the recommendation from the NHS North West London executive team to the Board was to pursue a full merger with NHS North Central London.  

The government’s recent 10 year plan sets out an ambitious agenda to transform the NHS and reduce health inequalities. In North West London we are determined to improve quality and outcomes for all residents. The Board concluded that, on balance, a full merger presents the most positive next step for our residents, our staff and our ability to provide the best value for money for taxpayers.   

It follows a decision at the North Central London ICB board meeting on 22 July 2025 to pursue a full merger with North West London ICB.  

We will now take these decisions to NHS England and discuss the next steps and timelines for both organisations – both in terms of working to create a new, merged organisation that ensures high quality, equitable healthcare for a population of 4.5m across North Central and North West London and reducing our costs by April 2026.

One of the next steps will be the appointment of ICB Chairs for London. NHS England will lead this process and we will share details as soon as they become available. Further leadership appointments will follow the Chair announcements, including the appointment of a single CEO for North West London and North Central London. 
Resident doctors' strike begins on Friday

Resident doctors have announced strikes from 7am on Friday 25 July until 7am on Wednesday 30 July 2025. During this period services are expected to be very busy. 

Advice for patients can be found on the NHS North West London website.
Urgent upgrade requirement – medical devices 

The transition to Windows 11 is mandatory to maintain the security, compliance and operational continuity required within the NHS. The managed program to upgrade all devices within primary care began on 1 July 2025 to meet the deadline of 14 October 2025 to reduce risk; the risk of not doing so would result in delays and disruption to patient care and presents a clinical safety risk, so swift action is required.

NHS North West London IT has discovered that some medical device solutions are not fully compliant with Windows 11. These include Welch Allyn and Seca Cardio 150 devices and software.

The selection and support of these solutions was agreed to be the full responsibility of NHS North West London PCNs as per the MOU dated October 2022 and the risks related to running incompatible systems on Windows 11 has been accepted and are owned by GP practices.

Follow the next steps.
Upgrade of GP computers - reminder

Windows 10 will be end of life on 14 October 2025. Therefore, support, including security updates, will no longer be available after this date. This presents a security risk to your data and systems so the upgrade of your desktops to Windows 11 is mandatory.

There are specific actions you need to complete for laptops and desktops.
Communications toolkit on measles

The UK Health Security Agency's communications toolkit has been updated to reflect the latest schedule changes.
Inviting unvaccinated residents for HPV vaccine

You will be aware that practices are required to participate in a national vaccination and immunisation campaign each year, as a requirement of the GP contracts. This year, the agreed campaign is a catch-up campaign for HPV vaccination. The HPV vaccination programme is reporting uptake levels below the national target and our overall uptake rates remain below the WHO target across all regions. For the 2025/26 GP campaign, we would like practices to invite unvaccinated individuals aged 16-24 for their HPV vaccine. A letter has been published outlining further details.

You can find further information to support general practice in the FutureNHS vaccinations and screening workspace (FutureNHS login required), including the HPV vaccination communication toolkit.

Thank you again for supporting this vital campaign and helping to protect young people.

Please contact our team directly at england.londonimms@nhs.net with any queries.
Response to the recommendations of the Independent Review of Physician Associates and Anaesthesia Associates (the Leng Review)

The findings of the independent review into the roles of physician associates (PAs) and anaesthesia associates (AAs), led by Professor Gillian Leng, have been published.

This review is critical in helping to determine how best to integrate the AA and PA roles in a safe and effective manner and support colleagues as we plan for the future of healthcare delivery. While it is understood that the report’s recommendations may create some short-term uncertainty for affected staff groups, this letter aims to provide clarity for staff, patients, and employers, including the immediate steps to be taken in response.

FOR ACTION: The letter (PRN02074) also includes the request for GP practices to cascade the PA / AA letter (PRN02074_ii) to their relevant employees. 

This will be published on the NHS England website.
Seasonal influenza vaccine programme 2025-2026

General Practice enhanced service specification documents for Adult and Children’s Influenza programmes, along with additional guidance on recording of influenza vaccination events, payments and collaboration, have been published.

As part of the sign-up process outlined in section four of the documents, practices must indicate their willingness to participate in the Enhanced Service by 20 August 2025. Please can practices complete the MS form to confirm and to also update their practice immunisations leads details

The CQRS Service Offers will able be available shortly and the London Immunisations Team will offer out the services only to those practices who have confirmed that they will be providing the service to their patients.

Please read all documents fully and please be reminded that there is a three-month deadline to either raise an amendment claim or submit the monthly claim in CQRS. No payment will be due for any vaccinations given outside of the correct cohort start dates.

Please contact the London Immunisations team with any queries in relation to the sign-up process.
COVID-19 vaccination messages sent by GP practices using AccuRx platform

Thank you for your continued commitment to the delivery of vaccination programmes in north west London ICB, especially during the recent Spring 2025 COVID-19 campaign.

Vaccines are effective and affordable health prevention measures to prevent vaccine-preventable diseases, but achieving sufficient vaccine uptake population-wide is challenging. Randomised controlled trials have shown that text messaging with an ownership frame (“your [vaccine] is ready for you”) and a specific date, time and location result in improved vaccine uptake. 

GP practices in North West London ICB routinely send AccuRx messages inviting and reminding eligible patients for their COVID-19 vaccination during the campaign period. This communication together with the ability for patients to book their vaccination appointment directly into the system (i.e. self-book facility) can lead to increased uptake.

However, messaging far outside campaign periods is less effective and in some circumstances may be counter-productive and lead to messaging fatigue.  
 
In preparation for the COVID-19 Seasonal Vaccination Programme: Autumn/ Winter 2025/26, we are reviewing how messaging service is used in the future due to a number of factor including costs, and would appreciate your support by only sending AccuRx messages to eligible patients in the lead up to the campaign and during campaign period.  

The Spring 2025 COVID-19 vaccination campaign ended on 17 June 2025, so we would not expect to see GP practices sending COVID-19 vaccination related message until at least early September 2025.

Direct messaging between trusted professionals like GPs and patients using integrated communication platforms during campaign times will be effective in improving uptake, and we look forward to your support by ensuring text messages are sent when they will be most effective.

We thank you and look forward to your continued support and cooperation.

If you need support please contact the NHS North West London immunisations team.
Serious Shortage Protocol for venlafaxine – withdrawal

As the supply situation has now been resolved, SSP083 (venlafaxine 37.5mg modified release tablets) has been withdrawn.

If you have any questions regarding the Serious Shortage Protocol please email the NHS Prescription Service.
Controlled Drugs Newsletter

The Summer 2025 newsletter from the NHS England London Region Controlled Drug Accountable Office (CDAO) team has been published. 

Please also find for your information, a guide for reporting controlled drug incidents and concerns. 

Previous newsletters can be found online.
Hounslow Healthy Child Programme changes to support more vulnerable families

From 1 July 2025, the Family Nurse Partnership service under the Healthy Child Programme (HCP) in Hounslow has changed. This change came into effect following a Hounslow Council Public Health team review of the HCP vulnerable families service model. The review concluded a service change was needed, that offers support to more families and uses public money more wisely.

Find out more about what the changes mean.

Education and training
North West London Cervical Screening Forum Q2

This forum is aimed at nurses, practice managers, administrative staff, practice cervical screening leads, PCN women health leads and anyone involved in the call/recall and appointment aspect of the programme. 

These quarterly informative sessions discuss north west London cervical screening uptake, challenges and strategies with everyone involved in the provision of the national cervical screening programme. 

The next session will take place on Wednesday 30 July 2025, 1 - 2pm. You can join via Teams at the start of the event. The agenda is available now.
GP with Extended Role (GPwER) in Gastroenterology Training Programme

Expression of Interests for the GPwER in Gastroenterology Training Programme are now open.

This is a nationally funded two-year programme designed to support GPs to develop extended roles in gastroenterology, working at the interface between primary and secondary care. 
 
Find out more and apply before the 25 July 2025 deadline.
Webinars on supporting vaccine update

Following the recent work to summarise demonstrator system activity, we are pleased to invite you to three webinars this summer. Each webinar provides an opportunity to explore an effective local approach that has supported improved vaccine uptake. 

Using nudge communications to increase MMR uptake (North East and Yorkshire) -  30 July 2025, 2 - 2.45pm

Enabling care home staff to vaccinate peers and residents (Lancashire and South Cumbria ICB) - 13 August 2025, 1 - 1.45pm
 
Reaching communities that require protection of vaccination to reduce MMR outbreaks (Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire, Integrated Vaccination Programme) - 21 August 2025, 1 - 1.45pm