3 September 2025
Bulletin
Vaccinations; Cancer updates; Education and training; and more

Welcome to this week's primary care bulletin

Key points this week include:
  • New Chair announced for North West London ICB
  • National booking service now open for flu and COVID-19
  • seasonal influenza reminders
  • housebound and care home resident coding – COVID Autumn/ Winter 2025 campaign
  • introduction of the varicella vaccine 
  • Cancer SMART Service launching 
  • support for the bladder cancer awareness campaign
  • Planned Procedures with a Threshold and Individual Funding Requests 
  • upgrade of GP laptops - reminder
  • SMS patient messaging June 2025 data.
Education and training:
  • London core managers - sexual safety in healthcare
  • NHS England GP contract and online consultation tools – best practice guidance webinar.

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.
New Chair announced for North West London ICB

NHS England London region have announced the new Chair for North West London and North Central London Integrated Care Boards (ICB).

Mike Bell started on 1 September 2025. He chairs both organisations, and will eventually become the Chair of the newly merged ICB when it comes into effect in April 2026.

Find out more.
National booking service now open for flu and COVID-19
 
The National Booking Service is now open for eligible people to book their seasonal vaccination. Patients in the cohorts below are encouraged to get their vaccines this autumn/winter for vital protection. 

The following groups are eligible for flu vaccination now (as of 1 September 2025):
  • pregnant women
  • all children aged 2 or 3 years on 31 August 2025
  • primary school aged children (from Reception to Year 6)
  • secondary school aged children (from Year 7 to Year 11)
  • all children in clinical risk groups aged from 6 months to less than 18 years.
From 1 October 2025, this extends to:
  • those aged 65 years and over
  • those aged 18 years to under 65 years in clinical risk groups (as defined by the Green Book, Influenza chapter 19)
  • those in long-stay residential care homes
  • carers in receipt of carer’s allowance, or those who are the main carer of an elderly or disabled person
  • close contacts of immunocompromised individuals
  • frontline workers in a social care setting without an employer led occupational health scheme.
The COVID-19 vaccination programme starts on 1 October 2025, and the following cohorts are eligible this autumn/winter:
  • 75 years and over
  • a resident in a care home for older adults
  • or 6 months and older and have a condition that means you are immunosuppressed (if not sure see tables 3 and 4  of the Greenbook chapter 14a).
Eligible patients can pre-book their vaccination now via the National Booking Service or visit a walk-in service from 1 October 2025.
Seasonal influenza reminders

As a reminder, the seasonal flu adult programme starts from 1 October 2025.

The children’s programme will commence from the 1 September 2025 or when Live Attenuated Influenza Vaccine (LAIV), a nasal spray. becomes available to order. LAIV ordering is now expected to open by the 5 September 2025, with orders starting from the 8 September 2025. We will send further comms when this is confirmed. The Intramuscular (IM) alternative cell-culture influenza vaccine (TIVc) is now available to order via Immform for those children for whom LAIV is contraindicated or otherwise unsuitable e.g. if parents object to LAIV on the grounds of its porcine content.

New Vaccine Update Flu Special has been published which has everything you need to know about flu delivery this year.

For any flu related queries please contact the NHS North West London immunisation team.
Housebound and care home resident coding – COVID Autumn/Winter 2025 campaign

Ahead of this year’s COVID-19 Autumn/Winter vaccination campaign, practices are asked to review and cleanse their housebound lists to ensure that those no longer deemed to be housebound are removed. Find out the steps you need to take.
Introduction of the varicella vaccine 

The Government confirmed on 29 August 2025 that the varicella vaccine will be rolled out from 1 January 2026 as part of a combined vaccine for measles, mumps, rubella and varicella (MMRV). The new MMRV will be administered at 12 months and 18 months as part of the routine infant schedule (more details on the scheduling of MMRV, which will is likely to be based on age and birth date cohorts, will be released shortly). 

The decision to roll out the MMRV vaccine in January 2026 is based on expert scientific advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), following research showing the significant impact of severe cases of chickenpox on children’s health, hospital admissions and associated costs.

Additional information will be shared when it becomes available, but please factor in the introduction of MMRV in January 2026 into your local plans regarding ordering, capacity planning etc.
Cancer SMART service 

RM Partners has launched Cancer SMART (Severe Mental Illness Access and Rapid Treatment) at St George’s Hospital.

This 18-month pilot, funded by RM Partners, is designed to reduce health inequalities for patients with Severe Mental Illness (SMI) who are undergoing cancer investigations or treatment.

Learn more and download their poster.
Support for the bladder cancer awareness campaign
 
During September, RM Partners (the Cancer Alliance for north west London and south west London), in partnership with Action Bladder Cancer UK, are delivering a bladder cancer awareness campaign aimed at people aged 50 and above, with a particular focus on women and those from the most deprived and lower socio-economic groups. Find out more and share key messaging with patients.
Planned Procedures with a Threshold and Individual Funding Requests 

Since the Covid-19 pandemic, Planned Procedures with a Threshold activity and associated costs have demonstrated a consistent year-on-year increase, reaching their highest levels in 2024/25 compared to any year since 2017/18. The IFR & PDG team is working on trying to understand the underlying drivers of this trend.

A presentation has been prepared to remind colleagues of where to access the relevant policies and reinforce the importance of adhering to these policies in clinical practice.
SMS patient messaging June 2025 data

From April 2025, the SMS allocation was reduced to 30p per patient, as agreed by NHS North West London under a three-year business case. This change has been previously communicated via bulletins, emails, and webinars, and shared with the LMC.

The attached June SMS data dashboard shows usage by GP practices across Accurx and clinical systems, including online consultation providers. It excludes self-funded providers and those not on the same gateway. The dashboard also includes NHS App message volumes.

Once practices exceed the 30p per patient allocation, they are likely to be charged for additional SMS use. These charges will appear on your PCSE statement – no payment have been recharged to date. The dashboard provides forecasts to help practices plan ahead, including when and by how much they may exceed the allocation.

NHS North West London will soon request practices to sign an MOU confirming their understanding of the 30p allocation and agreeing to cover any overspend.

Historical data shows SMS volumes peak in October, January, and February. We have factored this into the forecast. Last year’s spend is included for reference, informing whether practices exceeded the previous 45p allocation.

Find out more, including about encouraging ways for patients to use the NHS app.
Upgrade of GP laptops - reminder

Windows 10 will be end of life on 14 October 2025. Subsequently, 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 devices to Windows 11 is mandatory.

Find out what you need to know.

Education and training
London core managers - sexual safety in healthcare

The training takes place on Thursday 25 September 2025, 2 - 3pm. Find out more.
NHS England GP contract and online consultation tools – best practice guidance webinar

From 1 October 2025, as part of the 2025/26 GP contract changes, all practices will be required to have online consultation tools switched on throughout core hours. To support this, NHS Confed are running a joint webinar series with NHS England showcasing best practice, case studies, and guidance from localities who have successfully implemented and use online consultation tools. There will also be an opportunity to ask questions, discuss support options and to work through any implementation issues. 

In this second session, which takes place on 4 September 2025, 12 - 1pm, Dr Simone Yule, GP Clinical Director at The Vale Network, Kate Jones, Operations Manager at Hereford Medical Group and Lucy Jones, Primary Care Network Manager at Hereford Medical Group will join to share insights on implementing online consultation tools in their respective practices.

Book your place now.