17 December 2025
Bulletin
Seasonal vaccination programme; Update on neurosurgery referrals; Bank holiday opening.

Welcome to this week's primary care bulletin

Key points this week include:
  • COVID-19 seasonal vaccination programme – autumn/winter 2025
  • Change to request Direct Access Gastroscopy
  • Help shape inclusive patient messaging across the NHS
  • Update on neurosurgery referrals via e-RS
  • Prescribing oseltamivir (Tamiflu)
  • Bank holiday opening - commissioned community pharmacy bank holiday opening
  • The NHSE interim NHS App training and education hub is live
  • NeuroSmart webinars
  • Register for UKHSA's free monthly vaccine bulletin.
  • Webinar: changes to the routine vaccination schedule recap

Primary care bulletins in the new year

This is the last bulletin of 2025. We plan to send out the next bulletin on Wednesday 7 January 2026 (content deadline 3pm on Monday 5 January 2026) with continuation of this routine thereafter.

If you have a need to arrange for an urgent message to primary care to be sent, please email nhsnwl.communications.nwl@nhs.net.


We would like to take this opportunity to wish all colleagues working in primary care a happy Christmas and New Year.
COVID-19 seasonal vaccination programme – autumn/winter 2025

Vaccination of infants aged 6 months to 4 year olds who are immunosuppressed at Willesden Medical Centre in Brent. This pathway is applicable to all GP practices in North West London ICB.

As part of the A/W25 campaign, a COVID-19 booster dose will be made available to individuals aged 6 months and over who are immunosuppressed, as defined in COVID-19: the green book, chapter 14a; Tables 3 and 4 (Greenbook chapter 14a).  

Once a GP in North West London ICB has identified an eligible patient aged 6 months to 4 years who is immunosuppressed for a COVID-19 vaccination during this campaign, they are requested to follow the referral pathway outlined here. (Please note: patients aged 5 years and over can book an appointment via the National Booking System).
Change to request Direct Access Gastroscopy

The Hillingdon Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust would like to inform practices about a change in the process for referring patients for Direct Access Gastroscopy.

The current REGO A&G platform for referrals will close, and from 1 January 2026 referrals should instead be submitted via eRS.

When submitting a referral on the eRS system, practices should use the Direct Access Gastroscopy sub‑section option under GI & Liver. A completed referral form must also be attached to the submission (a blank copy is attached for reference).

For any queries, practices are advised to contact the GP Liaison team.
Help shape inclusive patient messaging across the NHS

The NHS Messaging Enablement team is running a short survey (around 15 minutes) to understand how NHS services support inclusive communication with patients.

The survey is for NHS staff involved in sending messages to patients, including GP practices, PCNs, federations and ICBs, where appropriate. It explores whether and how services adjust communications to meet patients’ needs, such as using non-digital formats, translations or easy read materials.

Further information is available on the first page of the survey.

Please complete the survey using the link provided by Wednesday 7 January 2026.
Update on neurosurgery referrals via e-RS
 
Recent referral data has shown that a significant number of neurosurgery (Spinal and Cranial) patients registered with North West London GPs are being referred to University College London Hospitals (part of North Central London ICB). For patients to be seen at their local hospital, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust is the nearest NHS provider in north west London.

Following investigation and discussions with GPs, it appears that this change in referral pattern is due to a recent update in Imperial’s referral process. Imperial’s Neurosurgery service has transitioned to an Advice and Guidance (A&G) model, which has altered how Imperial appears on the e-RS system.

Steps to select the right request type has been created and available here.
Prescribing oseltamivir (Tamiflu) 

GPs can now prescribe oseltamivir on the NHS at any time of year for eligible patients (no longer restricted to “flu in circulation” periods).

Prescribing essentials:

Prescribe for patients in clinical at-risk groups or those at risk of severe illness/complications from influenza.
Prescription must be endorsed ‘SLS’ (Selected List Scheme).
Follow UKHSA guidance for treatment (within 48h of symptom onset) and post-exposure prophylaxis (within 48h of exposure).
 
At-risk groups include:
  • Chronic respiratory, cardiac, renal, hepatic, or neurological disease
  • Diabetes mellitus
  • Severe immunosuppression
  • Age over 65 years
  • Pregnancy (including up to 2 weeks post-partum)
  • Children under 6 months of age
  • Morbid obesity (BMI ≥40)
References:

UKHSA: Influenza treatment and prophylaxis using anti-viral agents 
 
Bank holiday opening - commissioned community pharmacy bank holiday opening 

Community pharmacies are not required to open on bank/public holidays therefore all 5 London ICBs (NEL, NCL, NWL, SEL and SWL) have commissioned a Bank Holiday Opening Service.  

Please find attached the list of community pharmacies which are open for the commissioned Bank Holiday Opening Service.  Please note there will also be other community pharmacies which are open on Bank Holidays, however these are not part of the commissioned service and are opening voluntarily. Also, there may be some pharmacies on the list which are open longer than those listed on the attached list, the hours on the attached sheet are the hours they are commissioned to open on bank holidays.

Full list available here.

Education and training
The NHSE interim NHS App training and education hub is now live

Join the NHS App training and education hub to learn:
  • practical step by step tips for using the app
  • what GP surgeries or pharmacists need to do in their IT systems to make the NHS App work
  • how to troubleshoot and solve common problems patients may encounter with the NHS App
  • plans for the NHS App.
You can also find materials to use in your workplace or via the website to promote the app.

The training and education hub brings together all existing NHS App training and support resources into one accessible space.

This is an interim solution while the official training model is being developed.
NeuroSmart webinars

North London Neurosurgery Network would like to invite all North London GPs to join a new monthly lunchtime webinar series. The sessions are delivered on Microsoft Teams, where a member of the clinical team will deliver a 15-minute presentation on a Neurosurgical condition (cranial, spinal and more) followed by 15 minutes of Q&A time for GP. Each month focuses on a different condition. 

These virtual sessions aim to provide free, 30 minutes accessible education for GPs on common neurosurgical conditions, referral considerations, and clinical decision-making. 

Next two webinar events are scheduled for Wednesday 14 January, 12:30 - 13:00 and Friday 27 February 12:30 - 13:00.

If you would like to join this monthly Neurosurgical webinar series and be invited to all future dates, please contact Sanjay.gurung@nhs.net.
Vaccine update bulletin

Register for UKHSA's free monthly vaccine bulletin.

A one stop shop for policy, supply or vaccine programme implementation including links to training and implementation guidance documents, examples of best practice and patient facing resources to promote the campaign.

For any logistical/events questions about the webinars, please email externalaffairs@ukhsa.gov.uk 

For any clinical or operational queries, please contact your local NHS England Public Health Commissioning Team/ Screening and Immunisation Team (SIT).

Sign up to receive the vaccine update newsletter.
Webinar: changes to the routine vaccination schedule
Thank you for registering for the UKHSA webinar on the upcoming changes to the routine childhood immunisation schedule, which took place on 3 December.

Please click here to access the recording, slides and useful resources from this webinar.