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NHS England's 2025/26 Operational Guidance: What It Means for General Practice
Updated: Feb 5
At THC Primary Care, we provide resources for primary care Network leaders. This blog summarises the NHS England Operational Guidance for 2025/26, which was released on 30 January 2025 and highlights the key implications for general practice.
The NHS England Operational Guidance for 2025/26 outlines the changes in how healthcare will be delivered across England. While much attention focuses on hospital targets and financial metrics, there are, of course, implications for general practice and primary care in its totality (general practice, community pharmacy, dental, and optometry), and we await the release of these dedicated guidance documents.
The guidance reaffirms the development of neighbourhood teams, digital transformation, and efficiency requirements.
Here is the summary.
NHS England's Operational Guidance Key Implications for General Practice
Access and Patient Experience
Requirement for practices to inform patients on the day of contact how their request will be handled
Enhanced focus on patient experience metrics through ONS Health Insights Survey
Push toward digital-first approach with NHS App integration
Target of 70% of appointments to be viewable/manageable via the NHS App
2. Integration and System Working
Stronger emphasis on neighbourhood health services model
Focus on population health management approach
Enhanced role in preventing hospital admissions
Integration with urgent care pathways
3. Digital Transformation
Mandatory enablement of all core NHS App capabilities
Integration with NHS e-Referral Service
Implementation of Electronic Prescription Service
Focus on digital inclusion strategies
4. Prevention and Population Health
Increased focus on cardiovascular disease prevention
Enhanced role in health inequalities through Core20PLUS5
Greater emphasis on preventative care
Focus on standardising complex care specifications
In many respects, it's business as usual for general practice.... however.....
The guidance explicitly states: "Difficult decisions will be needed, and we must meet this collective challenge together. To balance operational priorities with the funding available while continuing to lay foundations for future reforms, the NHS will need to reduce or stop spending on some services and functions and achieve unprecedented productivity growth in others."
Cuts in services may negatively impact general practice and also...what does it mean for primary care networks?
Join us to discuss all this and more.............
The third annual PCN Plus LIVE conference will be held on Wednesday, 23 April 2025, at the Crowne Plaza in Nottingham.
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The aim is to provide insights for those working in (or with) PCNs about what the future holds for networks, plus practical steps on how best to prepare.
About Us
THC Primary Care is an award-winning healthcare consultancy specialising in Primary Care Network Management and the creator of the Business of Healthcare Podcast. With over 20 years in the industry, we've supported more than 200 PCNs through interim management, training, and consultancy.
Our expertise spans project management and business development across both private and public sectors. Our work has been published in the London Journal of Primary Care, and we've authored over 250 blogs sharing insights about primary care networks.
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