The Government has now published ‘Integration and Innovation: working together to improve health and social care for all' – its white paper on new plans to reform the NHS, including proposals to make ICSs statutory and make major changes to way services are procured. 

NHSE/I has published a letter about the outcome of general practice site designation process to provide commissioners and practices with more information to help with planning. This follows on from a letter that NHSE/I sent to NHS Trusts last week, outlining the wider COVID-19 vaccination deployment strategy and operational readiness for mass immunisation sites. 

The RCGP and BMA have issued new guidance on workload prioritisation during the pandemic.

The guidance on workload prioritisation details six 'response levels' for practices, depending on COVID-19 prevalence in their area. These range from 0 when the pandemic is effectively over to level 5 where prevalence is very high and practices are in an 'emergency response' state.

The BMA General Practitioners Committee in England has now agreed with NHS England and NHS Improvement the general practice COVID-19 vaccination service which will be commissioned in line with agreed national terms and conditions as an enhanced service (ES).