The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and NHS England have announced that Martha’s Rule will be rolled out across all maternity and neonatal settings in England following Donna Ockenden’s review of Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust. The review found several failures, including women being ignored, missed opportunities to identify deteriorating patients and a culture that silenced staff and parents. Under the measure, every parent will be able to request a rapid review from an independent medical team if a mother or baby’s condition is deteriorating and concerns are not being addressed. This expands a scheme already piloted in maternity units and introduced for inpatients in acute hospitals.

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has announced urgent cross-governmental measures to combat non-compliant operators in the funeral sector and develop formal regulation. This initiative follows the sentencing of Hull funeral director, Robert Bush, who received a 20-year prison sentence at Hull Crown Court after pleading guilty to 67 charges, including 30 counts of preventing a lawful and decent burial, fraud by false representation, fraudulent trading and theft. DHSC will work alongside the Ministry of Justice and the Law Commission to review criminal law relating to the deceased and considering recommendations for new offences.

The Department of Health and Social Care (DJSC) has announced health devolution deals for Greater Manchester and South Yorkshire. Under these agreements, NHS England will appoint new NHS integrated care board (ICB) chairs who will also serve as mayors' health commissioners. These dual-role positions will report jointly to NHS England and the respective democratically elected mayors, with the goal of driving health improvements through enhanced local decision-making. These arrangements form part of the government's 10 Year Health Plan and align with the duties set out in the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill. The Greater Manchester ICB chair role is currently open for applications, while the South Yorkshire position is in the final stages of being confirmed.

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has announced that Health and Social Care Secretary, Wes Streeting, has ordered an independent investigation into the state of the NHS to understand issues facing the NHS. Former health minister, Professor Lord Darzi has been appointed to lead the investigation, the findings of which will provide the basis for the new government’s plan to reform the NHS.

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has announced that NHS England will be reintegrated into the department, reversing the 2012 reorganisation that established it as an independent body. The reform, led by Health Secretary Wes Streeting, aims to reduce administrative duplication and bureaucracy. Sir James Mackey has been appointed as Transition CEO to oversee the immediate transfer of NHS England functions to DHSC, with Dr Penny Dash serving as incoming NHS England chair during the transition period. The changes are intended to generate annual savings in the hundreds of millions through reduced administrative costs.

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has announced the establishment of a single joint executive team with NHS England, effective from 3 November 2025. The unified leadership structure comprises 16 executive positions, including Samantha Jones as DHSC Permanent Secretary and Jim Mackey as NHS England CEO. The reorganisation includes seven regional directors and six national priority programme directors. Regional Public Health Directors will report to Regional Directors while maintaining links with the Director General of Public Health and Emergencies. This follows the Prime Minister’s March 2025 announcement to integrate NHS into DHSC to reduce administrative duplication.

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has announced the launch of the Respiratory Transformation Partnership (RTP), a £10 million co-funded programme involving NHS England, the Office for Life Sciences, 15 health innovation networks and four pharmaceutical companies: AstraZeneca, Chiesi, GSK and Sanofi. The RTP aims to improve care for asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients by shifting treatment from hospitals into community-based care. It will use data and digital tools to identify patients who would benefit from targeted treatments, expand access to biologic medicines and enable community and primary care teams to deliver care within community settings. It is also intended to reduce emergency admissions and alleviate pressure on hospitals, particularly during winter. The RTP is chaired by the National Clinical Director for Respiratory Disease, Jonathan Fuld, and co-ordinated by Health Innovation Oxford and Thames Valley.

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has announced plans for new legislation requiring healthcare providers to contribute to a single patient record system, classified as Critical National Infrastructure. The legislation will mandate all health and care providers to make patient information available in the unified system and give patients default access to their records. The system, due to launch in 2028, will be built to security standards equivalent to vital national infrastructure systems. Healthcare professionals will have secure access to patient records, with patients maintaining control over additional access permissions and receiving audit trails of record access.

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) will implement the Human Medicines (Authorisation by Pharmacists and Supervision by Pharmacy Technicians) Order 2025, enabling pharmacists to authorize technicians to supervise medicine preparation and dispensing, allowing pharmacy team members to distribute checked prescriptions, and permitting technicians to oversee hospital aseptic facilities. The changes follow a consultation that received 5,054 responses between 7 December 2023 and 29 February 2024.

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has announced that NHS England will be reintegrated into the department within two years, reversing elements of the 2012 health reforms. Health Secretary Wes Streeting confirmed that Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) will face 50% headcount reductions and be refocused as strategic commissioners. The restructuring aims to abolish 18,000 administrative posts and save £1bn annually by the end of Parliament, with savings redirected to frontline patient care.

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has announced a package of measures to widen access to healthcare careers for individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds as part of the government’s 10 Year Health Plan. The measures include 2,000 additional nursing apprenticeships, backed by £65.4m and targeted at areas with the greatest shortages and deprivation, and £2.3m to support 2,000 young people from deprived areas over three years to apply to medical school through access courses, placements and summer schools. The policy responds to evidence that many schools lack experience in supporting medical applications, contributing to low participation from poorer communities. The government has also pledged to increase by 50% the proportion of medical students who received free school meals by 2035, reallocate training places to underserved areas, and pilot arrangements allowing resident doctors to remain in one location for longer to reduce financial pressures. Additional support includes £15m to expand programmes helping around 3,000 young people into entry-level NHS roles and the reintroduction of maintenance grants, with delivery through partnerships between NHS bodies, education providers and training organisations to improve access, address workforce shortages and promote social mobility.

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has announced the national implementation of the Avoiding Brain Injury in Childbirth (ABC) programme, scheduled to begin in September 2025. The programme, developed through a pilot across 12 NHS maternity units, aims to enhance identification of foetal distress during labour and improve emergency response protocols. The initiative forms part of the government's £57m investment in Start for Life services and follows collaborative development by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, Royal College of Midwives, and The Healthcare Improvement Studies Institute. The programme intends to standardise clinical practice across NHS maternity units to achieve outcomes comparable to the top 20% of trusts.