The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has announced new legislation making it a criminal offence for unqualified individuals to use the title 'nurse'. The law, to be laid before Parliament, extends beyond the current protection of 'registered nurse' to cover the broader title. Violations will constitute a summary offence with monetary penalties. The legislation includes exemptions for legitimate uses in veterinary, dental and nursery contexts. Only individuals registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) will be permitted to use the title, with enforcement aimed at addressing cases of misrepresentation in healthcare settings.

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has announced measures to strengthen and better protect visiting rights for people in health and care settings following a review of Regulation 9A of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014, SI 2014/2936. It states that patients and residents in care homes, hospitals and hospices will only be prevented from seeing family and friends in exceptional circumstances, noting that individuals still face barriers to visiting and are sometimes excluded from decisions about their care despite existing duties on providers. To address this, the government will issue guidance and supporting materials, including: (1) an explainer for patients and families on their rights and how to lodge complaints; (2) draft advice to help providers explain and justify any necessary restrictions; and (3) a public guide outlining the key factors providers should consider before imposing restrictions. The DHSC also states that it will work with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to monitor compliance and intervene where necessary and that ministers are considering additional legislation to further strengthen the visiting rights framework as part of wider health and care reforms.

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has announced that the government has introduced new regulations, the Medicines (Gonadotrophin-Releasing Hormone Analogues) (Emergency Prohibition) (England, Wales and Scotland) Order 2024, SI 2024/727 to restrict the supply of puberty-suppressing hormones to children and young people under 18 in England, Wales and Scotland. The hormones, also known as ‘puberty blockers’ will be under an emergency ban between 3 June and 3 September 2024, where new patients under the age of 18 will be not be prescribed these medicines for puberty suppression.

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has announced a series of regulatory reforms aimed at improving safety standards in the cosmetic procedures industry. Under the proposed measures, only suitably qualified healthcare professionals will be permitted to carry out the highest-risk procedures, such as non-surgical Brazilian butt lifts. These procedures must be performed within facilities registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC). Lower-risk treatments, including Botox and dermal fillers, will be subject to a new licensing regime administered by local authorities. Practitioners will be required to meet stringent criteria relating to safety, training and insurance. Additional safeguards will restrict access to high-risk procedures for under-18s unless authorised by a healthcare professional. Practitioners who will breach these rules will face enforcement action and financial penalties from the CQC. The proposals form part of the government's Plan for Change and will undergo further public consultation and parliamentary review before implementation.

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has announced plans to introduce the first regulatory framework for National Health Service (NHS) managers, with legislation expected in 2026. The framework will establish a statutory barring system for board-level directors who commit serious misconduct, with new powers granted to the Health and Care Professions Council to disbar senior leaders. The regulations aim to prevent managers found guilty of misconduct from taking other NHS roles and include specific protections for whistleblowers. The reforms are part of the government’s Plan for Change and will be supported by training and development to help managers meet the new standards. Stakeholders, including NHS leaders and patient groups, have welcomed the proposals as a step towards greater trust and transparency.

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has announced a package of tough reforms for the National Health Service (NHS) with a zero-tolerance approach to failure. These reforms are aimed at enhancing NHS performance and accountability. Key aspects of the reform include the introduction of public league tables for NHS providers, with persistently failing managers to be replaced and turnaround teams deployed to struggling trusts. High-performing providers will be granted greater financial autonomy. The NHS oversight framework will be updated by the next financial year to improve scrutiny. A new pay framework for very senior managers will be implemented by April 2025, linking remuneration to performance. The government is also considering a ban on agency hiring for entry-level positions and restrictions on NHS staff immediately returning as agency workers. These reforms, developed in response to Lord Darzi's investigation, aim to address declining hospital productivity and reduce waiting times from 18 months to 18 weeks.

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has announced immediate measures to improve patient safety, safeguarding and accountability across the National Health Service (NHS). The action follows the Thirlwall Inquiry into events at the Countess of Chester Hospital. The inquiry found serious failures in governance, leadership and safeguarding, with concerns not adequately addressed and babies left at risk. Measures include work on neonatal closed-circuit television and ‘cot cams’, updated guidance on insulin and neonatal-death reviews, and a proposed barring scheme for senior NHS managers who fail in their duties. The government will continue implementing the National Bereavement Care Pathway and create a tracker for recommendations from maternity and neonatal reviews and inquiries. Safeguarding will be included in the forthcoming Babies, Children and Young People’s Modern Service Framework. The Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce will also develop an action plan based on the Ockenden and Amos reviews. The government will publish its full response after considering the inquiry’s recommendations.

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has entered into an agreement with the British Medical Association (BMA) on significant reforms to General Practitioner (GP) contracts. From October 2025, GP practices must provide online appointment booking throughout working hours, while nearly half of existing reporting requirements will be eliminated. The reforms are supported by an £889m funding increase, representing a 7.2% boost to the GP contract, bringing total contract value to £13.2bn in 2025 to 2026.

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has published a press release, announcing reforms to the Mental Health Act 1983 (MHA 1983), aimed at improving the treatment of patients and addressing disparities. The new Mental Health Bill seeks to improve patients’ mental health outcomes and introduce stronger protections for patients, staff, and the general public.

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and Welsh Government has announced that all deaths which are not investigated by a coroner will be reviewed by medical examiners starting 9 September 2024. This change aims to strengthen safeguards and prevent criminal activity. Additionally, medical examiners will consult with families or representatives of the deceased and provide an opportunity for questions or concerns to be raised.

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has announced that the NHS Modernisation Bill underwent its second reading in Parliament. The Bill proposes the introduction of a single patient record, mandating that all NHS providers share patient data across England. This initiative would prevent patients from having to repeatedly provide their medical history different NHS staff. The implementation of the single patient record is projected to reduce accident and emergency attendances by up to 20,000 and hospital admissions by 6,000 per year. Additionally, the initiative is expected to yield annual savings of over £20 million through a reduction in medication errors and duplicate prescribing. Clinicians are intended to receive improved access to records from 2027, initially across maternity and frailty specialties. The Bill also provides for the formal transfer of NHS England's functions to the DHSC to minimise duplication.

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has announced that the Essex mental health independent inquiry, a 2021 investigation into the deaths of mental health inpatients across NHS trusts in Essex from 2000-2020, will now become a statutory inquiry under the Inquiries Act 2005 (IA 2005). The inquiry’s statutory status carries legal powers to compel witnesses including former and current staff at the Essex Partnership University Trust (EPUT) to give evidence in support of the inquiry. The Secretary of State has further announced that in October 2023 a new Health Services Safety Investigations Body will be established to examine how young people with mental health needs can be better cared for, how providers can learn from previous deaths taken place in their care and how staffing models can be improved. These measures come alongside the £2.3bn being invested each year until 2024 to reform mental health services across England so that ‘everyone receiving care in a mental health facility feels safe and confident that they’re receiving world-class treatment’.