The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has published an impact assessment examining the effects of making information standards mandatory for both public and private healthcare providers under section 95 of the Health and Care Act 2022 (HCA 2022). The assessment, evaluates the implementation of standardised requirements for data collection, storage and processing across Care Quality Commission-registered providers in England.

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has published impact assessments for Health Bill measures that would give the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) new powers to share regulatory information, update medicines and medical-device rules more quickly, and establish a future medical-device licensing regime. The measures are intended to support patient safety, maintain a responsive regulatory system and facilitate access to innovative medical products.

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has written to Baroness Casey of Blackstock to provide an update on progress against the initial recommendations for adult social care reform set out in March 2026, ahead of the phase one report due later in 2026. The letter outlines measures the government is taking in relation to adult safeguarding, dementia and motor neurone disease (MND), including the establishment of a national adult safeguarding board, the development of a dementia and frailty service framework and related research initiatives and steps to improve access to co-ordinated and fast-tracked care and support for people with MND. The measures are intended to strengthen safeguarding oversight and support the delivery of care and support services.

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has published a one-year update to its first medical technology (medtech) strategy for the NHS, which was initially published in February 2023, alongside an accompanying medical technology innovation classification framework. The DHSC has structured the one-year report into the four overarching stages of the pathway that the government is seeking to improve, which are entry point, approvals, funding and commercial adoption. It also outlines the next steps to help support delivery of the strategy’s vision for the right product, at the right price and in the right place, and the continued delivery of high-quality care, outstanding patient safety and excellent patient outcomes in a way that makes best use of taxpayer money. The DHSC has also published the accompanying framework following an extensive review of literature available on innovation language and in consultation with stakeholders across the health system and industry. The framework will establish a common language for discussing innovation across the medical technology sector, establish clear criteria for a device to be described as innovative in different forms, clearly convey the change in a device compared to what already exists on the market and benefits to patients and the system, and support prioritisation and adoption of the most impactful innovations.

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has published a memorandum addressing issues arising under the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) in relation to the Mental Health Bill 2025. The Bill, introduced on 6 November 2024, aims to reform mental health legislation in England and Wales. This memorandum, published on 14 November 2024, provides a detailed analysis of the Bill's compatibility with ECHR provisions, offering crucial insights for legal practitioners involved in mental health law and human rights.

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has published a notice mandating that CQC-regulated adult social care providers submit specific data via the Capacity Tracker (CT) on a monthly basis, as required under section 277A of the Health and Social Care Act 2012. This includes information on care home bed vacancies, workforce resourcing, and vaccination statuses. Non-compliance may lead to financial penalties under the Adult Social Care Information (Enforcement) Regulations 2022. Providers will receive support if they fail to update the required information, with enforcement action for persistent breaches (updates must be made within a specified seven-day reporting period). The department commits to providing at least three months' notice before any changes to data requirements become mandatory.

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has published a consultation outcome proposing to align the NHS prescription charge exemption age with the State Pension age in England. The document presents two implementation options: an immediate increase from 60 to 66 years for all patients or a graduated approach protecting current 60-65 year olds. The changes would require amendments to the National Health Service (Charges for Drugs and Appliances) Regulations 2015, SI 2015/570 and affect approximately 63% of prescription items currently dispensed free of charge to over-60s.

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has published a research report examining cyber security knowledge and resilience in England's adult social care sector. The research, conducted by Ipsos UK and Oxford Brookes University's Institute of Public Care between July 2023 and May 2024, aims to provide social care providers with evidence-based insights into cyber security risks.

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has published the government’s response to the consultation on the Advertising (Less Healthy Food and Drink) (Brand Advertising Exemption) Regulations 2025, SI 2025/1011, and laid the regulations and explanatory memorandum before Parliament. The regulations provide an exemption for brand advertising from restrictions on less healthy food and drink advertising on television and online. They are intended to reduce children’s exposure to less healthy products under the government’s policy on tackling childhood obesity. The regulations will apply across the UK from 5 January 2026, with voluntary compliance encouraged from 1 October 2025. Ofcom and the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) will oversee enforcement, and ASA will issue implementation guidance before commencement.

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has published its response to the House of Commons Health and Social Care Committee's inquiry into Black maternal health. The response acknowledges the committee’s key points and outlines several initiatives already underway to address maternal inequalities for Black women, focusing on culture, racism, leadership, workforce, and data. However, DHSC has not accepted the Committee's recommendation to restore dedicated, ring-fenced Service Development Funding for maternity care. Instead, it maintains that a flexible approach, which empowers local healthcare leaders to tailor services to their communities, is most effective. The response also references actions announced by DHSC in June 2025 aimed at reducing maternal inequalities for Black women.

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has published its response to the Health and Social Care Committee’s Fourth Report of Session 2024–26 on community mental health services, setting out the government’s position on all 22 recommendations and how these align with the wider transformation of mental health care under the 10 Year Health Plan. The response confirms that co-production with people with lived experience will remain central to service design and states that this approach is embedded in the six community-based mental health centre pilots. The government does not accept the Committee’s recommendation to commission a new independent and comprehensive evaluation of implementation of the Community Mental Health Framework, referring to earlier evaluation work and ongoing monitoring through national datasets. It partially accepts the recommendation that there should be 24/7 neighbourhood mental health centres in every community, noting that six pilot sites are under way and that decisions on any wider rollout will follow evaluation in 2026 and states that there are no current plans to extend the pilot phase beyond 12 months.

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has published its response to the consultation on proposed amendments to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) regulations on cost-effectiveness thresholds. The response was released alongside the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Amendment) Regulations 2026 and its explanatory memorandum. The amended regulations grant ministers a limited power of direction to set the standard cost-effectiveness threshold used by NICE when developing guidance, including technology appraisal and highly specialised technology evaluation recommendations. In addition, the revised regulations remove the requirement for NICE to consult on any changes to its procedures that arise from ministerial directions. These amendments are set to come into force on 24 March 2026.