The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has unveiled a comprehensive plan to reform adult social care in England. Key measures include an immediate £86 million boost to the Disabled Facilities Grant, bringing the total to £711m for 2025/2026. The government will establish an independent commission, chaired by Baroness Louise Casey, to develop recommendations for a National Care Service. This two-phase commission will report in 2026 and 2028, aiming to build cross-party consensus on long-term reform. Additional initiatives include a new policy framework for the Better Care Fund, expansion of the care workforce career structure and development of a shared digital platform for NHS and care staff. The government has also introduced legislation for the first Fair Pay Agreement for care professionals and increased the Carer's Allowance earnings limit by £45 per week.

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has updated the Care Act 2014 statutory guidance, with the most recent update adding the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Financial Recognition Scheme to the list of income disregards. This amendment affects the financial assessment process for adult social care, potentially impacting how local authorities calculate individuals' contributions to their care costs. The update is part of ongoing revisions to the guidance, which also includes changes related to the Health and Care Act 2022 and the postponement of adult social care charging reforms originally scheduled for October 2025.

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has updated the ‘Care and support statutory guidance’ on the Care Act 2014 (CA 2014). The guidance has been updated to reflect new capital and income disregards for compensation payments received due to miscarriages of justice and to clarify the treatment of payments related to placed or supported children. The guidance remains under review and in the process of being updated to reflect statutory changes related to the Health and Care Act 2022 revoking Schedule 3 and amending CA 2014, s 74 on 1 July 2022.

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has updated its Market Sustainability and Improvement Fund (MSIF) 2025-2026 guidance, implementing changes to standardise local authority names in the reporting template. The amendment aims to ensure consistency across the document which local authorities must submit by 11 June 2025.

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has released the latest figures for the National Health Service (NHS) injury costs recovery scheme, covering October 2024. This scheme, aimed at recovering NHS treatment costs in personal injury compensation cases, primarily collects funds from insurance companies through the Compensation Recovery Unit. These funds are then distributed to the relevant NHS hospital or ambulance trusts that provided treatment. The October 2024 data forms part of the ongoing monthly updates for the 2024-2025 financial year, providing legal practitioners with current information on the scheme's financial recovery performance.

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has announced an update to the NHS minimum contribution values within the Better Care Fund (BCF) policy framework 2025-2026. The revision follows the publication of final allocations to integrated care boards.

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has published its annual update to the NHS public health functions agreement, outlining arrangements for 2025-26. The agreement, published under section 7A of the National Health Service Act 2006, details the delegation of public health services from the Secretary of State to NHS England. Updates include: new immunisation programmes for mpox and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), revised COVID-19 vaccination arrangements, and updated key performance indicators across screening and immunisation services.

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has updated guidance on the Primary Medical Services (Directed Enhanced Services) Directions. The update includes the Primary Medical Services (Directed Enhanced Services) (Amendment) Directions 2024 being added.

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has updated the collection of guidance on death certification reform and the introduction of medical examiners by adding a section on the new medical certificate of cause of death (MCCD). The collection of guidance itself provides information on changes to the death certification process in England and Wales from 9 September 2024. These changes follow four statutory instruments (SIs) being laid before Parliament on 15 April 2024. These SIs include the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death Regulations 2024, SI 2024/492, the Medical Examiners (England) Regulations 2024, SI 2024/493, the National Medical Examiner (Additional Functions) Regulations 2024, SI 2024/494 and the Medical Examiners (Wales) Regulations 2024, SI 2024/505. The reforms from 9 September 2024 will change the way in which causes of deaths are scrutinised and certified in England and Wales through introduction of a statutory medical examiner system and the new MCCD to be used by medical examiners and practitioners.

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has completed its statutory triennial review of the Handbook to the NHS Constitution for England, as mandated by the Health Act 2009. The latest update, published on 24 January 2025, incorporates changes to reflect current legislation, developments in the healthcare system, and available support services for NHS users. This comprehensive revision ensures that the handbook remains a relevant and accurate resource for patients, the public, and NHS staff, providing essential information about NHS values, principles, rights, and pledges. The update follows the previous review conducted in January 2022 and maintains the handbook's role as a key companion document to the NHS Constitution for England.

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has updated the care and support statutory guidance on the Care Act 2014. This update reflects new capital and income disregards, and clarifies the position around occupational pensions and personal pensions annuities paid to a spouse or civil partner.

This Practice Note concerns joinder and consolidation provisions pursuant to arbitration under the 2022 Arbitration Rules of the Dubai International Arbitration Centre (DIAC and the DIAC Rules). Consolidation of arbitrations The 2022 DIAC Rules have introduced a framework dealing with issues of multiple contracts and the consolidation of claims. The DIAC Rules now permit claims under multiple contracts to be consolidated into a single arbitration (Article 8). A party may submit a single request for arbitration in respect of multiple claims arising out of or in connection with more than one arbitration agreement. The application is made to the DIAC Arbitration Court before the tribunal is constituted and will be granted if (1) all parties agree to such consolidation; or (2) the DIAC Arbitration Court