The Health and Social Care Committee has published the report 'First 1000 Days: a renewed focus', emphasising the critical window between conception to age two for lifelong health, development and wellbeing. In the report, MPs call for universal access to well-funded Family Hubs in every community, backed by long-term funding and equity-focused targets, and a sustained rebuild of the health visitor workforce with at least 1,000 new recruits and increased mandated contacts to support families and improve early intervention. They also urge a new vaccination strategy with reinstated 95% coverage targets, better data sharing and integration across services and enhanced perinatal mental health support to give every child the best start in life.

The House of Commons Health and Social Care Committee has published a report on palliative and end of life care in England, examining the accessibility, quality and sustainability of services across the NHS and wider care system. It concludes that provision remains inconsistent, fragmented and under-resourced, which limits the effectiveness of both current services and future NHS policy reform. The report recommends that the proposed Modern Service Framework (MSF) should be supported by clear national standards, stronger accountability for Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) and defined consequences for underperformance, signalling a shift towards more directive central oversight. It also calls for closer integration between health and social care, including retaining local authority involvement in ICBs, alongside minimum service standards such as 24/7 access and dedicated provision for children and young people. Further recommendations focus on improving data use and interoperability, embedding palliative care skills across the workforce and introducing a more sustainable and predictable funding model for hospices.

The House of Commons Health and Social Care Committee published a report setting out proposed amendments to the Health Bill, which will be considered by the Public Bill Committee from 16 June 2026. The Committee says the Bill's reforms do not sufficiently address special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), mental health, prevention and health inequalities, and outlines changes aimed at strengthening accountability and integration across health and care services.

The Health and Social Care Secretary, Wes Streeting, has responded to the final strand of the Care Quality Commission’s (CQC) review of Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (NHFT) under section 48 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008. CQC's final report is a rapid review of the available evidence related to the care of Valdo Calocane during the period he was under the care of NHFT, alongside a small number of other cases for benchmarking purposes, to determine whether this evidence indicates wider patient safety concerns or systemic issues with the provision of mental health services in Nottinghamshire. In their response, the Health and Social Care Secretary, Wes Streeting, expressed condolences for the families affected by avoidable deaths, emphasized ongoing actions to address failures identified by the CQC, and stressed the importance of applying the report’s recommendations nationwide to prevent similar tragedies.

The diagram below shows key stages in assessing health and safety risks and formulating a health and safety plan. It covers health and safety requirements in an office-based workplace. Other industry/workplace-specific requirements may apply in different working environments. Note 1: consult with staff members or their representatives to get their input on health and safety matters—see Precedents: Health and safety employee consultation meeting agenda and Health

This Practice Note covers regulatory requirements relating to health and safety and in particular, the requirements for health and safety assessment and planning. It covers health and safety requirements in an office-based workplace. Other industry/workplace-specific requirements may apply in different working environments. For information about conducting a health and safety assessment and formulating a plan, see Practice Notes: How to conduct a health and safety risk assessment and How to formulate a health and safety plan. What are health and safety assessments and plans? A health and safety assessment is a process by which an organisation establishes the risks to health and safety in its workplace and the measures taken to mitigate, transfer, avoid or reduce those risks. The assessment may be documented. A health and safety plan is a document which sets outs the means by which an organisation will implement its health and safety principles, ie the actual processes and procedures that have been or are to be put in place. Legislative requirements The table below sets out

1 Health and safety [Customer Policies • means the policies of the Customer, current copies of which are set out in [insert schedule reference], and as the same may be updated from time to time by the Customer[ and notified in writing to the Supplier];] Health

Authority’s Premises means either or both of: (a) premises owned, controlled or occupied by the Authority[ or [its affiliates OR [insert name of third party]] ] which are made available for use by the Supplier or its Sub-contractors for provision of the Services (or any of them) [pursuant to this Agreement OR

Boilerplate provisions in public sector contracts This Practice Note looks at the use of health and safety clauses in public sector contracts. For more information on what contracting public authorities (and other interested parties) need to know when using boilerplate provisions in public sector agreements, see Practice Note: Boilerplate provisions in public sector agreements: general considerations. Public procurement reform As of 24 February 2025, the main provisions of the Procurement Act 2023 (PA 2023) are in force. Procurements begun on or after this date must be carried out under PA 2023. The existing public procurement rules (including the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (PCR 2015) and Procurement Practice Notes (PPNs), Utilities Contracts Regulations 2016, Concession Contracts Regulations 2016, and Defence and Security Public Contracts Regulations 2011) and/or those governed by other statute(s) (such as health care procurements) continue to apply to procurements already commenced when the PA 2023 regime entered into force. Procurements starting after the entry into force of PA 2023 must be conducted by reference to PA 2023 only. Procurements

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and local authorities have responsibility, under the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 (HSWA 1974), to investigate and, in England and Wales, to bring prosecutions in respect of breaches of health and safety law in the workplace. In Scotland, prosecutions for safety offences are brought by the Crown Office Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS). Our Health and safety collection brings together resources from across Lexis+® UK to provide insight and guidance on key health and safety duties imposed on employers, the self-employed, employees and directors in the UK. It includes content explaining: • general health and safety duties

This Practice Note highlights the practical steps which need to be considered by those advising on the immediate aftermath of a serious health and safety workplace accident in England, Wales and Scotland. In the immediate aftermath of an incident, it is of paramount consideration to have an incident management team appointed and deployed. See Practice Notes: Health and Safety Executive prosecutions policy, Dealing with dawn raids by the Health and Safety Executive—key information, Health and safety investigations in Scotland and Corporate manslaughter—enforcement and prosecution. Which regulators will be involved? England and Wales The way authorities in England and Wales coordinate investigation and prosecution work following a work-related death is governed by the document Work Related Deaths: A Protocol for Liaison (WRDP—England and Wales). The protocol is signed by the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC), British Transport Police (BTP), Care Quality Commission (CQC), Care Inspectorate Wales (CIW), Chief Fire Officers’ Association (CFOA), Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), Healthcare Inspectorate Wales (HIW), the Local Government

Health and safety Please supply records of any of the following where relevant: 1 Health and safety certifications (eg ISO 45001/ISO 45004 or contractor accreditation certificate) 2 Health and safety policy 3 Contents/index of documented health and safety management system 4 Samples of risk assessments 5 Inventory of hazardous substances and completed assessments under the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002, SI 2002/2677 (COSHH assessments) for hazardous substances 6 Where the Control of Major Accident Hazards Regulations 2015, SI 2015/483,(COMAH) applies: notification to the COMAH