397 NHS Primary Care Bulletin - 9 July 2026

Introduction

This article summarises the NHS England Primary Care Bulletin for 9 July 2026, the weekly email update for teams in general practice, dentistry, community pharmacy, and optometry.

Key updates

The latest bulletin highlights several important updates including the publication of the 2026 GP Patient Survey results, a call for MMR and MMRV vaccinations, and the opening of the Pharmacy Quality Scheme aspiration payment declaration period next week. Each section below provides further details on these updates for healthcare professionals across various primary care disciplines.

Primary care updates

GP Patient Survey results 2026 published

The 2026 GP Patient Survey results have been released, revealing a positive trend in patient experiences across general practice, NHS dentistry, and community pharmacy services compared to 2025. Key findings include:

• 76.7 per cent of patients reported a good overall experience with their GP practice, an increase from 75.4 per cent in 2025.

• Online contact with GP practices rose to 30.8 per cent in 2026, up from 22.4 per cent in 2025.

• Over half of patients described contacting their GP practice as ‘easy’.

• 79.2 per cent of respondents used online services in the past year, an increase from 74.4 per cent in 2025.

• 73.5 per cent had a good experience of NHS dental services, an increase of 2.7 percentage points.

• 86.5 per cent of patients reported having used at least one pharmacy service in the last year, with 88.9 per cent expressing satisfaction with their experience.

Ipsos will host a webinar on 15 July from 12pm to 12.30pm to discuss the survey results further. Register for the GP Patient Survey Publication Webinar.

RSV vaccination programme national invitation campaign

In July 2026, NHS England will launch a national RSV invitation campaign targeting individuals aged 80 and over who became eligible for the older adults RSV vaccination programme from 1 April 2026. The invitation will guide recipients to contact their GP for vaccination appointments. Community pharmacies delivering RSV vaccinations will also provide a link to the National Booking Service and RSV walk-in service finder. Practices should ensure adequate capacity for the anticipated increase in vaccination demand. More information can be found in the Vaccination and Immunisations Standards.

Year-round prescribing of influenza antivirals

Restrictions on oseltamivir (Tamiflu®) and zanamivir (Relenza®) have been lifted, allowing these antivirals to be prescribed year-round when clinically indicated. This change aims to facilitate easier access to treatment and reduce the need for separate local arrangements. Updated clinical guidance was released in January 2026.

Influenza outbreaks: access to antivirals for eligible care home staff and residents

Primary care services must ensure timely access to antiviral treatment for eligible care home residents and staff identified during influenza outbreaks. This includes commissioning the service through local pathways rather than relying solely on general practice or occupational health. This clarification aligns with existing commissioning responsibilities.

New NHS App toolkit

The updated NHS App Toolkit provides resources including posters and videos to help primary care teams promote the NHS App to patients. Separate toolkits are available for popular features and general promotional materials. For those hosting drop-in sessions to assist patients, use this toolkit to promote the sessions.

General practice updates

MMR and MMRV call/recall

NHS England is launching a campaign to invite children aged six to 11 to catch up on any missed MMR or MMRV doses at their GP practice. This initiative complements the ongoing 2026/27 catch-up campaign for children aged one to six. Resources for informing parents can be found at the Campaign Resource Centre.

GPs and practice managers: help shape the future of health data policy

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) is conducting a national engagement programme to gather insights from GPs and practice managers regarding the use of patient data for care, planning, and research. This is an opportunity to influence future data policies with flexible participation options.

Community pharmacy updates

Pharmacy Quality Scheme 2026/27 aspiration payment declaration period opens next week

The declaration period for the Pharmacy Quality Scheme (PQS) 2026/27 will open from 9am on Monday 13 July to 11.59pm on Tuesday 28 July 2026. Community pharmacy contractors are encouraged to declare their intentions via the Manage Your Service (MYS) portal. More information is available on the NHS England website.

Dentistry updates

NHS dentistry: care pathways guidance published

The new NHS dentistry: care pathways guidance has been released, outlining the clinical framework for the new pathways. This guidance should be reviewed alongside the updated NHS dentistry: quality and payment reforms contractual guidance.

For those who missed it, a recording of the NHS dental quality and payment reforms webinar on care pathways from 17 June 2026 is available on NHS Futures. Registration is required with an nhs.net email address.

Upcoming webinars and events

• Webinar: using prescribing data to tackle problematic polypharmacy

22 July, 12pm-1.15pm. Register via the event page.

• Polypharmacy masterclass: implementing the PCN DES

29 July, 12pm-1.30pm. Register via the event page.

• NHS App national webinar

Join NHS England’s NHS App teams on 29 July from 11.30am-12.30pm. Register here.

Closing

Content in this article is drawn from the NHS England Primary Care Bulletin. Patient.info edits and formats the updates to provide a clear, accessible archive for professionals. For the original email, click here.