404 - NHS Primary Care Bulletin - 3 September 2026

Summary of the NHS England Primary Care Bulletin for 3 September 2026

This article summarises the NHS England Primary Care Bulletin for 3 September 2026, the weekly email update for teams in general practice, dentistry, community pharmacy, and optometry.

This week's bulletin covers several key updates, including new guidance aimed at improving health outcomes for individuals with learning disabilities, updates to vaccination contractual guidance, and the launch of a Community Pharmacy Workforce Survey scheduled for 14 September 2026.

Primary care updates

New guidance for people with a learning disability

NHS England has released new guidance to assist GP practices, primary care networks, and integrated care boards in enhancing the identification of individuals with learning disabilities. This initiative aims to strengthen the delivery of annual health checks and health action plans. Developed collaboratively with stakeholders, this guidance seeks to foster proactive healthcare and reduce health inequalities.

Seasonal vaccinations updates

Millions of children and pregnant women are now eligible for flu vaccinations ahead of the winter season. Resources for frontline healthcare workers regarding flu vaccinations can be found here. Additionally, updates regarding the RSV vaccination programme have expanded eligibility criteria, with communications resources available for practitioners. Guidance from UKHSA has been updated to help practitioners prioritise vaccine types based on patient age groups, which can be accessed here.

General practice updates

Community Pharmacy Hypertension Case-Finding Service

The updated service specification for the NHS Community Pharmacy Hypertension Case-Finding Service is now in effect. This allows general practice teams to refer patients aged 40 and above for blood pressure checks at community pharmacies without prior hypertension diagnoses. If raised blood pressure is detected, pharmacies will offer ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) and provide advice on the next steps.

Updates to vaccination guidance

Recent updates have been made to the following guidance documents:

• General practice vaccination and immunisation services: standards and core contractual requirements

• General practice RSV vaccination programme: technical requirements

These updates reflect changes to the RSV vaccination eligibility effective from 1 September and include modifications to the pneumococcal programme to extend coverage to individuals experiencing homelessness.

Changes to cervical screening intervals for people living with HIV

Individuals living with well-controlled HIV who receive a negative high-risk HPV result will now be recalled for cervical screening at the same interval as those not living with HIV. This change eliminates the need for annual screening. Read full details for the policy change here (sign-in required).

Home address updates via the NHS App

Launching in late September, this feature will facilitate patients updating their home addresses with the NHS, aiming to reduce administrative burdens and improve address accuracy across the system. More details can be found in the introduction webinar (sign-in required).

Community pharmacy updates

Community Pharmacy Workforce Survey launches 14 September 2026

The Community Pharmacy Workforce Survey 2026 will become available for all NHS community pharmacy contractors on 14 September 2026. Contractors will receive guidance on completing the survey and its deadline from the NHS Business Service Authority.

New NHS-funded training pilot for early career pharmacist prescribers

A new pilot training pathway has been launched for Early Career Pharmacist prescribers. This initiative aims to provide comprehensive training and support for pharmacist prescribers entering patient-facing roles. Up to 1,200 learners will be supported through this NHS-funded programme.

Get involved

Call for evidence on the title ‘nurse’

The Department of Health and Social Care is seeking feedback on the use of the title 'nurse' from various stakeholders. Share your views before the survey closes on 8 October.

Final podcast on reducing medicines wastage

The last episode of the Transforming Primary Care podcast discusses the benefits of reducing medicines wastage and the impact of local campaigns. Colleagues are encouraged to listen and provide feedback through a short survey.

New Strategic Forum for Neighbourhood Health and Social Prescribing

The National Academy for Social Prescribing has launched a forum to foster collaboration among leaders in health and social care. Interested individuals are invited to express their interest.

Feedback on a checklist for working with interpreters

Healthcare professionals can participate in a survey to provide feedback on a draft checklist aimed at improving communication with patients who have limited English proficiency. Complete the survey by 30 September 2026.

Upcoming webinars and events

Webinar on reducing patient waiting times for echocardiography

A webinar hosted by the British Society of Echocardiography will take place on 10 September 2026 to discuss 2025 primary care triage guidance aimed at reducing patient waiting times. Register here.

NHS cervical screening webinar

An overview of the new HPV self-testing pathway will be provided in a webinar on 9 September 2026 from 12pm to 1pm. Register here.

Additional events/webinars

• 7 October 2026, 10.30am – 12pm: AI Ambassador Network meeting

• 24 September, 12.30pm: Primary care lung cancer webinar

• 24 September, 12.30pm: GIRFT community MSK webinar

Catch up

Missed a recent national webinar? View the general practice webinars.

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.Click here for the original bulletin.