377: NHS Primary Care Bulletin - 19 February 2026

Introduction

This article summarises the NHS England Primary Care Bulletin for 19 February 2026, the weekly email update for teams in general practice, dentistry, community pharmacy, and optometry.

This week’s updates focus on several important areas including new guidance for communication with patients, the launch of a national childhood vaccination campaign, and preparations for the upcoming spring COVID-19 vaccination campaign. Additionally, there are ongoing initiatives aimed at enhancing general practice operations and community pharmacy services.

New guidance on writing and sending NHS messages

NHS England has published new best practice guidance for writing and sending messages via the NHS App, text messages, emails, and letters. This guidance aims to help healthcare teams craft clearer and more effective communications with patients and the public. It highlights the advantages of digital messaging and provides tips on utilising NHS Notify, the national messaging service. Explore the messaging best practice guidance and use the writing NHS messages content guide to improve patient interactions.

National childhood vaccination campaign launched

A national campaign to encourage childhood vaccinations commenced on 16 February 2026. This initiative follows previous campaigns for flu and pregnancy vaccinations. The six-week campaign, which includes television, radio, social media, and partnerships, aims to raise awareness and encourage parents to ensure their children are vaccinated. Primary care services and GP practices are encouraged to promote campaign materials. Access the communications toolkit on the Campaign Resource Centre and find additional materials here.

Seasonal vaccination provider guide for spring 2026 COVID-19 campaign

Guidance documents for the spring 2026 COVID-19 vaccination campaign is available on the Vaccinations and Screening NHS Futures. This guidance is intended to assist providers with preparations. An updated version of this guidance will be released in March 2026 with further information, including legal mechanism links.

Webinar on delivering the red tape challenge

NHS Confederation is hosting a webinar on 5 March from 12:00 to 1:30 pm, focusing on the Red Tape Challenge recommendations. Led by Professor Stella Vig and Dr Kiren Collison from NHS England, the session will discuss practical strategies to minimise bureaucracy and enhance cooperation between primary and secondary care teams. The discussion is aimed at leaders across the healthcare system.

Cybersecurity webinars for primary care

A series of cybersecurity webinars are being facilitated by NHS England alongside the City of London Police Cyber Griffin team. These sessions will provide intelligence on current cyber threats and practical steps to enhance organisational security. Participants will also learn to identify and respond to suspicious activities to avoid security breaches. Register for upcoming Cyber Baseline Part A on 19 March and Part B on 14 April.

Final podcast in series focuses on advice and guidance services

The latest episode of the Transforming Primary Care podcast series features discussions around Advice and Guidance (A&G) services which are crucial for general practice, providing access to specialist clinical advice. Dr Cath Dixon, a former GP, facilitates the conversation with a panel of GPs and consultants from the North East and Yorkshire region, examining the operations and benefits of the A&G scheme. Feedback on the podcast series is also being collected; give your feedback here.

GP practice online access campaign

The ongoing GP Online Access campaign aims to enhance public awareness of online forms for non-urgent communications with GP practices, thereby alleviating pressure during peak hours. The campaign runs until the end of March, promoting access to online forms and the NHS App for requests. All practices are expected to have their online consultation systems operational during core hours to ensure parity of access for patients. Support is available from Integrated Care Boards for practices facing challenges meeting these expectations.

Social prescribing link worker consultation launched

The National Academy for Social Prescribing (NASP) has initiated a national consultation aimed at Social Prescribing Link Workers (SPLWs) in England to shape the future of social prescribing. All SPLWs, whether working within PCNs, GP practices, or voluntary organisations, are invited to contribute through an anonymous survey, which will take approximately 30 minutes to complete. The findings will guide NASP’s future policy and development initiatives. Complete the survey by 11 March 2026.

NHS breast screening programme statistics and review

Recent statistics from the 2024/2025 NHS Breast Screening Programme indicate a notable rise in breast cancer detection rates, achieving a ten-year high for first-invite screenings. NHS England has also released the report on Tackling the uptake challenge - a review of progress and next steps, which examines efforts to enhance screening uptake among women in the population.

Dental contract reform webinars scheduled

Webinars focusing on dental contract reforms are available, including one on 11 March at 6:00 to 7:30 pm featuring NHS England leaders who will discuss implementation protocols and necessary preparations for commissioners and providers. Register for this informative session here.

Another webinar, led by Chief Dental Officer Jason Wong on 24 February from 7:00 to 8:30 pm, will cover clinical guidance supporting the contract reform. Register for this session.

Reminder: submit your Pharmacy Quality Scheme 2025/26 declaration

Community Pharmacy contractors are reminded to declare their Pharmacy Quality Scheme (PQS) 2025/26 submissions via the Manage Your Service (MYS) portal by the deadline of 27 February 2026 at 11:59 pm. Detailed requirements and guidance can be found on the NHS England website. Evidence gathering and planning for submission should be undertaken in advance. The declaration questions can be found on the NHSBSA website.

New CPPE PGD workshop for pharmacy technicians

A new CPPE workshop titled PGDs: Empowering pharmacy technicians to provide services has been launched to enhance the skills of pharmacy technicians in supplying or administering medicines under Patient Group Directions (PGDs). This training aims to utilise technicians’ expanded roles to optimize workforce capabilities and service delivery. Bookings are now open.

Know your high cholesterol risk

A new resource created by Heart UK and NHS England assists individuals in understanding their cholesterol risk. This resource is particularly useful for those recently diagnosed with high cholesterol or those seeking to manage their cholesterol levels effectively. Access the resource here.

NHS Excellence Awards now open for entries

The NHS Excellence Awards recognise exemplary contributions within health and care. Primary care and community teams are encouraged to apply for the Neighbourhood Health Award, celebrating integrated approaches under the 10 Year Health Plan. Applications are free and should be submitted by 5 pm on 6 March 2026. Learn more about the awards here.

• 24 February, NHS Confederation’s Care Closer to Home Conference 2026

• 25 February, 10:30 am – 11:30 am, Webinar on equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI)

• 2 March, 1:30 pm – 3:00 pm, Eating Disorders Services National Guidance Webinar

• 4 March, 10:00 am – 12:00 pm, Violence Prevention and Reduction National Learning Session

• 4 March, 10:30 am – 12:00 pm, AI Ambassador Network meeting

• 5 March, 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm, NHS Confederation webinar on Red Tape Challenge

• 10 March, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm, Specialist Pharmacy Service - Structured Medication Reviews

• 12 March, 12:30 pm – 1:30 pm, GIRFT webinar on FCP evaluation

• 19 March, 2:00 pm – 3:30 pm, NHS England Cyber Griffin webinars Cyber Baseline Part A

• 26 March, Social Prescribing Day

• 14 April, 2:00 pm – 3:30 pm, NHS England Cyber Griffin webinars Cyber Baseline Part B

• 10-11 June 2026, NHSConfedExpo

For those who missed national webinars, recordings and slides are available for viewing, including 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 email.