BLOOMSBURY  HEALTH

Who should read this IT Managers, Digital Transformation Specialists, Clinical Directors, Service Managers, and Pathway Coordinators. Summary NHS Digital has shifted how Advice & Guidance (A&G) is tracked. Recent updates to the e-Referral Service (e-RS) API now require the capture of a referrer's standardised "Clinical Intent" whenever an A&G request is made. The goal is to give Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) complete visibility into non-admitted care activity. If your special

Who should read this Finance and Service Managers, Clinical Directors, IT Managers, Pathway Coordinators, and Digital Transformation Specialists across Acute Trusts and ICBs. Summary With the 2024 publication of Lord Darzi’s landmark investigation and the groundwork for the government's 10-Year Health Plan, the NHS is continuing three fundamental shifts: from hospital to community, treatment to prevention, and analogue to digital. The message from national leadership is clear

Who should read this Acute Trust Service Managers, Clinical Directors, Digital Transformation Teams, Pathway Coordinators, and ICB Commissioning Leads. Summary Following the government’s mandate for Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) to reduce running costs by 50% by the end of 2025/26, regional ICBs are actively decommissioning central intermediary Referral Services. As these intermediary hubs close—such as the BNSSG Referral Service shutting down in September 2026—the administr

Who should read this: ICB Commissioning Leads, Clinical Safety Officers, Clinical Directors, Service Managers, Pathway Coordinators, and Digital Transformation Teams. Summary Recent weeks have brought two major reports that are sending ripples through NHS referral management. First, the Health Services Safety Investigations Body (HSSIB) published a critical interim report warning of significant safety gaps in how Advice & Guidance (A&G) and Single Point of Access (SPoA) model

Who should read this Clinical Directors of Specialised Services, Multidisciplinary Team (MDT) Leads, Pathway Coordinators, Quality Assurance Teams, Service Managers, and Executive Boards at designated NHS Tertiary and Expert Centres. Summary NHS England has released its updated Clinical Commissioning Policy work plans (August 2026) for specialised services, and the message to designated expert centres is clear: rigorous governance is non-negotiable. With revised Multidiscipli

Who should read this: ICB Commissioning Leads, Primary Care Network (PCN) Clinical Directors, Service Managers, Clinical Leads, and Digital Transformation Teams. Summary Hospital referral rates have surged, placing immense pressure on local health economies to manage capacity and budgets. In response, many regions are scrutinising their referral management strategies. But as The King’s Fund famously highlighted in Referral Management - Lessons for Success, full-scale administ

Who should read this: Finance and Service Managers, Clinical Directors, IT Managers, Pathway Coordinators, Digital Transformation Specialists, and ICB Commissioning Leads. Quick Summary NHS England is accelerating its elective care reforms. With the embedding of Mandatory Advice & Guidance (A&G) into core GP arrangements and the rollout of regional Single Points of Access (SPoAs), the goal is ambitious but necessary: deflect up to 25% of low-value outpatient demand. Simultane

Who should read this Service Managers, Clinical Directors, Multidisciplinary Team (MDT) Leads, Pathway Coordinators, Quality Assurance Teams, and Digital Transformation Leads within Specialised NHS Services. Quick Summary Providing highly specialised care—from complex spinal surgery to neuro-oncology—requires immense clinical expertise. But under NHS England commissioning rules, delivering the care is only half the mandate. Demonstrating the quality of that care via Specialis