Each year, World Patient Safety Day on 17 September and Patient Safety Week serve as powerful reminders of the importance of safe, high-quality care across the UK’s healthcare system. This year, the theme “Safe care for every newborn and every child” has placed a spotlight on the youngest and most vulnerable patients, urging healthcare professionals, policymakers, and communities to act decisively to prevent avoidable harm.

The newly released NHS England Patient Charter—You and Your General Practice—is now live on the NHS England website. It outlines what patients can expect from their GP practice, and what practices ask of patients in return. As part of the 2025/26 GP contract, it must be displayed on all practice websites by 1 October 2025.

The CQC recently sat down with providers in Manchester, London, Leicester, and Bristol in a series of roadshows, which they have now completed. 

Preparing for a Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspection can feel daunting, whether it’s your first visit or part of routine monitoring. The key question for every practice is simple: Are you inspection-ready today?

It can be so easy, when stuck in the day-to-day firefighting of running a practice, to forget to invest time in our own development, or provide that time to our teams. We know that investing time in ourselves and our people is beneficial to a business long-term, but it's often the first thing we cut, when time is short or funds are low.

Another month is about to begin, which means even more Awareness Days are on the horizon. Take a look at what is coming up this month and click below to download a PDF.

Thornfields is excited to invite you to our next expert-led live webinar, this time on the subject of How to Merge Teams Successfully, on Wednesday 24th September at 12.30pm.

Some NHS announcements are well documented—but others seem to slip quietly under the radar. And when they do surface, it’s often too late for any meaningful discussion. 

"Since retiring I've had more time to follow what’s going on in the NHS and can comment more freely, as I have no allegiance to any one or any organisation. Two recent announcements in particular will have an impact on Primary Care; here are my thoughts," writes our Retired Practice Manager correspondent.

Now that the fanfare around July’s unveiling of the NHS 10-Year Plan has subsided, we’re left with a hefty 168-page document full of vision—but what about delivery? As someone who’s worked across governance and community representation, I can’t help but ask: are we looking at genuine change, or another glossy cover for familiar frustrations?