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Supreme Court redefines deprivation of liberty: what it means for you
The AGNI decision changes how deprivation of liberty is assessed. Read key findings, practical implications and what this means for DoLS.
Supreme Court Deprivation of Liberty Judgment: FAQs for Health and Social Care Bodies
Answering key questions on deprivation of liberty after AGNI, including DoLS applications, consent and how to apply the new assessment test.
2026 GP contract amendments: key changes for practices under GMS and PMS
Key 2026 GP contract amendments explained, including referral pathways, performance management and patient access requirements.
Single patient record: what it means for healthcare providers
The Health Bill introduces a Single Patient Record to transform data sharing. Learn the legal impact and how providers should prepare.
The Health Bill: what changes when NHS England is abolished?
The Health Bill abolishes NHS England and shifts commissioning, oversight and data‑sharing powers to ICBs and the Secretary of State.
Additional sections of the Mental Health Act 2025 are now in force
New sections of the Mental Health Act 2025 now in force extend Human Rights Act obligations to certain private mental health providers and require a government review of notification duties for under‑18s admitted for mental health treatment.
Case Study: Bibescu v Clare Jenner Ltd t/a Jenners [2026]
In Bibescu v Clare Jenner Ltd t/a Jenners, the Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) considered whether the Employment Tribunal (ET) had applied the correct legal tests when assessing an accountant’s whistleblowing detriment claim and her allegation that she had been automatically unfairly dismissed for making protected disclosures.
New guidance on Neighbourhood Health Centres
NHS England have published new details and guidance on the Neighbourhood Health Centres (NHCs) programme (NHS England » Neighbourhood health centres). NHCs are intended to underpin a key aspect of the 10 Year Plan to move services out of hospitals into the community under the neighbourhood health model.
High Court confirms Coroners may draw inferences in suicide conclusions
In Toogood v HM Senior Coroner for Somerset [2026] EWHC 634 (Admin), the High Court provides important clarification on how coroners may approach suicide conclusions in inquests. The judgment confirms that coroners may draw reasonable inferences from circumstantial evidence and are not required to exclude every speculative alternative explanation before reaching a conclusion. The decision strengthens the legal framework supporting coroners’ evaluative judgments where intent is not directly evidenced.
Get pay, benefits and financial entitlements right to support staff wellbeing and minimise legal risk
Discussions about workforce wellbeing often prioritise mental health, flexible working, and managing workplace pressures. Yet an equally important, and sometimes overlooked, factor for practice owners is financial wellbeing, ensuring pay, benefits and sick pay are accurate, timely and clearly communicated.
Clinical decisions – available options or best interests?
In a judgment handed down on 3rd March, Townsend v Epsom & St Helier NHS Trust [2026] EWCA Civ 195, the Court of Appeal considered whether or not a ‘clinical decision’ not to continue life sustaining medical treatment was a decision subject to best interests considerations (and thus also subject to the ‘supervision’ of the Court of Protection).
Hempsons podcast: Consent and capacity for children and young people – 19 November 2025
A clear guide to consent and capacity for children and young people, covering Gillick competence, parental responsibility, and the Mental Capacity Act.
Multi-Neighbourhood Provider Contracting Clarification
At the end of January NHS England published a document which provides an important update related to how Multi-Neighbourhood Providers (MNP) will be contracted from as early as April 2026. This does not provide clarity in relation to Single Neighbourhood Providers (SNPs) but it is a significant piece in the puzzle and indicates that progress is likely to accelerate as the end of the financial year approaches.
London Ambulance Service NHS Trust v Sodola (Debarred)
In London Ambulance Service NHS Trust v Sodola (Debarred), the Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) held that the Employment Tribunal (ET) was wrong to infer that the Trust’s delay in providing written feedback about why a black employee had not been promoted, was discrimination on the grounds of race.