This summer marks a significant milestone in the regional approach to palliative and end of life care with the introduction of a new South Yorkshire-wide ReSPECT (Recommended Summary Plan for Emergency Care and Treatment) policy. Developed collaboratively by the South Yorkshire Palliative and End of Life Care Clinical Reference Group – chaired by Dr Rod Kersh and comprising representatives from a broad spectrum of NHS organisations – this policy aims to foster greater consistency in how ReSPECT plans are understood, initiated, and implemented across our system.
The ReSPECT process supports personalised care planning by documenting a person’s preferences and clinical recommendations for emergency treatment, particularly in situations where they may not be able to communicate their wishes. By aligning practice across South Yorkshire, the new policy seeks to reduce variation, improve clarity for clinicians and patients, and strengthen shared decision-making at every level of care.
In parallel with this policy launch, a dedicated South Yorkshire Palliative and End of Life Care website has recently gone live. This resource hub offers:
We encourage all practices and professionals involved in end of life care to explore the site and integrate its resources into local pathways and team development. You can access the website here: Palliative and End of Life Care :: South Yorkshire I.C.B
This is a timely opportunity to reaffirm our collective commitment to person-centred care, clinical clarity, and respectful dialogue at life’s most vulnerable moments.
On 1st September 2025, South Yorkshire ICB officially launched its new central Medicines Optimisation (MOT) website, designed to streamline access to prescribing guidance and ensure consistency across the region. This marks a pivotal step in improving the accuracy, accessibility, and cost-effectiveness of medicines optimisation resources for clinicians and practices.
Please bookmark and use this site exclusively for all MOT documents going forward:
https://mot.southyorkshire.icb.nhs.uk
A short video walkthrough of the site’s features is available here to help users familiarise themselves with the layout and functionality.
A detailed briefing document – Launch of NEW SY ICB Medicines Optimisation Website – is also available, offering further context and implementation guidance. You can access it here.
Feedback is warmly welcomed via the online form here, and will help shape future improvements to the site.
We encourage all practices to update their bookmarks, cascade this information to relevant teams, and begin using the new site as the primary source for MOT materials. This is a meaningful step toward safer, more consistent prescribing across our system.
From 1 September 2025, the eligibility criteria for the NHS shingles vaccination programme will be widened. Under the new rules, all severely immunosuppressed individuals aged 18 years and over will be entitled to receive the shingles vaccine.
Key Changes
Current position: Shingles vaccination is mainly offered to older adults within specific age cohorts, and certain clinically vulnerable groups.
From 1 September 2025:
Any person aged 18 years or older who is severely immunosuppressed will become eligible, regardless of age cohort.
This includes individuals whose immune systems are significantly weakened due to medical conditions or treatments (e.g., chemotherapy, advanced HIV infection, bone marrow transplant, immunosuppressive medication).
Rationale for Change
Evidence shows that severely immunosuppressed people are at higher risk of shingles and complications such as post-herpetic neuralgia and disseminated disease.
Extending eligibility is intended to improve protection and reduce the burden on primary and secondary care services.
Vaccine Type and Scheduling
Shingrix® (non-live, recombinant vaccine) will be used for immunosuppressed adults, as it is safe for use in this population.
Standard course: Two doses, given at least 8 weeks apart (may be extended if clinically necessary).
Action for Practices
Identify eligible patients from 1 September using searches based on clinical codes for severe immunosuppression.
Ensure that vaccination teams and call/recall systems are updated to reflect the new criteria.
Provide clear information to eligible patients about the benefits and safety of the vaccine.
Continue to follow the Green Book guidance for timing in relation to immunosuppressive treatments.
Further Information
NHS England has issued a detailed letter with annexes setting out the changes, including definitions of severe immunosuppression and updated clinical guidance. Practices should review this ahead of the September rollout.
All practices using EMIS Web (Optum) and SystmOne (TPP) are reminded to accept the Data Provision Notice (DPN) for OpenSAFELY, which has now been formally issued. This step is essential to enable the platform’s expansion beyond COVID-19 analyses, supporting broader population health research and service improvement across primary care.
OpenSAFELY is a secure, transparent analytics platform developed in response to the pandemic, and now evolving to support wider clinical insight. It has the full backing of GPC England and the Joint GP IT Committee, and its governance model ensures that NHS England acts as the data controller for all outputs derived from queried data. This means that any data protection risks are held by NHS England, not by individual practices.
Key points for practices:
We encourage practices to ensure their approval is registered promptly to support this important national infrastructure. OpenSAFELY represents a significant opportunity to contribute to high-quality, ethically governed research while maintaining robust data protection standards.
For further information or support, practices can contact their local IT lead or refer to guidance issued by NHS England and the GP IT Committee.
Assistance Dogs UK (ADUK) is a coalition of accredited charities that support disabled people through the provision of highly trained assistance dogs. These dogs are not pets – they are essential companions that enable independence, dignity, and access to everyday services, including healthcare.
Despite clear legal protections, ADUK has received concerning reports from handlers who were refused care or asked to leave GP surgeries because of their assistance dogs. Such incidents not only breach equality legislation but risk undermining the trust and safety of disabled patients.
To address this, ADUK has developed a concise and practical guide for GP practice managers and frontline teams, outlining:
ADUK Quick Guide for GP Surgeries
You can view or download the guide here: ADUK Quick Guide for GP Surgeries (PDF)
We encourage all practices to review this guidance, share it with reception and clinical teams, and embed its principles into everyday operations. Welcoming assistance dogs is not just a legal obligation – it’s a reflection of compassionate, accessible care.
For further support, practices can contact ADUK directly or liaise with local disability advocacy groups to ensure their environments are truly inclusive.
The Department of Health and Social Care has announced the launch of a national chickenpox vaccination programme in England, set to begin in January 2026. This long-anticipated move will integrate varicella protection into the routine infant immunisation schedule, offering significant public health benefits and reducing the burden of preventable complications.
Under the new programme, eligible children will receive a combined MMRV vaccine—covering measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella—administered in two doses at 12 and 18 months of age. This will replace the current standalone MMR jab and bring varicella into line with other childhood immunisations.
Key points for practices:
This is a significant step forward in paediatric public health, aligning England with many other countries that already offer universal varicella vaccination. Practices are encouraged to begin preparing for the transition by reviewing current systems, training needs, and patient messaging strategies.
We will share updated guidance and resources as soon as they become available to support smooth implementation across general practice.
We are pleased to announce the addition of a dedicated ECHO session focused on “Writing a ReSPECT Plan”, designed to support healthcare professionals who are involved in creating or completing ReSPECT (Recommended Summary Plan for Emergency Care and Treatment) plans.
This interactive session, scheduled for November 2025, will provide practical guidance, explore best practices, and help clinicians develop confidence and clarity when initiating and documenting ReSPECT discussions with patients and their families.
This opportunity is open to all healthcare professionals who are responsible for completing ReSPECT plans, including GPs, nurses, paramedics, and allied health professionals.
Please share this invitation with colleagues and any members of your team who may find this session valuable.
Doncaster LMC is been a member of the LMC Buying Groups Federation.
Buying Group membership entitles practices to discounts on products and services provided by the Buying Group’s suppliers.
Membership is free and there is no obligation on practices to use all the suppliers. However, practices can save thousands of pounds a year just by switching to Buying Group suppliers. To view the pricing and discounts on offer you need to register for access to the Buying Group’s online portal: https://buying.plexusportal.co.uk/Register.
What is the purpose of the Buying Group and how does it work?
The sole purpose of the Buying Group is to save its member practices money by negotiating discounts on goods and services which practices regularly purchase. The Buying Group team negotiate with suppliers, after which they identify ‘approved’ suppliers, who guarantee to give you significant discounts over what you would otherwise pay for their services, in return for the Buying Group’s endorsement and help in making you aware of what they offer.
Does it cost us anything to be part of the group?
No, membership is free and members are free to use as many discounts as they wish.
Is there any obligation to take up the deals offered?
No. Each practice is free to take up or decline any of the deals the Buying Group have negotiated. If you wish to take advantage of any of the offers in question, you will be given contact details, and all communications take place between you and the individual supplier*.
*The Buying Group accepts no liability for any contract willingly entered into by a practice with an approved supplier. Practices are advised to check that the terms of any contract with suppliers are consistent with those the Buying Group have negotiated and are advised to inform the Buying Group team of any discrepancy. The Buying Group do not, however, accept any responsibility for any member practices’ failure to check the terms of the relevant contract and the principle of caveat emptor (buyer beware) applies in all cases. Your rights as a consumer under the Consumer Protection Act are unaffected. With respect to any services to which the provisions of the Financial Services Act 2000 might apply practices are advised to seek independent financial advice as may be appropriate.
What happens to my details?
When a practice signs up for Buying Group membership, they will keep your basic contact details (practice address) on a secure system. On the membership application form, they also ask you how they can use your personal data (i.e. your email address) but even if you do sign up to receive their emails you can stop them at any time by clicking the unsubscribe button.
What if I am not happy with the quality of goods and services supplied?
Always let the Buying Group know if you encounter any problems getting what you want, and they will endeavour to sort it out.
Contact the Buying Group
The Buying Group is managed by Plexus Support Services Ltd:
Tel: 0115 979 6910
Email: info@plexussupport.co.uk
Website: https://www.plexussupport.co.uk
