What is the Heart Failure Academy?
The Heart Failure Academy is an NHS England funded collaboration between Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Health Innovation Yorkshire & Humber, and the three Yorkshire Integrated Care Boards.
The Academy aims to upskill the multidisciplinary generalist team to better recognise heart failure signs and symptoms, enabling timelier diagnosis and optimisation of therapy, and improved support of people living with heart failure.
Who is the Heart Failure Academy for?
We offer a variety of developmental opportunities for generalists working in all sectors created by the heart failure specialist multidisciplinary teams from each of the three Yorkshire and the Humber ICBs.
The Heart Failure Academy learning opportunities
Attached is our Heart Failure Academy information flyer which gives a high-level view of our work including our Navigating the Heart Failure Journey Map and QR codes that link to our bite sized learning videos on our website.
Colleagues can download the Navigating the Heart Failure Journey Map from the website.
Webinars
We are delighted to invite you to our upcoming webinars on a range of heart failure topics requested by colleagues at the Heart Failure Academy study days.
The webinars are designed for generalists in both primary and secondary care wanting to upskill in heart failure.
All the webinars will be recorded and housed in the library of Heart Failure Academy recorded presentations on the Heart Failure Academy website.
To book your place, simply click on the links below.
February
Title: Masterclass: Diuretics in heart failure
Date: 12 February 2026
Time: 13:00 -14:00
Why attend?
You said, we did.
We are delighted to offer this important masterclass in diuretics use in heart failure responding to feedback for more case studies after our Heart Failure Academy study days in October 2025.
Book your place here: https://www.hfacademy.co.uk/events/
March
Title: Masterclass: Palliative care in Heart Failure
Date: 26 March 2026
Time: 13:00 -14:00
Why attend?
You said, we did.
We are delighted to offer this important masterclass in Palliative care in heart failure responding to feedback for more support on palliative care following our Heart Failure Academy study days in October 2025.
Book your place here: https://www.hfacademy.co.uk/events/
If you have any questions or comments, please get in touch.
Email: lyndsey.hornby@healthinnovationyh.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lyndsey-hornby-2990b062/
South Yorkshire ICB has issued an updated position statement on the use of tirzepatide for managing overweight and obesity, following NICE TA1026 and the NHSE phased roll‑out.
Tirzepatide for weight loss can only be prescribed in primary care for patients in Cohort 1 under the NHSE funding variation.
The document states: “Patients must only be offered tirzepatide for weight management if they are within cohort 1 at the point of initiation.”
Cohort 1 (2025/26)
All patients must undertake the mandatory ‘wraparound behavioural support programme’, which includes dietetic, physical activity and behavioural change components.
This guidance does not affect tirzepatide prescribing for type 2 diabetes, which continues under NICE TA924.
Patients not in Cohort 1 may be referred to SWMS only if they meet the SY referral criteria.
The document notes: “A referral may be appropriate… but the patient must fulfil the SY referral criteria.”
Key eligibility includes:
Exclusions include pregnancy, uncontrolled medical conditions, unstable mental health, active eating disorders, and <2 years post‑bariatric surgery.
Primary care should not be asked to assess suitability for tirzepatide if a private or RTC provider is initiating treatment.
The statement emphasises: “The Right to Choose and private provider should undertake this assessment and retain any prescribing and monitoring requirements.”
Clinicians should share relevant information only with patient consent.
NHSE has produced patient‑facing FAQs to support conversations about access and eligibility. Links to NICE TAs and SY guidance are included in the full statement.
South Yorkshire ICB has released a new patient information leaflet to support adults starting tirzepatide (Mounjaro®) for weight management. The leaflet is designed to help patients understand what the medication is, how it fits within NHS pathways, and what is expected of them while on treatment. It explains the principles behind tirzepatide, the importance of safe use, and the role of lifestyle change alongside medication. It also outlines the wraparound behavioural support programme that all patients must attend as part of NHS-funded treatment.
The resource aims to give patients clear, practical guidance as they begin therapy, helping them to prepare for treatment, understand their responsibilities, and access further support where needed. Practices may find it a useful tool when discussing expectations, safety considerations, and the wider weight‑management pathway with eligible patients.
South Yorkshire ICB has published updated guidance to support primary care teams in the recognition and management of actinic (solar) keratosis. The document has been developed collaboratively across primary, secondary and specialist dermatology services, drawing on British, European and American evidence.
The guideline sets out a clear, practical framework for assessing AK in general practice, offering advice on diagnosis, self‑care, sun‑protection counselling, and the range of management options available in primary care. It also outlines when to consider referral to dermatology, including high‑risk groups and red‑flag features suggestive of possible squamous cell carcinoma. The pathway is designed to help clinicians provide safe, consistent care while supporting patients to understand their condition and the importance of UV protection.
This resource aims to standardise AK management across South Yorkshire and ensure timely escalation where needed, while keeping the majority of care appropriately within primary care.
LMCs now have access to new national guidance outlining the due‑diligence requirements for practices considering the use of ambient voice technologies (AVTs) – tools that record, transcribe and summarise consultations. NHS England has made clear that these products must meet strict clinical safety, data protection, and technical assurance standards before they can be deployed in any NHS setting.
The document summarises the obligations placed on practices as Data Controllers, highlights the risks of using non‑compliant AI‑enabled scribe tools, and explains the minimum governance, safety and regulatory requirements that suppliers must meet. It also clarifies the role of the IM1 onboarding process and the responsibilities of practices under DCB0160, emphasising that a DPIA alone is not sufficient to demonstrate compliance.
Given the rapid growth of commercial AVT products approaching GPs directly, this guidance is intended to help LMCs support practices to pause unsafe adoption, request appropriate assurance from suppliers, and engage with ICBs and NHS England before implementation. A template letter is included to help practices request the necessary compliance documentation from vendors as part of their due‑diligence process.
Please see below the information that has been sent to All Foundation GP Practices (with Foundation Doctors); Practice Manager and Trainers;
Dear All
We have been tasked with auditing the information on the GMC website and register as regards GP Practice Site and Trainer approval
This will happen in 2 stages
Stage 1 – Site information
We will first review the practice site information we hold as the Foundation School and compare this with the list the GMC currently hold.
Amendments we will make where needed
Stage 2 – Trainer information
GP trainers will continue to be added to the GMC register by the GP School. The GP school should list which programme they are delivering training for and add them to the register.
YHFS require all Foundation trainers to have completed the CS / ES training. (online and face to face sessions)
Foundation only trainers will be listed on the GMC Register as a CS, an ES or as CS/ES.
If trainers are only / also delivering Foundation training, they will only / also be listed as speciality (Foundation) trainers by Yorkshire and Humber Foundation School (YHFS).
In this stage, we will:
o We wont need to see any certification, just a confirmation from the practice and/or trainer that the training has been completed.
o We will compare this to the Quality teams records from information from the Trusts hosting the face to face part of the course
o others in the practice can help supervise, but they’re supporting that role rather than replacing it. They may not have completed the ES / CS training and will not be updated on the GMC Register
We might need to do this by region (East, West and South) because of the number of practices across YHFS.
Once this is all complete, we will need a way of keeping this information up to date.
You can of course contact the school inbox directly with any changes – england.foundation.yh@nhs.net
YHFS contact the practices regularly with regards to updating the rotational PSCE payments, so we will also look to add to those comms to allow practices to advise us of any changes to their trainers / site / GMC register.
If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to get in touch via the Foundation inbox – england.foundation.yh@nhs.net
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
