The Covid 19 Inquiry released its latest report April 16th, 2026, examining how the UK developed and delivered vaccines and treatments during the pandemic. 

In December 2025, NHS England published "Improving chaperoning practice in the NHS: key principles and guidance". While chaperoning has long been part of primary care, this updated guidance represents a step change in expectations around competence, governance and staff support.

In this monthly report, FPM looks in detail at what the CQC have publicly reported from their GP practice inspections during April 2026, all anonymised. We highlight some of the behaviours that won practices Outstanding ratings, and the reasons some practices were scored Requires Improvement, or Inadequate. Do you recognise any of the observations the CQC picked up, either good or bad?

A new assessment programme from the CQC started in March 2026 and will target so-called "lower risk practice" who are good or outstanding and were last inspected between 2017 and 2022. FPM explains how this works.

Recruitment, while essential, is one of the most time‑intensive and complex processes a GP practice undertakes. From drafting job descriptions to managing interviews and responding to candidates, recruitment quietly absorbs nearly a full working week of senior clinical and managerial time. This is where the FPM Recruitment Service makes a measurable difference.

Thornfield's "Updating your HR Skills" course has never been more important, and with all of the recent legislation changes that are coming into force, now is the best time to upskill your staff. 

The 2026/27 PCN DES introduces one of the most significant shifts since ARRS began. While most headlines have focused on GP reimbursement uplifts and neighbourhood alignment, the real change is the clearer and more flexible route for practices to consider directly employing ARRS staff.

We’re delighted to announce the updated version of our Directory of Biographies and Skillsets for Thornfields Associates.

FPM members can access a comprehensive selection of policies, templates and toolkits on our flagship FPM Core software.

The language of “Neighbourhood Health Hubs” is everywhere right now. Integrated teams. Shared services. Care closer to home. A seamless system wrapped around a population of 30,000–50,000 people. On paper, it sounds transformative. In practice, many working in primary care are asking a more uncomfortable question:How can neighbourhood hubs work when the buildings, workforce, and infrastructure simply aren’t ready?