Local authority round-up 28 November 2025
28th November, 2025
Our Local Authority round up provides brief summaries of topical information on a weekly basis, to keep you aware of the changes and updates relevant to you.
Health & Social Care
NHS wait times to be cut following the rollout of new Neighbourhood Health Centres
250 Neighbourhood Health Centres are set to bring patient care closer to home and bring an end to the postcode lottery of healthcare access. The commitment to slash NHS wait times comes off the back of this week’s budget, with confirmation from the government that investment will go into hundreds of new Neighbourhood Health Centres. These new health centres will be seen as ‘one stop shops’ to bring the right local combination from GPs, nurses, dentists and pharmacists together to best meet the needs of the community, starting in the most deprived areas.
The Neighbourhood Health Centres will target to move outpatient care from hospitals, and instead, these centres will provide space for clinics in communities across the country. Patients will be able to get treatment minutes from their homes instead of travelling miles.
£300 million for new capital investment will go into NHS technology, with new digital tools to be rolled out for NHS staff to support their work and improve productivity. For example, automating administrative tasks and providing quicker access to patient information, as well as ensuring better staff communication and coordinated care. This aims to give nurses, physios, doctors and other staff more time to care for patients and therefore less time on admin.
For more information, please click here.
Chancellor freezes charges to keep prescriptions under £10
The Chancellor announces the freeze on NHS prescription charges is to be extended for another year. This will keep prescriptions under £10 and save patients around £12 million a year. The freeze will not only continue to support patients with the cost of living but also ensure that no patient puts themselves at risk by not taking their medication due to the cost of picking it up.
Around 89% of prescriptions in England are already dispensed free of charge to children, over-60s, pregnant women, and those with a regular need for prescriptions. In addition to the freeze on charges, the NHS Low Income Scheme offers help with prescription payments, with free prescriptions for eligible people in certain groups such as pensioners, students and those who receive state benefits or live in care homes.
Extending the freeze on prescription costs is part of the government’s wider action to ease the cost of living.
For more information, please click here.
Planning and Housing
Public and private sector housing and regeneration experts join forces to boost supply of homes for places most in need
Homes England enters into a new joint venture with The Impact & Places Partnership with Swiss Life Asset Managers and Capital&Centric to spearhead the creation of more than 2,250 homes in underinvested areas in England. Homes England has a 40% stake in this joint venture under the terms agreement, with Swiss Life Asset Managers and Capital&Centric taking a combined 60% stake.
This new joint venture aims to develop high-quality, mixed-use residential schemes with Swiss Life’s real estate experience and expertise with Capital&Centric’s residential-led placemaking focus. This combined venture contributes to the government’s ambition to build 1.5 million new homes in this parliament and to invest not just in core cities, but also under-invested locations where supply and demand dynamics are more favourable.
For more information, please click here.
Upcoming events
Subsidy control masterclass series
Subsidy control is one of the first considerations in public funded initiatives – but it can also be a significant cause of uncertainty and delay. This course will cut through those concerns by equipping attendees with the expertise to spot potential issues and to manage these within the law, noting recent case law and guidance. It will cover the basics, working up to a level of detail that will be useful to the most experienced practitioners.
This masterclass series is presented by Ward Hadaway Partner Alexander Rose – recognised as a national expert in this area of law – with five dates to choose from across our five offices:
- Manchester: Wednesday 3 December 2025, 1pm – 3pm
- Newcastle upon Tyne: Thursday 11 December 2025, 9am – 11am
- Teesside: Wednesday 17 December 2025, 10am – 12pm
- Leeds: Wednesday 14 January 2026, 1pm – 3pm
- Birmingham: Wednesday 4 February 2026, 9.30am – 11.30am
Book your place at any of these five sessions here.
Webinar: Data security
The UK’s National Cyber Security Centre is reporting a sharp rise in cyber attacks and notes the threat of supply chain attacks as well as the exploitation of various vulnerabilities. Not all cyber attacks result in personal data breaches but hacks often result in the theft of personal data.
During this webinar, our partners Phil Tompkins, Rob Eldon and Damien Charlton will look at the issue of data security for personal data, focusing on:
- What is meant by cyber security and data security
- What UK GDPR requires organisations to do by way of data security
- The requirements of the new Cyber Security and Resilience Bill
- How to handle data security breaches and the resulting claims
Join us between 10am – 11am on Tuesday 9 December by registering here.
Legal Services Forum: Transgender guidance
In the wake of the UK Supreme Court ruling For Women Scotland Ltd v The Scottish Ministers, which confirmed that the word “sex” in the Equality Act 2010 refers to biological sex, we have found ourselves in a state of flux, and without any guidance as to the practical implications of such a ruling.
As both a public-facing service provider and an employer, where does this leave NHS Trusts when considering single-sex facilities and in-patient accommodation?
Register here to join Caroline Shafar and Chloe Middleton between 10:00am – 11:00am on Tuesday 16 December 2025 as they provide guidance and answer your questions/topics for discussion, which you are welcome to submit ahead of this meeting.
Legal Services Forum: Hillsborough Law
On 16 September 2025, the Government laid before Parliament the Public Office (Accountability) Bill, commonly known as Hillsborough Law. The Bill introduces a duty of candour and assistance on public authorities and officials in relation to their involvement with public inquiries and inquests.
It ensures that families of victims in state-related deaths are able to access non-means-tested legal assistance and advocacy at inquests and inquiries where public authorities are interested persons. If enacted in full, the Bill is likely to have a significant impact on public inquiries and a large number of inquests.
We are pleased to invite Austin Welch, Counsel from Lincoln House Chambers to talk us through the main features of the Bill and its implications. Register here to save your place on Thursday 29 January between 10:00am – 11:00am submit and submit any questions/topics for discussion ahead of the meeting.
Please note that this briefing is designed to be informative, not advisory and represents our understanding of English law and practice as at the date indicated. We would always recommend that you should seek specific guidance on any particular legal issue.
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