

PFI - A New Era?
Melanie Pears explores the recent announcement by NHS England about the possibility of a private finance model for capital developments, alongside the Treasury's calls for it to be only used in very limited circumstances.
July 03, 2025
PFI - A New Era?
News
Must read

Families refusing access to support
Is home a suitable option for residence and care for a vulnerable adult if their family refuses access to support? Sophie Holmes analyses a recent ruling.
Features


The final say
The Court of Protection has provided an important reminder that it is the judge who has the final say as to best interests, writes Alex Ruck Keene KC (Hon).
June 19, 2025
The final say

Abbasi and Haastrup: to name or not to name
Last month saw the handing down of the long-awaited judgment of the Supreme Court in joined cases on the identification of clinicians in end-of-life cases. The ruling has a potential wide-ranging impact across the health and care sectors, writes Hannah Taylor.
May 02, 2025
Abbasi and Haastrup: to name or not to name

Transfers from hospital to social care
What are the key laws that need to be upheld when transferring people from NHS hospital to local authority social care? Elizabeth Ridley explains.
Apr 25, 2025
Transfers from hospital to social care

Court of Protection case update: April 2025
Niamh Brennan rounds up the latest Court of Protection rulings of interest to practitioners.
Apr 15, 2025
Court of Protection case update: April 2025

Issuing proceedings in best interests cases
Katie Viggers, Mark Barnett and Hannah Khan set out four key takeaways for Integrated Care Boards from a recent case where a senior judge stressed the “crucial significance” of issuing proceedings promptly in a best interests case.
Mar 19, 2025
Issuing proceedings in best interests cases
Webinars
The Landmark Listen: Public Podcast – Standing
David Blundell QC, Richard Turney and Miranda Butler provide a detailed overview of the decision in the Good Law Project challenge and case law on the link between standing and timing in judicial review.
More features

Local Authority Insight Series: Local Authority Companies – How to Make Them Work
In this webinar, three highly experienced public commercial lawyers explore the background and future of local authority-owned companies, examining the pressures and complications they face, the factors behind their creation and look at how councils can best manage their external companies to avoid the pitfalls that have led some to fail.
Local Authority Insight Series: Monitoring Officers
Everything you wanted to know about being a monitoring officer but were afraid to ask. Philip McCourt and Suki Binjal, two of the profession’s most experienced MOs, look at how the nature and the profile of the role is changing.
ICS lessons
Three months on from the commencement of the new statutory Integrated Care Systems (ICS) Anja Beriro and Gerrard Hanratty reflect on the main themes and issues that have come from the new relationship between local government and health.
Local Authority Insight Series: Regime change - the Liberty Protection Safeguards - LexisNexis
LexisNexis take a look at how the new Liberty Protection Safeguards work in practice when they replace the Deprivations of Liberty Safeguards (DOLS)
Draft Mental Health Bill now published
Following a commitment given in the Queen’s Speech in May 2022, a draft Mental Health Bill has been brought forward this week (27 June 2022). Alex Ruck Keene sets out the main elements and highlights some key points.
Local Authority Insight Series: A balancing act – Public Sector employment post - Covid
This webinar by LexisNexis looks at Public Sector employment post - Covid; identifying and managing the potential pitfalls of the ‘new normal’ for public sector employers.
Building systems
James Arrowsmith looks at the lessons to be learned from a recent report on integrated Local Health Systems produced by LGiU and Browne Jacobson.
Mental Health Act reform – draft legislation now announced
In the Queen’s Speech this week, it was announced that draft legislation would be brought forward to reform the Mental Health Act in England and Wales. Alex Ruck Keene looks at what we know so far.
Discharging patients into care homes at the start of the pandemic
A challenge to a Government policy of discharging hospital patients to care homes at the start of pandemic has been partly upheld. Dominic Ruck Keene analyses the judgment.
CCGs, Covid vaccinations and best interests disputes
The Court of Protection has confirmed again that clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) must act with urgency to resolve best interests disputes on Covid-19 vaccinations, write Leah Selkirk and Ellie Maudsley.
The Covid-19 inquiry is coming
What does the Covid-19 inquiry mean for local authorities? Olivia Carter and David Owens explain.
Local Authority Insight Series: Making Highways Fit for the Future
Join Ruth Stockley, barrister at Kings Chambers, and Chris Burgess of Norfolk County Council for an in-depth discussion that addresses the legal issues and obstacles involved with adapting highways for a low carbon future and the legal tools available to local authorities.
Health and Care Bill 2021: The role of local authorities in Integrated Care Systems
In the latest in a series of comment pieces on the Health and Care Bill 2021, Anna Hart, Charlotte Burnett and Hamza Drabu consider how local authorities and combined authorities will engage with Integrated Care Partnerships and Integrated Care Boards.
Local Authority Insight Series - Effectively tackling ASB
Join expert Housing barrister, Kuljit Bhogal and Susan Taylor, Senior Solicitor at Capsticks as they outline the latest thinking for social landlords on effectively tackling ASB.
An overview of the legal framework for paying GP practices for premises costs
David Lock QC unpacks the changing model of delivering NHS primary services in the UK.
Local Authority Insight Series - the Liberty Protection Safeguards
ON-DEMAND WEBINAR: Alex Ruck-Keene and Emma Harrison look at how the new Liberty Protection Safeguards will work in practice when they replace the Deprivations of Liberty Safeguards (DOLS) next year.
The COVID-19 Inquiry: Preliminary thoughts on its scope and efficacy
Fiona Scolding QC, Christopher Jacobs, Carine Patry, Ben Fullbrook and Alex Goodman offer some preliminary thoughts on the scope of the public inquiry into the handling of the Covid-19 pandemic inquiry, scheduled to commence in 2022, focusing in particular on the inquiry’s “terms of reference”.
Vaccinating 12 to 15 year olds
Stephanie McGarry and Alistair Taylor consider the Government’s updated guidance on Covid-19 vaccination of 12 to 15 year olds.
The Court of Protection and “the most complex Covid patient in the world”
Alex Ruck Keene looks at the latest ruling by the Vice President of the Court of Protection on the withdrawal of treatment in a COVID context.
Local Authority Insight Series - Local Authority Duties in Intercountry Adoption
ON-DEMAND WEBINAR: Ruth Cabeza, barrister and author of the text, International Adoption, from Harcourt Chambers and Joy Hopkinson, Principal Social Care Lawyer from London Borough of Lambeth, discuss the issues for local authorities dealing with overseas placements both in a private and public law context.
Discharging medically fit children from hospital during a shortage of accommodation
Gemma Brannigan explains how two NHS Trusts recently obtained a High Court Order to require a child to be removed from hospital.
Reporting restrictions in end of life cases
Rosalind English analyses an important High Court ruling on anonymity for treating clinicians in 'end of life' cases.
Long-term leave under s.17 Mental Health Act
Arianna Kelly analyses a recent judgment in which the Upper Tribunal considered whether a s.3 Mental Health Act detention can persist during long-term s.17 Mental Health Act leave without any active connection between the patient and hospital.
What does the COVID pandemic mean for the standard of care?
What is the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the interpretation of the appropriate standard of care? Chris Bright QC, John Coughlan QC, Gemma Roberts, and Neil Shastri-Hurst explore the key implications.
Vaccination – looking at all the relevant circumstances
Alex Ruck Keene analyses a Court of Protection ruling on whether a 31-year-old man with a learning disability should be vaccinated against Covid-19.
Health and Care White Paper: opportunities for local authorities
Kirtpal Kaur Aujla considers what the Government's Health White Paper means for local authorities.
The Covid-19 vaccine and capacity
A senior judge recently ruled that it was lawful and in the best interests of an 80-year-old care home resident with dementia and schizophrenia to be vaccinated against Covid-19 despite the objections of her son. Jennifer Swan analyses the judgment.
Community Treatment Orders: does seeing patients remotely suffice?
Jonathan Auburn and Lucy McCann assess whether decision-making as to community treatment orders requires physical attendance.
Ripping up the Mental Health Act - the journey continues
The Government has published a white paper on reforming the Mental Health Act 1983, promising that its proposed changes would provide patients with greater choice and autonomy in a mental health crisis. Sophy Miles sets out the key points.
The inherent jurisdiction, deprivation of liberty and out of hours applications
The Court of Appeal recently set out seven lessons for judges and practitioners in cases where urgent applications without notice are made, after concluding that a disabled man had his human rights breached. Alex Ruck Keene analyses the ruling.
Events
