News

CQC Registration Changes: What Care Homes and Nursing Homes Should Consider for Their Workforce

Tuesday, February 3, 2026

From February 2026, the Care Quality Commission will immediately return any incomplete or inaccurate registration applications, creating tighter timelines for care home and nursing home providers. While regulatory in nature, these changes have direct implications for workforce planning, recruitment timing and staff engagement. This article outlines what is changing, why it matters for recruitment and how providers can protect their workforce during periods of registration delay.

Older News

  • Tax Relief for Uniform Cleaning: What Nurses and Healthcare Professionals Need to Know

    Monday, January 12, 2026

    Many nurses and healthcare professionals, including those working through agencies, pay out of pocket to wash or repair their work uniforms. Under HM Revenue & Customs rules, eligible workers may be able to claim tax relief on these costs. This article explains who can claim, what can be claimed, when claims are not allowed, and how to submit a claim, in line with current UK Government guidance.

  • How to Attract and Keep the Best Staff in Dentistry: Why It Needs Your Attention

    Monday, January 5, 2026

    Attracting and retaining top dental staff isn’t just about salaries—it’s about culture, growth opportunities, recognition, and work-life balance. Practices that invest in their teams see lower turnover, happier staff, and better patient care. Recruitment is just the beginning; ongoing engagement, clear career pathways, and a supportive workplace are key to building a thriving dental team. Ignoring this costs time, money, and patient trust—investing in your people is essential for long-term success.

  • Nursing Workforce, Pay and Retention in Social Care: 2025 Review

    Tuesday, December 16, 2025

    Registered nurses remain essential to safe, effective care in nursing homes across England, supporting medication management, complex needs, clinical decision-making and end-of-life care. In 2025, the nursing workforce in adult social care continued to grow, but retention remained fragile as providers balanced cost pressures, pay competition from the NHS and wider labour market and changing immigration conditions.

    For nursing home operators across the West Midlands, workforce planning is now a commercial priority as well as a quality imperative. Vacancy levels have improved but turnover and pay competitiveness still determine whether homes can sustain stable rosters and consistent clinical leadership.

  • Major Boost for Millions of NHS Dental Patients as Government Confirms Contract Reforms

    Tuesday, December 16, 2025

    Millions of NHS dental patients across England are set to benefit from improved access to urgent and complex dental care following the announcement of significant reforms to the NHS dental contract.

    The Department of Health and Social Care has confirmed the most substantial modernisation of NHS dentistry in years, with changes designed to prioritise patients with the greatest clinical need. The reforms, due to come into effect from April 2026, aim to make better use of the NHS dentistry budget by focusing resources on urgent treatment and long-term care for complex conditions such as severe tooth decay and gum disease.

  • Dental Nurse Workforce, Pay and Retention in England: 2025 Review

    Tuesday, December 2, 2025

    Dental nurses remain the backbone of dental care in England, underpinning safe treatment, smooth patient journeys and the sustainability of both NHS and private practices. In 2025, pressures on access to dentistry, rising patient demand and evolving working patterns have brought the dental nurse workforce into sharper focus than ever.

    For practices in the West Midlands, understanding workforce numbers, pay benchmarks and what drives retention is now essential to staying competitive in a tight labour market – not just “nice to have”.

  • Dentaid are looking for volunteer Dentists and Dental Nurses in Birmingham

    Monday, December 1, 2025

    Dentaid, The Dental Charity, has issued a call for volunteer dentists and dental nurses to help deliver essential oral healthcare to looked-after children in Birmingham. In partnership with Barnardo’s, Dentaid will operate its mobile charity dental units throughout spring and summer 2026, bringing accessible dental support directly to local community settings.

  • Worried About Continuity of Care Over the Festive Season? We’ve Got You Covered!

    Monday, December 1, 2025

    As the festive season begins, healthcare providers across Birmingham and the wider West Midlands region are entering one of the busiest and most resource-intensive periods of the year. With increased patient demand, planned staff annual leave, winter pressures and seasonal illness; ensuring continuity of care throughout the festive season has never been more vital.

    Dental practices, clinics, hospitals and nursing homes need not worry this festive season, as Flourish Medical is here to help. We can supply fully qualified, fully vetted and compliant healthcare professionals at short notice to ensure your services remain safe, stable and fully staffed. Whether you require experienced dental staff or dedicated registered nurses, our team is ready to support you with reliable professionals who can step in seamlessly when you need them most.

  • GDC Launches Ambitious New Strategy to Build Trust and Transform Dental Regulation

    Tuesday, November 18, 2025

    The General Dental Council (GDC) has today, unveiled its new Corporate Strategy 2026–2028 outlining a decisive shift towards a more supportive transparent and trusted model of dental regulation. The strategy sets out significant reform over the next three years with a clear vision to become a regulator that enables professionalism improves patient safety and restores confidence across the dental sector. This transformative plan marks a pivotal moment for dentistry in the UK particularly for dental professionals working across the NHS and private settings in regions such as the West Midlands.

  • Safeguarding Adults Week 2025: How Respect and Active Listening Create Safer Healthcare Workplaces

    Tuesday, November 18, 2025

    Safeguarding Adults Week 2025 takes place from Monday 17 to Friday 21 November, bringing organisations together across the UK to raise awareness of safeguarding and reinforce the importance of prevention. This year’s theme, Prevention, encourages healthcare providers, employers and professionals to reflect on how culture, communication and everyday behaviours contribute to safer working environments.

  • West Midlands Dental Workforce Trends: 2025 Review

    Monday, November 17, 2025

    The highly competitive landscape for recruiting and retaining Associate Dentists has defined much of 2025 across the West Midlands. As practices navigated stabilising day rates and a growing emphasis from clinicians on flexibility, wellbeing, and supportive working environments, the ability to understand and respond to evolving pay expectations and recruitment trends became essential. This shift has shaped how practices approached workforce planning, continuity of care and long-term clinician retention throughout the year.