NHS ICB mergers: a practical guide to HOSC protocols
Merged ICBs that span multiple local authority areas must publish a joint HOSC protocol. Here is what it must contain.
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Capital programmes work better when consultation comes first
Capital programmes get better outcomes when consultation shapes the options, not rubber-stamps the answer.
Capital programmes work better when consultation comes first Read More »
Engagement Methods for NHS Service Redesign
With Health Overview and Scrutiny Committees referring an increasing number of NHS service change processes for inadequate involvement, commissioners are under pressure to show not just that engagement happened, but that the right method was used. This article sets out the main engagement methods, what each delivers, and how to match the approach to the
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Public engagement evidence: the scrutiny committee test
Scrutiny committees, from House of Commons select committees to local government overview and scrutiny bodies, apply a consistent evidential test to public engagement. Most organisations discover what that test involves only after their evidence has been challenged. This article sets out the standard and where submissions most commonly fall short. What is the legal standard
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NHS Modernisation Bill: what it means for consultation and engagement
The NHS Modernisation Bill, announced in the 2026 King’s Speech, proposes to abolish NHS England and centralise NHS governance in the Department of Health and Social Care. For consultation and engagement practitioners, the structural changes raise immediate questions about statutory duties, local voice, and how to avoid repeating the mistakes of previous NHS reorganisations. What
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Consultation questionnaire design: the legal risk organisations keep repeating
In 2016 the courts quashed a devolution consultation because the questions did not ask what needed to be asked. Standards improved for a few years. They are now deteriorating again. This article examines what the Sheffield case established, why the lessons keep being lost, and what organisations must do before the next consultation questionnaire goes
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Consultation training in 2026: the skills practitioners need now
In 2026, running effective and legally defensible public consultation demands far more than process expertise. Entrenched public views, community distrust and increasingly contested decisions mean practitioners now need competencies in people management, mediation, conflict resolution and counselling-adjacent practice. This article sets out what those skills and competencies look like. Why is the practitioner’s role more
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AI in consultation analysis: the legal risks
AI is being used to analyse consultations and produce EqIAs. Here is why the legal risk under the PSED and Gunning principles may be greater than decision-makers realise.
AI in consultation analysis: the legal risks Read More »
Equality Analysis and the PSED: Is Your EqIA Good Enough?
Most equality impact assessments do not meet the full requirements of the Public Sector Equality Duty. Here is where the legal risk actually sits.
Equality Analysis and the PSED: Is Your EqIA Good Enough? Read More »
Newly elected councillors: what consultation law requires
Newly elected councillors often assume a mandate justifies moving fast. The law disagrees. What new members must know about consultation law.
Newly elected councillors: what consultation law requires Read More »
