News
IHPN responds to CQC State of Care report
23/10/2026
Dawn Hodgkins, Director of Regulation at IHPN, responds to the latest Care Quality Commission 'State of Care' report
Patient safety and quality
Delivering safe, high quality patient care is the number one priority for all independent healthcare providers. IHPN plays a leading role in engaging with the NHS, healthcare regulators and medical royal colleges to ensure a “whole systems” approach is taken to safety and quality so that our members can provide the best care for patients. A key part of this work is the Medical Practitioners Assurance Framework (MPAF), developed by IHPN to support strong clinical governance and consistent oversight of medical practitioners across the independent sector. The MPAF helps providers strengthen systems, improve quality and keep patient safety at the heart of care delivery.
Blog
Choice is the Missing Ingredient in the NHS’s Community Care “Soup”
15/10/2026
The NHS’s ambition to shift care into the community will only succeed if the right conditions are in place. This blog explores how national pricing, activity-based funding and greater patient choice can help unlock existing capacity, reduce waiting times and make care closer to home a reality.
News
Patients face postcode lottery in NHS eyecare as new report calls for better use of available capacity
15/10/2026
A new IHPN report calls for more consistent patient choice, better demand and capacity planning, and common quality standards across NHS eyecare services to help reduce waiting times and ensure patients can access timely, high-quality treatment.
Blog
Driving consistency in ADHD, autism and mental health care: What does Professor Fonagy’s review propose?
12/10/2026
IHPN welcomes Professor Peter Fonagy’s review into ADHD, autism and mental health, including its call for consistent quality standards, stronger oversight and better data across all providers. We explore what the recommendations mean for independent healthcare, and why harnessing high-quality provider capacity will be essential to improving access and reducing waiting times.
News
IHPN and AXREM publish joint paper on expanding community diagnostic services
24/09/2026
IHPN and AXREM have published a new joint discussion paper exploring how collaboration between independent healthcare providers, the NHS and medical technology manufacturers can help expand Community Diagnostic Centres, increase diagnostic capacity and improve patient access.
News
New IHPN report: Improving Cancer Outcomes - Strengthening collaboration between the NHS and independent sector
20/08/2026
A new IHPN report highlights the growing role of independent healthcare providers in delivering cancer care, from diagnostics and imaging to treatment, and the need to remove unnecessary barriers patient face in accessing care.
Blog
The UK’s Healthy Life Expectancy Challenge - How can Independent Healthcare Help?
11/08/2026
Healthy life expectancy in the UK has stalled, leaving millions of people living more years in poor health. In this blog, we explore the reasons behind the decline and the four key ways the independent sector can help improve outcomes, reduce inequalities, and deliver timely, high-quality care.
News
IHPN welcomes new GIRFT guidance to improve glaucoma care and reduce avoidable sight loss
21/05/2026
The Independent Healthcare Providers Network (IHPN) welcome new best practice guidance from NHS England’s Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) programme aimed at improving glaucoma care and reducing the risk of avoidable sight loss.
News
Quality and safety in the independent sector continues to hit record highs
14/05/2026
IHPN launch their latest annual report looking at quality and safety in the independent sector
Pages
Medical Practitioners Assurance Framework (MPAF) refresh 2026
25/03/2026
IHPN is refreshing its Medical Practitioners Assurance Framework (MPAF), a key resource supporting clinical and medical governance and the oversight of medical practitioners in the independent healthcare sector. First published by IHPN in 2019, the MPAF was developed primarily for independent acute hospitals, while also being relevant to other providers, including diagnostics services. It was designed to support improvement and greater consistency in how medical practitioners are overseen across the sector.
News
IHPN announces refresh of medical governance framework for independent providers, led by Professor Sir Stephen Powis
23/03/2026
The Independent Healthcare Providers Network (IHPN) has today announced a refresh of its Medical Practitioners Assurance Framework (MPAF), reinforcing the sector’s commitment to continually improving patient safety and quality of care.
News
Patient Safety Incident Response Framework three years on - what have we learned?
13/03/2026
PSIRF is now mandatory for NHS bodies and providers operating under the NHS Standard Contract and here at IHPN we have done a significant amount of work with our members to support them in transitioning to this new way of looking at patient safety incidents. Three years on from its initial implementation what have we learned?