Amanda Pritchard, chief executive of NHS England, is about to give evidence at the Covid Inquiry on the impact of the pandemic on healthcare systems Ms Pritchard said there is "no doubt" that smaller organisations such as those in primary care struggled in the pandemic and therefore may have moved towards larger-scale structures "more quickly" due to pandemic pressures

NHS England chair Richard Medding says primary care access is one of his key areas of focus.

A "very immediate topic to focus on", he tells NHS England's board. The board will be hearing from Claire Fuller on her review of primary care later in the meeting

Matt Hancock: The whole pandemic is currently under control. But the Indian variant - it does appear - transmits more easily person to person, and so we have to be careful. The numbers are still quite small. MH: We think the variant is relatively widespread in small numbers. It's something we need to be alert to everywhere. But the strategy is on track because we have increasing confidence that the vaccine works against this virus and variant.