4.4 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Target implementation date: May 2022 4.5 The department has a policy in place for use of the NHS brand. Third parties require a licence from the department, and these are only granted where certain criteria are met. The department will, however, make it clear that NHS staff are not permitted to endorse a third party by updating the NHS Identity Guidelines website with the following: “The NHS or the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) cannot endorse or be seen as endorsing third party goods or services, regardless of if the third party has provided goods and services to the NHS or DHSC. Similarly, NHS staff members are not permitted to use their status as an NHS employee to endorse a third party in a private or professional capacity. Please refer to the NHS Identity principles.” 4.6 NHSE&I support this change and NHS organisations are contractually bound by the NHS Standard Contract to follow the identity guidelines.