Somerset LMC Weekly Update Friday 6th July 2018
Date sent: Friday 6 July 2018
All Somerset GPs and Practice Managers This and previous Updates can be found here
- Feeling the Heat-The latest blog from Dr Nick Bray Somerset LMC Chairman
- Solicitors making subject access requests under GDPR
- Over the Counter medications & Home Care Agencies
- CCG Member Practice Roadshows
- Annual Safeguarding Report (Children and Adult) - GP Providers
- EMIS Viewer
- Focus on quality indicators for QOF
- GP Payment Timetable and Enhanced service specifications
- CQC Inspection Evidence Table
- Focus on quality indicators for QOF
- NOVICHOK
Solicitors making subject access requests under GDPR You will recall that we touched on why we believe that many requests made by solicitors making SARs may be wrong under the terms of the GDPR. BMA advice however is as shown at https://www.bma.org.uk/advice/employment/ethics/confidentiality-and-health-records/general-data-protection-regulation-gdpr in the FAQ section. Essentially the advice is that a SAR is a SAR if a solicitor says it is and that, except under exceptional circumstances, “reasonable charges” for staff time cannot be made even if the information requested runs to many hundreds of pages and requires time for careful redaction of third party information. After last week’s bulletin the LMC consulted a lawyer. The LMC cannot give legal advice to individual practices and there can be no guarantee of the letter’s effectiveness unless and until case law is established after a test case in the Courts. As nobody knows what will happen and, since so many of you have asked, the LMC Medical Director will be using the attached letter in his own practice.
Over the Counter medications & Home Care Agencies We have been asked to remind colleagues that there is no need to prescribe medications which can be obtained OTC solely so that they can be administered by home care agency staff.
CCG Member Practice Roadshows The first of these was held on July 4th in Bridgwater and eight practices were represented. Brief but to the point presentations were made by Ed Ford, Rosie Benneyworth & Nick Robinson the CCG Chief Officer. Feedback and challenges from those present were met head on. The LMC was impressed by the way the engagement event was conducted and the importance attached to members’ views by the CCG as it works with us to bring about a Renaissance of primary care in Somerset. Taunton is next on July 17th with South Somerset on the 25th and Mendip on the 31st. Details of venues will follow from the CCG. GPs’ time will be reimbursed and so we encourage as many as possible to attend these meetings that are important for the future of NHS provision in Somerset and so our day-to-day working lives.
Annual Safeguarding Report (Children and Adult) - GP Providers: The CCG will be reminding practice managers on Monday of the contractual requirement to submit their annual safeguarding reports. The CCG assures us that they have adopted a pragmatic approach and reduced the number of mandatory reporting criteria (so don’t attempt to complete them all!). Although this has been a requirement since 2017 the CCG now cannot avoid acting on this national requirement.
EMIS VIEWER: By 30th June 2018 EMIS Viewer had been used 28,991 times since it went “live” on 1st October 2016. The preponderant use of the system has been at T&S and SomPar and the top 20 viewers (all recorded by name) is dominated by pharmacists. Literally thousands of calls to practices about medication have therefore been avoided.
GP Payment Timetable and Enhanced service specifications The payment timetable has now been updated and is available on the LMC website here with the relevant reporting templates, all of the local enhanced service specifications for 18/19 have also been posted here
CQC Inspection Evidence Table and responsible officers CQC are changing the frequency of their inspections for Good and Outstanding practices amd will be focussing more of an emphasis on quality of care, less on policies and risk assessments, their will be a shorter summary report posted to the CQC website together with an evidence table, please find an example of the evidence table here which gives a useful indication of what they look for as part of their inspection. The CQC have also shared a table of all Somerset practices and their responsible officers.
NOVICHOK: After recent events in Wiltshire we have been asked to disseminate the following from Public Health England to all practices by the BMA.
Focus on quality indicators for QOF The GPC has published a Focus on quality indicators briefing to provide background and context in preparation for the forthcoming negotiations on the Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) and the potential changes following the current QOF review, led by NHS England (NHSE). The review brought together key stakeholders to analyse current evidence and other incentive schemes, with the intention of delivering proposals on the future of QOF. The GPC has highlighted, and NHSE agrees, that a significant proportion of QOF funding is core income for practices and is an essential resource used for the employment of practice staff, and is already committed to delivering important practice activities. The briefing can be accessed on the GPC activities page and QOF guidance page. The full report on the review is available on the NHS England website
Kind Regards
Jill
Jill Hellens
Executive Director
Somerset LMC
TEL: 01823 331428
Fax:01823 338561
General Practice in Somerset Great Place Great Potential
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