Somerset LMC Weekly Update Friday 13th July 2018
Date sent: Friday 13 July 2018
All Somerset GPs and Practice Managers This and Previous Updates can be found here
- Safeguarding Reports
- GDPR – SAR
- BMA Template in response to a SAR from an insurance Company
- Over the counter medications and care homes
- Practice and GP “Speed Dating events” Hold the dates
- From NHSE Urgent – Visa Sponsor status for GPs
- Varicella Zoster Immunoglobulin (VZIG) guidance and attached
- South West Child Information Service have moved
- MISSED THE LAST REFORM?
Safeguarding Reports Practices will have received details of these this week in the CCG Bulletin, we are currently talking to the CCG to ask that the deadline is extended and to agree a report format that will be simpler and clearer to complete, we will update you all as soon as we can.
GDPR – SAR: We make no apology for returning to this vexed subject week after week. Dr Paul Cundy GPC IT Lead, who has been leading for this at the BMA, has requested that we publicise a brief survey he is running to gauge the increased workload. As it comes from a trustworthy source we can testify that it really will only take a few minutes having only four questions. We encourage practices to take part and also that someone who actually does the work is asked to complete it: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/Number-of-SARS
Richard Vautrey informs us that a more detailed, formal survey is also being worked on by the BMA.
BMA Template in response to a SAR from an insurance Company Practices may wish to use this template produced by the BMA
Over the counter medications and care homes: We have been asked to provide a letter for practices to use (should they choose) to support refusal to prescribe OTC medications simply so that they can be given to patients in care homes by staff. We have referred to NICE guidance on homely remedies in care homes and the CCG policy on OTC products.
Practice and GP “Speed Dating events” Hold the dates Following the successful evening that we held in March for GPs and Trainees to meet Somerset Practices, which resulted in 4 practices filling their Vacancies we are arranging further dates on Wednesday 17th October Evening and Wednesday 1st May afternoon, further details will be circulated at the end of August.
From NHSE. Urgent – Visa Sponsor status for GPs: Practices may be aware we are currently in discussions with the Home Office about NHS England acting as the proxy sponsor of visas for GPs from non-EEA countries. These discussions with the Home Office are unlikely to be concluded quickly. As such, we are unlikely to be able to offer visa sponsorship by NHS England to the 400+ non EEA nationals who are training as a GP in England that are due to complete their training at the end of this month. If these newly qualified GPs are unable to find a practice to sponsor a visa they will either have to return home or seek employment in another health sector to remain in the UK. We are in the process of setting up support for practices that would like to obtain their own visa sponsorship licence and a national survey of practices is due to start next week. In the meantime however, we urgently need to identify any practices that currently hold sponsorship licences so that we can match them up with any newly qualified non-EEA GPs that wish to remain in England. I would be grateful to hear from any practices who currently hold visa sponsorship licences and would be interested in being linked up with any soon to be qualified non-EEA GPs that are struggling to find a practice that can sponsor them after they complete their training. Given that they are due to complete their HEE training at the end of July, this is very urgent. Please contact liz.thomas2@nhs.net if you can help.
South West Child Information Service All CHIS staff have now moved to The Exchange, Express Park, Bridgwater, TA6 4RN.The new telephone number is 01278 589225 and the new email address is hil.bnsssg.swchis@nhs.net.
and Finally
MISSED THE LAST REFORM? We are indebted to the Kings Fund for this list, in case you missed any of them. The NHS plan (2000) – Outlined how additional funding for the NHS would be spent, promising large increases in staff numbers, bed numbers and equipment and modernised premises. It set out commitments to bring down waiting lists and introduced new targets and standards. The NHS improvement plan (2004) – Committed to further reductions in waiting times for treatment and expansion of patient choice. It also highlighted prevention, inequalities and long-term conditions as priorities for improvement. Our health, our care, our say (2006) – Called for ‘a radical and sustained shift in the way in which services are delivered’, away from a hospital-focused approach towards a proactive community-based approach and committed to shifting resources from acute to primary and community services. High quality care for all (2008) – Focused on the need to improve quality of care and patient safety and emphasised the role of staff in leading these improvements. Healthy lives, healthy people (2010) – Set out a long-term vision for the future of public health in England, emphasising the need to shift the health service from one that treats sickness to one that focuses on prevention. Equity and excellence: liberating the NHS (2010) – Outlined key reforms to extend the role of competition and devolve decision-making within the NHS. This included shifting responsibility for purchasing care to groups of GPs and abolishing primary care trusts and strategic health authorities. The NHS five year forward view (2014) – Argued for a greater emphasis on prevention, integration and putting patients and communities in control of their health and tackling gaps in care.
Kind Regards
Jill
Jill Hellens
Executive Director
Somerset LMC
TEL: 01823 331428
Fax:01823 338561
General Practice in Somerset Great Place Great Potential
We have updated our privacy policies on both the Somerset LMC and Somerset GP Education trust websites.
Attached file: PHE_VZIG_interim_guidance_for_GPs_obstetricians_and_midwives.pdf
