Somerset LMC Weekly Update Friday 12 July 2019
Date sent: Friday 12 July 2019
Sent to all Somerset GPs and Practice Managers This and previous updates are available here
- Premises Review report published
- Severe Mental Illness initiative from NHS England
- HPV vaccine for boys
- Indemnity – paid for travel vaccinations no longer covered by CNSGP
- Rapid Response Service
- Latest Drug Shortages Include
- Faecal Immunochemical Test
- and Finally
Premises Review report published: The long-awaited Premises Review Report was published last week. Despite the urgent need for investment in GP premises, highlighted by BMA research findings that half of surgery buildings are not fit for purpose and even fewer are fit for the future, delays in the Treasury Spending Review mean this report offers no commitment to funding. Although some elements of the report are moving in the right direction, such as the issue of last partner standing scenarios [“strategic practices’ leases might be taken over by NHSE as a last resort…subject to the government spending review, etc…”], there is still a long way to go. Richard Vautrey, the Chair of GPC said, “NHS England must now urgently secure funding from the Treasury to address the problems facing GP premises and support a clearer vision for practices and the development of Primary Care Networks.” LMC Commentary can be found here.
Severe Mental Illness (SMI) initiative from NHS England Practices will have received a request from the CSU for SMI information, This has NOT and never has been agreed with the LMC as stated in the e mail and we are in ongoing talks with the CCG on how they can obtain this information through EMIS analytics.
HPV vaccine for boys: From 1 September 2019 the HPV vaccine will be offered to boys, in addition to girls, as part of the routine school aged schedule in England. NHS England has written a letter which provides further information on the forthcoming expansion of the HPV programme. NHSE has also published a number of resources, such as posters and leaflets, all of which are available via www.orderline.dh.gov.uk, also listed below:
- Your guide to the HPV vaccination leaflet
- Don’t forget to have your HPV vaccination poster
- HPV universal programme record card
- HPV vaccination factsheet for health professionals
- HPV consent form
Indemnity – paid for travel vaccinations no longer covered by CNSGP: The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and NHS Resolution (NHSR) have confirmed a change in cover provided by CNSGP, with the supply and administration of paid for travel vaccinations no longer included. Previously the published scope of CNSGP included the supply and administration vaccinations where patients are directly charged. DHSC and NHS England have stated that this information was not correct and have apologised for this error.
DHSC and NHSE have committed to ensure that any general practice staff who were administering travel vaccinations and immunisations (where patients were charged a fee) and who understood themselves to be covered under the CNSGP for such activities, are not financially at a disadvantage as a result of any claim, or potential claim, against them as a consequence of relying on the incorrect information. In order to mitigate any risk to the health of patients, NHSR will provide assistance in relation to any claim for clinical negligence for the supply and administration of privately funded travel vaccinations for the period between 1 April and 31 July 2019.
General practice staff should contact NHSR to access support for such claims. Claims relating to the supply and administration of any travel vaccinations or immunisations (where the patient is required to pay) provided outside of this period should be reported to your medical defence organisation or indemnity provider.
Commenting on the change of scope, Mark Sanford-Wood, GPC England deputy chair, said “We are concerned that this decision has been made so early in the evolution of the new GP indemnity scheme. It will have clear implications for practices, who may face little choice but to decide to stop providing non-NHS funded travel vaccinations as a result. We have raised this concern with DHSC and highlighted the potential public health risk that may result. It was very unhelpful that this change was announced on the NHS Resolution website without consultation or the profession being notified, and this has been fed back very clearly to DHSC and NHS Resolution. We welcome the decision to confirm that all travel vaccinations will be covered under CNSGP until the end of July, and would urge practices to consider carefully the services they deliver after that date and ensure all of their staff are fully indemnified for all services which they continue to provide.”
Rapid Response Service – a good news story: since it started in November the RRS has received some 750 referrals of which about 500 patients were successfully managed at home thus avoiding hospital admission. It is now receiving the average of five referrals a day it was set up for and is scheduled to be expanded as Winter is coming. Recall that the RSS is available through Primary Link from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. every day. It is intended for patients for whom you have a diagnosis and whom you think would only need admission for lack of support at home. It responds within three hours.
Latest Drug Shortages Include: Lacri-Lube - out of stock due to an ongoing manufacturing issue. Allergan are unable to provide a re-supply date at this stage. The RC of Ophthalmology is aware of the Lacri-Lube shortage and is recommending Xailin Night Ointment.
Faecal Immunochemical Test: The Somerset, Wiltshire, Avon, Gloucestershire (SWAG) Cancer Alliance is conducting an evaluation of symptomatic Faecal Immunoglobulin Testing (FIT) in the form of a short survey. All responses are anonymous. If you would like to take part please follow this LINK
The National Bowel Screening Programme is also using FIT. SWAG would like to remind GPs that, due to the differences in the test thresholds, patients who present with symptoms that meet the criteria for a FIT test can still be referred despite a previous negative screening result.
and Finally...
Amazon is partnering with the NHS to stream the health service's advice already available online through Alexa, but using voice. In principle, it sounds like an interesting proposition – especially in the wake of the government trying to encourage people to judge their symptoms better and avoid coming into the country’s overburdened GP practices when they don’t need to; more than 50 million GP consultations each year fall into this category. There are complaints for blocked noses, dandruff and travel sickness, “costing the NHS billions [sic] that could be better spent providing care to those who need it,” says Farah Jameel, BMA GPC IT lead. So …asking Alexa about a sore throat might be a positive step – with “Amazon directing them to a reliable source that is clinician-led.” The LMC view is to imagine asking, “Alexa, I have a pain in my right side?” and getting the response “Did you say, order a pizza?”
Kind Regards
Jill
Jill Hellens
Executive Director
Somerset LMC
Crown Medical Centre, Venture Way, Taunton, TA2 8QY
Tel: (01823) 331 428
Fax: (01823) 338 561
www.somersetlmc.co.uk
Follow us on Twitter
Download the App
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.
