Somerset LMC Weekly Update Friday 23rd August 2019
Date sent: Friday 23 August 2019
Sent to all Somerset GPs and Practice Managers This and previous updates are available here
- Notes from GP Board meeting 21 August 2019
- Network News
- HRT shortages (despite Brexit)
- Carbon Monoxide Testing
- QOF Quality Improvement domain – webinars for practice staff
- 2019 Suture Tariff
- Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD)
- RSS Feed eTemplates from Somerset CCG
- A message from Dr Berge Balian, Medical Director for Symphony Healthcare Services (SHS)
- and finally
- Mapped SNOMED CT Preferred Terms
Network News:
- PCN Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme guidance: NHS England has now published the joint guidance on the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme ARRS) that will commence in April 2020. We hope that by releasing it now, PCNs will be able to better prepare for the additional workforce from 2020. This is also available on the LMC website here.
-
Data sharing guidance NHS England (NHSE) and the General Practitioners Committee (GPC) have agreed on a non-mandatory, high level data sharing template for use by Primary Care Networks (PCNs). To make things simpler for practices, the GPC has also produced a version of the agreed template which expands on a number of areas with greater detail, along with guidance on the document. This provides practices with a better idea of how they may wish to populate the template agreement, including proposed best practice when sharing and transferring data between partners within the network. Further information is available here and on the LMC website
HRT shortages (despite Brexit): Following press reports GPC chair Dr Richard Vautrey said that an increase in calls from women was to be expected as a result. “We often have to speak to the pharmacies to find out what they have actually got so we can find something as close as possible to the prescription the woman needs. It takes a lot of time for GPs and it’s very frustrating for patients who find themselves taking a prescription around different pharmacies.”
Carbon Monoxide Testing: The pathology laboratory has reviewed CO test requests from primary care. These are made at a rate not exceeding one each month and none received so far have exceeded carboxyhaemoglobin levels that might be expected in a smoker. Research has shown that the context of the test request is to check on the working of a gas boiler when in fact the best advice would be to get a heating engineer to look at it. Dr David James will be happy to discuss individual cases with clinicians. All of this information will appear in an EMIS pop-up.
QOF Quality Improvement domain – webinars for practice staff: In April 2019 a new quality improvement (QI) domain was added to QOF as part of the contract negotiations in England. The two topic areas for 2019/20 are prescribing safety and end of life care. NHSE and the RCGP are holding two webinars to help practices understand what they need to do to meet the requirements of this new domain and to ask questions about the topic areas and how they approach a QI project. The dates are: Thursday 22 August 14.30 – 16.00 register here & Thursday 29 August 10.30 – 12.00 register here.
2019 Suture Tariff: We publicised changes made to the list of suture materials in the 19th July weekly bulletin that will be reimbursed after the Association of Surgeons in Primary Care made us aware of this unilateral, central decision. This document has since been updated. Please find the up to date version on the link up-to-date tariff.
Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD): The GPC reports that it now believes that it is safe and lawful for practices to contribute their data to CPRD. Whilst no system can ever really be 100% guaranteed secure CPRD is about as secure as possible. No free text is extracted, nor documents nor associated files, just coded components. Opt outs recorded in the practices database are respected.
Practices not yet registered can expect CPRD contact and we encourage them to participate. You will need to carry out a simple DPIA and add an entry in the Article 30 processing register: CPRD will provide pre-prepared sample documents for practices to use, which GPC have seen and agreed. You will also need to ensure Privacy Notices are up to date and cover the use of patient data for Research. If your practice adopted the pre-prepared BMA privacy notices this is already covered. Patients should be informed by poster and website but GPC does not think individual messaging such as letters, texts or mails is required.
A message from Dr Berge Balian, Medical Director for Symphony Healthcare Services (SHS): SHS has a new and exciting opportunity and is looking for a passionate and experienced general practitioner to become the new Clinical Director for the organisation. This individual will be a key member of the SHS management team and will have day to day operational responsibility for supporting our 13 practices provide safe, effective, and high quality care to approximately 78,000 patients.
If you are interested in finding out more, please see or contact Bryony Finch: Bryony.Finch@YDH.NHS.UK
And Finally...
MAPPED SNOMED CT PREFERRED TERMS: The LMC is always sad to see much-loved parts of a GP’s job disappear and the much heralded SNOMED coding will lead to the demise of many a well-worn phrase. Examples include Confusion to transform into “clouded consciousness”, Dyspepsia will be the prosaic “indigestion”, IBS is “Irritable Colon” while Myalgia is “Muscle pain”. Strangely the trend away from scientific terms is reversed in “Varicella” being preferred over the more homely Chicken Pox.
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.
