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Somerset LMC Weekly Update Friday 23rd October 2020

Date sent: Friday 23 October 2020

Sent to all Somerset GPs and Practice Managers          This and previous updates are available here

New advice for patients at high risk of COVID-19 infection: Following the announcement of a new three-tier lockdown approach in England, the Department of Health and Social Care published updated guidance for those considered most clinically vulnerable, depending on the level of risk in their local area, in line with the new Local COVID Alert Levels framework.
This new guidance provides advice for the clinically vulnerable to follow in addition to the new rules and guidance for everyone based on the level of risk in their local area. The government are not yet suggesting the reintroduction of shielding arrangements that were paused in the summer. More restrictive ‘shielding’ measures could be considered in the future in areas facing the highest risk and if that happens the Government will write to relevant people separately to inform them directly should they be advised to shield. BMA Toolkit Shielding and Protecting clinically extremely vulnerable adult.

Flu Posters: Practices will have seen the recent communications on Flu from the CCG bulletin and the posters available we have posted all of these and the previous ones up to the website for you to download and use in any social media communications with patients.

CCG Covid e mail bulletins: The LMC are continuing to list the dates and a summary of the items included in each here for security reasons we are unable to include any attachments but hope the timeline will help practices find the information needed

Complaints (KO41b form) data collection for 2019/20: Following the GPC lobbying for a reduction in bureaucracy impacting practices, and particularly in light of the current pressures that general practice face in responding to COVID-19, NHS Digital have confirmed that the annual complaints (KO41b form) data collection relating to 2019/20 will not be collected as usual. Practices are instead encouraged to continue to use the information collected locally for local service improvement purposes. Read more here.

Somerset Safehouse: We wanted to remind you all that that the information contained on the website is now accessible without a password, a password is only required to contact an advocate in the secure area, we currently have advocates for GPs and Practice managers, but will be working on widening this to more of the GP team over the coming months

CV19 skin signs: The British Association of Dermatology has created an interesting website looking at skin signs that can indicate or be associated with CV19 infection here

Multiple subject access requests under GDPR: There is a report of a practice in Gloucestershire having had three requests for a SAR for the same patient from different solicitors and a government department. GPC’s Paul Cundy advises that practices in the same position should answer as follows:
“Thank you for your request. We have already recently provided under GDPR Article 12 rules a copy of the records you have requested to the Data Subject via an intermediary.
Under GDPR any intermediary, agent or third party is considered to be the Data Subject themselves. Therefore your request, being a duplication of the SAR request already actioned, falls under Article 12(3) and becomes a chargeable action. Article 12(3) allows "the controller may charge a reasonable fee based on administrative costs". Our costs in this matter will be £ [insert your fee]. Alternatively you may wish to secure copies of the requested data that has been already disclosed from the Data Subject themselves or their representatives."

Axillary Ultrasound Requests: Colleagues who have requested this test using Ordercomms in recent years will have invariably had the request rejected. These studies are – for ALL patients - the province of the Breast Dept. It seems sensible therefore to remove the test from the drop-down picking list as it is never done in Diagnostic Imaging, and any requests added in free text will not be processed either.

FIT Tests: We have been contacted by practices recently regarding a shortage of FIT tests, having raised this with the CCG have been informed that although there are some short-term pressures in the supply chain there should be adequate stocks for all practices. The lab team has been working hard to maintain continuity of supply and are committed to ensuring practices have what they need. Any practices that are running short can contact the lab manager directly and he will assist: Paul.Thomas@nbt.nhs.uk

SGPET Zoom Meetings: The team have asked that we remind you all to remember the email you give when you book each session as this will be the address all information for the event will be sent to. Three days before the event the links to register and join the meeting will be emailed to you. If you are concerned you haven’t received the link please do first check your spam/junk folders and then contact the office. It is particularly important that you check you have received the link if the meeting is taking place during the evening as our office hours are 8.30-4.30, and the team will be unable to help you outside these hours. Full booking details here

Recognising Red Flags/Telephone Triage with Dr Andy Eaton: We still have few places available, please book here

 

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
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