Somerset LMC weekly Update Friday 10th July 2015
Date sent: Friday 10 July 2015
To all Somerset GPs and Practice Managers This and previous updates can be found here
- Joint statements on Duty of care for hospital test results and drugs recommended from outpatient clinics
- Datix issue - message post 111/OOH calls
- Concerns about Medical Indeminity Cover or Cost?
- Recent FOI request on Care.Data
- Clinical Pharmacists in General Practice
- Staff Holiday Update from Porter Dodson attached and in full on website here
- Vaccine Update 230 June 2015
Joint statements on Duty of care for hospital test results and drugs recommended from outpatient clinics The GPC are aware that in some areas, some hospital doctors have been instructing GPs to find out the test results which the hospital had ordered.
Both the General Practitioner Committee and the Consultants Committee of the BMA agree this practice is potentially unsafe, and that the ultimate responsibility for ensuring that results are acted upon, rests with the person requesting the test.
That responsibility can only be delegated to someone else if they accept by prior agreement.
Handover of responsibility has to be a joint consensual decision between hospital team and GP. If the GP hasn't accepted that role, the person requesting the test must retain responsibility.
This advice is in line with both National Patient Safety Agency guidance and the Ionising Radiation (Medical Exposure) Regulations, Read the advice in full here, we have sent this to the acute trusts and the CCG.
Datix issue - message post 111/OOH calls There is currently an issue that is leading, in some circumstance, to GPs being emailed PEMS directly on their Practice email address for events occurring out of county. This issue should be resolved within the next 48 hours and you will be informed as soon as a suitable resolution has been provided. The CCG are also investigating all other issues relating to the transfer. In the meantime could any further incidences of this, or any other issue relating to PEMS since July 1st, be communicated immediately to Ian Thompson using the contact details below:
Ian Thompson | Senior Project Manager
NHS South, Central and West Commissioning Support Unit
T: 0117 900 2352| M: 07825 754538 | E: ian.thompson@swcsu.nhs.uk “
On receipt of your Datix on Monday 7th July, The CCG have also raised the issue with Somerset Doctors Urgent Care (SDUC) and they have agreed the following actions:-
- SDUC is going to investigate their end to check set up of PEMs to each practice. i.e. that all 111 PEMs are going through to respective practices, and that where the disposition is OOHs, only the OOHs PEM is sent to the practice (the 111 PEM is supressed).
- SDUC will check with each individual practice to ensure that they are receiving PEMs and in the format agreed
Concerns about your Medical Indemnity cover or cost? The GPC is asking LMCs to collect information about any specific problems and concerns that GPs have about their personal or practice medical indemnity cover.
The explosion in the number of cases brought against GPs has inevitably led to rises in subscriptions, but there have been a number of anecdotal reports that Medical Defence Organisations (indemnity providers) are making what seem to be arbitrary decisions about the extent and cost of cover for GPs and their practice staff. For example, there are concerns that GPs who contact their MDO for advice fairly often ,even if no case has been brought against them, are facing higher charges or restricted cover, that non-medical practitioners in practices are very much more expensive to cover than they used to be, and that the cost of cover for extended GP roles – for example , sharing some patient care with neighbouring practices – makes collaborative working simply unaffordable. It will help the GPC greatly in its discussions with the MDOs if we can find out if any of these anecdotes are based in fact.
If you have any specific concerns about your indemnity cover that you would like to share ( these will be anonymised in the LMC and then the results collated centrally by GPC) please can you send them to LMCOffice@somersetlmc.nhs.uk
Recent FOI request on Care.Data As a reminder to those practices that received this request and have not yet responded the last day to reply in the 20 day window is today, if you need further information on the reply please see the update sent to all practice managers by e mail on the 29 June.
Clinical Pharmacists in General Practice You will be aware of the new £15m three year pilot to fund, recruit and employ clinical pharmacists in GP practices. The announcement is part of the GP workforce 10 point plan, Building the Workforce – the New Deal for General Practice. Further information about the pilot, including the application form, is available via the BMA website. An LMC precis and further information on this initiative can be found here
Kind Regards
Jill
Jill Hellens
Executive Director
Somerset LMC
TEL: 01823 331428
Fax:01823 338561
www.somersetlmc.co.uk
Attached file: Staff-Holiday-Update.docx
