Somerset LMC Weekly Update Friday 17th July
Date sent: Friday 17 July 2015
All Somerset GPs and Practice Managers This and Previous updates can be found here
- Use of SARs by Insurance firms to obtain medical records
- Special Patient forms for OOH
- Changes to Wheelchair Services
- Focus on the global sum allocation formula (Carr-Hill Formula) - England
- Cold Calling to sell medication (scam)
- CQC publishes examples of outstanding practice in new online toolkit for GPs Please see link
- CQC Development Workshop 30th July , there are a few places still available please see full detail here
Use of SARs by Insurance firms to obtain medical records The GPC has received a reply from the ICO regarding the use of Subject Access Reports under the Data Protection Act rather than requesting GP reports.
The ICO has ruled that this use is inappropriate (see letter attached). In particular please note the first paragraph of the Summary:
"The right of subject access is a key element of the fundamental right to the protection of personal data provided for under Article 8 of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights which is conferred upon individuals. It is not designed to underpin the commercial processes of the life insurance industry. The Commissioner takes the view that the use of subject access rights to access medical records in this way is an abuse of those rights."
The GPC will send out a 'Focus On' shortly, but in the interim, we are aware that practices are regularly receiving these requests and we would recommend that practices do not to respond to these requests.
Special Patient Forms for OOH. As you are now aware the new OOH provider has stated that they will only accept online notification of these patients. The LMC think that this is unsatisfactory and we have contacted the SDUC to consider an additional option as per the previous service. We will update practices as soon as we can.
Changes to Wheelchair services There have been reports of the new service not accepting referrals from GP practices unless the form is fully completed, we have taken this to the commissioners and they have contacted the director of the service to ensure that this is rectified and all GP referrals will now be accepted, although GPs can refer for wheelchairs, the easiest route is likely to be via AHPs who can provide all the information required and deal with any queries. The CCG will be issuing further advice on an update very soon
The new contact details are:
Wheelchair Service Tel 0333 003 5621
Wheelchair Fax 0333 003 5622
Wheelchair E-mail Somersetwheelchairservice@millbrookhealthcare.co.uk
Focus on the global sum allocation formula (Carr-Hill Formula) - England The global sum allocation formula, or Carr-Hill Formula, has been used as the basis of core funding for GMS practices since the inception of the new GMS contract in 2004. This short explanatory paper has been produced by the GPC now because the allocation formula is newly relevant to many GP practices.
Cold Calling to sell medication (scam) There have been a few further instances reported of patients contacted by phone by a caller purporting to represent their medical centre, they then ask what medication the patient is taking and try to sell them other medications, as before there appears to be no breach of confidentiality and the calls are Ad Hoc, however it would be helpful if practices could report these instances to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or online at www.actionfraud.police.uk.
Kind Regards
Jill
Jill Hellens
Executive Director
Somerset LMC
TEL: 01823 331428
Fax:01823 338561
www.somersetlmc.co.uk
Attached file: ABI-Letter-20150714-(Word)(1).doc
