Somerset LMC Weekly Update Friday 6th November 2015
Date sent: Friday 6 November 2015
All Somerset GPs and Practice Managers
- LMC Newsletter November 2015 Issue 199
- How to provide Primary Medical Care with fewer GPs in the event of a crisis
- Somerset Provider Support Unit
- Primary Care Transformation Fund
- AUA and Named GP CQRS data
- Vaccine Update 236 A special issue providing the latest information on MenACWY vaccine availability.
- Christmas and New Year opening arrangements
- Surveys
Primary Care Transformation Fund NHSE (SW England) has set aside some money to support groups of practices who wish to develop new, sustainable models of working in line with the Five Year Forward View. Initial applications are invited by the end of the month so that a “rapid decision making process” can allocate funds in early January. However there is to be no closing date for applications all of which will be considered until the funds are all gone. Funding up to £1 per weighted patient population covered will be considered. Applications for “innovative solutions” or which spread best existing practice will be particularly welcome. Applicants are encouraged to use the resources available from the Sustainable General Practice project or the NHS Alliance “Making Time in General Practice.” Links to these are in the document which can be found here.
The main criteria for successful bids will be:
- more than two practices (or federation) with a combined list size of more than 30,000;
- or two or more practices with a total list of fewer than 30,000 but where one (or more) is “at risk” ;
- or where a practice or practices are already working “at scale” but want to take this further;
A lead practice should be nominated to hold the budget and make the monitoring reports (v.i.).The money can be spent on e.g. dedicated business management and clinical leadership time to bring about a merger and service redesign.
Applicants will be expected to show match funding of the value of the bid but this might be in contributions made “in kind.” Money cannot be spent on activities already funded from elsewhere. Successful applicants will be required to submit brief monthly activity and financial reports and there will be quarterly meetings to discuss progress.
Early application is encouraged.
AUA and Named GP CQRS data Emis have now written some searches for practices to be able to identify patients missed from the areas of concern that were raised for the AUA. We are hopeful that these will help practices sort the issues of orders of coding. The searches will be re-run on the 10th November, after which practices should check their data again to ensure they are correct, and on target not to miss the 2% achievement.
Christmas and New Year opening arrangements Practices will have received information in a letter from NHSE
The GPC guidance from previous years is still available here and should be read in conjunction with the NHS England letter:
http://bma.org.uk/support-at-work/gp-practices/service-provision/gp-services-during-holiday-period
The CQC has also issued a mythbuster on opening hours that is worth reading:
http://www.cqc.org.uk/content/nigels-surgery-55-opening-hours
Surveys: (you may or may not wish to partake)
GPC Survey on Premises funding
If your practice has applied for the Primary Care Transformation Fund it would be very helpful if you could complete a short survey of your experience. This will give us a better picture of the reality on the ground, and strengthen our negotiations with NHS England on your behalf
GP views on Junior Doctors Industrial Action
A GPST2 based in Bristol is organising a series of meetings/presentations to increase awareness amongst junior doctors about the contract negotiations and the strike ballot. Many Juniors have questions, so she is aiming to gather some facts and dispel some myths, in particular
she would like to include information about whether senior doctors are in support of strike action or not, as she thinks that a lot of junior doctors who are undecided worry that their seniors would disapprove. Although it has been quite straightforward to contact consultants for their opinions, reaching GPs is more challenging, so she has asked us to circulate this link with a request to GPs answer a simple yes/no question.
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1uOYEd43MWc-VJgC7SX4gKewYuStB5RLhs5ljLnZdLqs/viewform
A study into the factors that affect primary care doctors’ decisions to refer patients who may have cancer for further investigation
You are invited to take part in a research study. Before you decide whether or not to take part, it is important for you to understand why the research is being done and what it will involve. Please read the following information carefully. after reading if you do decide to take part the survey can be found here
Kind Regards
Jill
Jill Hellens
Executive Director
Somerset LMC
TEL: 01823 331428
Fax:01823 338561
www.somersetlmc.co.uk
