Somerset LMC Weekly Update Friday 9th September 2022
Date sent: Friday 9 September 2022
Sent to all Somerset GPs and Practice Managers This and previous updates are available here
- Dermatology 2 Week Waits delay
- August 2022 LMC Meeting with the Somerset’s New Acting Senior Coroner, Samantha March
- DHSC Medicine Supply Tool
- ‘Smokefreelife’ Somerset
- Rising Energy Costs
- Nursing Associates
- Medical Students (from Dr Andrea Trill at Somerset Foundation Trust)
- Parental Leave Workshops & Webinar
- Job Vacancies
Dermatology 2 Week Waits delay: Currently these referrals expected wait time is 5 weeks due to lack of capacity. Please advise patient of this expected delay and if the they have not heard by 5 weeks the patient will need to contact the Referral Management Centre to chase the appointment. If patients do have any concerns about the current waits, please ask them to contact PALS on 08000 851067 or email somicb.pals@nhs.net
August 2022 LMC Meeting with the Somerset’s New Acting Senior Coroner, Samantha March: The purpose of the meeting was to seek clarification from on the implementation of current legislation with respect to death certification. The legal position, our coroner’s view, and guidance to our doctors is outlined here, in the hope that unnecessary coroner referrals can be avoided, and if required - adequate information can be provided for the coroner to fulfil her duties. This supplements national guidance for registered medical practitioners on the Notification of Deaths Regulations.
DHSC Medicine Supply Tool
DHSC and NHSE/I have launched an online Medicines Supply Tool, which provides up to date information about medicine supply issues, including any changes to resupply dates
‘Smokefreelife’ Somerset: Useful website with resources, also includes specific support for Mums2Be Smokefree, Smokefreelife Somerset – Smokefreelife Somerset (healthysomerset.co.uk). Patient information leaflet
Rising Energy Costs: We are sure everyone is aware of this issue personally and in terms of the impact of the rising cost of-living on practice staff. Businesses such as General Practices do not have the protection created by the Ofgem ‘price cap’ available to domestic consumers and this means the direct costs of electricity and gas can be passed by suppliers to business customers without the control the price cap creates.. These concerns have been raised with NHS England by the BMA but until a Governmental strategy is available, NHS England is not providing any advice. The LMC recommends all practices track their energy costs on, if possible, a monthly basis: some practices may have fixed-price arrangements or tenancy agreements which provide some reassurance at present but, monitoring these costs will be essential for any business and may provide the evidence if required to access support, if eventually offered.
Nursing Associates Cornwall primary care training hub have developed a short podcast that explains the role of the nurse associate in general practice, giving a full explanation of the process, requirements and funding for the employer to consider when supporting a nursing associate 2 year apprenticeship. They have kindly agreed to let us share this with our practices
if you are interested in supporting a nursing associate and require further information please contact Krissie.bromly@nhs.net
Medical Students (from Dr Andrea Trill at Somerset Foundation Trust): If you are not already involved in medical student teaching, could we please ask you to consider it, despite it feeling an extra demand at the moment? You will know that the medical school curriculum now involves a much greater amount of teaching based in primary care, but we are struggling to find placements for all the students who are due to come to Somerset. Kath Speller has done huge amounts of work trying to find placements for all those coming and very much needs to concentrate now on ensuring those students have a good experience when they arrive.
Teaching medical students has changed and although it requires a 2hr session with a GP a week, much of the remaining time can be spent with different professional groups across the practice team or across the PCN. In fact a PCN could volunteer to support students, with any funding going back to the PCN? Were a practice/PCN to receive regular students, the funding could be sufficient to advertise for a specific salaried GP with an interest in the teaching. That could be an attractive role for some.
What we do know from hosting medical students in both our acute and mental health settings, is that this correlates with those students returning as junior doctors and even consultants in the future. Developing Somerset as a vibrant area for training and education feels a step that could support PC sustainability.
If you are at all interested, at a personal, practice, or PCN level, please could I ask you to make contact with Kath, kath.speller@nhs.net
Parental Leave Workshops & Webinar: Surrey and Sussex, Gloucester and Somerset LMC are delighted to offer these free workshops to support your successful transition from Maternity and Parental leave to the workplace over a 18-24 month period. There are 3 workshops which all consist of a group coaching session by, Angela Qureshi, who is an organisational psychologist, coach, and leadership trainer, Solstice People Development Limited. Pregnancy and parental leave is an exciting and wonderful time and often navigating the balance between parenthood and career can be a unique challenge. The group coaching sessions will enable networking possibilities, to share your thinking and experiences and to explore what would make your transition to the workplace easier.
There are also presentations on leave entitlements, maternity pay, financial advice, appraisal and revalidation, wellbeing, perinatal mental health, maternity and return to work leave checklists, employment and contractual advice and flexible working advice and guidance which will support and guide both you and your employer smoothly through your pregnancy and return to work.
You will need to REGISTER for the workshops; registration links are embedded in this flyer.
Please follow this link to learn more about the workshops.
We are also delighted to invite our Practice Management Colleagues to attend a Webinar on Thursday 06th of October 2022 from 12:15 to 13:00.
The webinar will provide an update on the employment, contractual and flexible working advice, and guidance for GPs. This webinar will also be attended by clinicians who have been attending the Maternity and Paternity webinars.
Click here to join the webinar.
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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