Sent to all Somerset GPs and Practice Managers
Date sent: Friday 13 November 2015
Sent to all Somerset GPs and Practice Managers This and previous updates can be found here
- Domestic Abuse
- Treatment of Overseas Visitors
- Guidance for Practices relating to industrial action
- EU Directive cross-border healthcare - England & Wales
- Path Lab survey
Domestic Abuse Remember that Victims and Perpetrators may not always be those you expect
It’s easy to assume that domestic abuse only affects partners or ex-partners within a relationship. However, an increasingly common form of abuse, with potentially devastating results, is set to challenge those inherent beliefs. In 2014/15, 3% of the approx. 700 referrals to Somerset’s Independent Domestic Violence Advisor Service were for victims where the perpetrator was their child. The child in question was not a young adolescent, but a grown-up adult child typically in their 20s or 30s. These cases prompted the Safer Somerset Partnership to join up with the Safer Devon Partnership to raise awareness of this form of abuse during this year’s domestic abuse awareness week (23rd to 27th November 2015). If you know anyone who needs support because of any form of domestic violence or abuse they can call the local helpline on 0800 69 49 999 or email: heretohelp@knightstone.co.uk. If you would like materials to promote awareness in your surgery, please email communitysafetyteam@somerset.gov.uk
Treatment of Overseas Visitors Everyone who approaches a practice for treatment should be offered NHS primary care
The LMC understands that the Department of Health lawyers looking at the charging of overseas visitors for NHS services have decided that the GMS Regulations - as currently written - imply that any person, regardless of nationality, residence, or other factors, should be offered temporary registration or immediately necessary treatment if they approach a practice for medical care. In theory practices could probably refuse registration if they could demonstrate that such refusals were non-discriminatory, but it could well be deemed that it would be discriminatory if only non-UK residents were declined registration.
It looks as though this includes eligibility for NHS GP prescriptions, but we think it would be reasonable to restrict the duration of these to the length of time that the patient is going to be in the country. So, if a patient is visiting for a week and comes requesting his or her routine medication, they should be offered just enough for their stay in England.
Urgent clarification is being sought from the GPC on exactly what is required of practices.
EU Directive cross-border healthcare - England & Wales: The EU Directive on cross-border healthcare came into effect in England and Wales on 25 October 2013. In essence the Directive allows patients in those jurisdictions the right to seek access to treatment in another country in the European Economic Area (EEA) in either the private or state healthcare sectors. Patients will be reimbursed for the actual cost of the treatment, Full Briefing here
Survey Request to Users of Southwest Pathology (TST & YDH referrers) The laboratory looks to distribute a user survey to primary care every two years, and that time has come around again! Could I encourage as many people as possible to complete the survey (whatever their role in your practice). These surveys do provide valuable feedback for us, and help us to try and improve the service we offer.
The survey can be accessed via the link below and is, I am sure you will be pleased to hear, very short
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/PathologyUserSurvey2015
Thank you for your participation. If there are any specific issues or suggestions you have which are not covered by the survey, please feel free to contact me directly david.james@tst.nhs.uk
Dave James, SPS Clinical Director
Kind Regards
Jill
Jill Hellens
Executive Director
Somerset LMC
TEL: 01823 331428
Fax:01823 338561
www.somersetlmc.co.uk
