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Somerset LMC Weekly Update Friday 5th February 2016

Date sent: Friday 5 February 2016

Sent to all Somerset GPs and Practice Managers                        This and previous updates can be found here

Indicators no longer in QOF Practices in some areas have been asked again to accept requests within the Calculating Quality Reporting Service (CQRS) for the extraction of indicators no longer in QOF.
GPC advised LMCs in 2015 on this data extract, confirming our position that that the decision to retire and amend these indicators was intended to reduce bureaucracy and allow practices to focus on the needs of patients. These indicators were successfully removed during negotiations as being clinically inappropriate and unhelpful to practices. As such, there is no expectation that practices should continue to focus on achieving these targets, and GPs should instead continue to use professional judgment to treat patients in accordance with best clinical practice guidelines. It is for clinicians to decide how they record clinical consultations and what codes, if any, to use.

Practices should be reassured that the previous GP contract agreement still stands, and there is no contractual requirement for practices to record codes for former QOF indicators. However, practices are also asked to note the position outlined within the 2015/16 QOF guidance - that practices are encouraged to facilitate data collection of these indicators. The data is intended to inform commissioners and practices and provide statistical information. It is not intended for any performance management purposes.

GPC anticipates a large fall in the recording of many of the retired codes, particularly those that were previously imposed, as practices now work more appropriately. In our view, allowing retired codes to be extracted could help to demonstrate how inappropriate it was to impose contract changes in the first place, as well as informing discussions between GPC and government on the development of more appropriate future indicators of quality care.

If you have any questions please email GPC at info.gpc@bma.org.uk.

Phlebotomy Service in North Reception MPH Colleagues will have received a memo from Elaine Hole, Phlebotomy Manager at Musgrove Park Hospital clarifying services offered to GP patients at North Reception. In fact there is no contractual obligation for hospital phlebotomists to see primary care patients. Before hackles rise about all the blood taken in primary care on behalf of hospital doctors it is important to note that we are talking about the small number of “difficult to bleed” patients. Musgrove is, in fact, offering this as a “free good” in the best interests of patients and is therefore acting in a rather refreshingly old fashioned way. One might even imagine we had a “national health service” in this respect. Their problem is that some practices have been sending patients to North Reception with a pathology form but without an appointment leading to long delays and frustration all round: the small number of phlebotomists cover the entire hospital. We think that their providing a telephone number (01823 344703) so that an appointment can be made for the relatively small number of difficult bleeders should be welcomed.  

Fraud Alert

A Somerset practice had their phone lines hacked last weekend via the answer phone, the hackers ran up a £4000 bill by ringing premium and international numbers through another number (we don't profess to understand the mechanics!) for which the practice are liable for £1800 according to the phone company. the advice given is to ensure that any answer phone at the practice has a pin code that is not the default one given with the phone, but is changed to something that is less easy to guess!

Kind Regards

Jill

Jill Hellens

Executive Director

Somerset LMC

TEL: 01823 331428

Fax:01823 338561

www.somersetlmc.co.uk

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