Somerset LMC Weekly update Friday 1st April 2016
Date sent: Friday 1 April 2016
All Somerset GPs and Practice Managers
- Somerset Together ‘Option C’
- Managing workload
- GP Responsibility for Diagnostic Tests Undertaken in Hospital (New Templates)
- New ES and PMS reviews.
- GPs as Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards Assessors
- Publication of NHS payments to general practice and GP net earnings - England
- LMC Office
Somerset Together ‘Option C’. We are hoping to have some news for you very soon about the possibility of an ‘option C’ that the LMC are discussing with the CCG. Hopefully this will extend the deadline for making a decision to enter into an AJV until 2018.
Managing workload Some Practices may be considering stopping some services that are not core work and are unfunded or even an Enhanced Service. In order to ensure that patients are not adversely affected by this we would advise the following :-
- Discuss this with your PPG before making the change
- Discuss this formally with the LMC and CCG early on.
- When the change is made ensure patients and the CCG are given an appropriate period of notice eg 3 months for unfunded work and as in the spec for Enhanced Services
These measures will ensure that both patients and Practices are shielded from unforeseen consequences of the decision.
GP Responsibility for Diagnostic Tests Undertaken in Hospital NHS England has recently published a new document “Standards for the communication of patient diagnostic test results on discharge from hospital”
www.england.nhs.uk/patientsafety/wp-content/uploads/sites/32/2016/03/discharge-standards-march-16.pdf
Principle one of this confirms the current medicolegal position that that “the clinician who orders a test is responsible for reviewing, acting and communicating the result and actions taken to the General Practitioner and patient even if the patient has been discharged”. This is also in keeping with joint BMA guidance.
Principle two goes on to say that “that every test result received by a GP practice for a patient should be reviewed and where necessary acted on by a responsible clinician even if this clinician did not order the test”. This again fits with our current understanding of medicolegal responsibility, which is that GP practices have a secondary responsibility for ensuring patients are aware of and act upon significant test results.
GPC have taken this opportunity to issue a set of three template letters for practices may use to help ensure that test requesters comply with Principle one. These cover:
- Copy Results sent to the GP which may require action by the test requester and which are not marked “for information only”
- Requests sent by another provider that the GP should “chase up” test results not requested in primary care
- Copy notification to the CCG of such episodes
- Other Templates and GPC document on managing workload
Which you may find useful.
Meanwhile, the LMC is in conversation with TST and YDH to make sure we have a consistent and safe approach to dealing with results and to see whether we need to approach the commissioners to discuss a specific arrangement for dealing with tests undertaken in A&E
New ES and PMS reviews There is a delay in finalising this in the short term and Practices should receive an explanatory email from the CCG today regarding this.
GPs as Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards Assessors The County Council is seeking to recruit more doctors to be DoLS assessors in Somerset. To be eligible you must either be Section 12 approved or “have at least three years post registration experience of the diagnosis or treatment of a mental disorder from a variety of medical specialties” which is a sufficiently vague criterion so as to mean that most GPs could probably meet it. Most of the training can now be undertaken online at www.rcpsych.ac.uk/traininpsychiatry/conferencestraining/resources/dolsresource.aspx,
Those who do it say that this is interesting work, and if you would like to know more please contact CAHamilton@somerset.gov.uk or 01278 447629 for further information
LMC Office
Due to staff sickness and leave I am manning the office on my own today, if you dont get a reply on one of the lines straight away please do leave a message and I will get back to you as soon as I can. Thank you
Kind Regards
Jill
Jill Hellens
Executive Director
Somerset LMC
TEL: 01823 331428
Fax:01823 338561
www.somersetlmc.co.uk
