Somerset LMC Weekly Update Friday 25th August 2023
Date sent: Friday 25 August 2023
Sent to all Somerset GPs and Practice Managers This and previous updates are available here
- MD Soundbites!
- GPAS (General Practice Alert State)
- Shingles vaccination changes: Amendment from last weeks edition
- News from the GPC: Pay uplifts
- Total Rewards Statement
- New Contract Variation
- SFT Onward Referrals
- Relaunch of Return to Practice Programme
- Reminder: For recently CCTed GP trainees to check that they get their back pay
- SW CHIS is sending letters to parents/ carers of children born between 1.9.07 - 31.8.08, where there are outstanding immunisations
- Women's Health Register of Interested Professionals
- Post-Menopausal bleeding
- Trainee Nursing Associate (TNA) Apprenticeships
Shingles vaccination changes: Amendment from last week’s edition From the 1st September, more people will be eligible for the shingles vaccination. As well as people aged 70 to 79, people who turn 65 (Anyone aged 65 to 69 before 1 September 2023 will not be eligible for shingles vaccination until they turn 70 years of age) and those people aged 50 or over and have a severely weakened immune system. You can find more information here and eligibility for shingles vaccine here.
News from the GPC: Pay uplifts (there are two uplift discussions taking place right now, which may cause confusion, hopefully the below will help):
1. The 6% DDRB uplift - Government has said they will fund (details not yet confirmed, but noises from DHSC indicate we should expect it to come next week). The GPC suspect that they will be keen to fund this via the Global Sum, which may attract an uplift intended to cover an increase in staff salaries of 6%, but that is not the same as a full contract uplift of 6%.
Your GPCE officer team struggle to see how a capitation-based contract could be uplifted to reflect expenses which will be individual to each practice. List size is a very approximate proxy for employed staff numbers. Employer on-costs also need to be factored in, recurrence in future years, and if this is in addition to, or inclusive of the 2.1% Global Sum uplift for expenses which has already been received.
Contractual uplifts should apply to salaried GPs on the BMA model contract, (which should specifically reference an annual uplift linked to the DDRB award). Some practices will have already provided staff with an interim pay uplift from April 2023. Many practices may use DDRB as a benchmark. Until this is all fully confirmed , we advise practices to explain that the money is not yet in their accounts, but that we are in discussions with government to clarify how the funding will be passed to practices to support this.
2. The 5% uplift to ARRS staff on AfC contracts Note: this uplift is not funded *additionally*. Whilst the overall ARRS funding envelope/allocation has gone up in 2023/24, this has not been increased to such a degree that would reflect 5% for those staff on AfC contracts (which is not everyone).
PRN00650_2023-24-pay-award-revenue-finance-and-contracting-guidance-updated-version_v2.0_150823.pdf (england.nhs.uk) 13.Following the publication of the previous version of this guidance in May, changes to the maximum reimbursable rates have now been set out in the PCN DES Specification for the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS), as a result of the AfC pay award. As in previous years, the overall PCN entitlements and maximum ICB funding available for 2023/24 will remain the same for the year, as they are already set and underpin the five year contract in place.
Total Rewards Statement we strongly recommend that colleagues download and check their statement every year to ensure pension contributions are completely up to date. These are normally published in mid-August and can be accessed here and further information that is helpful Medics money podcast understanding your pension
New Contract Variation these have now been published and include Telephony, access and patient record requirements.
SFT Onward Referrals Onwardreferrals@somersetft.nhs.uk Please let SFT know when an onward referral has not been made and instead a request has been sent back asking primary care to action. We have set up this email to help us identify where this is happening, so we can have conversations with specific teams. One small caution – it is not for active patient management and we cannot respond individually to all the emails. Please be confident that your information will be used to help us change practice in the future. An autoreply should reflect all this shortly. Thank you Andrea Trill
Reminder: For recently CCTed GP trainees to check that they get their back pay If you have recently completed your CCT as a GP trainee from a training programme in England, then you are likely to be owed backdated pay. Junior doctors, including GP trainees, will receive a 6% pay rise, plus a consolidated bonus of £1,250 to be added to their salary. The updated pay scales have been published in the recent pay circular by NHS Employers . Junior doctors’ salaries should be uplifted in the September pay round, with this being additionally backdated to April 2023.
For those who have completed their CCT, your previous Trust should keep the bank details that you provided on file for at least three months after you have finished your time with them. You should make sure that the Trust who was your employer has correct and up-to-date details. This will ensure you can receive the backdated payment. After the September pay date for your previous employer has passed, you should check that you have received the correct backpay. If you have not, please contact the BMA or your previous employer directly.
SW CHIS is sending letters to parents/ carers of children born between 1.9.07 - 31.8.08, where there are outstanding immunisations on the CHIS record, asking them to make an appointment with their practice to complete the schedule. This is required by the commissioners. Immunisations included are:
- MMR 1 & 2,
- MenACWY,
- Teenage DTP and
- HPV.
The 2nd dose of HPV has not been included due to the change of schedule as from 1st September. HPV vaccination programme: changes from September 2023 letter - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) This year CHIS will not be sending practices a list of children receiving letters unless you request it. If you require a list of children receiving the letters please email the generic email scwcsu.bnsssg.swchis@nhs.net account with the heading “Year 11 catch-up immunisations list”.
Women's Health Register of Interested Professionals The ICB are in the process of collating a register of professionals that are interested/specialise in women’s health. Please see further info here on how to register.
Post-Menopausal bleeding Patients in Somerset with post-menopausal bleeding will be able to self-refer directly to the Bleeding After Menopause service at Somerset FT from September 2023. outline of the service here further info on how the referral can be made and supporting documentation will follow.
Trainee Nursing Associate (TNA) Apprenticeships We are seeking applicants from General Practice to join the Local Somerset Programme March 2024 cohort of Trainee Nursing Associate (TNA) Apprenticeships. Closing date for applications is 16th October 2023. Further detail can be found here.
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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