Somerset LMC Weekly Update Friday 22nd December 2023
Date sent: Friday 22 December 2023
Sent to all Somerset GPs and Practice Managers This and previous updates are available here
Somerset LMC would like to wish you all a very Merry and Restful Christmas, and a Happy New Year.
The LMC office will be closed between Christmas and the New Year, we will have a director on call for any urgent matters...
Wednesday 27th December - Dr Catherine Ievers 07773 337748
Thursday 28th December - Mandy Mason 07710 156495
Friday 29th December - Jill Hellens 07887 566510
- MD Soundbites! New - Reflection
- GPAS (General Practice Alert State)
- Clinical News/Updates
- LMC Commentary: NHS Vaccination Strategy - 'Shaping the future delivery of NHS vaccination services’
- Paramedic Non-Medical Prescribing Legislation Change
- Duplicate Correspondence from SFT
- Home Oxygen Assessment Service
- Ingrown Toenail Referrals - - Primary Care Matters Newsletter - December 2023 Edition
- Information for GP Partners/Salaried/Locums/Practice Managers
- Have your say on the Future of General Practice and GP Finance Survey
- Somerset Local Medical Benevolent Fund - Training & Events
- Process Mapping Away Day - SIDeR Digital TEP Meeting - - Open Mental Health Christmas Comms
- Carol Hobbs Retirement
- Safe Working in General Practice (BMA) This guidance is regularly updated with new items and suggestions
- Job Vacancies
- Somerset Emotional Wellbeing Podcasts - This week The Compassionate Approach to Healthy Weight
Clinical News/Updates
Paramedic Non-Medical Prescribing Legislation Change: Legislation has been passed so that from the 31 December 2023 Paramedic independent medical prescribers will now be able to prescribe the following controlled drugs:
- Morphine sulphate by oral administration or by injection
- Diazepam by oral administration or by injection
- Midazolam by oromucosal administration or by injection
- Lorazepam by injection
- Codeine phosphate by oral administration
Full details can be found by clicking this link. As with all medication prescribers should be working within their scope of competency and practice.
Duplicate Correspondence from SFT: We are aware that since digital workflow was switched on a few years ago that some practices are still receiving duplicate paper letters from the Trusts, it would be helpful if any of your workflow processing teams could send examples of the worst departments sending duplicate communications to somicb.digitalteam@nhs.net.
Home Oxygen Assessment Service: The new Baywater Pulmonary Rehabilitation (PR) and Home Oxygen Service Assessment & Review (HOSAR) contract have been experiencing issues with their connectivity with the MESH system (which enables them to access the SPINE and send electronic letters). The ICB Digital team, CSU and their IT are working on a solution which should be in place by the end of January. Currently there is no robust way to send outcome letters to GP practices which is causing a clinical risk with them not being able to view antibiotic prescribing and prescribed oxygen from the service. We have looked at ways of overcoming the situation that will overcome the risk and fit with IG requirements and have taken the decision to have the letters sent via Royal Mail to the practices with the patient outcomes as an interim measure.
Ingrown Toenail Referrals: There has been confusion on the referral route leading to some patients being rejected. Referrals need to go via SFT podiatry service (based at Chard Community Hospital) for Somerset patients using a universal referral form or with a referral letter. The podiatric surgery department is separate to community podiatry as it sits within OASIS.
Information for GP Partners/Salaried/Locums/Practice Managers
Have your say on the Future of General Practice and GP Finance Survey: GPC England are currently engaged in discussions with NHSE and DHSC about contractual changes for April 2024 and have their minds set on the bigger picture of what comes after that for the profession. With a General Election getting even closer they are meeting with opposition politicians to outline what we need in general practice to make our service fit for the future. They have put together a profession wide survey which will inform the work ahead and tell GPC what you need as GPs for the coming years. Your views are vital and will be used to inform work going forwards. You don’t need to be a BMA member to complete the survey. The survey will close on Sunday 21st January 2024 but please complete it as soon as you can. Share the survey via WhatsApp with ALL your GP colleagues.
Finance Survey: With the 2024/25 negotiations ongoing – GPC are asking all practice managers in England to complete the GPC England’s finance survey. You will have seen the survey on the future of general practice, above; now this is your opportunity to demonstrate the increasing impact of inflation and rising costs on English GP practices over the past 12 months. It’s vital they hear about the challenges faced with practice finances and what is needed to help support the service GP Practices provide. You will need the practice’s set of GP accounts for 2021/22 and 2022/23, as well as expenditure data for the months of October 2022 and October 2023 together with information on how many staff the practice employs. The survey should take 20-30 minutes to complete and closes midnight, 3rd January 2024. Please send any other feedback to gpsurvey@bma.org.uk.
Somerset Local Medical Benevolent Fund:
What is this fund? Pre NHS, GPs in Somerset paid into a mutual fund so that it could act as a vital resource in times of hardship. With the advent of the NHS, pension and other benefits, payment into his fund stopped in 1996. However, the remaining funds were invested and are used to support existing GPs in Somerset.
Who is eligible to apply? For any doctor who has worked in Somerset General Practice in any capacity beyond his or her foundation training is eligible to approach the Fund for assistance. This includes GP principals, GP trainees, retained doctors, sessional GPs and those working for an OOH service provider in the county. An application can be made for ‘relief and assistance’ in a ‘time of need’ for them or their dependents. In addition, the Trust is able to make annual charitable donations (including the Cameron Fund) and support LMC pastoral work including counselling for GPs.
What are the criteria for applying? The criterion the trustees apply is that the doctor has suffered a significant drop in income. Examples of fund use include: ill health of a GP (where locum insurance excludes current condition); ill health of a first degree relative (child, parent or sibling) and/or a spouse or domestic partner; death of a GP. Payments are usually one-off but can be repeated and are typically between £500 and £4000. The grants are made without any condition regarding how they can be spent and no repayments are expected or accepted. Applications are made through the Secretary of the Benevolent Fund Dr Catherine Ievers catherine.ievers1@nhs.net. Applications are not means tested but the trustees may ask for some background information about PCT sickness payments and insurance income where appropriate. Please note that the Fund is not a substitute for adequate locum insurance arrangements.
Training & Events
Process Mapping Away Day - SIDeR Digital TEP Meeting: On Wednesday 31 January 2024 at Taunton Rugby Club the SIDeR team are planning on holding an away day to process map the completion of Treatment Escalation Plans (lunch and refreshments included!). Whilst the details are still being finalised, this will allow them to review how different stakeholders’ complete forms and how this can be improved whilst reviewing how they can incorporate a digital route. The hope to show the newly digitised form as well on SiDER. The plan is to have around 40 key individuals in the room to process map this includes individuals from Acute, Community, Mental Health, Primary Care, SWAST and Hospice. Due to the number, we are hoping to have around 6 people per table, with the exception of the Acute table as we are hoping to have a team from YDH and SFT. They would to invite you all to attend on 31 January to represent your care group and hope you may be able invite some of your colleagues to join us. If for any reason you feel you’re not the right person, please feel free to forward the details onto any of your colleagues. Once the details are confirmed further details will follow.
You will be aware that Carol Hobbs retired from her role as Programme Director for Somerset Training Hub at the end of November 2023, after a long career in secondary and primary care. We are holding a celebration for Carol at Taunton Racecourse (Owners & Trainers room) on Friday 12th January 2024 between 6.30pm and 9.30pm. There will be fizz and food, so please do drop in or spend the evening and celebrate with Carol and other colleagues. Please contact the office at lmc.office@nhs.net if you wish to attend. This link will open an e-card if you would like to send a message to Carol, if you know someone who would like to sign the card please forward onto them. If you would like to contribute towards a gift for Carol please contact Mandy at the LMC on amason1@nhs.net. We hope you will be able to join us.
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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