Somerset LMC Weekly Update Thursday 28th March 2024
Date sent: Thursday 28 March 2024
Sent to all Somerset GPs and Practice Managers This and previous updates are available here
We Wish all our Readers a Very Happy and Restful Easter!
- MD Soundbites!
- GPAS (General Practice Alert State)
- New Funding Framework
- Clinical News/Updates
- Measles Guidance
- MMR Vaccinations for Practice staff - Information for GP Partners/Salaried/Locums/Practice Managers
- BMA referendum – results are out!
- Stop the closure of GP surgeries - Safe Working in General Practice (BMA) This guidance is regularly updated with new items and suggestions
- Job Vacancies
New Funding Framework (NFF) additional £1.5 million investment into General Practice in Somerset
Somerset LMC are pleased to announce the successful conclusion of negotiations with the ICB on a New Funding Framework (NFF) for Locally Enhanced Services (LES). This will see a move away from targets and reporting requirements over multiple LES contracts to a single, high trust contract with minimal reporting requirements. This change in the contracting framework comes with an additional investment of £1.5 million per year on top of the current LES budget for Somerset. In a radical departure from traditional approaches the LMC and ICB have agreed that a significant proportion of this extra investment will be differentially invested to support practices serving deprived populations. There is also small element of specific funding directed towards small practices (<5000 patients).
Every practice in Somerset will be expected to continue to provide the current level of enhanced services as it has done in year 23/24 but the monitoring requirements for these services will be reduced or disappear altogether. The only additional work needed for the first year of this NFF is that practices are asked (at practice or PCN level) to work with Public health colleagues to identify an area of unwarranted variation around Hypertension. They will then need to undertake a Quality Improvement (QI) project to take action to address this area of unwarranted variation. There is no reporting requirement for this work.
Negotiations around this contract have been ongoing for much of the last 12 months with a significant amount of work from both the LMC and ICB since January to get us to the position we are in today. We discussed other areas of potential focus including continuity of care and other population health measures in addition to Hypertension. However, it was agreed that in the first year of this contract the focus would be on a single area of additional work which the LMC felt was achievable, within the confines of the investment offered and the workforce difficulties in our practices currently. Integrated care systems have a statutory duty to improve population health and hypertension is a current system focus. Practices will no doubt have already noticed an increase in work in this area, so the LMC feel that investing in this via the NFF will be welcomed.
In the spirit of the high trust contract every practice will be paid the maximum value of the first year of this contract in 12 instalments through the year. No practice will lose out financially by receiving less than they did for providing the included LES contracts in 23/24.
LMC Executive support the NFF and it has been ratified by the full LMC committee this month. This contract sets a precedent for additional funding to be invested into general practice at a time when practices are underfunded through the core GMS contract. It instigates a dialogue with the ICB to promote funding and collaborative working on public health initiatives. ICB have been receptive to the numerous challenges that the LMC have brought and we believe that this contract is a fair reflection of what is realistic and achievable in the current working environment. We accept that there are some practices that do not benefit financially as much as others however, this contract does go some way to addressing the inequalities that are not adequately addressed by current funding mechanisms. This contract has provided an additional £1.5 million to practices in Somerset at a time when additional funding is desperately required.
This agreement has come to fruition following a great deal of hard work from the LMC Executive, guidance from the LMC committee and collaborative working with our ICB colleagues. This NFF is something that the LMC and the ICB are jointly proud of. At a time of economic hardship in the NHS, this contract is warmly welcome.
The new contract will come into effect from 1st April 2024. It will be released to practices shortly by the ICB, if you have any questions please contact your LMC local representative.
Clinical News/Updates
Measles Guidance: NHSE have released updated guidance on 25 March for Primary, community care, emergency departments and hospital. This guidance covers clinical diagnosis, management of suspected and confirmed cases and all age ranges where measles is suspected.
MMR Vaccinations for Practice staff: Following a request from NHS England, NHS Resolution is pleased to confirm that the Clinical Negligence Scheme for General Practice (CNSGP) will cover general practice in providing MMR vaccinations to eligible practice staff registered with another practice until 31st March 2024., If the first MMR vaccination was administered on or before 31 March 2024, cover for the second vaccination will be provided if this given on or before 31 May 2024.This is to support rapid uptake of the vaccine during the present measles outbreak.
Information for GP Partners/Salaried/Locums/Practice Managers
BMA referendum – results are out!: The BMA have announced that they have overwhelming support to reject the Government and NHS England’s 2024/25 GP contract changes. More than 19,000 GPs and GP registrars took part in the BMA referendum with over 99% voting ‘no’.
The video on line from Dr Katie Bramall-Stainer, GPC England Chair is really worth a watch – just lasts 2 minutes. Her comments on ‘general practice has been demeaned, diminished, diluted, bullied and gaslit long enough’ is powerful stuff!
The Somerset LMC will share further updates on next steps as we get them.
Stop the closure of GP surgeries: Whilst we await the outcome of the BMA referendum on the on the 2024/25 GP contract, Katie Bramall-Stainer has highlighted this survey. More signatures are required!
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
General Practice in Somerset Great Place Great Potential
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