Somerset LMC Weekly Update Friday 9th August 2024
Date sent: Friday 9 August 2024
Sent to all Somerset GPs and Practice Managers This and previous updates are available here
- MD Soundbites!
- GPAS (General Practice Alert State)
- Advice for Practices Following Recent Racist Riots
- Dealing with Incidents of Racist Abuse in General Practice Settings
- Collective Action
- Collection Action Summary - Clinical News/Updates
- Advice and Refer via Cinapsis to Go Live for Musgrove’s Gastroenterology Service on Tuesday 20 August 2024
- Somerset Liver Improvement Programme
- Update to Somerset NHS FT Suspected Cauda Equina Pathway - Information for GP Partners/Salaried/Locums/Practice Managers
- LMC GP Connect Survey - Training/Events
- Part-Time One Year Postgraduate Certificate in Primary Care, Exeter University from Autumn 2024-Funding Available
- Somerset LMC/Training Hub GP Recruitment Event Wednesday 4th September at Taunton Racecourse
- 2024 Health & Safety Compliance – Sorted! - Safe Working in General Practice (BMA) This guidance is regularly updated with new items and suggestions
- Job Vacancies
Collective Action
GPC/BMA Collective Action Summary: If you have not read this please take the time to do so. This lays out all the actions that are being proposed, which can be considered without being in breach of the GMS contract. We stress that if you are unsure of whether you can undertake any specific action please do contact the LMC for advice. As you can imagine there is a huge amount of information coming into our office about this campaign and we will keep you updated on all the relevant points while trying not to overwhelm you. If you receive any media enquiries please either direct to the LMC somersetlmc.office@nhs.net or the BMA Media Office Mediaoffice@bma.org.uk.
Clinical News/Updates
Advice and Refer via Cinapsis to Go Live for Musgrove’s Gastroenterology Service: From Tuesday 20 August practices will be able to contact Musgrove’s Gastroenterology team via Cinapsis. Practices will receive full instructions over the next week.
The aim is to manage all referrals received by Cinapsis within 5 working days (routine) and 2 working days (urgent) and all advice, guidance and referral requests should also be sent through this route. Any onward referrals (including redirecting to the suspected cancer service) will be managed by administrators in secondary care and general practice will not be asked to make onward referrals.
The majority of Somerset practices have already onboarded the Cinapsis platform to their systems. Please check that your practice has loaded Cinapsis onto your GP system, and you have the link to the system available on your toolbar.
If you have access but would like a reminder on how to use the system, or would like to check that you are signed up as a practice, please contact the advice and refer team (adviceandrefer@somersetft.nhs.uk). Further information can be found on TeamNet or by contacting the Advice and Refer team directly.
Somerset Liver Improvement Programme: SFT has embarked on a major service improvement project to identify patients with liver disease. Dr Tim Jobson and Neil Stevens successfully applied for funding for a 3-year project to develop a ‘case-finding’ system which will use existing data to identify patients at risk of serious liver diseases. The team will work with GPs, patient and public representatives, research teams and the local clinical ethics team to develop processes which benefit patients without creating excess demand or additional workload within the healthcare system. These will be tested locally and rolled out to the wider NHS. A key aim is to improve efficiency of clinical diagnosis and management in primary and secondary care, and they will be working closely with colleagues to free up time to focus on the patients most at risk. Further detail here.
Update to Somerset NHS FT Suspected Cauda Equina Pathway: In line with the updated National Suspected Cauda Equina Syndrome (CES) Pathway, an urgent pathway has been implemented for patients who present with:
- sudden onset bilateral radicular leg pain (sciatica) or unilateral radicular leg pain that has progressed to bilateral without CES signs or symptoms, or
- onset of CES symptoms >2weeks ago which are now static.
For details on this pathway, see link. Please note there is no change for patients with recent onset (<14 days) of CES symptoms, please follow the current SFT emergency CES pathway.
Information for GP Partners/Salaried/Locums/Practice Managers
LMC GP Connect Survey: If you haven't already done so please spare 2 minutes to complete this short survey which will close today (Friday 9th August) at 5pm.
Training/Events
Part-Time One Year Postgraduate Certificate in Primary Care, Exeter University from Autumn 2024-Funding Available: The Southwest Primary Care Academy are able to support a limited number of Southwest Primary Care Clinicians to complete this course by securing a 50% reduction in the fee, on a first come, first served basis. The offer is suitable for GP educators/ trainers. For more information please see link.
Somerset LMC/Training Hub GP Recruitment Event Wednesday 4th September at Taunton Racecourse: Our latest GP recruitment event will be held from 16.30 on Wednesday 4th September as a face to face meeting. This event will give GPs and GP trainees the chance to meet and talk to a wide variety of Somerset practices in one place. If you are GP or GP trainee looking for a job in Somerset please book your place here. Somerset practices can book their table to advertise their vacancy here. Registration and participation is free but places are limited. Please book by Tuesday 20th August.
2024 Health & Safety Compliance – Sorted! Thursday 19th September 13.00-16.00 at Glastonbury Surgery delivered by Lindy Ruskin. Three places available to book here. Free for SGPET members.
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
We have updated our privacy policies on both the Somerset LMC and Somerset GP Education Trust websites.
