Somerset LMC Weekly Update Friday 30th August 2024
Date sent: Friday 30 August 2024
Sent to all Somerset GPs and Practice Managers This and previous updates are available here
- MD Soundbites!
- GPAS (General Practice Alert State)
- Due to a low return rate there is no GPAS available this week - Collective Action
- Collective action number 2
- Data Request for Cloud Based Telephony Statistics: From the GPC - Clinical News/Updates
- Epimax irritation - Information for GP Partners/Salaried/Locums/Practice Managers
- GP contract 2024/25 imposed changes guidance
- 2024/25 practice funding increase for pay uplifts - Implications for General Practice
- GPC Guidance for getting your pension up to date for GPs
- Understanding pensions for sessional GPs
- Death Processes and The Medical Examiner Service from 9 September 2024
- SDAS IT works - Training/Events
- GP Recruitment Event Wednesday 4th September at Taunton Racecourse - Safe Working in General Practice (BMA) This guidance is regularly updated with new items and suggestions
- Job Vacancies
- The Health & Self Care Podcast
Collective Action
Collective action number 2: You may stop engaging with the e-Referral Advice & Guidance pathway, apart from 2WW - unless for you it is a timely and clinically helpful process in your professional role.
During a meeting this week the LMC were informed by Somerset Foundation Trust that ALL specialities should now have referral routes available on e-RS that bypass the need to go through Advice and Guidance. Gastroenterology was the last to go live this week. If practices find any specialities where they appear to be unable to bypass A&G then please let the LMC office know. somersetlmc.office@nhs.net
Data Request for Cloud Based Telephony Statistics: Info the GPC
You will have received in your practice a request to share telephony data due to a Data Provision Notice. This email will have been sent to the main practice contact registered with the CQC. We have received additional documentation and messaging from NHSE on this issue. David Wrigley and Mark Coley met NHSE yesterday on the topic. We were given 24hrs notice of the data request and documentation associated with it.
We are now analysing the information we have been sent and will issue a further update with more information. At the present time we would ask that you defer making a decision this week and await further communication from us.
GPC England News
Clinical News/Updates
Epimax irritation from Mr Indy S Sian, consultant ophthalmologist MPH
Information for GP Partners/Salaried/Locums/Practice Managers
2024/25 practice funding increase for pay uplifts - Implications for General Practice: NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care have finalised how the national practice contract baseline funding – ‘Global Sum’ – will be uplifted for 2024/25 following the DDRB’s recommendation for a 6% uplift to the pay element of contracts (GP contractors / partners) and the salaried GP pay range. For more details, read the letter from Dr Julius Parker, GPCE Deputy Chair.
Death Processes and The Medical Examiner Service from 9 September 2024: The statutory implementation of the Medical Examiner System is approaching and will impact all Somerset GP practices from September 2024, (under legislation in the 2022 Health and Care Act). Nationally there has been an official change to the statutory implementation date, which was April 2023. The new statutory date for compliance by all practices will be September 9th 2024. Full detail and guidance can be found here, including FAQs.
Somerset Drug & Alcohol Service (SDAS) are carrying out IT work over the weekend 31st August/1st September.
Whilst this work is carried out, SDAS phone lines will be down and there will be an alternative Out of Hours number: 07890 619 306.
All is planned to be completed over the weekend and it will be business as usual on Monday 2nd September 2024. On Monday and Tuesday there are additional numbers SDAS can be contacted on:
West: 07745 107 425
East: 07977 826 811
Training/Events
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. Somerset practices can book their table to advertise their vacancy here. Please consider coming along as PCNs will be able to employ newly qualified GPs through the ARRS money from October 2024. If there are no jobs we may lose GPs out of the county for good. Currently we have a number of GPs who have registered and very few practices booked. Registration and participation is free. Please book ASAP.
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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