Somerset LMC Weekly Update Friday 4th October 2024
Date sent: Friday 4 October 2024
Sent to all Somerset GPs and Practice Managers This and previous updates are available here
End of an Era - Message From Dr Tim Horlock, LMC Chairman
Today marks the end of an era for Somerset LMC.
After 27 years we say goodbye to our Executive Director and good friend, Jill Hellens. But more than that we say a huge thank you.
The work Jill has done for General Practice in Somerset is truly hard to describe. If you are reading this then there is a good chance that Jill has made things better for you. She has contributed to the lives of every GP in Somerset even if they don’t realise it.
She helped set up the Somerset GP Education Trust for your CPD needs, she helped start the Somerset Safehouse and develop a fantastic pastoral support team for when you need help. Her work on recruitment with the speed dating events and the ‘GP in Somerset campaign’ have ensured that there are far fewer gaps in Somerset that there otherwise would have been. She has helped, with the resilience team, countless practices through difficult times and on to better days.
She is perhaps the most efficient replier to emails to ever press send and after doing the job for as long as she has there were not many questions that she couldn’t answer. We will all miss her knowledge.
Jill managed all of this whilst always looking over the horizon for the next opportunity and constantly kept Somerset LMC on the front foot. She was never content with the successes the LMC achieved and was always looking for ways in which we could improve. As a committee we ensure we have representation from salaried, locum and trainee GPs. It seems funny to think that this is still not usual practice for every LMC when we have been doing this for so long.
Jill has been key in maintaining good relationships between primary care and the NHS organisation of the day and these good relationships have been key to the resilience of General Practice in Somerset and why, to this day, Somerset are investing in General practice through the NFF contract signed by practices in April.
We all have a lot to thank Jill for, not least me, having worked with her for the last 14 years she has taught me more lessons than I can count.
Hopefully some of you will be able to join us tonight for Jill’s farewell party and I look forward to seeing you there. I am expecting, as always, Jill to be wearing something fabulous!
I know many of you will ask ‘how are you going to replace Jill?’. The answer is that no-one can ‘replace’ Jill. 27 years of experience are impossible to replace in another individual and so, instead, we are restructuring and expanding our executive team. We will give you more details on this next week. For today I want to focus on thanking Jill and being grateful for what she has given to Somerset over the years. We can look to the future next week.
Of course the LMC isn’t going anywhere and we are here to support you as always at somersetlmc.office@nhs.net or by emailing one of our medical directors justin.geddes2@nhs.net or catherine.ievers1@nhs.net.
Somerset LMC Weekly Update...
- MD Soundbites!
- GPAS (General Practice Alert State)
- Collective Action
- CQRS - Clinical News/Updates
- Urgent - Critical Reagent Shortage - CEA Testing
- Lunch & Learn Session - Menopause and Safe Prescribing - Information for GP Partners/Salaried/Locums/Practice Managers
- DDRB Report 2024/25 - Implications for General Practice
- LMC Summary on PCN Contract Variation
- Somerset’s One Year Fellowship Programme for Newly Qualified GPs for November 2024
- Somerset Safehouse
- Would you like to be CQCFIT?
- 2024 Advanced Practice Funding - What Happens Next - Training/Events
- Free Porter Dodson Webinar - Law Change on Sexual Harassment - Safe Working in General Practice (BMA) This guidance is regularly updated with new items and suggestions
- Job Vacancies
- And Finally...
Collective Action
CQRS: The LMC would like to remind practices that whilst taking ‘BMA Collective Action’ allowing telephony data extraction is a contractual requirement from 1st October. Practices can be compliant by accepting the CQRS offer from the ICB.
Clinical News/Updates
Urgent - Critical Reagent Shortage - CEA Testing: Due to a national reagent shortage, CEA (Carcinoembryonic Antigen) testing will be restricted. Only requests from oncology, gastroenterology and gynaecology will be routinely analysed. Please contact duty.biochemist@somersetft.nhs.uk giving indications for test if analysis is required and not from oncology, gastroenterology and gynaecology. Please note, tumour markers are not diagnostic and can be raised in benign disease. Normal values do not exclude malignancy.
Lunch & Learn Session - Menopause and Safe Prescribing: 10th October 1pm by Dr Juliet Balfour from the Somerset NHS Menopause Service. Are you concerned about the current media discussions on patients being given very high (unlicenced) doses of oestrogen? Have you heard of the new guidelines on progestogen doses for those on high but licensed doses of HRT? Register via this link to book your space.
Information for GP Partners/Salaried/Locums/Practice Managers
DDRB Report 2024/25 - Implications for General Practice: The Government accepted the recommendations of the 52nd DDRB (Doctors and Dentists Pay Review Body) Report, and for the first time since 2018/19 the DDRB made recommendations in relation to both GP contractors / partners and salaried colleagues. NHS England/DHSC have now finalised how the DDRB Award of 6% for Contractors will be implemented, and practices should receive backdated sums to April 2024 in this month’s pay run from ICBs.
The aggregate rise in the 2024/25 GS (Global Sum) payment per weighted patient will be 7.4% resulting in a new GS payment per weighted patient of £112.50 – an increase of £7.77 compared to 2023/24. The OOHs deduction remains at 4.75% and in absolute terms this will change from £4.97 to £5.34, aligning with the total uplift of 7.4%.
The value of each QOF point in 2024/25 will therefore be £220.62 compared with £213.43 in 2023/24 (an increase of 3.4%). The DDRB has also recommended a 6% increase to GP sessional colleagues’ salary scales from 1 April 2024. GPC England has drafted a Focus On document which includes:
- what uplift the DDRB has recommended this year
- the mechanisms used to apply it to the Global Sum
- how this affects the Global Sum payment per weighted patient and
- why not every practice always gets enough to pass on the full pay uplift to their practice-employed staff.
LMC Summary on PCN Contract Variation: On 26th September 2024, NHSE published the updated Network Contract Directed Enhanced Service (DES) specification 2024/25, Part B guidance: non-clinical and cover letter which took effect from Tuesday 1 October 2024. The update includes the addition of general medical practitioners (GMPs) as reimbursable roles (from 1 October 2024) within a new, ring-fenced section of the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS) in 2024/25 specifically for newly qualified GMPs, the uplifting of the maximum reimbursement amounts per role for existing ARRS roles (from 1 October 2024), and the uplifting of other financial entitlements under the Network Contract DES, backdated to 1 April 2024. The amendments are highlighted in yellow in both documents.
Whilst any additional funding is welcome, the money available to recruit newly qualified GPs falls short of achieving the promised capacity for patients. In a PCN with a ‘weighted’ population of 50k they will get at best a 9 session GP, which spread across all the PCN practices has negligible impact. The additional funding is only guaranteed until March 2025, so it is questionable how a permanent BMA model contract can be given. A temporary contract is excluded. PCN DES update reveals ARRS GP eligibility and reimbursement rates - Pulse Today. The pool of GPs that meet the criteria is also remarkably small, as it excludes GPs that have previously worked in a substantive role, and those beyond 2 years of being a GP.
NHSE state they are uplifting certain funding for GPs, but not for the other staff employed under the Additional Role Reimbursement Scheme. Whilst the maximum amount PCNs can claim for each salary for an ARRS role has increased, the overall ARRS funding pot is unchanged, and so services will potentially be cut to maintain pay in line with the rest of the NHS.
This offer does not bring PCNs up to the level general practice has received to fund staff pay rises. There is inequitable funding and no reassurance to staff of a clear future. IGPM (Institute of General Practice Management) has urgently highlighted these concerns to NHSE.
Somerset’s One Year Fellowship Programme for Newly Qualified GPs for November 2024: We are pleased that we have a new local fellowship programme now that the national scheme has ended. We have evaluated the feedback from the previous scheme and the Somerset Mentoring Programme was most valued. Therefore, the new programme will offer:
- Monthly mentoring (10 sessions) with an experienced GP and EMCC mentor from the Somerset Mentoring programme. The fellowship will support your time to attend.
- Optional monthly Tuesday 30 minute lunchtime online education.
- Signposting and event sharing through the Fellowship newsletter.
- Optional workshops specifically for newly qualified GPs.
- A one off CPD grant upon application to cover courses.
Eligibility: within the first year of qualifying/working in the UK in a substantive Somerset GP post. Eligibility can be extended for sick/maternity leave. To register your interest please complete this form and return to somersetlmc.sth.office@nhs.net by the 11th October. If you are unsure about your eligibility please contact Dr Catherine Ievers catherine.ievers1@nhs.net.
Somerset Safehouse: We are pleased to announce that the Somerset Safehouse has now had a complete makeover. All of the information held has been updated and we also have some new advocates, should they be needed.
The website information is completely open and password free. Any passwords you may have used previously to access the password protected elements on the old site will no longer work.
To contact an advocate you simply need to register on the new site using a legitimate email address, create a username and password, and you will then be able to message an advocate of your choice (anonymously if you wish). If you forget your password at anytime this can be reset via the website, there is no longer a need to contact the office. If you would prefer, you can still access the pastoral care service by email or phone. Dr Zoe Fox is the LMC lead Pastoral officer and can be contacted via zoe.fox17@nhs.net or on 07775 490881, or you can contact the LMC office somersetlmc.office@nhs.net. We do hope you like the new look and find the information useful.
Would you like to be CQCFIT? This platform has been developed by a local Southwest ex practice manager who has also worked as a CQC specialist adviser since 2014 and delivers a lot of CQC expert support including training and mock inspections. You can watch an overview video here. Somerset LMC are pleased to announce that they will fund this platform for practices for a year, with a review to establish if further funding can be identified. Further information and how to register can be found here.
Training/Events
Free Porter Dodson Webinar - Law Change on Sexual Harassment: Is your business ready...? The law on sexual harassment is about to change! From 26 October 2024, employers will be under a new positive duty to take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment of their workers. This free webinar will explain the new legal duty, as well as provide practical tips and guidance for employers. Date: Tuesday 15 October 2024 at 10am via Microsoft Teams (approx 45 mins). If you are interested in attending please reply to EmploymentDepartment@porterdodson.co.uk with your full name, job title, name of your business and email address (to send the Teams invite).
And Finally...
This will be my last update for the LMC as I retire today, it’s been an absolute pleasure to work with you all over many years and hopefully provide useful information and support. Take care of yourselves, and always remember Barry’s wise words, the LMC does the worrying so that you don’t have to.
That’s all folks! x
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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