Somerset LMC Weekly Update Friday 25th October 2024
Date sent: Friday 25 October 2024
Sent to all Somerset GPs and Practice Managers This and previous updates are available here
- MD Soundbites! New this week - little nuggets of information go a long way...
- GPAS (General Practice Alert State)
- GPC News
- Collective Action
- 'Ask the LMC about Collective Action for Somerset Practices'
- BMA GP Campaign - Clinical News/Updates
- ICE Now Unavailable Prior to Go Live
- Pathology User Survey
- Somerset Liver Improvement Programme - Information for GP Partners/Salaried/Locums/Practice Managers
- Advanced Practice Educational Supervisors - Useful NHSE Guidance
- Advanced Practice Workforce Advice (Nurses/AHPs)
- GP Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS)
- Have Your Say on the Future of the NHS
- Opportunities with the Careers Plus Programme for GPs working in Primary Care: Great news!
- Sessional GPs Committee October Newsletter
- Student Nursing Associate Apprenticeships - 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
‘Ask the LMC about Collective Action for Somerset Practices’: On Tuesday 5th November 2024 1.30-2.30pm, Tim Horlock (LMC Chair) and Justin Geddes (LMC Medical Director) will run a session to discuss any questions on Collective Action within your practice. It is bookable through the LMC website here. We hope to see as many of you as possible and hear your views, even if you can not make the whole time.
BMA GP campaign page has more information about all of the actions. This week GPCE are focusing on serving notice on voluntary services and they have created this 2 minute collective action video on unfunded work.
Clinical News/Updates
ICE Now Unavailable Prior to Go Live: In preparation for the switch of Ordercomms to Clinisys ICE for pathology on Sunday 10 November 2024 the new system will be unavailable from the end of the day today (Friday 25 October).
Notification will be sent to practice managers on Sunday 10 November when the new system is operational, and ICE can be accessed again in readiness for Monday 11 November.
Pathology User Survey: The LMC have an excellent relationship with our pathology service and they are seeking feedback on their services. Please can you consider completing the survey.
Somerset Liver Improvement Programme: Many practices will already be aware that the team at the Somerset Liver Improvement Programme have created over the last few years a unique case finding search engine, that puts historic blood test data in the hands of the clinicians. This has enabled the team to identify patients with liver disease and then invite them into a secondary care clinic, or for further testing. The programme has been very successful with so far over 700 people contacted in Somerset and a range of diagnoses have been made including Hepatitis B and C, Primary Biliary Cholangitis, advanced liver disease of a variety of causes (cirrhosis for ongoing surveillance and management). Dr Tim Jobson and his team wish to continue using the tool, and are therefore seeking updated Data Sharing Agreements. These agreements were originally signed in June/July 2021 but have now expired.
Dr Tim Jobson, Consultant Gastroenterologist has met with Dr Justin Geddes, Medical Director at the LMC due to the BMA Collective Guidance on Data Sharing Agreements. The LMC opinion is that this programme of work will benefit patients and there is no impact on GP workload. The LMC are therefore supportive of this programme and of practices signing the new DSA.
As part of the due diligence work undertaken for latest developments to the programme, Kevin Caldwell, GP Data Protection Officer has reviewed the IG documentation and is assured that the arrangements put in place provide a robust governance framework.
Further information including the DPIA and Data Sharing agreements will be made available in due course.
Information for GP Partners/Salaried/Locums/Practice Managers
Advanced Practice Educational Supervisors - Useful NHSE Guidance: Many practices have Trainee Advanced Practitioners embarking on new courses this autumn. For Educational Supervisors supporting their trainees you may find this guidance produced by NHSE helpful: Minimum standards for supervision - Advanced Practice (hee.nhs.uk). The guidance may also be helpful for employers, mentors etc when considering supervision and support of their Advanced Practitioners in general.
Advanced Practice Workforce Advice (Nurses/AHPs): We are already turning our thoughts to the 2025 applications for NHSE funding for trainee Advanced Practitioners across Somerset. If you are a nurse or AHP interested in AP courses, or general practice management wanting to develop staff and would like to discuss the options available to you, please do get in touch with our Advanced Practice Lead: catherine.hayden@nhs.net for an informal discussion. You can also find information on the NHSE website and Somerset Training Hub has created Topics on Teamnet with useful links and information.
GP Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS): The updated PCN DES bringing in the GP ARRS was released last week. GPs employed via the scheme must be within 2 years of their CCT on 1/10/24 and PCNs will be required to provide terms no less favourable than the BMA salaried GP model contract, in line with the GMS/PMS contract. GPC England and the Sessional GPs Committee have released guidance for PCNs, and individuals employed under this scheme. It can be found here. Whilst there is progress in acknowledging the difficulties currently faced by many GPs struggling to find jobs, GPCE continue to stress to NHSE and the Department of Health the underlying issue of GP unemployment and how this needs to be better addressed through additional support and funding at a practice level, reinforcing the need for a new GP contract to support this. Interesting blog by Dr Mark Steggles, Chair, Sessional GPs Committee.
Have Your Say on the Future of the NHS: Government issues rallying cry to the nation to help fix NHS - GOV.UK. Wes Streeting has launched a new Change NHS website, to start a conversation about the long-term future of the NHS, open for everyone to share views, experiences and ideas to shape a new 10 Year Health Plan for England. Project: Start here | Change NHS to tell the government how the NHS needs to change. This will be open for several months. There is a separate questionnaire for people who are contributing as a representative of an organisation, closing date 2nd December 2024.
Opportunities with the Careers Plus Programme for GPs working in Primary Care: Great news!: GP Careers Plus Programme will be running again from December 24 as a funded 10-session programme, held over 6-months (see here for dates/venue). The programme is aimed at GPs in various stages of their career including those out of the workforce due to ill health, parental leave, and those considering retiring/leaving (not those in the new-to-practice fellowship or in first 5 years post-qualification). This initiative has been developed with a supportive, coaching focus and is designed to help GPs discover a more fulfilling work life balance and therefore support practices in the retention of those experienced staff who are vital to Primary Care. The programme has been highly successful, with previous participants reporting improved confidence, wellbeing, and a renewed commitment to their roles. If interested please contact sphadmin@nhs.net to secure your place. For more information and learn how you or your practice can benefit from this new and exciting programme take a look at TeamNet Career Plus.
Student Nursing Associate Apprenticeships: We are seeking applicants from General Practice to join the Local Somerset Programme April 2025 cohort of Student Nursing Associate (SNA) Apprenticeships. Closing date for applications is 8th November 2024. See the advert here and further details here.
Kind regards
Somerset LMC Team
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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