Somerset LMC Weekly Update Friday 6th December 2024
Date sent: Friday 6 December 2024
Sent to all Somerset GPs and Practice Managers This and previous updates are available here
- MD Soundbites! New this week... Red Tape Challenge Survey
- GPAS (General Practice Alert State)
- GPC News
- Collective Action
- Conference of England LMCs 2024
- Protect your Patients and Protect your Practice Campaign
- ‘Ask the LMC about Collective Action' - Webinar for Somerset Practices 17th December - Clinical News/Updates
- Advice and Refer – Cinapsis
- Assisted Dying Update
- Connecting the Dots Meeting
- Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) Prescribing Webinar
- ICE – ELF (Enhanced Liver Fibrosis Screening) Requesting
- Somerset Liver Improvement Programme
- South West Ambulance Service Trust Incident Reporting
- SPLASH – Somerset paediatric lifestyle activity and skills for self help - Paediatrics - supporting children with severe obesity - Resources
- You Are Not a Frog: Podcast for Doctors
- Teamnet - Safe Working in General Practice (BMA) This guidance is regularly updated with new items and suggestions
- Job Vacancies
Collective Action
Conference of England LMCs 2024: At the Conference of LMCs in England on 22nd November, the GPC England Chair, Dr Katie Bramall-Stainer explained why collective action is needed NOW, as grassroots GPs are telling us that "this is going to break us". Watch the speech: GPs are having to take collective action. Make sure you are involved to protect your practice, your staff and your patients.
Here is the Conference news which details the conference resolutions, election results and motions not debated during November's conference.
‘Protect your Patients and Protect your Practice‘ campaign: The BMA’s ‘Protect your Patients and Protect your Practice‘ campaign webpage has information about all of the actions. Please also refer to other useful links such as:
- Safe Working Guidance Handbook
- Guidance for GP collective action for sessional GPs and GP registrars
- Background to the 2024/25 contract changes
- Patient materials (waiting room/website videos and infographics)
‘Ask the LMC about Collective Action' - Webinar for Somerset Practices: Tuesday 17th December 12.00-13.00. Somerset LMC Medical Director Dr Justin Geddes will be joined by others to share an update on Collective Action following the recent LMC England Conference on 22 November 2024. There will be discussion about what practices can do and learn from other GPs in Somerset about what they are doing and why – it you would be interested in reserving a place please book here. We hope to see as many of you as possible and hear your views, even if you cannot make the whole time.
Clinical News/Updates
Advice and Refer – Cinapsis: The LMC have become aware that there has been a little bit of confusion for services in the YDH referring area – we have sought clarity from the SFT team.
Gynaecology Yeovil - The Yeovil Gynaecology Team do not offer eRS A&G, and primary care are to use the existing referral pathway.
Gastroenterology Yeovil - For YDH referring practices who seek the Gastroenterology service - use the Consultant Connect for telephone A&G, or the eRS Referral pathway.
MPH Gastroenterology Service has never been accessible to the YDH referring practices and they will not have access on the Advice & Refer programme via Cinapsis.
Yeovil referring practices can access Advice & Refer services via Cinapsis for the following services:
- YDH Dermatology
- Somerset Community Pain Service
- Ocular Plastic
Additional services will be available for Yeovil referring practices within Advice & Refer in the New Year.
For those specialty services that are not on the Advice & Refer programme via Cinapsis, primary care is to use the current A&G or referral pathway this includes suspected cancer.
Assisted Dying Update: A landmark bill, Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill: Kim Leadbeater’s End of Life bill was passed on 29th November 2024, BBC News - Newscast, The Assisted Dying Bill Explained. The medical world is divided: a clear majority of palliative care teams are opposed, the BMA has a neutral stance- Physician assisted dying and BGS Position Statement on Assisted Dying | British Geriatrics Society is opposed. Though the principle of the bill has been passed, it now needs to be scrutinised and amended. Kim Leadbeater’s assisted dying bill: What happens next? | Institute for Government. We await the date of the Public Health Committee.
Connecting the Dots Meeting: Co-chaired by Dr Andrea Trill and/or Dr Kathryn Patrick this is a chance to share projects, ideas and discuss areas that impact on both primary care and SFT. It is informal and you can come and listen in, bring an item you would like to raise, or just join in with the discussion if you feel it is relevant to you. The next meeting is on Wednesday 18 December 2024 at 1pm to 2pm. This session will cover People who Matter presented by Ali van Laar and Emma Lawton. Click here to join the meeting.
Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) Prescribing Webinar:The National Women’s Health Programme is hosting a webinar on Inequalities in HRT Prescribing Report - Tuesday 17 December 2024, 11am-12pm chaired by Dr Sue Mann, National Clinical Director for Women's Health.Sign up to the webinar using this link.
ICE – ELF (Enhanced Liver Fibrosis Screening) Requesting: We have been made aware of an error in the requesting set-up in ICE, stating that it is for Hepatologists only. Until this is corrected, please just select any Gastroenterologist from the list and proceed as usual with the rest of the ELF request.
Somerset Liver Improvement Programme: Practices may recently have received requests from Somerset NHS FT / Predictive Health Intelligence for Data Sharing Agreements for the Somerset Liver Improvement Programme. Further to the LMC update on Friday 25th October this Data Sharing Agreement has been carefully considered by the Somerset LMC and we consider this project should not be impacted by collective action. It is supported by the ICB Data Protection team and has CAG approval. The LMC would encourage you to proceed with data sharing to support this important programme.
South West Ambulance Service Trust Incident Reporting: The Trust has an established HCP feedback process through which incidents and complaints can be investigated and feedback provided upon request. Concerns can be emailed to their InPhase team who will review and allocate to the appropriate team to investigate. For emails containing patient identifiable information, please send to swast.risk@nhs.net. For emails without patient identifiable information please send to InphaseOversight@SWAST.nhs.uk.
To investigate specific incidents or complaints, the Trust will need the following information:
- Incident date
- Incident address
- Patient details – name, date of birth and NHS number
- Specific concerns/any background information
- Confirmation of if the practice would like a written response to the incident
For any enquiries not relating to a specific incident or complaint, please contact Sam.Neal@swast.nhs.uk.
SPLASH – Somerset paediatric lifestyle activity and skills for self help - Paediatrics - supporting children with severe obesity: A reminder of this service, available to children aged 0-5 years living with very severe obesity or severe obesity and a co-morbidity. It is a 12-months initiative, which delivers a compassionate, family-centred early intervention, tailored to each family's unique circumstances. The team includes a Psychologist, Dietitian and Paediatrician who work with the child and family to help learn new skills, build confidence and understand more about food, activity and wellbeing. Referral criteria is also on Teamnet. If you are uncertain if a child meets the criteria, the team are able to review each case individually. If a referral letter is used instead of the referral form, please include child’s weight, height and any confirmed or suspected complications of obesity. See leaflet for families. For additional information or questions, please contact splash@Somersetft.nhs.uk.
Resources
You Are Not a Frog: Podcast for Doctors: Does the usual productivity advice work for people seeing patients? How to make the right choice when you aren’t certain, how to make difficult decisions, how to keep going in a struggling system, how to have more impact with less effort, the problem with boundaries – are some of the many questions discussed on Not a Frog Podcast - with Rachel Morris.
Teamnet: A reminder that all practices should have access to Teamnet, including Topic pages with useful advice, templates, links and guidance. New topics are currently being developed by our Training Hub team. Recently updated information includes: Somerset specific information for and about Enhanced and Advanced Practitioners, Advanced Practice funding opportunities, links to research opportunities for nurses and AHPs. Practices can also access information on a wide range of topics, help and guidance from a number of local, regional and national sources through Teamnet.
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
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