Somerset LMC Weekly Update Friday 26th August 2016
Date sent: Friday 26 August 2016
All Somerset GPs Practice Managers and Lead Nurses This and Previous updates can be found here
- Measles Outbreak
- Disposal of Clinical Equipment Cleaning Fluid
- LARC update
- Risperidone-Paliperidone
- Sessional GPs e newsletter August
- GPC Focus on IA and undated Resignations
- Advice on preventing telephone fraud
- Whooping Cough in Pregnancy - Polish Translation
- Best Practice in Nursing 19-20 Oct NEC Birmingham- The CCG have 2 complimentary tickets please e mail paula.messenger@somersetccg.nhs.uk
Measles Outbreak A small but persistent number of cases of measles are being reported in the South West, typically in older teenagers who have not been immunised, but including infants and adults up to age 47.
You can offer immunisation to any eligible patient who has not previously had two MMR doses. There is no upper age limit, and additional does of MMR do NOT increase the likelihood of an adverse reaction in immunocompetent people.
Many practices already seek to isolate patients attending with a fever and rash – whether spontaneously or after triage - and this is good practice if space allows. If you suspect a case, or you believe a susceptible healthcare worker has come into contact with a case, contact PHE on 03003038162 promptly and they will offer advice on testing and further management.
Healthcare workers should be able to produce documentary evidence of two MMR injections or a serological test showing immunity. Routine immunity testing is not available to primary care staff and as MMR is safe to give to those who are immune this is the best course of action in general practice. NHSE has agreed that in the current situation practices may immunise their own staff and claim reimbursement for this
Disposal of Clinical Equipment Cleaning Fluid Various clinical apparatus in wide use in practices, notably ear syringes and certain spirometers, needs to be cleaned regularly with a proprietary cleaning fluid, usually made up from a compressed tablet.
The Safety Data Sheets for these products usually say that they must be disposed of as hazardous waste, but we have had clarification that this refers to the tablets and not the diluted cleaning solution. Similarly, the section on “Environmental exposure controls” says that undiluted product must not be allowed to enter the drains.
Wessex Water have said that they are only concerned if more than 500 litres a day of diluted chlorinated fluid or bleach solution is entering the sewage system a day, which would involve the cleaning of an awful lot of ProPulse machines!
LARC UPDATE: We have been working closely with the Public Health Team and have agreed a number of amendments to the current LARC contract. This has included concerns raised by practices who have been in contact with the LMC office. We are awaiting the final draft so to speak and hopefully practices will shortly receive their updated contract.
Risperidone-Paliperidone the current specification 11X-09 is titled “Injectable Risperidone and Other Long Acting Atypical Antipsychotics and currently there is no reference to paliperidrone which is to replace the risperidone fortnightly injection over time, the CCG have now confirmed that the specification will be updated as soon as possible and that practices will receive payment for provision of this injection under the current specification.
Have a lovely bank holiday weekend
Kind Regards
Jill
Jill Hellens
Executive Director
Somerset LMC
TEL: 01823 331428
Fax:01823 338561
General Practice In Somerset Great Place Great Potential
