Somerset LMC weekly Update Friday7 October
Date sent: Friday 7 October 2016
Sent to all Somerset GPs and Practice Managers This and previous updates are available here
- Somerset LMC Newsletter - October
- GMC Guidance podcasts from the lunctime tutorials
- Consultant Connect
- Next Free GMC lunchtime tutorial. Wed 12 October, LMC Office
- Leadership and Management for all doctors - please book on line
- Places available on Somerset Practice Managers Conference - Taking the Strain, 18 October, don't forget to book your place
GMC Guidance podcasts link
Regional Liaison Adviser Rachel Ware talks the listener through pieces of GMC guidance, drawing out key points and suggesting other sources of help and advice.
- Doctors’ use of social media
- Raising and acting on concerns about patient safety
Consultant Connect
A chance to start talking again about patients to consultant colleagues
Consultant Connect is a simple idea brought to life with some very clever phone technology. If you have a patient in front of you and are undecided as to the best course of action you will have a specific number that you can ring that takes you to a picking list of the different specialties offering this advice. The system then tries, in turn, the mobiles of all the consultants available during that session until one answers. Typically that takes less than a minute. You can then have a conversation, with the patient present, about what to do next. This will obviously be particularly useful when deciding if admission is needed, but some services will also offer advice about less urgent matters. Calls are recorded centrally, but can be accessed by the practice if necessary.
We have had positive feedback from another part of the country where the system is in use, and the CCG and Commissioning Support have made sure that all the Data Protection and Information Governance questions have been answered. To take part PMs will need to sign and return the Data Processing Agreement but as using Consultant Connect is part of the referral element of providing healthcare, you should not need to change the data handling categories that you have registered with the Information Commissioner. The LMC has reviewed the Agreement and we believe that it is reasonable. Once the DPA has been returned to the CCG, GPs should keep an eye out for an email from Consultant Connect with the relevant phone numbers etc.
It is planned that the scheme will start in MPH soon, to be followed by YDH in a couple of weeks. If the pilot is successful, it is anticipated Mendip practices will be linked to the Consultant Connect provided by RUH early next year, so we advise all practices to sign up now as there is no cost if you do so at the beginning and the only expense will be local rate call charge each time you use the system.
Best wishes
Somerset LMC
Crown Medical Centre, Venture Way, Taunton, TA2 8QY
Tel: (01823) 331 428
Fax: (01823) 338 561
