Somerset LMC weekly Update Friday 21 April
Date sent: Friday 21 April 2017
Sent to all Somerset GPs and Practice Managers This and previous updates are available here
- Important further changes to Hospital Contract for 2017-9.
- Important note on QOF Calculations and Prevalence (If your practice is still doing QOF please read this item)
- The Learning Disabilities Extraction for CQRS
- Child Vaccination and Immunisations
- Head and Neck Study Day, 26 April at Dillington House, a few places have become available contact SGPET
- Practice training
- British Medical Tennis Association
Important further changes to Hospital Contract for 2017-9.
Further to the changes introduced last April, there have been additional contractual requirements introduced from April 1st 2017, with the intention of reducing inappropriate workload on GP practices, and improving patient care. These include the issuing of fit notes to cover the full period until the date by which it is anticipated a patient will be recovered, hospitals responding to patient queries rather than asking them to contact their GPs, hospitals not transferring management under shared-care unless with prior agreement with the GP, and timely receipt of hospital letters after clinic appointments (10 days from 1st April 2017, 7 days from 1st April 2018). Patients should also receive medication following their outpatient attendance at least sufficient to meet their needs until the practice has had a chance to receive the letter and issue a prescription accordingly. These are contractual requirements and not recommendations, and it is important that practices use the template letters to report back if there are breaches. Further details are available here.
Important note on QOF Calculations and Prevalence
If your practice is still doing QOF please read this item!
Across England a number of practices have reported concerns about the recent QOF calculations and proposed aspiration payments. NHS England and NHS Digital are investigating this as a matter of priority.
So far, they have identified discrepancies with some prevalence calculations which could affect practices’ QOF achievement and therefore their final payments for 2016-17 and aspiration payments for 2017-18. This appears to be due to an anomaly in the calculation model that has increased apparent national prevalence rates. Mostly the effect is relatively small, but some practices face reductions of several thousand pounds in QOF payments
NHS England and NHS Digital have informed GPC that they are working to resolve this as soon as possible to minimise any impact on practices. NHS England has assured us that practices will all receive aspiration payments on time.
GPC will pass on any further information as soon as they receive it.
The Learning Disabilities Extraction for CQRS
The extraction from EMIS for this quarter does not appear to be accurate. Please make sure you check you are being paid for all the Annual Learning Disabilities Health Checks you have done. It is worth worth checking your numbers from April 2016 onwards.
Child Vaccination and Immunisations
Note that the DEADLINE IS 1ST MAY FOR THIS QUARTER. Practices should check the statement on Open Exeter " Child vaccination Historic" that they have been paid for all the vaccinations given and have hit the target. It is worth checking that all GPs data has been received , this is shown on the second page of the statement. If there is a discrepancy please let anna.masserick@nhs.net know as soon as possible.
Practice training
Promoting Quality & Handling Complaints in the NHS – Thursday 27th April in Ilminster (last few places available)
To book a place or for more information please go to www.somersetlmc.co.uk/events/2905
British Medical Tennis Association
James Buckle, retired GP from South Petherton, is arranging the Somerset entry for this year’s BMTA tournament in Bournemouth over the weekend of 10/11th June 2017 .The format includes with singles, level doubles and mixed doubles events ,so there will be plenty of opportunity to have some great tennis. The tournament is played at the fantastic West Hants Club with indoor courts available should the weather be inclement and excellent facilities including an indoor pool The cost for the tennis is £25 for the weekend’ and James will arrange a restaurant for an evening meal on the Saturday night.
If you are interested please contact him at Quarry House,North Street,South Petherton,Somerset TA13 5DA or kerflump@btinternet.com
Best wishes
Somerset LMC
Crown Medical Centre, Venture Way, Taunton, TA2 8QY
Tel: (01823) 331 428
Fax: (01823) 338 561
