Somerset LMC Weekly Update Friday 13th October 2017

Date sent: Friday 13 October 2017

All Somerset GPs and Practice Managers This and previous updates can be found here and on our App

"Lets Dance" the latest Blog from LMC Chairman Dr Nick Bray
Somerset LMC Autumn Newsletter
Flu Imms for Care Home Staff
LMC/SGPET Study Day Developing your workforce 2nd November please book online a few places remaining
Nick Robinson Chief Officer Somerset CCG Extraordinary Members' Meeting 11th October- LMC report of the evening
Latest Sessional GPs Newsletter
Gestational diabetes
EA codes
Top Tips and LMC Training

Care Home Staff Added to Eligible Groups for Flu Immunisation In response to concerns about the flu strain currently circulating in Australia and New Zealand, NHSE have just added Care Home staff to the list of people eligible for a free NHS flu immunisation from their GP Practice or Community Pharmacy. Details on how this is to be done and coded are not yet available, and we don’t know what impact this decision is likely to have on demand for immunisation, but obviously all providers will have ordered vaccine based on the numbers in the existing risk groups at the end of last winter , and if the relatively high uptake figures for the middle of October that we are seeing in some places continue throughout the season, it is possible that supplies will run out.

LMC is in discussion with colleagues in the LPC about reserve vaccine availability in the supply chain , but given that exchanging supplies between providers is now not really possible, it may not be possible to obtain sufficient further stock to meet the demand. We are therefore encouraging practices and their local community pharmacies to keep in dialogue about stock levels so that patients can be directed to whichever provider still has any supplies left when the other has run out.

Extract from NHSE letter:

The NHS will for the first time nationally fund the vaccination of care home staff

We are announcing today our intention to commit £10m to expand the GP and national pharmacy service so that care home workers are able to access the flu vaccine via local GPs and pharmacies free of charge. This will supplement the existing responsibility of employers of these staff to ensure that they are vaccinated. This considerable investment is to recognise the vital role all staff play in helping our most vulnerable patients and how important it is they do not carry and pass on flu.

Gestational diabetes We are aware that practices are starting to receive correspondence from MPH regarding this and how they see the role of primary care. please be assured we are speaking to the trust, CCG SCC and the CCG person centred care lead about this correspondence.

EA Codes We have been contacted by the Locum agency to ask practices if they could please remember to insert the practices EA code into the Locum Pension forms as Jayne Mills is unable to to access the codes from the pensions agency

Top Tips...

Hexavalent Read Codes We have attached a screen shot of the read codes to be used for the Hexavalent and a link below to the PGDs which were released in September 2017.

Link to PGDs - Your team can now download new PGDs that have been authorised for the vaccination of patients registered with practices in the South West of England.

Flu 2017/18 Emis have now updated the library searches with the revised codes for the at risk patients, it would be sensible to review as a lot of read codes have been removed and an increasing amount of patients will now need a 9OX4 read code. Please find this link to the business rule set where you will find on the front page a list of conditions that will need a 9OX4 code. This document does not include Carers or patients living in a residential and nursing home below the age of 65 and not in an at risk group these will also need 9OX4 codes.

Also please be aware that Pregnant Women coded with a 62… code will not be picked up in the at risk searches the code it looks for is 621 patient currently pregnant, it would be worth speaking to your midwives and also running a search to find all your patients with the 62 code on them.

Training

Assertiveness Skills training – Thursday 19th October – last few places remaining

How to Make Prevalence Count for SPQS & QOF / CQRS - Making Your Claims Count – 14th November in Bridgwater & 22nd November in South Petherton

https://www.somersetlmc.co.uk/events

Kind Regards

Jill

Jill Hellens

Executive Director

Somerset LMC

TEL: 01823 331428

Fax:01823 338561

www.somersetlmc.co.uk