Somerset LMC Weekly Update Friday 12th January 2018
Date sent: Friday 12 January 2018
All Somerset GPs and Practice Managers This and previous updates can be found here and on the App
- The Future of SPQS
- Flu Vaccine
- Early help Form
- National Early Warning Score (NEWS) 2
- Musgrove Park IT Services Phone Number change
The Future of SPQS The LMC and the CCG, with input from NHSE, have for some time been considering the possible content of SPQS for 2018-19. Since 2013, when the project was first started, there have been dramatic changes in the organisation and financial position of the NHS and we need to make sure that the scheme continues to balance the needs and aspirations of all the parties whilst being realistic and achievable for practices.
The Steering Group accepts that in 2016-17 the scheme perhaps lost its way a little and we would very much like to hear from practices about what they feel have been the strengths and good features of SPQS that should be built on, and what were the weaknesses that need to be written out. We appreciate that SPQS does require more active participation by practices than simply following mechanistic QOF protocols, and it would also be helpful to hear from anyone who has definitely decided to revert to QOF next year.Please e mail the Office
We are also very aware that time is tight, and we still aim to have a final recommendation to put to practices by the end of the month at the very latest.
Flu Vaccine – please continue to offer immunisation You may already have seen the attached letter encouraging practices to continue to vaccinate patients against flu whilst you have vaccine left. Can we also ask practices to liaise with their local pharmacies and agree cross referral arrangements to one another once a provider’s own stock has run out? Given that there is flu circulating and the strain match is good for all the available vaccines it would be shame to let any go to waste.
Flu Vaccine – please do not confirm orders for next year until you have to! Whilst the majority of practices will already have placed provisional orders for flu vaccine for the Autumn 2018 immunisation season, we believe that most will not need to confirm those orders until the end of the month. We now have a clear recommendation from PHE that patients over 75 should be offered the new adjuvanted vaccine, but practices need clear guidance as to whether the benefits for the 65 -74 age group merit the additional cost to the CCG drug budget. There is a similar dilemma with the quadrivalent vaccine. This year it covers all four of the circulating strain, whilst the trivalent covers only three: does this make the additional cost of the qua rivalent version a good investment?
The CCG has promised to discuss these questions with Public Health and get back to the LMC with some firm recommendations before January 28th, but the matter goes wider than simple cost benefit. It is a recognised problem that sometimes a manufacturer’s vaccine batch fails at some stage of the quality assurance process and does not make it to market. If we have (quite literally) put all our eggs in one basket the result could be catastrophic, so there needs to be some spread of purchasing arrangements in every health community.
We’ll let you know as soon as we hear any more on this.
Early Help Form Colleagues continue to struggle with completing the long and involved Early Help Form devised by Children’s Social Care so it is vital to remember that the only absolute requirement is that the demographic section and section 7(a) be completed. The latter concerns what action you think may be necessary. Obviously the more information that can be provided the better but we have been assured by the County Council that GPs are not expected to be able to complete the whole document. Colleagues are encouraged to look at the website and to use the advice line for support but should not accept any requirement to fully complete the form. We believe that the council is sincere in its desire to work collaboratively for the benefit of vulnerable children but sometimes the finer points of policy may not always be clear to front line staff. Please do inform the office of any difficulties you may encounter.
Locum A&B Pension Payments must be made online We’ve been informed that PCSE apparently now require sessional doctors to make their pension contributions via BACS and to send an accompanying an email notification on the standard PCSE enquiry form. Please note that you need an NHS mail email address to do this.
The good news is that you will at least get an acknowledgement of the email for your records, but it seems that any emails sent after 20th Dec 2017 to the old address will not be responded too and that it will not be monitored in future
Details of the process can be found at: https://pcse.england.nhs.uk/help/gp-pensions/locum-a-b-pension-contributions/
Though the information there does not yet seem to have been updated to recognise the latest changes.
IMPORTANT – Taunton and Somerset IT Services telephone number change – please update your records
Musgrove Park IT Services have changed their IT Service Desk phone number from 01823 287728 to 01823 343000. Please can you update any records you keep as well as cascade this information to anyone else in your Organisation who may need to know.
Kind Regards
Jill
Jill Hellens
Executive Director
Somerset LMC
TEL: 01823 331428
Fax:01823 338561
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