Weekly Update Friday 2nd April 2015
Date sent: Thursday 2 April 2015
- Prostap
- Annual Flu Immunisation plan 15/16
- Men C Freshers Programme
- Vaccine Update special March edition
- Vaccination and Immunisation programme 2015/16
- New Out of Ours Service From 1st July
- GP networks GPC Database
- GP Networks a Step by Step Guide
Prostap Prostap DCS prefilled subcutaneous monthly or 3 monthly LHRHa injection is included in the Somerset CCG Formulary and supported by local Urology Consultants for new patients and fully interchangeable for those patients currently on other LHRHa treatments. Due to a potential to increase practice income compared to other LHRHa’s by an average of 60% , the LMC have negotiated an agreement for an enhanced discount on the direct purchase of Prostap PA item.  The discount is 20%, there are subsequent incremental  increases with potential  to reach 27% discount with an increased number of practices prescribing, which will automatically be applied to all Prostap purchases for each member practice.
Prostap can be purchased through Claritypharma wholesaler, with registration online or by phone, requiring a GMC number and email only. See link and  details below.
Endeavour House, Coopers End Road, London Stansted Airport, Stansted, CM24 1SJ, United Kingdom
T +44(0)845 0805190   F +44(0)845 0805191 W 
For support, full injection administration training, patient support materials and contact patient letter templates , along with all enquiries please direct to Sarah-Louise Beasley Regional Director Takeda UK  sarah-louise.beasley@takeda.com 07584352395 
Annual Flu Immunisation Plan 15/16 Public Health England along with the Department of Health and NHS England have today published the https://www.somersetlmc.co.uk/annualfluimmunisationplan201516
Men C Freshers Programme Public Health England asks GPs not to start MenC Freshers programme because of the current MenW outbreak Following a rapid increase in meningococcal group W (MenW) disease in England, the JCVI recommended an emergency programme to vaccinate all 14-18 years-olds (school years 10-13) with a quadrivalent MenACWY conjugate vaccine to provide direct and herd protection to the whole population.
PHE is urgently trying to procure sufficient MenACWY vaccine to vaccinate those currently in Year 13 the summer. Therefore, PHE is asking GPs to delay the current MenC Freshers programme due to start in April until the MenACWY vaccine becomes available. This will avoid the need to revaccinate this group to provide additional protection against MenW.
Vaccine Update special March edition https://www.somersetlmc.co.uk/vaccineupdate227march2015
Vaccination and Immunisation Programme 2015/16 The Vaccination and Immunisation programme 2015/16 – Guidance and Audit requirements and the Technical requirements for 2015/16 contract changes have now been published.  The service specifications for Childhood flu, Seasonal influenza and pneumococcal, MenC freshers, Pertussis (pregnant women) and Shingles (catch up) vaccination programmes are also available here
New Out of Hours Service from 1 July 2015 The LMC has had an initial  meeting with Vocare, the Community Interest Company that runs Northern Doctors  Urgent Care, who won the contract to run the Somerset Out of Hours  and 111 Services  from 1st July.   The local Service will be known as Somerset Doctors Urgent  Care  (SDUC) and will be based in Taunton. Some  management and support services will be shared with  the OOH service in BANES which is also provided by Vocare.
SDUC  hopes to appoint a locally based  part-time Clinical Director – ideally a Somerset GP – and they have asked us to circulate information about the post and an application form that can be found link Information about salaried and sessional posts is also available Sessional Gp Ad
SDUC will  shortly be making contact with practices and GPs across the county  with a series of information events, and they are also in discussion with Somerset Primary Healthcare about possible joint working.
GPC Activity on GP networks  The GPC are inviting Networks to submit contact information and register for a BMA/GPC database of ‘GP networks’. To clarify, their definition of a GP network is broad, and includes all merged 'super-partnerships', GP provider companies or federations/clusters, OOH organisations, and education/training/peer support groups.
The purpose of the database is to enable the BMA and GPC to improve its communication with GP networks and better understand their ambitions, motivations and training and development needs.To register, please follow this link: http://bma-mail.org.uk/t/JVX-3AEBU-1BJCJOU46E/cr.aspx