COVID-19 UPDATE BRIEFING DDLMC – 06.05.2020
JOINT DDLMC/ GPA / GPTF / DCHS COVID RESPONSE TEAM
NATIONAL UPDATES
Support for shielding and non-shielding patients. NHSE have published an update of shielded patients (see full text below) together with a useful summary (Attachment A.) of the support that is available for both shielded and non-shielded patients that practices may find useful. They have also produced an updated template letter (Attachment B.) that practices may wish to use when writing to the cohort of shielded patients.
The latest update of the Shielded Patient List, based on the NHS Digital GP Extraction Service, has identified a small number of patients who will be advised to shield via a centrally generated letter and text message. Flags will be added to the GP records for these patients along with patients identified by hospital clinicians this week. The addition of flags and distribution of central letters is expected to be complete by Thursday 7 May. You may also receive information relating to this from your system supplier
Any patients you locally identified as clinically extremely vulnerable prior to 28 April should now be recognised by the Government support website. Thank you for informing all of these patients, using the standard letter previously provided. If you have not done so, please ensure that you write to these patients as soon as possible. Please use the attached updated version of the letter. This contains the same information but confirms that the Government is currently advising people who are clinically extremely vulnerable to shield until 30 June, subject to ongoing review. People who you have identified locally and added to the registry will be sent text messages later this week and contacted early next week by the Government support service call centre if they have not yet registered online or by phone. It is therefore important that you have contacted them to confirm that they have been identified as clinically extremely vulnerable.
We are aware that some people who believe they have registered for support on the website have not received it. We have fed this back to the Government service and are working with them to resolve issues with the website and call centre. Please advise people to re-register ensuring they have entered the correct NHS number on the website and their name and address as used in their NHS records.
We have received a number of queries about the length of time patients should shield for. Government is currently advising people to shield until at least the 30 June (irrespective of when the letter from the NHS was received) and is regularly monitoring this position. Further information about shielding will be published in due course by Government and individuals currently shielding notified.
As a reminder, the websites below may contain helpful information about these patients / process:
- Highest clinical risk being advised to shield identification methodology – https://digital.nhs.uk/coronavirus/shielded-patient-list/methodology
- Shielded patient list guidance for general practice – https://digital.nhs.uk/coronavirus/shielded-patient-list/guidance-for-general-practice
- Summary of support offers available to those shielding and other vulnerable groups – slide deck attached
- Government’s shielding guidance – https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-on-shielding-and-protecting-extremely-vulnerable-persons-from-covid-19/guidance-on-shielding-and-protecting-extremely-vulnerable-persons-from-covid-19
Please note: A similar email to this has been sent to hospital clinicians asking them, if they have not already done so, to review their patient lists and identify anyone who should be added to the clinically highest risk registry and advised to shield. We have asked them to speak to any such patients, and to send them a copy of the standard NHS letter, as well as to notify the patient’s GP that they have been added to the list, and to submit a list of additional patients to NHS Digital.
LOCAL UPDATES
Testing Update. As part of the Government’s National Testing Programme, a number of pop-up Military Testing Units (MTU) are popping up. Booking through the through the national self-referral portal . These MTU’s are in addition to the dedicated staff testing sites at Toyota (Burnaston) and ProAct Stadium (Chesterfield) which can be accessed by emailing ddccg.covid19keyhcwtesting@nhs.net.
During the 6-9 May, 2020 there will be a pop-up MTU located at Grin Low & Buxton Country Park (Grin Low Road, Buxton, SK17 6UJ).
Finance Update. In April, all practices received normal contract payments plus an advance payment for May in respect of the global sum, QOF aspiration and PCN participation to support practices with cash flow challenges caused by COVID-19. The initial expectation was for the CCG to withhold one month’s payment later in the year to avoid making any overpayments to practices. However, further national payments guidance has been issued, which means we have had to adapt how we will recover these advance payments. This relatively short timescale has implications for the payment process and so we will recover the advance payment in 3 instalments in May, June and July. The table below shows a simplified example to illustrate how this will work:
| April | May | June | July | Total | |
| Normal Contract Payment | £36,400 | £36,400 | £36,400 | £36,400 | £145,650 |
| Advance Payment | £36,400 | £36,400 | |||
| Advance Recovery | -12,133 | -12,133 | -12,133 | -£36,400 | |
| Total Contract Payment made to Practice | £72,800 | £24.267 | £24,267 | £24,267 | £145,600 |
In addition, the CCG made advance payments for the £1.50 per head and £6 extended access. These will also be recovered in the same way.
Practices have submitted a large number of invoices for COVID cost reimbursement and these have been processed for payment when received via Tradeshift. The backlog of invoices submitted via email have been worked through and will be processed for payment next week. Please continue to submit one invoice which includes all the items to be claimed for shown separately for reimbursement on a monthly basis for COVID19 expenses.
If you have any queries regarding the recovery of the advance payment or the COVID reimbursements then please contact the CCG finance team at ddccg.finance@nhs.net .
Living Well with Dementia Programme. DCHS and DHcFT have developed this online version of their Living Well with Dementia Programme, as they are currently unable to provide face to face groups due to COVID-19:
Bloods. Somewhat frustratingly, there will be no routine blood collections on Friday 8th May as the Trusts have taken the unilateral decision not to offer phlebotomy services on the bank holiday. Practices are advised to plan accordingly. NHSE have produced the attached poster (Attachment C.) to remind patients that some parts of the NHS are open, and practices are reminded that they can provide a level of service to meet the expected demand, using hubs/PCNs as appropriate.
Managing falls that may require an ambulance. The National Falls Prevention Coordination Group has produced two posters for managing falls in care/residential homes (one for HCWs and one for the public/residents).
OTHER UPDATES
Vale of Trent RCGP Event. The Vale of Trent is running a Zoom session 14th May at 18.00-19.00 for emergency returners with an update from the chair of the Late Careers and Retired Members committee and signposting LMC/GPTF support including Chambers. On line booking here is essential as places are limited.
IT Update. The Airmid remote working application from TPP is being used by a number of practices and a tri-fold leaflet (Attachment D.) has been produced by Lee Ling, one of the GPTF Fellows.
Free Taxis for NHS Staff. Western Taxi’s in Derby are offering free taxis for NHS Staff and the details of their offer is on their website .
AND FINALLY…
Maggie Choras PM at Sett Valley recommended this poem as a tribute to the NHS frontline.
And as we try to manage our own well-being, we are reminded to focus on the things we have to be thankful for. I remember when I was growing up we were so poor we could only afford ordinary k……..This could be the start of a serial.