DAILY COVID-19 BRIEFING DDLMC - 17.04.2020
STOP PRESS
Staff testing for COVID-19 – new developments
Derbyshire has moved quickly to extend the COVID-19 staff testing programme for key workers defined as anyone who is critical to the provision of health, care and other services delivered through the public sector. From 20th April 2020, most testing will be done from two new sites at the Burnaston Toyota plant in Derby and the Proact football stadium in Chesterfield between 1.00 pm and 5.00 pm for primary care staff and other NHS and public sector key workers. A further development is that test can also be carried out on adults and children who are symptomatic and living in the same household as the key worker.
The eligibility criteria are:
- A member of staff who is self-isolating because they are displaying symptoms
- A symptomatic self-isolating adult or child (over 5 and under 18) household member of a member of staff.
- Within 5 days of first showing symptoms.
To request a test slot and confirm eligibility please send an email to the dedicated mailbox at ddccg.covid19keyhcwtesting@nhs.net (NOTE NEW EMAIL ADDRESS) including name and contact telephone number for the person requesting a test, who will then be contacted to obtain further information and confirm the appointment. People requesting test must be able to be transported by car to the test centre as it is a drive through-only testing facility.
Results are sent directly to the member of staff and not to employing organisations.
PLEASE REMEMBER THE TEST IS ONLY VIABLE UP TO FIVE DAYS AFTER A PATIENT FIRST SHOWS SYMPTOMS. IT IS OF GREAT IMPORTANCE THAT YOU BEGIN THE PROCESS OF REQUESTING A TEST WITHOUT ANY DELAY, IDEALLY FROM DAY ONE OF SHOWING SYMPTOMS
NATIONAL UPDATES
BMA Model Locum Contract. The BMA have now published a BMA locum GP contract for temporary employment for use by localities. The BMA had assurances from NHSE that localities don't need to use the NHSE contract to claim central reimbursement so they have launched this in an effort to encourage better T&Cs for colleagues than the NHSE offer.
https://www.bma.org.uk/advice-and-support/covid-19/your-contract/covid-19-model-terms-for-gps
LOCAL UPDATES
DCHS Update. Dr Oyewole Salako from DCHS has asked us to share the following: ‘The community nursing teams continue to receive a few requests for routine blood tests. During the current pandemic the teams must only do essential visits. Therefore, can we ask that routine blood tests are not requested at this current time. Urgent bloods or bloods for medication titration / new medication or patients presenting unwell will, of course, be accepted. It is helpful if this is made clear on the request’
Phlebotomy Update. The on-line booking for phlebotomy clinics in former SDCCG area commenced on 2nd April. A copy of the patient leaflet and information which has been sent to practices is attached. This is preferred method of booking; which practices are encouraged to promote as it will enable the clinics to support social distancing and manage the patient flow through the clinics. However, if a patient does not have access to the internet or no family member/friend is able to book an online appointment for them, there are a number of walk-in appointments available at the clinics. Please only advise patients of the walk-in service if they do not have access to the internet or transport issues.
A summary of the opening times for the phlebotomy clinics is below:
- Royal Derby Hospital from 7.30am to 4.30pm Monday to Friday
- London Road Community Hospital from 7.30am to 4.30pm Monday to Friday
- Babington Hospital from 8.00am to 12.30pm Monday to Friday
- St Oswald’s Hospital from 8.30am to 12.30pm Tuesday and Thursday
- Old Heanor Fire Station from 7.30am to 12.30pm Monday to Friday
- Coleman Health Centre from 8.00am to 1.15pm Monday to Friday
In addition, for Derby practices, the Urgent Care Centre has seen a significant reduction in appointments recently. This is still a walk in phlebotomy clinic with no appointment needed and is available at the Urgent Care Clinic as follows:
- Children’s clinics held on Monday 1pm to 7pm
- Children’s clinic held on Tuesday 8am to 10.30am.
- Adult clinics held from 4-6pm Wednesday to Friday
- Adult clinic held from 8am-12.30pm Saturday and Sunday
Tele-dermatology Advice & Guidance. To help reduce the need for patients to attend hospital UHDB and CRH have started a Tele-Dermatology advice and guidance service. This is accessed through the Consultant Connect App. (Free download from App Store or Google Play ). It will include the ability to request and share photographs the (PhotoSAF icon). Functionality includes:
- Direct queries with CRH or UHDB Dermatology Consultants. Please allow 3 working days for a response. If your query arrives after 12.30, day 1 will start the following day.
- More detailed pro-forma – only complete relevant questions.
- Ability to attach of a photo of relevant patient history from the screen of your clinical system to avoid unnecessary typing.
Vitamin B12 Management. CCG Meds Management have published updated guidance on the management of Vitamin B12. Options in order of preference (notwithstanding other clinical considerations) is continue with 3-month injection at practice, Defer injections for 3-6 months, Consider switching to high dose oral cyanocobalamin (1mg) daily (unlicensed). Please read guidance for further detail.
Letter to GP practices regarding COVID-19 and patients with Long Term Conditions. From the CCG “We are aware that the rapid developments in the recent days have led to a significant change in routine practice in addition to managing and treating patients face-to-face. The attached letter pack is for GPs to help manage patients with long-term conditions during COVID-19 pandemic including Respiratory, Diabetes, Cardiovascular Disease and Gastroenterology.”
OTHER UPDATES
CCAS Addendum for EMIS Practices. We’ve had this from the GP Connect Team:
“We have been made aware of an error in the EMIS instructions which we have now corrected in the guidance. EMIS have added a specific guide for configuring your local system to support CCAS to the EMIS Now pages: https://www.emisnow.com/csm?id=kb_article&sysparm_article=KB0064483
The mistake we previously communicated was around the session filters; we had advised you to select the ‘Kind’ as ‘Limit’ and it should be ‘Reserve’ in order to ensure that only CCAS can see the slots created. If the session is already active, you may have to delete the template and create a new one in order to apply the changes. Apologies for any inconvenience caused.”
KEY MESSAGES FOR THE PUBLIC
CCG Press Release. Derbyshire’s health leader backs call to sickest patients
The Chief Executive of Derby and Derbyshire’s healthcare services has backed England’s Chief Medical Officer’s call for really ill people to seek NHS help.
AND FINALLY…
Thanks to Emma Wall from Mickleover whose response to “Why do they need to advertise Psychic Fairs?” “I knew you were going to ask that“ made me chuckle.
Following a discussion at the lunchtime CCG/LMC/PCN CDs call about the Resus Council’s guidelines advising people to use a towel to cover a suspected COVID-19 patient mouth when performing CPR I thought I’d share:
"A towel has immense psychological value. For some reason, if a strag (strag: nonhitchhiker) discovers that a hitchhiker has his towel with him, he will automatically assume that he is also in possession of a toothbrush, washcloth, soap, tin of biscuits, flask, compass, map, ball of string, gnat spray, wet-weather gear, space suit etc., etc. Furthermore, the strag will then happily lend the hitchhiker any of these or a dozen other items that the hitchhiker might have accidentally "lost.". What the strag will think is that any man that can hitch the length and breadth of the Galaxy, rough it, slum it, struggle against terrible odds, win through and still know where his towel is, is clearly a man to be reckoned with." Douglas Adams on the importance of towels (from The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, 1979)
And I’m sure Captain Tom Moore knows where his towel is. SIR WE SALUTE YOU.
Have a good weekend.