DAILY COVID-19 BRIEFING DDLMC – 29.04.2020
STOP PRESS
Locum Reimbursement for sickness and maternity cover. We have been informed that the previously advertised NHSE Area Team e-mail address for submitting these claims is now being phased out. All claims should now be made using the appropriate LOC1 or LOC6 (available on CCG intranet) and sent to england.gp-contracting@nhs.net.
Letter from Sir Simon Stevens NHSE Chief Executive. The attached letter has just been sent out by NHSE. We haven’t had a chance to study the detail but will provide an update once we have considered the implications for general practice.
NATIONAL UPDATES
Renal Patients. NHSE have advised that “The Chief Medical Officer has now confirmed that renal dialysis patients should be advised to shield. Where they have not already done so, Renal units will get in touch with patients, send them a letter and add them to the Shielded Patient List via the regular trust submissions to NHS Digital. GPs are asked to note this update, but no further action is required at this point”.
Re-use of Medicines in Care Homes SOP. This SOP has been developed to support care home and hospice providers by offering a framework to run a safe and effective medicines re-use scheme that is in the best interest of patients. There are stringent safeguards included in the SOP, which is time limited to the period of the COVID-19 pandemic. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-reuse-of-medicines-in-a-care-home-or-hospice . We are writing some practical local guidance to assist with the implementation of the SOP and hope to share these by the end of the week.
LOCAL UPDATES
Friday 8th May. Referring to the first May BH weekend, on Friday 24th April the NHSE Daily Primary Care bulletin contained the following “Our key messages for you are to plan for: GP Practices opening but agreeing with their CCG in advance if that level of the service is needed and the staff cover required. Network level cover may be agreed as an alternative in view of anticipated demand.” Our CCG have agreed with DHU that they will take over at 16:00 so practices/PCNs are required to provide essential services from 08:00-16:00 on Friday 8th May in a manner determined by each individual practice/PCN. You are advised to review the data from the Easter weekend and plan your service delivery accordingly. The CCG have agreed this approach with no additional pre-authorisation of the plan required. Practices can seek reimbursement for additional staffing costs incurred on these days, in line with the respective rates as set out below. That includes:
- Sessional GPs: up to a maximum of £250 a session or £500 per day;
- Overtime for salaried GPs in line with the individual’s contractual arrangements;
- Additional capacity from GP Partners to recognise up to two additional sessions on 8th May at a rate of £289 per session plus applicable employer National Insurance and pension costs;
- Overtime for non-GP practice staff in line with the individual’s contractual arrangements.
Claims to be submitted to the CCG through the COVID-19 process.
Testing. You will no doubt have seen the news yesterday that all healthcare workers are now eligible for testing. Practices can still access testing for symptomatic staff through the previously published process ( ddccg.covid19keyhcwtesting@nhs.net ). Any asymptomatic staff who wish to be tested should apply through the Gov.uk process . There is currently no further guidance on who, if anyone, should be tested and this is down to individual practices as employers to decide. At least the opportunity now exists for staff who may have some of the more minor symptoms or who wish to be tested to have access to testing.
Red Hub Taxi Service. Further to yesterday we have now confirmed this is for any registered patient living within the practice boundary of a Derbyshire practice, provided they are not registered as an Out of Area patient. The account code that you will need when making the booking is DGP01. A daily password is not required for Derbyshire and the call handlers have been informed this is not required.
Red Hub Guide: https://www.derbyshirelmc.org.uk/dailycovid19briefingddlmc24042020 Attachment D ‘Red Hub Guide when seeing patients with diabetes’ has been updated.
OTHER UPDATES
CCAS This service is now up and running (approx.100 patients referred into Derbyshire on Friday.) Practices are theoretically required to provide appointments at a rate of 1 per 500 registered patients per day, but we do appreciate the capacity issue this would cause for many practices. We are still trying to seek clarification on the originally proposed concept of a list rather than individually timed appointments but in the meantime, we suggest that practices should upload a number of timed slots for CCAS use (via GP Connect). As a start point you might want to consider reducing the length of the slots to 5 minutes (since the time is actually irrelevant as you will be ringing the patient) and uploading a similar number to the previous requirement of 1 per 3000 patients. The demand can then be reviewed, and adjustments made based on actual usage. I appreciate this is still vague but at least it is a start point.
PPE. The CCG have forwarded another contact for PPE supplies which is used by a practice in Derbyshire: sales@barrierhealthcare.co.uk. Usual caveat emptor applies.
Infection Control. Please see attached updated PHE guidance on infection prevention and control.
AND FINALLY…
In case any parents out there need some support, I thought this was good advice:
How to annoy a teenager: Say Good Morning, Sing any 80s song, Tag them on social media, Breathe.
And on a more philosophical note, I was reminded yesterday of the words of the Max Ehrmann poem from 1927 Desiderata.
GO PLACIDLY amid the noise and the haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence. As far as possible, without surrender, be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even to the dull and the ignorant; they too have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons; they are vexatious to the spirit. If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain or bitter, for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. Keep interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs, for the world is full of trickery. But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals, and everywhere life is full of heroism.
Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love; for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment, it is as perennial as the grass.
Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.
Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should. Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be. And whatever your labours and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life, keep peace in your soul. With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.