DDLMC WEEKLY UPDATE 24th SEPTEMBER 2020
**** STOP PRESS ****
Given the current COVID-19 situation, Derby and Derbyshire LMC and GP Task Force have made the decision to work remotely until further notice, in line with current government advice. If you have a query please email ddlmc.office@nhs.net as the phone line will not be monitored.
NATIONAL UPDATES
Flu. Flu vaccine season is well and truly here judging by the number of queries we have received this week.
- Flu vaccinations for staff in practices. By far the greatest number of questions has been about the vaccination of staff. I initially tried to set out in a table all of the circumstances that practices might encounter but quickly realized this was simply not possible. We have therefore elected to produce the most concise and useful advice that we can with the caveat that individual practices will all have variations on a theme and will ultimately need to take a practice level decision on their own policy.
- Practice Staff who are registered patients and meet the Flu DES Criteria. Aside from the caveat that it is not recommended generally to have staff registered as patients, this cohort can be vaccinated at the practice under CNSGP indemnity and the cost of the vaccine, plus the fee for administering, can be claimed.
- Practice Staff who meet the Flu DES Criteria. It is recommended that this cohort obtain their flu vaccination from the practice where they are registered. Clearly that practice will be indemnified under CNSGP and will be able to claim as above.
- All Other practice staff. There are a number of options:
- Seek provision of the vaccines from an OH provider.
- Arrange with a local pharmacy to vaccinate your staff. (You may have to pay for any staff who do not meet the Flu DES Criteria)
- You can elect to vaccinate your own staff BUT:
- This is not covered by CNSGP and therefore you must check with your MDO that you have indemnity cover in place to do this as an OH service for your staff.
- You cannot claim for the cost of the vaccine or the fee for administering the vaccine.
- You could direct them to the practice where they are registered patients but if they do not meet the Flu DES Criteria then their practice will need to ensure they are indemnified and cannot claim.
Priority. The Flu DES criteria, which does not yet include the 50-64 cohort, makes no judgement on the relative priorities of different patients. As such practices are advised to use clinical judgement in the event of there being a shortfall to vaccinate the entire cohort. The NHSE/PHE information on how to access the centrally held additional stocks is still eagerly awaited.
PHE - Flu vaccination orders for 2021. JCVI advice on the recommended flu vaccines for 2021 is awaited. PHE advice is to delay ordering flu for 2021 until that advice is available, to prevent ordering inappropriate vaccines.
Flu Planning Webinar. Please see the link for the webinar in early September.
Movement of Vaccines. Revised guidelines for the movement of flu vaccines has now been approved by MHRA . These guidelines enable CCGs, PCNs, practices and NHS trusts to move local flu vaccine stock between NHS providers as necessary. This is a very short interim measure to help with this year’s expanded flu programme as a consultation exercise is currently being conducted on this issue. Any sharing arrangements should ensure that vaccines are kept and transferred correctly.
Free PPE extended to primary care. DHSC have confirmed that the provision of free PPE will be extended to primary care and the PPE strategy with full details will be published next week. In preparation, we encourage all practices to ensure they have registered on the PPE portal in order to receive PPE supplies free of charge. Further information on the portal supply can be found on the DHSC guidance page. If providers have any queries or have not received an email invitation, please contact the DHSC PPE portal customer services at: 0800 876 6802.
PCN DES. Hopefully you will all have seen the NHS comms about the PCN DES. We will digest these and publish our thoughts next week. In the meantime, one area that you might want to start thinking about is any ARRS funding underspend. As usual with NHSE funding, it is use it or lose it and there is some flexibility (but not much!) in how you can spend this e.g. locum staff in the categories covered by ARRS.
LOCAL UPDATES
COVID-19 Testing. Access to COVID-19 testing for GPs and practice staff continues to be an issue. Thank you to the CCG for rapidly resurrecting the previous healthcare worker testing at Toyota in Derby and the Proact Stadium Chesterfield. An e-mail (Attachment A) was sent to all practices with the instructions which in essence are continue to advise staff to try and access tests through the Gov.uk website but if none are available, complete the Excel spreadsheet and send to the CCG before 10am: ddccg.primarycarequalityteam@nhs.net.
URTI Staff Protocol. Following publication of the schematic/protocol for school children last week, thank to Angela Deakin at Chapel Street who has produced a protocol (Attachment B) which practices are welcome to use when faced with a URTI in a member of staff.
Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve. Christmas is not cancelled. A big thank you to Hannah at the CCG for steering the subcontracting declarations from practices through the governance processes. Hopefully you will have seen e-mail from Hannah – DHU are able to provide essential services under a subcontract from 4pm on both Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve. If practices have not already done so they must contact DHU (Judith Brown) to make the necessary arrangements (and agree payment) and notify the CCG of their intentions. I’ve included the original paperwork (Attachment C) and form that you can use to do this, noting that DHU are only available from 4pm. Happy Christmas?.
LMC/GPTF Webinar. As mentioned on Tuesday GDPR/IG Webinar on Wednesday 30th September at 11:00. Zoom details will follow.
GP TASK FORCE DERBYSHIRE
Derbyshire Education Network (DEN). Upcoming FREE merged Derbyshire and Chesterfield sessions virtually (via Microsoft Teams).
There will be a short drug rep presentation prior to each meeting.
Health Inequities: Thursday 15th October 2020 19:00 – 20:30. Click here to book.
Once booked on the session, you will be sent details of how to join the Teams meeting on Tuesday 13th October 2020.
Speaker: Dr Sarah Hughes
Learning Areas:
What are health inequities?
Why do they come about?
Why should I care as a GP?
What can I do next?
Care of Older People and the impact of Covid-19: Monday 19th October 2020 19:00 – 20:30 – Click here to book.
Once booked on the session, you will be sent details of how to join the Teams meeting on Friday 16th October 2020 via email.
Speakers: Professor Adam Gordon (Professor of the Care of Older People at the University of Nottingham, Consultant Geriatrician at the Royal Derby Hospital and President Elect of the British Geriatrics Society)
Learning Areas:
To describe comprehensive approaches to assessment and management of older people in care homes and how these can work as part of the Ageing Well programme.
Discuss how care in care homes has changed due to COVID-19 and both the challenges and opportunities arising.
Sponsored by Daiichi Sankyo UK Ltd.
Networking Session for Locum GP's: Wednesday 28th October 2020 12:30 -14:00. Click here to book.
Once booked on the session, you will be sent details of how to join the Teams meeting on Monday 26th October 2020 via email.
Chair: Dr Julie Carson (DEN lead)Learning Areas: This session will be a chance for locum GP's across Derby & Derbyshire to come together and talk about some of the current challenges facing Locums, also providing an opportunity for peer support and to share good practice.
**For the attention of New to Practice. First 5 and GPs in Vale of Trent** General Practice Task Force Derbyshire, RCGP Vale of Trent Faculty and the Nottinghamshire General Practice Phoenix Programme are hosting a third collaborative event in their series: 'From ST to GP'.
Event: From ST to GP: Navigating appraisals. Via zoom.
Date: Thursday 15th October 2020
Time: 19:00 – 20:30
An update and introduction to the appraisal process. Join us as we hope to demystify the appraisal process for those of you yet to have your first appraisal, or in the early stages of your career.
Aimed at new to practice GPs who may have yet to do an appraisal or early career GPs who would like to refresh their knowledge. In light of Covid 19 we will be including the changes and updates to appraisals and the appraisal process thus far. This event is free to attend.
For the full agenda and to register please click on the following link:
https://rcgpportal.force.com/s/lt-event?id=a1U1i000001RGpQEAW&site=a0d0Y00000AeOP6QAN