For official purposes only 

In today’s briefing:   

 

Clinical hot topics and service updates   

• COVID-19: the Green Book provisional guidance
• Neurology Stroke TRIAGE RAS going live on Friday 04th of December 2020 – Frimley Health
• BSPS- Service Improvement – Change to telephoning of raised potassium results
• Updated phone numbers for SAU Ward and Advice Lines
• The Gateway is launching Tuesday 8 December – Adult mental health, East Berkshire only  – new link provided

 

 

Operational Update  

• Sitrep
• Preparing for the Covid-19 vaccination programme
  • Enhanced Service Specification and next steps documents
  • Patient facing briefing for primary care
  • Opportunistic vaccination of over 80s
  • Appointment Booking
  • Clinical waste
• DHSC Covid-19 related PPE Portal – update re: Christmas orders and delivery
• Public leaflet on the extended 2020 to 2021 flu vaccination programme for 50-64 year olds
• Expediting flu vaccination for healthcare workers
• How to access your GP surgery – animations now available
• CVDPREVENT: A national primary care audit to support professionally led quality improvement
• Fully funded advanced clinical practice (ACP) and non-medical prescribing (NMP) modules
• EU Exit – medicines supply continuity

 

 

Dates for your diary   

 

Clinical hot topics and service updates  

 

 

COVID-19: the Green Book provisional guidance

The Green Book has the latest information on vaccines and vaccination procedures, for vaccine preventable infectious diseases in the UK. Public Health England has provisionally published the Green Book, chapter 14a.This chapter includes information on the coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccines, the dosage and schedule for the UK, recommendations for the use of the vaccine. This guidance is provisional subject to Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) approval of vaccine supply.

 

 

 

Neurology Stroke TRIAGE RAS going live on Friday 04th of December 2020 – Frimley Health

From the 04th of December 2020, the FHFT Neurology Stroke service will be moving to an eRS Referral Assessment Service (RAS).  A routine Advice & Guidance (A&G) service will also be offered alongside this to provide specialist advice and support. Please see here for further details.

A summary of all recent changes to CAS / RAS eRS services can be found here: https://www.fhft.nhs.uk/media/4517/ag-and-ers-roll-out-as-at-111120.pdf

 

BSPS- Service Improvement – Change to telephoning of raised potassium results

Following certain laboratory checks, current laboratory practice results in a telephone call for any potassium at 6.0 mmol/L and above.

 

From the 18th January 2021, this limit will change to 6.5 mmol/L and above. Please read full details click here

 

 

 

Updated phone numbers for SAU Ward and Advice Lines

Apologies the telephone numbers published for the SAU Ward and Advice Lines were incorrect, please see below details which have been updated on the GP portal https://www.fhft.nhs.uk/gps/gp-centre/urgent-advice/

 

The PDF Versions will be updated early next week.

 

Surgical Assessment Unit (SAU)- Advice Line	24/7	Consultant	01252 649909  (x 133909)
SAU: Notes / Instructions on how to access or use service	If a patient requires surgical admission GPs should  refer them via the SHO (call switchboard and Bleep 3393).  If GP needs surgical consultant opinion he can ring acute general surgery advice line.   If the patient has previously been a surgical inpatient within the last month at Frimley, SAU consultants would very much like to speak with the referring GP on the above direct dial hospital mobile number to discuss whether readmission can be avoided or if there is a surgical concern. Outside these hours: advice can be obtained from the duty surgical registrar/SHO who will be able to contact the on-call consultant surgeon if required.  Patient details will be requested.
Surgical Assessment Unit ( Ward)	Monday – Sunday 08:00 – 19:00	Ward / Registrar / SHO	01276 522666   ext 132666	During time of COVID pandemic

 

 

 

 

The Gateway is launching Tuesday 8 December – Adult mental health, East Berkshire only – new link provided

The Gateway is a joint working approach between primary and secondary care.  Berkshire Healthcare has worked with CCGs and mental health leads to create a new single referral pathway for adult mental health referrals across Berkshire, known as the Gateway.

 

The Gateway combines the current Common Point of Entry (CPE) and Talking Therapies access hubs. This will help us offer the most appropriate mental health treatment for patients, at the earliest time.

 

• Electronic Referrals

A new DXS referral form will replace the current CPE and Talking Therapies referral forms – it’s easy and quick to use and offers referral suggestions based on the patient’s needs.

 

• Self-Referrals

Talking Therapies will accept all self-referrals that will be escalated as required.

 

More information can be found here.

 

 

Operational updates   

 

Covid-19 Sitrep FHFT (03/12/20)    

• Number of inpatients diagnosed with Covid-19 in last 24 hours – 5
• Number of confirmed Covid-19 patients on mechanical ventilation at 0800 – 3
• Number of suspected Covid-19 patients on mechanical ventilation at 0800 – 0
• Number of confirmed Covid-19 patients receiving oxygen at 0800 – 14
• Number of suspected Covid-19 patients receiving oxygen at 0800 – 0
• The number of Covid-19 related absences of staff, either through sickness or self-isolation – 58

 

 

 

Preparing for Covid-19 Vaccination programme

 

COVID-19 vaccination programme – next steps; and Enhanced Service Specification

Please click the links to see

Enhanced Specification for the Covid-19 vaccination programme

Next steps document

 

 

Patient facing briefing for primary care

This briefing consists of information that you can share with your patients including

1. Details of priority groups
2. Words for websites
3. Words for practice voicemails

Please click here

 

Opportunistic vaccination of over 80s

There has been a government directive for hospital hubs to vaccinate over 80s opportunistically and this will be recorded in NIVS which will feed through to GP systems within 24hrs. Across our Frimley Health and Care ICS system, this will be only at the Wexham Park Hospital site. We are seeking national clarity regarding if these 80s who are opportunistically vaccinated in hospital, will have to be recalled to the same venue for their 2nd dose or whether they can have the 2nd at a PCN site (same vaccine type). As soon as more information is available, we will share with you.

 

 

Appointment Booking for COVID Vaccination

Vaccination Hubs and practices will need to configure clinical systems to allow appointment sharing for patient vaccination. GP Connect could support with this and are running some Webinars to help you get set up. Hubs should register for a webinar and choose a session for matches the GP clinical system you need to configure. Practices who need to book appointments into hubs should register using a different link.

 

Andrew Waring will be working closely to support PCN’s and is available to be contacted if you have any concerns or queries- andrewwaring@nhs.net

 

 

Covid-19 vaccination programme clinical waste

It is recognised that the Covid vaccination programme delivered through PCN managed Local Vaccination Services will generate an increased volume of clinical waste. Coordination of all aspects of the containment, collection and disposal of this additional waste, along with advice and support needed for additional sites, is being managed by Anenta. It is important that practices do not contact their current clinical waste disposal company. This is explained in this letter.

 

 

DHSC Covid-19 related PPE Portal – update re: Christmas orders and delivery

The DHSC PPE Portal will be operational over Christmas. The portal delivery partners (Royal Mail and their Pallet Carrier) will not be delivering on Christmas Day and Boxing Day. Orders made during this time should still be delivered within 5 days. However, the portal team plan to increase order limits prior to Christmas to allow providers to order more PPE in case there are any delays to deliveries over the Christmas period. The DHSC portal team have created a useful video guide for primary care providers ordering Covid-19 related PPE from the portal.

 

 

 

Public leaflet on the extended 2020 to 2021 flu vaccination programme for 50-64 year olds

50-64 year olds became eligible for a free flu vaccination on 1 December. Public information has been published with information about the extended programme, including a leaflet that is available to order from Public Health England.

 

 

Expediting flu vaccination for healthcare workers

NHSE are asking all healthcare workers to make sure they have had their flu vaccination as soon as possible. Taking this easy but important step will help protect yourself, your family and patients from flu this winter. Responsibility for offering a free flu vaccination to frontline health care workers rests with the employer, as part of their occupational health responsibility. It is recommended that NHS independent contractors, which include dental teams, general practice, pharmacists and optometrists, offer vaccination to their employed staff. A dental professional who is employed by an NHS trust would have their flu vaccine provided by that NHS trust. Staff who are in a ‘at-risk’ group will be eligible for a free flu vaccine under the flu programme.

 

This will also ensure the NHS is also in the best possible position to vaccinate staff for COVID-19 when a vaccination becomes available.

 

 

 

 

How to access your GP surgery – animations now available

To support our local Frimley Collaborative campaign to ensure patients know where to go when feeling unwell, as well as how to access primary care, we now have national resources which you can upload to your website.

 

A new animation has been produced explaining to the public how access to their GP practice has changed to ensure patients get the best possible care safely and quickly. Due to the coronavirus GP practices have had to adapt and change the way they deliver services and it is important that the public understand these changes and are confident in reaching out to their GP practices for help.

 

To see the video click on ‘How to access your GP practice’ NHSE have included a comms toolkit to help you to share widely, but please do tailor messages for your local audience.

 

 

CVDPREVENT: A national primary care audit to support professionally led quality improvement

NHSE are happy to announce that GP practices are now invited to participate in CVDPREVENT.  Practices should have received the Data Provision Notice outlining the collection, and further information can be found on the CVDPREVENT web page.

The new national audit will automatically extract routinely held GP data without any additional burden to practices. The first extraction will take place in December with the first reports anticipated in the summer 2021. 79% of practices in England have now agreed to participate.

 

 

Fully funded advanced clinical practice (ACP) and non-medical prescribing (NMP) modules

New learning opportunities for Physician Associates who want to develop core capabilities in an area of specific clinical competence.  Master level ACP and NMP modules are available to registered health and care practitioners.

To find out more contact the Training Hub http://frimleytraininghub.co.uk/fully-funded-acp-and-nmp-modules.

 

EU Exit – medicines supply continuity

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), which has overall responsibility for medicines supply, has taken actions to help ensure medicines continue to be available and that any supply disruptions are mitigated. This means their guidance is that it is not necessary for local providers, whether in hospitals or primary care, to stockpile medicines or for clinicians to write longer prescriptions for patients. Unnecessary stockpiling puts more pressure on the supply chain and can risk additional pressure on the availability of medicines in other parts of the country. Prescribers and pharmacists should explain to patients that they should continue to order their prescriptions as normal. More on this can be found here.

 

 

 

 

Dates for your diary  

 

Date and time			Title			More details
7 December,   7-8pm			The Modern Management of Cardiovascular Disease in Primary Care with a specific focus on Lipid Management			The MS Teams joining link and instructions are within the Outlook invite and also below. Microsoft Teams meeting Join on your computer or mobile app   Click here to join the meeting
8 December, 10am-11.15am			Building inclusive primary care networks in partnership with people and communities – Introduction to working with People and Communities			More information can be found here.
8 December, 4pm-5.30pm				Building inclusive primary care networks in partnership with people and communities – Inclusive communication		More information can be found here.
9 December, 12.30-1.30pm				Drive through spirometry service – how to webinar
10 December, 10.30-11.30			NHS Volunteer Responder programme webinar			Join Microsoft Teams Meeting
10 December, 12.30-1.30pm			Developing placements for pre-reg pharmacists in General Practice”East of England Primary Care Pharmacists Symposium Click here for flyer			Please join the live MS teams even using the link below: https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/developing placements for pre-reg pharmacists in general practice
10 December,      12-1pm  1.15-2.15pm			Want to find out more about the Mental Capacity Act, but struggle to find the time?    The role of the court of protection   Restrictive practices including an update on the new Liberty Protection Safeguards
11 December, 12pm-1pm			Building inclusive primary care networks in partnership with people and communities – A   masterclass on running online workshops			More information can be found here.
11 December, 2-3pm			Free GatewayC Webinar: Diagnosing Ovarian Cancer			To register: https://bit.ly/3pZFAZf
15 December, 4pm-5.30pm			Building inclusive primary care networks in partnership with people and communities – Registration matters: tools for effective and inclusive registration			More information can be found here.
16 December,   6-7pm			How does medical and palliative care work for people at end of life?			Register here
21 January, 12pm – 2pm			The Diagnosis and Management of Cow’s Milk Protein Allergy in infants – East   Berkshire only			Please RSVP/book using the Berkshire West Training Hub link here: Meds Opt BOB Educational Webinar January 2021 The deadline to do so is Friday 15th Jan’2021, after which the TEAMS Link will be sent out to all those who have registered.
March 17th 2021, 10:30 am			The 3rd NHS Data & Information Virtual Conference: Utilising the NHS’s biggest asset			https://www.convenzis.co.uk/events/the-3rd-nhs-data-information-virtual-conference-utilising-the-nhss-biggest-asset/

Please note that all GP Bulletins can be found on the Collaborative GP intranet site. The next bulletin will be on Tuesday 8 December 2020.

If you have any questions relating to any of the material in this email or have any suggestions for how we could improve this, email nehfccg.collaborative.communications@nhs.net