The inclusion of external courses and events within GP News does not imply endorsement by NHS Cambridgeshire and Peterborough CCG or any association with their operators.
Paper Switch Off
With effect from 01 October 2018, providers need not accept and will not be paid for any consultant led acute outpatient service referrals made other than through the NHS e-Referral Service. However, there will be a number of exclusions and GPs will be informed in due course.
Providers have been publishing all such services including 2WWs and making all of their First Outpatient appointment slots available on NHS e-Referral Service. A review of their Directory of Service has also been undertaken. All our Acute providers are currently in the pilot stage of “Paper Switch-Off” and Providers are currently identifying those referrals which are being sent into the Trust by other methods. Contact will be made with the practice, requesting that going forward a referral needs to be made through e-RS and CCGs will be informed.
Electronic referring includes a safe, secure and reliable system, supporting patients in their choice decisions, it is a more efficient referral process reducing time spent by general practice chasing written referrals. The system provides an audit trail of the patient pathway and ensures, if used correctly, getting the patient to the right place first time.
We all need to work together in the patient's best interest to ensure we do not delay the patient's pathway. All 102 practices are actively using e-RS to refer patients safely, CCG performance at the end of December was 85%. We would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for your hard work in achieving this.
Should you wish to discuss “Paper Switch Off” further please contact Ros Campbell e-RS Manager on roscampbell@nhs.net.
FINAL REMINDER! National Diabetes Audit 2017/18 – opt in deadline today
Thank you to all practices who have opted in to the automatic extraction service (GPES) for participation in the NDA 2017/18 audit. We thought it would be helpful to send a quick reminder to say the deadline for the automatic opt in process is today, Friday 09 March 2018.
Sally Berry has contacted Practice Managers, where it appears as though the practice has not approved the automatic opt in process. This was sent out to practices via CQRS a few weeks ago, and there are some simple steps that can be completed for CQRS to resend the offer.
We appreciate it is a busy time for primary care, although we are keen to ensure no one misses this opportunity as this now forms part of practice GMS contracts. Please do not hesitate to contact sally.berry1@nhs.net or call 07967 835226 if you have any queries. Many thanks for your support.
Advice and guidance on PSA testing and questions
Clearly Cancer of the prostate has been in the news a lot recently and many of you will have noticed increased demand for PSA testing and questions.
Please find attached documents to try and provide some general resources which we hope you will find useful.
We have included:
- New guidance from East of England Cancer Alliance on raised PSA.
- Guidance from Public Health England x2:
- PSA testing and prostate cancer: advice for well men aged 50 and over: patient information sheet
- Advising well men aged 50 and over about the PSA test for prostate cancer: information for GPs
- Guidance prepared by Peter Holloway, GP Cancer Lead, East of England Cancer Alliance on screening.
As pointed out in the EOECA document there is still need for these guidelines to be fully agreed and integrated into local pathways.
(The Cancer Alliance will be doing further work with primary and secondary care to develop robust mutually satisfactory referral pathways, but in the interim the following has been proposed by East of England Urology NCG’s and endorsed by the Cancer Alliance.)
Stuti Mukherjee & Oliver Stovin
Macmillan GPs
GP Representative Needed
Fens and Wisbech Living Well Partnership
The East Cambs and Fenland Living Well Partnership (LWP) is established and meets bi-monthly for two hours with District Council colleagues, CPFT, Social Care , CCG, Voluntary Sector , Patient Reps and Healthwatch. The group feeds into the Sustainable Transformation Programme (STP) and the Health and Wellbeing Board (HWB) and delivers local place based projects .
The above Partnership are looking for a GP Primary Care Representative to attend the group. Remuneration for attendance at LWPs is based on the CCG's agreed payment framework for clinical sessions, £285 per session (3.5hrs).
If you are interested in the post please contact Cath Mitchell at Catherine.mitchell1@nhs.net
National Apprenticeship Week - #NAW2018
The summary of how we’ve spread the word during National Apprenticeship Week is attached. We’re lucky to have some amazing Apprentices in Primary Care and guess what? Only 1/3 of them are under 25. Read Ethan’s story:
http://www.caw.ac.uk/courses/course-review-level-2-diploma-in-business-administration-ec/
A big thank you to Charlotte Parker, and to Great Staughton Surgery, for lending us such a positive role model to make her daunting radio debut.
Time for Care Programme Offers - Testbeds Wave 2
The Cambridgeshire and Peterborough CCG is working together with NHS England to offer the below programmes to support all member practices with engagement and implementation of the 10 High Impact Actions as part of the GPFV.
- Productive General Practice Quick Start (PGP QS)
- Fundamentals of Change and Improvement
- Time for Care: Learning in Action
The aim of these programmes is to support practices in increasing their knowledge of quality and change improvement, engaging with peers and developing focused aims on local projects, and ultimately reducing pressures in General Practice.
NHS England
Applications for Clinical Pharmacy Funding 2018/19
Dates for submission of applications are:
| | First submission for initial review: Following review, feedback will be sent to applications with recommendations to strengthen applications. | Final submission with after any alterations | Final Local panel review |
| Wave 5 | 6 April 2018 | 13 April 2018 | 17 April 2018 |
| Wave 6 | 13 July 2018 | 20 July 2018 | 24 July 2018 |
| Wave 7 | 16 November 2018 | 23 November 2018 | 25 November 2018 |
| Wave 8 | 15 February 2019 | 22 February 2019 | 26 February 2019 |
GP practices and other providers of general practice medical services are invited to apply for funding on an ongoing basis to help recruit, train and develop more clinical pharmacists through the secure clinical pharmacist application portal (password protected). Guidance and support in submitting an application can be found on NHS England’s website. It is essential that applications have a minimum combined practice population of 30,000.
If you would like any support to develop your application, please contact me at elizabethbennett@nhs.net
The One Show NHS Awards
The One Show’s NHS Patient Awards have been launched to say 'thank you' to NHS staff and volunteers who have gone the extra mile. With support from TV presenter Angela Rippon and the Patients Association, the popular show is asking patients, their families and staff to nominate in five categories:
- Children and young people's care award
- Healthcare award
- Nursing award
- Lifetime achievement award
- Unsung hero award.
- Nominations close on 05 April 2018.
Digital Nursing Champions vacancies
All GP practices are being encouraged to have 20 per cent of their practice list signed up to GP online in the near future. To help practices achieve this NHS England is recruiting Clinical Nurse Champions.
These forward-thinking nurses will help practices raise awareness of GP online services as well as work with their peers in nursing.
The Patient Online team have extended the deadline for the Digital Nursing Champion role until Wednesday 14 March. Click the link to download the application pack
https://1drv.ms/w/s!AreZWJMfOWKwgTnYrp6kc9NQ1vGt For further information, including locations, please contact jennie.smith9@nhs.net
Cancer Research UK
Please see the attached information slide deck from Cancer Research UK regarding cancer prevention, some or all of which might be useful for digital display purposes within practices.
If you have any feedback for CRUK please get in contact with Donna Reeve on donna.reeve@cancer.org.uk
Cambridgeshire County Council
Registration Service Newsletter
The attached newsletter aims to keep you up to date of relevant developments within the Registration Service and provide useful reminders of how they value support with bereaved families. Please share with all relevant colleagues within your practice. Also attached are:
Practices are asked to complete the attachments as detailed in the newsletter and return by 31 March 2018 to regadmin@cambridgeshire.gov.uk
Deadline confirmed for next wave of applications for GP clinical pharmacist funding
The deadline for wave 5 application submissions is 13 April 2018. GP practices and other providers of general practice medical services are invited to apply for funding on an ongoing basis to help recruit, train and develop more clinical pharmacists through the secure clinical pharmacist application portal (password protected). Guidance and support in submitting an application can be found on NHS England’s website. For queries, please contact england.clinicalpharmacistenquiries@nhs.net
National Stalking Helpline
The National Stalking Helpline supported by the Suzy Lamplugh Trust are able to offer not only practical advice concerning stalking and the law, but also links to Single Points of Contact within each Police force, who can review cases of stalking behaviour to help ensure enough is being done to protect victims.
Please contact or signpost any clients you have who might need support – leaflets are available to download from their website and physical copies of leaflets or posters are available upon request. Their contact details are:
Mind / CPSL
Please find attached a poster about a new support group aimed at people aged over 65. The group will look at worrying and how we can worry less and feel better. The new group is in St Neots but is open to anyone wishing to attend. Please display the attached poster on your patient information area.
Disclaimer: Whilst every effort has been made to check external links are from a reliable source please be mindful when requested to input personal information into third party links.
