GP News - 22 February 2018

CCG News
Research updates
Partner news
Events and Training

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.

CCG News

New mental health support website launches

Adults in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough now have access to a mental health support website www.keep-your-head.com. The site, which has been successful in signposting children and young people to sources of support for their mental health, has been expanded to now provide local residents of all ages with a ‘one-stop shop’ for information on wellbeing and mental health.

The site provides a range of local and national information on looking after your mental health, self-help resources, and services that can help when you need more support. There are also dedicated pages for professionals which hold information on referral options and key contact information for services.

Promotional information about the website can be accessed here. Please help to spread the messages as widely as possible by displaying the promotional information in public areas.

If you would like additional hard copies of the documents or graphics for electronic screens please email enquiries@sunnetwork.org.uk.

The site has been developed by Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Clinical Commissioning Group, Cambridgeshire County Council, Peterborough City Council, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust and the SUN Network. The SUN Network will be maintaining the site, on behalf of all the partners, ensuring content remains up-to-date and engaging. Any service wishing to be included on the website can contact enquiries@sunnetwork.org.uk.

Moving Medicine - Depression and Physical Activity

The Faculty of Sport and Exercise Medicine are leading a national Physical Activity project in partnership with Public Health England, sponsored by Sport England. The aim of the project is to produce a series of physical activity resources for clinicians to use with their patients. The resource are being developed in partnership with subject matter experts, medical societies, charities and their specialists.

The workshop for depression is being held in Cambridge at 13:00 on 01 March 2018 at Madingley Hall, Cambridge. The project is looking for GPs to join their group of topic experts in depression. If you are interested in attending please contact catherine.lester@doctors.org.uk for more information. Flyer available to download.

Reminder: Ongoing services at Centre 33 - 2018

Please find attached a letter and flyer reminder about the services offered by Centre 33. Other services offering mental wellbeing and support services for young people are:

CHUMS (emotional wellbeing services for children and young people) www.chums.uk.com
Keep your Head (information on mental health and wellbeing) www.keep-your-head.com
The Kite Trust (support for LGBT+ young people) www.thekitetrust.org.uk

Monthly Dementia Update Bulletin - February 2018

Please find attached the monthly Dementia update bulletin from Dr Malav Bhimpuria for February.

Also attached is the Dementia Quality Toolkit and a Dementia SystmOne Implementation Guide.

CCG Research Updates

Please see below the latest developments from the world of healthcare Research and Innovation:

NHS rolls out new technology to prevent 3,650 strokes, save 900 lives and £81 million annually. More than 6,000 innovative devices, including mobile electrocardiogram (ECG) units, are being distributed to GP practices, pharmacies and NHS community clinics across England in a national campaign. The range of tech being rolled out can detect irregular heart rhythm quickly and easily, enabling NHS staff to refer any patients with irregular heart rhythms for follow up as they could be at risk of severe stroke.

Drive for new innovation in general practice boosted by £8.7 million from SBRI Healthcare. Ten companies recognising current general practice technology and pathway limitations have been awarded an £8.7 million investment to help them develop novel technologies aimed at future-proofing primary care and GP services. These innovations include an early-diagnostic sepsis test, self-care asthma monitor, and technologies aiming to reduce antibiotic resistance.

Applications now open for the NIHR In-Practice Fellowship (IPF). The NIHR In-Practice Fellowship (IPF) offers academic training to fully-qualified General Practitioners and Community Dentists who may have already spent some time in NHS practice and who have had little formal academic training at this point in their careers.

The R&D team is located on the fourth floor of Lockton House. If you want to get in touch about the weekly research updates please contact Emma Giles on emma.giles3@nhs.net.

You can also now follow the R&D team on Twitter: https://twitter.com/CPPrimaryCareR1

Partner News

Public Health England

Microbiology Service Level

The Microbiology department at Addenbrooke's hospital are currently experiencing a staffing resource issue which is impacting on some culture turnaround times. This is primarily affecting pre-analytical and analytic processes in Bacteriology. Testing blood culture samples and CSF samples continue as normal and virology and molecular services are also unaffected. They will provide an update to the situation next week.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding the microbiology service level issues please contact David Pearce, Laboratory Modernisation Manager on 01223 216840 or david.pearce@addenbrookes.nhs.uk

‘Primary Care Talks’ – new podcast series

NHS England

The Eastern Academic Health Science Network is soon launching a series of podcasts that delve into innovative ways of managing the intensifying needs of primary care.

Each episode aims to uncover the secrets of successful primary care teams working in the NHS today. Primary Care Talks’ host, Dr Hasan Chowhan, interviews fellow GPs to find out about some of the smartest approaches to driving efficiency and productivity, and how to tackle leaps forward in science such as integrating genomics into primary care.

Primary Care Talks is aimed at frontline primary care professionals, with the aim of sharing best practice and encouraging necessary change. The first three episodes will cover: genomics, multi-lingual healthcare and the primary care home model.

For a preview, listen to the first podcast with Dr Neil Modha on ‘Breaking the language barrier’, via SoundCloud.

Applications for GP specialty training campaign

Applications for GP specialty training will be open again from 27 February to 15 March for an August 2018 start. Campaign activity has begun using the strapline one career, endless opportunities, choose GP. Your support by sharing information through your primary care channels and contacts would be appreciated so that Foundation year doctors can find out more about GP specialty training and the unique benefits of the career.

The GPNRO website includes application information, GP career stories and FAQs. Please share and like posts across social media channels using #choosegp on twitter, Instagram and Facebook page. There’s a toolkit on the HEE website with downloadable campaign banner, posters and flyers to use with local promotion. The GPs featured are all voluntary ambassadors and some appear in the campaign video

Events and Training

Diabetes UK Professional Conference

14-16 March 2018, ExCel London
Nine out of ten delegates at Diabetes UK Professional Conference last year changed their practice because of something they learnt
To explore the full programme click here
To book your place at the conference click here

Diagnosis and treatment of antiphospholipid syndrome (APS)

Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is an under-diagnosed autoimmune disease that carries an increased risk of thrombotic and obstetric complications. APS causes approximately 15% of strokes, heart attacks and DVTs in the under 50s. In pregnancy, APS is the most important potentially treatable cause of recurrent miscarriage. Currently, on average, it takes three years for someone to be diagnosed with APS.

There is now a Royal College of GPs online course for the diagnosis and treatment of APS. The antiphospholipid syndrome eLearning module takes 30 minutes to complete and is free to both members and non-members of the RCGP. On successful completion, you will be awarded 0.5 Continuing Professional Developments and will be issued with a certificate.

Click here to access the course: http://elearning.rcgp.org.uk/aps

Whilst it is usually diagnosed in secondary care, the Royal College states that GPs need to be aware of APS in order to make appropriate referrals in those who meet the clinical diagnostic criteria.

The charity, APS Support UK, has a list of APS consultants throughout the UK: www.aps-support.org.uk which GPs may find useful.

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.

16/04/2018