Primary Care Bulletin - today's round-up

1 April 2021

Dear colleagues,

On Monday, we wrote to primary care dental contract holders about the next steps for contractual arrangements and with an important update on our approach to dental reform.

We also made the following joint statement with the British Dental Association about the work we are initiating on dental system reform:

“Today’s letter on NHS dental contract arrangements, issued jointly by Minister Jo Churchill, NHS England and NHS Improvement, and the Chief Dental Officer represents an important new chapter in progressing contract reform in England.

The commitment to pursue rapid meaningful change across the next year will be particularly valued by those working in NHS dentistry. All parties have recognised the profession is seeking faster progress on contract reform. NHS England and NHS Improvement, and the British Dental Association are optimistic that the commitments given represent a new start for system reform, with DHSC having asked NHS England and NHS Improvement to lead in moving the process forward over the next 12 months and beyond.

NHS England and NHS Improvement and the BDA look forward to working together immediately and at pace to take forward system reform, exploring how we can make the joint principles set out in the letter work for the profession and patients. Whilst we know that contract reform is not straightforward, we hope and expect that the six aims will offer a transparent framework to enable us to develop a reformed NHS system that provides high quality patient care and an environment where professionals can work to their full potential.

We will now begin the process of developing reform and will report back progress as soon as we can.”

Kiren and Ali

COVID-19 updates and guidance

Vaccination of household contacts of those with severe immunosuppression

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has recently advised that adult (aged 16 years or over) household contacts of adults with severe immunosuppression should be offered the COVID-19 vaccination alongside priority group 6. This is in response to regular monitoring of data on vaccine effectiveness and impact, which indicates lower protection in vaccinated adults who are immunosuppressed. The JCVI’s recommendation to vaccinate adult household contacts aims therefore to reduce the risk of infection in the immunosuppressed who may not be able to fully benefit from vaccination.

We have written to practices with further information and next steps, including a template letter GP practices can use to inform patients that their adult household contacts are eligible to have the COVID-19 vaccination. Operational guidance is also included to support mobilising vaccination of this group.

COVID-19 local vaccination services deployment in community settings

This standard operating procedure, updated 26 March 2021, describes the operating model and design requirements for safe delivery of COVID-19 vaccines in the community.

COVID-19 Vaccination Programme – workspace

General practice

Network Contract Directed Enhanced Service

NHS England and NHS Improvement has published a suite of documents to support the updated Network Contract DES from April 2021. These documents implement the changes set out in the 21 January letter and include a cover note outlining the key changes, the updated Network Contract DES Specification and Guidance, and a number of supporting guidance documents, including a set of FAQs. Queries should be directed to england.gpcontracts@nhs.net.

Improving General Practice appointment data (GPAD)

Guidance for practices on standard national general practice appointment categories has now been published to support the mapping of local appointment slots to these new categories. This follows on from guidance published in August 2020 jointly with NHS England and NHS Improvement and the British Medical Association General Practitioners Committee, which introduced an agreed definition of a general practice appointment.

Practices are required to record all appointments in their clinical systems in line with this definition. Practices should refer to new system specific guidance, published by NHS Digital, which provides tips on how to improve data quality recording.

Primary care networks will be incentivised through the Investment and Impact Fund for their practices completing both the mapping and improvements in overall appointment data quality by the end of quarter one in 2021. Queries should be directed to england.gpad@nhs.net.

Take part in testing a new patient experience survey in general practice

We are looking for general practices to test out a new ‘real time’ survey which will help better understand patients’ experience of accessing general practice. The survey will help practices get much more frequent high quality data from their patients, and will help them to understand the impact of new initiatives and services on patient experience. We expect to roll the survey out nationally later this year, as agreed in the last GP contract negotiations.

For practices who get involved in testing, all patients over the age of 16 who have had a recent appointment at their general practice will be asked to give their views via a text message. This will then take them to a webform with a few questions.

The testing phase starts in April and we’d be extremely grateful for your support. To express an interest before the end of 9 April and to find out more, please register here.

Op COURAGE: The Veterans Mental Health and Wellbeing Service

Op COURAGE: The Veterans Mental Health and Wellbeing Service is the new overarching name for NHS veterans mental health services. The name has been informed by feedback from the Armed Forces community and developed by veterans and their families. The service, which is available across England, provides a complete range of mental health care and support for Service leavers, reservists, veterans and their families. GPs can refer individuals to this service and are asked to familiarise themselves on how to do this.  Information on this service and contact details are available here. 

Community pharmacy

Community Pharmacy COVID-19 Lateral Flow Device Distribution Service commissioned

In order to improve access to testing for asymptomatic people, identify positive cases in the community and break the chain of transmission, the Community Pharmacy COVID-19 Lateral Flow Device Distribution Service is being commissioned from 29 March 2021 to 30 June 2021 (inclusive).

NHS Test and Trace is making lateral flow devices (LFD) available through this service for collection from a community pharmacy. Tests will be administered away from the pharmacy. Patients who have symptoms of COVID will not be asked to attend a pharmacy.

The service will work alongside existing NHS Test and Trace COVID-19 testing routes. Community pharmacy contractors can review the service specification here with details of how to register to provide this service.

NHS Volunteer Responders can collect prescribed medications

Patients who are clinically vulnerable to COVID-19 can arrange for an NHS Volunteer Responder to collect their prescribed medication. Patients should register on the following number in preparation for their first medication delivery: 0808 196 3646. The NHS Volunteer Responders programme will continue until at least 31 May 2021.

Primary care

Extension of temporary suspension of the need for signatures on prescriptions, dental and ophthalmic forms

The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has approved an extension to an existing temporary measure in England to help limit the transmission of coronavirus (COVID-19) by suspending the need for patients to sign prescription, dental and ophthalmic forms. The suspension was initially for a period of 5 months up to 31 March 2021 and is now extended for a further 3 months until 30 June 2021.

This is to avoid cross contamination and help minimise the handling of paperwork when collecting medicines or receiving dental and eye care. This will, however, be kept under review and may be extended, if there continues to be a cross infection risk, or removed, as soon as it is deemed safe for patients to resume signing forms.

Autism Awareness Week

This week is Autism Awareness Week. People with autism can find certain situations difficult to navigate, so we’d like to highlight information available to help services make reasonable adjustments for those with a learning disability or autistic people, which includes resources supporting the COVID-19 vaccination programme. Follow the conversation on social media with the hashtag #AutismAwarenessWeek.    

Case study: How a general practice and local charities within Bensham, Gateshead joined forces to open an allotment for their local community

In our most recent primary care networks case study, read how the Oxford Terrace and Rawling Road Medical Group practice in Bensham, Gateshead has worked with local charities Best of Bensham and the Carers Association to open a shared allotment space to patients as part of their social prescribing offer.

Freedom to Speak Up information sessions

There are now over 600 Freedom to Speak Up Guardians supporting workers to speak up about anything which gets in the way of great patient care. NHS primary care provider organisations are expected to appoint a Freedom to Speak Up Guardian.

The National Guardian’s Office (NGO) is delivering virtual information sessions for organisations interested in learning more about Freedom to Speak Up and how to implement the Freedom to Speak Up Guardian role in your organisation.

If you have been appointed to fulfil a Freedom to Speak Up Guardian role, you will need to undertake a Freedom to Speak Up Guardian introductory session. Please contact enquiries@nationalguardianoffice.org.uk. You can find out more on the NGO website.

Return of the manual healthcare worker sit-rep

To provide national assurance and monitor uptake of the COVID-19 vaccine, CCGs are required to work with individual primary care providers to complete and return the manual healthcare worker sit-rep. This information is used to ensure all eligible healthcare workers, both in and out of hospital settings, have fair and equitable access to the vaccine.

To support our CCGs in collating this information we ask for providers of primary care and independent services to consider the above and share with your local CCGs information on, total number of frontline healthcare workers, and total vaccinated.

Join the COVID-19 Vaccine Equalities Connect and Exchange Hub

The national vaccine equalities team have developed a Connect and Exchange Hub, a place for people to connect and exchange ideas for increasing the uptake of the COVID-19 vaccine for all communities. You can use the Hub to find the latest evidence and resources, connect with colleagues, share ideas on how to increase the uptake of the vaccine and join our series of lunch and learns. The Hub is open to anyone working to increase the uptake of the COVID-19 vaccine. To join, please register for an account.

The use and regulation of pulse oximeters (information for healthcare professionals)

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency have produced information for healthcare professionals on how pulse oximeters are regulated, home use and issues to look out for when using the devices.

Dates for your diary

Wednesday 31 March, 6pm – 7pm. COVID-19 vaccination programme update and look ahead

Wednesday 31 March, 6pm – 7.15pm. The eye care digital playbook – how digital technology and connectivity can help deliver service improvement and transformation

Wednesday 7 April, 1pm – 2pm. Introduction to the GP referral pathway to the Community Pharmacist Consultation Service and how to implement it

Thursday 8 April, 5pm – 6pm. General Practice webinar with Dr Raj Patel and Ali Sparke, COVID-19 vaccination programme updates from Dr Nikki Kanani and Ed Waller.

Tuesday 13 April, 5pm – 6.15pm. Digital Playbooks Dermatology webinar

Wednesday 28 April, 5.30pm – 7pm. Primary care networks webinar: A focus on additional roles reimbursement scheme and recruitment

Link of the day

NHS Somerset IBS outcome data