COVID-19 Primary Care bulletin

31 March 2020

COVID-19: today's round-up for primary care

Dear primary care colleagues,

Thank you for your continuing hard work during this time.

Network Contract DES for 2020/21

Recognising the impact of COVID-19 on practices, and following the letter sent on 19 March setting out changes to the Network Contract Directed Enhanced Service (DES), NHS England and NHS Improvement has published the Network Contract DES for 2020/21 alongside a cover note and associated guidance.

The cover note provides more detail about the changes to the Network Contract DES for 2020/21 which we have agreed with GPC England to support practices and Primary Care Networks (PCNs) to enhance their capacity and ability to respond to the COVID-19 outbreak.

Practices and PCNs are already playing a vital role in the response to COVID-19 and practices are encouraged to sign up to the Network Contract DES (in line with the process set out in the specification) as soon as possible to ensure a smooth transition onto the new arrangements.

We have also published today the Vaccinations and Immunisations Directed Enhanced Service (DES) and Enhanced Service (ES) specifications for 2020/21. We have only made minor changes to this year’s service specifications, mainly to update the dates. We have not made any changes to service delivery.

Documents are available on our website. Please contact england.gpcontracts@nhs.net with any queries.

NHS Volunteer Responders: guidance for primary care professionals

An incredible 750,000 volunteers have signed up for NHS Volunteer Responders since it was launched on 24 March. Today we have published guidance for primary care professionals to explain how the programme works and how to refer patients for support. We are encouraging NHS organisations to start using the service as fully as possible to support patients at the highest clinical risk from coronavirus.

Requests for support for individuals or organisations can be made by any health professional and from local authorities via the NHS Volunteer Responders referrers’ portal. You can also call 0808 196 3382 to refer patients. This guidance will be extended and updated regularly on the NHS England and NHS Improvement website.

Further updates for specific areas within primary care are included below as well as dates of future webinars we hope you will find useful to join.

Nikki and Ed

Community pharmacy

We would like to thank pharmacy teams wholeheartedly for stepping up in a truly professional way to the current demands and severe pressures on them.

We have published the third in a series of regular updates to community pharmacy regarding the emerging COVID-19 situation. This letter sit alongside the Community Pharmacy Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) which as updated on 22 March

Today’s letter includes advice on:

• key workers new registrations for NHS CPCS
• NHS Community Pharmacist Consultation Service (CPCS) via NHS 111 Online
• supply chain
• support to maximise use of electronic repeat dispensing (eRD)
• Smart Cards
• care home services

Data Security and Protection Toolkit Submission Deadline extended

It is critically important that we remain resilient to cyber-attacks during this period of COVID-19 response. However, NHSX recognises that it will be difficult for many organisations to fully complete the Data Security and Protection (DSPT) toolkit at this time therefore the final deadline for DSPT submissions has been pushed back to 30 September 2020. Organisations can choose to complete DSPT before that date. If they do so, and if they fully meet the standard, those organisations will be awarded 'Standards Met' status, as in previous years. 

Where organisations have separate agreements with commissioners or information sharing partners, the existing deadline remains unchanged unless agreed between relevant parties.

Whilst the DSPT submission deadline is being relaxed to account for COVID-19, the cyber security risk remains high. All organisations must continue to maintain their patching regimes. Trusts, CSUs and CCGs must continue to comply with the strict 48hr and 14 day requirements in relation to acknowledgment of, and mitigation for, any High Severity Alerts issued by NHS Digital (allowing for frontline service continuity).

Further advice for organisations completing their Data Security and Protection Toolkit assessment is available here.

General practice

Consultations for patients requiring non-spoken and spoken translation

As we move to Total Triage Model in General Practice and more remote working, we need to ensure the needs of patients requiring non-spoken and spoken translation can still be met. Here are some tips for how this can be done:

• Please ensure your deaf patients have a means to book an appointment – don’t assume they can book online or by phone; do assure you have an agreed communication route (which may include online booking, textphone, email, text)
• Online consultation software used to allow for type based or interpreter led communication (in additional to video consultation) with patients and/or their carer.
• Microsoft Teams is also available for use by NHSmail accounts and can be used for 3-way video calls between clinicians, interpreters and patients.
• If face to face consultation is required due to the patients’ health needs,  consider whether an interpreter could still join remotely through laptops/smartphones or use written communication.
• Take the necessary precautions for any COVID-19 patients including use of PPE as per relevant guidance’s. Discuss with your commissioner options for including an interpreter for these consultations.
• Remember to check the patients records beforehand to understand their communication needs.

Dentistry

For colleagues working in dental services, we will be holding a webinar on covid-19 with Sara Hurley, Chief Dental Officer and Matt Neligan, Director of Primary Care and System Transformation on Friday, 3 April at 5pm. Please do join the MS Teams live event.

Additional information

Easy read resources for people with learning disabilities

Some helpful resources about covid-19 have been produced to support people with a learning disability and their families/carers which you may want to share including:

• Latest Public Health England (PHE) guidance
• Hand Washing Rap Video guide to handwashing from the Purple All Stars
• Easy Read information from Photosymbols

Mental health support for staff

We announced last week that we have produced the first in a series of psychological support for all NHS staff during the COVID-19 outbreak, as we recognise it is really important to look after your own health and wellbeing, whilst supporting patients and your family.  In just four days since the launch, more than 35,500 downloads had been made by NHS staff.  This is huge and really emphasises how important your mental health is.  These apps will be available for free until the end of the year, please visit the NHS Employers website to see how you can access one.  Further support will follow in the coming weeks. 

NHS 111 online support via text message for people with Covid-19 symptoms  

As mentioned yesterday, people self-isolating with suspected coronavirus symptoms will now get regular check-ins from a new NHS 111 online messaging service which launched on Saturday.

Once individuals have been through the online assessment, daily texts will be sent to those who have registered their Covid-19 symptoms and left contact details. Depending on the duration of their isolation, the daily messages will check how people are and ensure that those who need help to get them through that period, receive it.

The text messages are sent from NHS Covid-19. 111.nhs.uk takes you to the NHS 111 Online assessment pages, should you want to signpost people to it and the new service. 

Dates for your diary

1 April 12-1pm Using remote triaging and online consultations in managing COVID-19 – register here

2 April 4.30-5pm COVID-19 Helping practice staff make the most of digital services – register here

2 April 5-6pm Regular primary care webinar with Nikki Kanani and Ed Waller – join MS Teams live event 

3 April 5-6pm Covid-19 Dental services webinar with Sara Hurley, Chief Dental Officer and Matt Neligan, Director of Primary Care and System Transformation – join MS Teams live event

For details of upcoming webinars, or to watch recordings of previous webinars visit our webinars webpage.

Nikki and Ed's Link of the Day

Primary care pathways COVID19 resource centre