23 October 2020

Dear colleagues,

We have made an additional £15.4m available to local systems and primary care providers to cover reasonable additional costs (over and above the usual fee structures) associated with this year's extended flu programme. Two sets of guidance have been published on how to claim from this funding, one for NHS regional teams and community pharmacies, and one for NHS regional teams and general practices.

We have also published a frequently asked questions for the flu programme to help answer some of the questions for primary care staff, along with a quick guide for GPs and community pharmacists to help check the eligibility of people seeking to receive a free flu jab this year. Further information on ordering flu stock and resources to support the flu programme delivery can be found below.

Raj and Ed

COVID-19 updates and guidance

Free COVID-19 PPE for the frontline – Register with the PPE Portal

The PPE Portal has changed from being an ‘emergency top-up’ system to being the primary source of COVID-19 PPE requirements for primary care providers (including community pharmacists, optometrists, dentists, orthodontists and GPs).

COVID-19 PPE is classed as the PPE that providers are using over and above Business-as-usual (BAU) use, due to COVID-19 infection control guidance, rather than what would have been used pre-pandemic. While such PPE requirements will vary according to settings, contexts and individual circumstances, the PPE Portal’s order limits can serve as an indicative approximation of such requirements (especially where providers may be in doubt). Eligible primary care providers in England should now order PPE through the portal, free of charge, to meet the increased need that has arisen as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has partnered with the NHS and the e-commerce industry to develop this service in order to ensure that those on the frontline have what they need. The overriding priority is to protect people and our wider communities, thereby reducing infections and saving lives. We must make sure everyone has the PPE they need so please do play your part in this collective effort.

Register and access the portal using your CQC/MHRA/NHSE/NHS BSA registered email. The latest guidance on what PPE items you can order (including order limits) is also available. Call the customer service team on 0800 876 6802 if you have any questions about using the PPE portal (including registration and queries or if you think you should have been invited but have not been). The team is available from 7am to 7pm, 7 days a week, to help resolve your queries.

The PPE portal will be the primary source of free COVID-19 PPE (including Flu vaccination requirements). However, if there is a severe disruption to distribution, in the first instance get in contact with your local authority or LRF. A gov.uk page will shortly be published with the local authority/LRF contact details. If this route is not possible, get in contact with the NSDR.

Flu programme updates

Ordering flu stock

On 9 October, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) wrote to GP practices to confirm the process by which GPs will be able to access the additional adult flu vaccine stock secured to support the expanded vaccination programme this season. GP practices are now invited to begin ordering or pre-ordering this supply from manufacturers. The earlier guidance note set out when vaccines would be available over October, November and December. In the first instance, GP practices are invited to order or pre-order the following vaccines (please refer to Table 1 in the guidance for timescales and minimum/maximum order quantities):

• Seqirus: Flucelvax® Tetra and Adjuvanted Trivalent Influenza Vaccine
• Mylan: Quadrivalent Influvac® sub-unit Tetra

If a GP practice has a provisional order with Sanofi for QIVe, please contact them to confirm this, before placing another order for QIVe for this cohort.

As set out in the guidance, on placing an order, GP practices will be asked by manufacturers to verify that stock is being ordered for NHS eligible patients or frontline social care workers, where there is a genuine shortage for this cohort. Orders should only be placed where you have a shortfall in supply for existing eligible patients at this stage. Further instruction on timing of extension of eligibility to all 50 to 64 year olds will follow and stock should not be ordered for this cohort at this stage. Practices should ensure they have read the guidance thoroughly before placing an order or pre-order.

A proportion of the central stock has been pre-allocated for community pharmacies and NHS Providers. DHSC guidance for NHS Providers and for community pharmacies on how to access this stock will be cascaded shortly.

 Learning disability and autism flu delivery

This short film presentation supports general practice and pharmacy teams to carry out flu vaccinations for people with a learning disability and autistic people who may be eligible for a vaccination. The film covers why it is important, who is eligible for a free vaccine, reasonable adjustments, consent and decision making. A parent of a 16-year-old with a learning disability describes how GPs and pharmacists can support families to make sure their relatives can have their vaccination.

Free flu immunisation training for primary care clinicians

For all primary care staff involved in the flu immunisation programme, Health Education England (HEE) have developed a free flu Immunisation online training resource that is available on the HEE e-Learning for Health platform. The programmes provides all healthcare practitioners involved in delivering the national flu immunisation programme with the knowledge they need to confidently promote high uptake of flu vaccination and effectively deliver the vaccine programme.

General practice 

Workforce data – reminder to practices

From October 2020, NHS Digital will be publishing general practice workforce statistics on a monthly basis. The next data extraction will be on 31 October; please could practices ensure that they have recorded any changes in the last month, including any locum support, on the National Workforce Reporting System (NWRS) before the deadline. More information on how to register and use the NWRS and the latest published statistics are available on the NHS Digital website.

Community pharmacy

A ‘Thank you’ from Dr Keith Ridge on World Pharmacy Technician Day

Chief pharmaceutical officer (CPhO) Dr Keith Ridge has written an open letter to all pharmacy technicians, published on the Association of Pharmacy Technicians UK website, to thank them for their incredible contribution to and support for excellent patient care throughout the COVID-19 pandemic so far.

In the letter he outlines future plans for the profession and proposes strengthening the advice, feedback and opinion from senior pharmacy technicians currently working within the NHS including primary care. The letter invites APTUK president Liz Fidler and the APTUK Committee to work with the CPhO team to develop a sustainable approach that will be beneficial to pharmacy technicians in terms of career progression and professional development.

Primary care

Resources available to support with musculoskeletal health following #BoneJointWeek (12 - 20 Oct)

The Covid-19 pandemic changed the roadmap for achieving good musculoskeletal health. A blog by Sue Brown, CEO for the Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Alliance, considers what can be done to support patients’ musculoskeletal health during the pandemic. There are lots of resources available including exercises to stay active or manage pain. There is also a section for specific conditions including arthritis, back pain or knee pain. 

National engagement launched to help improve health and wellbeing support for armed forces families in England

NHS England and NHS Improvement has launched an engagement to explore how we can improve health and wellbeing support for serving, reserve and veteran families in England. Whilst most armed forces families enjoy healthy lives, the unique circumstances of military life can cause pressures for some and affect an individual’s health and wellbeing. The NHS wants to change this, so that armed forces families are able to access NHS services more easily across England. Views are sought from GPs providing care and support to armed forces families. A questionnaire is available to complete online. The deadline to respond is 30 November 2020.

Conference for primary care networks

The full programme for the NHS Confederation PCN Network’s annual conference on 11 November is now live, featuring more than 35 speakers in 15 sessions over 11 hours, including keynote speeches from NHS chief executive Sir Simon Stevens and NHS Confederation chair Lord Victor Adebowale and a panel session with Nikki Kanani. The event is designed to support the delivery of primary care networks and is free for PCN teams. Please share these details with your clinical director and PCN manager contacts.

Dates for your diary

Now, next, future: CQC transitional regulatory approach & strategy webinars

• Wednesday 28 October, 12pm - 1pm. Primary medical services focus - for people working in general practice and other primary care services.
• Wednesday 28 October, 3.30pm - 4.30pm. Oral health focus - for people working in dental services

Thursday 29 October, 4pm - 5pm. Digital Primary Care Influenza webinar 

Thursday 5 November, 5pm - 6pm. General Practice Webinar with Ed Waller and Nikki Kanani. To attend please ensure you register by 12pm on 5 November. If you have registered for the previous two webinars you will not need to register again as we are using a rolling registration system.  

Monday 9 November, 11.30am - 12.30pm. Integrated Care webinar series: The future of place – planning recovery in partnership

Wednesday 11 November, 9am - 8pm. NHS Confederation: PCN Network virtual conference

NHS Volunteer Responder programme update webinars

Fortnightly webinars are being held to provide regular updates on the NHS Volunteer Responder programme.

• Thursday 29 October, 10.30 – 11.30am - Join Microsoft Teams Meeting
• Thursday 12 November, 10.30 – 11.30am - Join Microsoft Teams Meeting
• Thursday 26 November, 10.30 – 11.30am - Join Microsoft Teams Meeting
• Thursday 10 December, 10.30 – 11.30am - Join Microsoft Teams Meeting

Link of the day

Information on ADHD for ADHD Clinics, School Nurses and GP Primary Care Settings