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Primary Care Bulletin - today's round-up
10 June 2021
Dear colleagues,
This last 18 months has really emphasised the health inequalities in our communities, and we know there has been some fantastic work going on to reach all members of our society. Our latest case study from Federated4Health in Haringey, highlights the work they have been doing in partnership with other health and social care organisations to combat homelessness in their area.
We recognise that many primary care staff have faced a long and challenging year, and that additional capacity is key to support providers to deliver the COVID-19 vaccinations alongside core primary care services and recovery. We are therefore providing an additional £20 million to support PCN and community pharmacy-led local vaccination sites to draw down additional staff through their lead employer to help deliver the COVID-19 vaccination programme between 16 June and 14 July 2021. Please read our letter distributed and published today for more detail on how you can access this support through your ICS/STPs.
Nikki and Ed
Dr Nikki Kanani
GP and Medical Director for Primary Care,
NHS England and NHS Improvement
Ed Waller
Director for Primary Care, NHS England and NHS Improvement
COVID-19 updates
Updated standard operating procedure for LVS deployment
We have updated the Standard Operating Procedure for LVS Deployment in Community Settings. This consolidated version has been restructured and reduced in length to improve the flow and usability. New and updated content is highlighted in yellow throughout the SOP.
COVID-19 vaccination status
COVID-19 vaccination status is available for people living in England, for international travel, via the NHS App or by calling 119 to request a letter copy. In addition, it is now possible to request a copy of the letter via the NHS website. People should note that it may take up to five working days to arrive by post. People should wait five working days AFTER they have had their second dose for the system to be updated. More information is available on the NHS Digital primary care page.
General practice
Updated Cancer Care Review indicators
Macmillan Cancer Support have updated its web-based resources to support the introduction of the two new and updated Cancer Care Review indicators in the The Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) 2021/2022.
Primary care networks are recruiting new social prescribing link workers, health and wellbeing coaches and care coordinators, who can help patients get cancer care reviews and provide other support throughout the pathway. The national cancer team would love to hear how practices are using these new roles to support cancer patients – you can contact us at england.cancerpolicy@nhs.net.
Mental health during COVID-19: recovering referrals to talking therapy
COVID-19 has had a significant impact on mental health. Data from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) shows that the number of adults experiencing depression has nearly doubled during the pandemic. NHS talking therapy services (Improving Access to Psychological Therapy (IAPT)) can help.
These services have stayed open throughout the pandemic and offer free, evidence-based interventions for people struggling with feelings of anxiety or depression. Awareness of IAPT support seems low as national referrals are below pre-COVID levels. GPs are encouraged to refer adults with common mental health issues to IAPT, and/or signpost patients to refer themselves online at nhs.uk/talk.
Physical health checks for people with Serious Mental Illness
People on the GP Severe Mental Illness (SMI) register are eligible for annual physical health checks, and this is now a key part of Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF). Latest data shows that only 23.6 per cent of eligible people have had all six health check elements. We encourage GP practices to ensure people on their SMI register are invited for physical health checks as soon as possible. New funding is available for all STPs/ICSs to deliver tailored outreach and engagement for this group, increasing access to physical health checks and uptake of flu and COVID-19 vaccinations. Equally Well has developed a range of resource material to support this process.
Primary care
Peer networking for First Contact Physiotherapists
If you’re looking to set up a First Contact Physiotherapist peer network, this new guide from the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy provides useful ideas, tips and testimonials to help you develop and maintain a successful peer network. It also includes a peer-to-peer network directory to find your nearest one.
This case study, ‘An integrated approach across primary, community and secondary care’, explains how First Contact Physiotherapy is enabling a joined-up pathway of care for patients.
Embedding Freedom to Speak up (FTSU) within primary care
Following on from the National Guardian’s report exploring FTSU in Primary Care, the NHS England and NHS Improvement FTSU team want to understand more about the successes and challenges associated with embedding FTSU across primary care. Fostering a healthy speaking up culture can support the retention of our skilled and dedicated workers and enable senior leaders to provide an ongoing focus on health, well-being, civility, respect and inclusion.
They have created a short questionnaire. If you are part of a leadership team or a practice manager within a primary care provider please complete and submit it by Friday 9 July.
Dates for your diary
Tuesday 15 June, 5pm – 6pm. GP Appointment Data: GP practice briefing.
Tuesday 15 June, 5pm – 6pm. Home Office webinar: becoming a UK visa sponsoring practice
Tuesday 15 June – Thursday 17 June. The NHS Confederation annual conference
Thursday 17 June 5pm – 6pm. General Practice webinar
Thursday 24 June, 10am – 4pm. NHSX Innovation Collaborative Conference
Tuesday 29 June, 1pm – 2pm. Making Easy Read Materials
The first in a series of webinars that focus on working with people and communities and are part of the learning and development offer from the Public Participation team, aimed at colleagues working in an NHS organisation and those supporting an NHS organisation in its engagement activity.
Tuesday 29 June, 2pm – 4pm. Webinars: From Niche to necessity: genomics in routine care
Tuesday 29 June, 6:30pm – 7:30pm. Using the Year of Care approach to personalised care and support planning to support people with long term conditions in a post COVID era
Link of the day
