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Primary Care Bulletin - today's round-up
12 May 2021
Dear colleagues,
COVID-19 has affected us all in one way or another. This week is Mental Health Awareness Week and looking after our staff is a priority for the NHS.
We have support offers to suit a range of different needs, including staff and bereavement support lines if you need to talk to someone, confidential coaching support and wellbeing apps. You can access clinical mental health support through the staff hubs or use the free apps to look after your wellbeing. Find out more and access support here. You can also access Every Mind Matters to get a free, personalised mental health action plan with practical tips to help boost your mood.
Today is also International Day of the Nurse and a chance to celebrate the fantastic work of all the nurses in general practice. They are vital members of the general practice team, have done so much to support patients during this challenging year and have been instrumental in the COVID-19 vaccine programme. Follow and share your stories via #IND2021.
GP webinar – Thursday 20 May
Our regular GP webinar for everyone working in general practice, has a new link, so we are asking if you would like to attend to please register even if you have registered for previous GP webinars. This is to ensure our list is up to date. Please register by 12pm on 19 May.
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
Evidencing COVID-19 vaccinations for international travel
Following the ministerial announcement on Friday 7 May which mentioned the impending lift of international travel on the 17 May, and subsequently the need to evidence COVID-19 vaccinations before travelling to international destinations, NHSX arranged for initial information to be made available online on GOV.UK.
The information will support the public with any initial enquiries they may have and is designed to divert enquiries away from primary care.
Countries will decide whether they require proof of COVID-19 vaccination for entry, and it is the traveller’s responsibility to check individual requirements. If needed, people in England who have both vaccine doses will be able to demonstrate their COVID-19 vaccination status via the NHS App from 17 May. Those without access to the app can request a letter from the NHS proving their vaccination status by calling 119.
More information will become available this week, which NHSX will cascade via existing primary care channels.
Multilingual versions of pulse oximetry patient video
An NHS video showing people how to use a pulse oximeter at home is now available in multiple languages as part of the Health and Care video library. This includes 11 of the most commonly spoken languages in England after English. The video is for people with suspected or confirmed coronavirus, who have been asked to monitor their oxygen levels at home using a pulse oximeter and are being supported by COVID Oximetry @home or COVID virtual ward services.
Every vaccination gives us hope - campaign materials
Distribution of patient-facing materials (e.g. posters and leaflets) for the ‘Every vaccination gives us hope’ campaign should arrive in pharmacies and GP practices between Thursday 13 and Tuesday 18 May. There will be a small number of additional packs that can be ordered via Public Health England’s Campaign Resource Centre from Monday 24 May for any pharmacies and GP practices that have not received a pack.
General practice
Referring patients with minor illness symptoms to a community pharmacist
Practices can refer patients contacting them with minor illness symptoms for a same day consultation with a community pharmacist, using the referral pathway to the Community Pharmacist Consultation Service.
The RCGP are hosting a webinar on 27 May to explain how the referral pathway works, the benefits to practices and patients and how to start using it, hearing from GPs, practice managers and pharmacists. For more information on the pathway visit the CPCS Future NHS page.
Community Pharmacy
Community Pharmacy Workforce Survey 2021 launched
The Community Pharmacy Workforce Survey (CPWS) 2021 was launched by Health Education England on 7 May and will close by mid-June. The CPWS 2021 aims to provide an up-to-date picture of the size and shape of the community pharmacy workforce (including locums) in order to:
- inform workforce planning and future investment in education and training for the entire community pharmacy workforce;
- guide the overall workforce development strategy for the NHS; and
- inform on community pharmacy’s current contribution to local health systems across England – e.g. Primary Care Networks (PCNs) and Integrated Care Systems (ICSs).
Dentistry
NHS dentistry and oral health bulletin
The latest edition of the NHS dentistry and oral health bulletin has been published, in which CDO England Sara Hurley and Peter Johnson, NHS England’s National Clinical Director for Cancer, bring together useful resources and advice for dental professionals on mouth cancer.
Primary care
Uplifting resources: chosen by NHS staff for NHS staff
Available now via the Knowledge and Library Services website is a selection of uplifting, digital resources which include apps, podcasts and other online resources. The Health Education England national NHS Knowledge and Library Services team has worked with the Reading Agency to crowd-source these resources. They have been chosen by NHS staff for NHS staff and are ideal for boosting your mood.
As part of Health Information Week (5 - 11 July), Health Education England will also be adding a small collection of print books to each local NHS Knowledge and Library Service in England. Find out more from your local service.
Your chance to improve staff training in primary care
Health Education England and NHS England and NHS Improvement would like to hear from GPs, practice nurses, practice/PCN pharmacists, practice managers and administrative staff about their experiences of delivering remote triage (navigating patients to the right person at the right time), online, telephone
and video consultations in general practice. Your input will be crucial in designing effective training to support all primary care staff and trainees to confidently work with these approaches.
Virtual focus groups will be run in May - June 2021. Find out more about the study and how you can participate.
Dates for your diary
Wednesday 12 May, 12pm – 1.30pm. Proactive Care@Home webinar: supporting patients with LTCs
Wednesday 12 May, 1pm – 2pm. New types of cancer treatments and their effects
Wednesday 12 May, 1pm – 2:30pm. Dermatology Transformation: Part 1/3 Webinar Series
Thursday 13 May, 1pm – 2.45pm. Civility and Respect event
Thursday 13 May, 2021 at 1.30 – 2.30pm. How we can help Hidden People access the COVID Vaccine
Tuesday 18 May, 10.30am – 12pm. PHE COVID -19 webinar on implementing the HTWS in care homes PPE guidance
Monday 24 May, 2pm – 3pm. Lipid Management-Delivering on National CVD priorities using a population health management approach
Tuesday 25 May, 1pm – 1.30pm. Faecal Immunochemical Test (FIT) in suspected bowel cancer
Thursday 27 May, 7pm – 8.30pm. GP CPCS – next steps in promoting the service. As part of our ongoing comms activity to support the implementation of the GP referral pathway to the Community Pharmacy Consultation Service, we are hosting a webinar with the RCGP.
GP Appointment Data: GP practice briefing. These sessions hosted by NHS Digital will introduce recently issued national categorisation guidance and show practices how to carry out mapping to the new national standard categories. There are several dates available:
- Thursday 27 May, 4pm – 5pm
- Wednesday 9 June, 11.30am – 12.30pm
- Tuesday 15 June, 5pm – 6pm
Link of the day
