COVID-19 Primary Care bulletin

26 May 2020

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

Dear colleagues,

Thank you to you all who were supporting your communities by providing primary care services over the bank holiday weekend.

You may have heard of the #HelpUsHelpYou campaign which launched last month to amplify to the public that the NHS was still open for business. The campaign was created to help give people permission to access NHS services and reassuring them that they won’t be a burden on the NHS. On 28 May 2020, we will be running a primary care focus day with activity on our social media channels, case studies and blogs. Please do join in using #HelpUsHelpYou and share your examples.

Nikki and Ed

General Practice

RCGP and AHSN Network: Primary care in care homes during COVID-19 webinar

This webinar will share examples of current good practice and collaboration between primary care and care homes, including resources to support virtual ward rounds. Chaired by Dr Jonathan Leach OBE, RCGP Hon Sec and COVID lead, join Dr Gail Allsopp, RCGP Clinical Policy Lead, Anita Astle MBE, Managing Director of Wren Hall Nursing Home in Nottingham, and Dr Alison Tavaré, Primary Care Clinical Lead at West of England Academic Health Science Network (AHSN) to explore:

• RCGP ‘top tips’ for GPs caring for care homes
• Providing person-centred care in times of COVID-19 
• COVID-19 virtual wards
• Resources to support virtual ward rounds

This will be followed by a Q&A session.

The webinar will be held on Wednesday 27 May, 3-4pm and you can register here. It will be recorded and shared afterwards.

This is the second in a series jointly organised by the Royal College of General Practitioners and the AHSN Network. You can watch the first webinar here: COVID-19: Patient assessment and the role of physiology and oximetry.

Community pharmacy

Community pharmacy webinar

The recording of the community pharmacy webinar held on 20 May with Ed Waller and Keith Ridge is now available on the Future NHS platform.

Suspension of the Pharmaceutical Needs Assessments

The Pharmaceutical Needs Assessments was due to be renewed and published by Local Authority Health and Wellbeing Boards in April 2021.

Department of Health and Social Care announced on 22 May that due to current pressures across all sectors in response to the COIVD-19 pandemic, the requirement to publish renewed Pharmaceutical Need Assessments will be suspended until April 2022.

Local Authority Health and Wellbeing Boards will retain the ability to issue supplementary statements to respond to local changes and pharmaceutical needs during this time.

The NHS Pharmaceutical and Local Pharmaceutical Services Regulations 2013 will be updated in due course.

Dentistry

On 22 May 2020, the Chief Dental Officer for England held her first stakeholder workshop with invited representatives of the dental care professionals and regulators. The group confirmed the intent for a graduated risk based approach and the development of guidance and support ahead of any announcement of the reopening of high street dental practices.

Access and availability of urgent dental care through the variety of hubs and hospital settings continues and the commitment of all dental teams in maintaining remote triage and advice as well as face to face care in Urgent Dental Centre sites was commended.

Optometry

The most recent guidance letter for optical staff is available on our website.

Additional information

Mental health apps to support children and young people 

A team across NHSX, NHS Digital, NHS England and NHS Improvement are working to identify a number of digital tools to support children and young people who are experiencing increased mental health needs as a result of COVID-19.

The first supplier to complete the process with the team and show how they meet the requirements identified in respect of the children and young people user group is Healios, for its ThinkNinja app.

Available through the NHS Apps library, Healios is making its ThinkNinja app available to download free of charge to all 10 -18 year olds for the next four months.

The role of the team is not to recommend one tool over another approved tool - ThinkNinja will be joining over 20 existing apps already approved on the Apps library for users to choose from.

We will work with Healios to evaluate the impact of the offer at the end of the four month period. More information about this work is available through this NHSX blog.

COVID-19 antibody tests

The government has announced the start of a major new national antibody testing programme, with plans to provide antibody tests to NHS and care staff in England from the end of May.

Clinicians will also be able to request the tests for patients in both hospital and social care settings if they think it’s appropriate.

LGBT Foundation launches new training academy

Launching in honour of International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia (IDAHOBIT), LGBT Foundation’s Pride in Practice Training Academy is an online curriculum of LGBT training modules. This service is for anyone who wants to increase their knowledge and confidence of LGBT inclusion at home, at work and in the community and includes the opportunity to become an accredited Pride in Practice Champion.

Pride in Practice is a nationally recognised LGBT inclusion programme. Having worked for almost a decade with NHS services, Pride in Practice trains and accredits using LGBT Foundation’s grass-roots expertise and community-insight with 45 years’ experience working with over 40,000 people per year and reaching 600,000 people online.

As our partners invested in Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, we invite you to be the pioneers of the Pride in Practice Training Academy and founding Pride in Practice Champions as we bring LGBT inclusion expertise to everyone who wants and needs it.

To discuss further and register your organisation, please email the Pride in Practice team: pip@lgbt.foundation

If you are an individual looking for training modules or to become a Pride in Practice Champion, visit the LGBT Foundation website.

Dates for your diary 

Tuesday 26 May, 5-6pm - Update on Direct Booking into General Practice from NHS 111 & CCAS via GP connect. Presenters include Dr Phil Koczan, GP and Digital Clinical Champion and Michelle McDermott, GP Connect Lead.

Wednesday 27 May, 12.30-1:30pm - The Primary Care Network DES: discussion for the undecided. Presenters include Dr Richard Vautrey, Chair, BMA General Practice Committee (GPC), Dr Tayo Kufeji, GP and Clinical Director for The Bridge PCN, Ed Waller, Director for Primary Care Strategy and NHS Contracts, NHS E & NHS I, Dr Josephine Sauvage, Chair, NHS Islington CCG.

Wednesday 27 May, 1-2pm - Digital Nurse Network webinar 14. Presenters include Helen Crowther RN, Ann Gregory RN and Chief Nurse Information Officer, Dr Natasha Phillips RN.

Wednesday 27 May, 3-4pm - Primary care in care homes during COVID-19. Presenters:  Chaired by Dr Jonathan Leach OBE, RCGP Hon Sec and COVID lead, join Dr Gail Allsopp, RCGP Clinical Policy Lead, Anita Astle MBE, Managing Director of Wren Hall Nursing Home in Nottingham and Dr Alison Tavaré, Primary Care Clinical Lead at West of England Academic Health Science Network (AHSN).

Nikki and Ed's link of the day

Addressing impact of COVID-19 on BAME staff in the NHS