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Primary Care Bulletin - today's round-up
20 April 2021
Dear colleagues,
Following discussions about pregnant women and the COVID vaccine, we have written to local vaccination sites following the update from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) in relation to COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy and actions to take.
PRINCIPLE trial results on Inhaled Budesonide with COVID-19 - webinar invite
Following the results from the PRINCIPAL trial, to support clinicians in the off-label use of this treatment to eligible patients in hospitals we invite all clinicians treating patients with COVID-19 to a webinar today at 5pm. Please join to hear directly from the PRINCIPAL trial leads about the treatment and the clinical trial results.
To join please follow the registration link and sign up for access to the webinar. You will be sent a joining link an hour before the webinar starts.
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 and guidance
Frequently Asked Questions: MHRA and JCVI guidance on AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine and very rare clotting disorders
This FAQs document should be read alongside the operational note of 7 April, the JCVI advice and the MHRA advice.
COVID-19 lateral flow device distribution service
There has been a very high level of engagement with community pharmacies for the new service and over 90% have already signed up. For pharmacies taking part in the COVID-19 lateral flow device distribution service, this a reminder that you must enter the required data into the MYS portal by the close of business on the pharmacy’s last trading day of the week. Please ensure you report data week-by-week on your last trading day and do not amalgamate data.
COVID-19 vaccine animations launched to help tackle disinformation
NHS England and NHS Improvement has launched a series of animations aimed at tackling disinformation about the COVID-19 vaccine. Aimed specifically at encouraging uptake in ethnic minority groups, the animations are available in 17 different languages and are suitable for use on a wide range of social media platforms. They cover key topics including vaccine safety, how it was tested, how it was developed so quickly, what is in it, and what the side effects are. Original files can be downloaded from the campaign resource centre in the form of short clips and also a longer video, and the English versions are also available on YouTube.
Vaccine Equalities Connect and Exchange Hub now live
Open to NHS and non-NHS staff, the new Hub provides access to the latest vaccine equalities tools and evidence. It’s also a space where staff can share, collaborate and co-create new resources to help increase vaccine confidence and ensure the COVID vaccine is promoted and made available to in all our communities. The Hub also offers a full series of lunch and learn sessions with guest speakers.
Help solve the COVID puzzle: GenOMICC COVID-19 study
We are supporting Genomics England to find volunteers for a national COVID-19 study aiming to understand why some people become more severely affected by the virus than others and to help the NHS find better treatments.
Researchers need up to 15,000 people who tested positive and had symptoms but got better without being hospitalised to provide a blood sample. Their genome will then be sequenced and compared against samples from people who were severely ill with COVID-19. Find out more here. Please consider volunteering if you’ve had COVID-19 and share this information with your patients and colleagues.
General practice
Patients preparing for travel in the UK
As travel restrictions ease, patients may be preparing for travel to UK holiday locations. Please remind your patients to organise ordering medications in advance, to avoid running out whilst on holiday. To maintain continuity of care on holiday, utilising telephone and online consultations, patients should be advised to contact their own GP in the first instance. If a prescription is required, please send it via Electronic Prescription Service. Practices can also refer to the Community Pharmacist Consultation Service, for minor illness and urgent repeats. If the patient requires a face to face appointment, they can still attend a nearby GP via Temporary Registration.
Informing Health and Care Professionals about Patients on the COVID Oximetry at Home Care Pathway
Please add patients you have onboarded to the COVID Oximetry @home care pathway to your local GP system using this SNOMED code. If your practice uses a template to record COVID Oximetry @home, ensure it is configured to this code: 1325191000000108 Telehealth pulse oximetry monitoring started (situation).
EMIS Web users record the code as an active problem and ensure the status is configured so it remains active for the duration of the pathway.
SystmOne users record the code as an active problem. On or after discharge from the pathway, make the status inactive to update the patient’s SCR so it is no longer included.
Vision users should record the code as Priority 1 or an active problem. On or after discharge from the pathway, the status should be removed to update the patient’s SCR so that it is no longer included.
GP career support hub now live
Supporting GPs to develop fulfilling careers is a fundamental part of any effort to make primary care a great place to work. To do this we have funded and developed different schemes to help GPs carve out a career pathway tailored to their individual aspirations. We want to make sure you are aware of the opportunities and funding available to recruit and retain valued GPs.
The GP Career Support Hub has been created on FutureNHS to help doctors understand what options are available to them at different stages in their career. Please have a look and let us know what you think.
Community pharmacy
New e-Learning from the British Oncology Pharmacy Association
Let’s Communicate Cancer is a free and easily accessible e-learning option where you can learn about cancer from the basics to more detailed elements. It is presented as bite-sized videos, animations, quizzes and slide shows. The e-learning will give you confidence and knowledge to help cancer patients – from early diagnosis through treatment. You must be a FREE or PAID member to access. Let’s Communicate Cancer is aimed at all staff working in community pharmacy.
Primary care
Blog: We’ve seen primary care at its very best
Rob Bellingham, Chair of the Greater Manchester Primary Care Cell and Managing Director of Greater Manchester Joint Commissioning Team, talks about how everyone has responded to the challenges of COVID-19 and gone above and beyond to deliver for the communities they serve.
New, expanded mental health support service for primary care health teams
NHS England and NHS Improvement has strengthened the mental health support offer for all healthcare staff, including primary care health team members in general practices, community pharmacies and optometry and dental practices, to ensure they have rapid access to mental health services and support. This includes establishing 40 local staff mental health and wellbeing hubs which offer those who need it a rapid clinical assessment by a mental health professional and access to talking therapies, secondary care mental health services, and other services as clinically indicated.
We have also worked with NHS Practitioner Health to put in place an enhanced mental health service to which hubs can refer primary care health team members who may have more complex needs. This service can offer access to prescribing clinicians, addiction services and interventions focused on trauma. Staff at AfC grade 8d and above, and doctors and dentists, can self-refer to the service.
There is a wide range of wellbeing support for all primary care health team members, which you can access on the Our NHS People website.
The inaugural NHS Regional Clinical Leadership Fellow Scheme - Faculty of Medical Leadership and Management (FMLM)
This scheme gives clinicians the opportunity to gain essential leadership skills, working within NHS regional teams across England. It is open to doctors in training, dentists, pharmacists, allied health professionals, nurses, midwives, and healthcare scientists with full professional registration and experience at the required level. Part-time posts are available for 12 months, from 1 September 2021. Deadline for applications is 9am, Tuesday 4 May 2021. See the FMLM website for details.
Dates for your diary
Wednesday 21 April, 1pm – 2pm. Effective telephone consultations
Wednesday 21 April, 5pm – 6pm. Digital innovation in cardiology
Thursday 22 April 2021, 1pm – 2pm. Learning from co-production - using better engagement to address health inequalities
Thursday 22 April 2021, 5pm – 6pm. General Practice webinar
Tuesday 27 April 2021, 12pm – 1pm. Health Honours Awareness session. This online session, hosted by the Cabinet Office, is specifically aimed at those wanting to nominate someone working in the health sector for a Queen’s Honour. During the session you will find out how the honours system operates and get top tips on what to include in your nomination.
Wednesday 28 April, 5.30pm – 7pm. Primary care networks webinar: A focus on additional roles reimbursement scheme and recruitment
Wednesday 12 May, 1pm – 2pm. New types of cancer treatments and their effects
Thursday 13 May, 1pm – 2.45pm. Civility and Respect event
Thursday 25 May, 1pm – 1.30pm. Faecal Immunochemical Test (FIT) in suspected bowel cancer
Link of the day
