No images? Click here
WELCOME TO OUR JULY 2024 NEWSLETTER
This publication is sent to all Essex GP Practices via their Practice Managers. However, we encourage anyone who would like to receive this communication directly, to subscribe below.
Essex LMC PCN Conference
This year’s Essex LMC PCN Conference will be held on Tuesday 24th September 2024 at The Lion House, Boreham. We hope that you will be able to join us for what should be a very informative day and will also offer an opportunity to network with PCN colleagues from across Essex and beyond.
Tickets for this event are priced at £69.00 and registration is now open.
Share Your Success
The LMC would like to hear from local PCNs that have created innovative and impactful projects which have made a tangible difference to patient care.
Full details can be found above. To share your stories, please e-mail: info@essexlmc.org.uk by 9th August 2024.
2024 LMC Report Now Available
We continue to be aware of the difficulties that some practices have experienced in achieving higher thresholds for Childhood Vaccinations and Immunisations QOF targets as a consequence of not being able to exception report because of parental refusal or missing the schedule deadline due to new registrations etc.
We recently sent a survey out to practices and thank you to 110 of you who responded with your figures for this QOF domain. We have now concluded our exercise in this regard and have prepared a report for GPC England to use in future negotiations with NHS England.
Primary Care Careers Update
Primary Care Careers are passionate about providing support for you and your colleagues working in primary care and they’re delighted to be able to share that in partnership with EQUIP and Dr Liya Jacob Ltd, they are offering you a fully funded eight-week course.
The Clarity Catalyst ™ is based on a Stanford University master’s degree course in personal development, it blends mindfulness and emotional intelligence exercises to shift your perspective on how you see yourself and the world. This guided course encompasses weekly online group sessions, including smaller break out groups, separate structured one to one online peer meetings, and weekly tips and tasks to embed your learning.
Primary Care Careers are part of the NHS, funded at ICB level to support attraction, recruitment, and retention in primary care. This means that there is no charge to your practice or PCN for using their service.
They are a passionate and dedicated team looking to support those who work within primary care, providing a personalised approach to supporting your recruitment and seeking the right fit for your team.
Why not check out their website eoeprimarycarecareers.nhs.uk or feel free to give them a call on 01206 918766 or email: enquiries@eoeprimarycarecareers.nhs.uk.
They look forward to hearing from you and to working with you moving forward.
Are you making the most of your Buying Group membership?
When was the last time you reviewed how much your practice is spending on the products and services you regularly buy?
The cost of living crisis continues to bite and even GP practices will be looking for ways to reduce running costs.
This is where your free membership to the LMC Buying Group can really come in handy as it offers practices access to discounts on a wide range of products and services. They can help you save money on the following areas:
· Medical consumables and equipment
· Stationery, Office equipment and furniture
· Workwear
· Insurance
· Confidential information shredding
· Energy
· Recovery Oxygen
· Telecoms
· Test and Calibration
· Online Training
· DBS Checks Processing
The Buying Group suppliers won’t just offer you a great price one week and then ramp up the price the next so you can be assured that if you order from their suppliers, you’ll get a great price every time you shop meaning you don’t have to ‘shop around’ to find the best deal every month anymore.
If you’re not sure whether you’re a member and/or have access to the Buying Group website (this is where you can view the pricing/discounts and get quotes) then contact the Buying Group team on 0115 979 6910 or info@lmcbuyinggroups.co.uk. They can also help you with any questions you might have about your membership or the suppliers.
‘how to’ guides to support general practice
As part of the Delivery plan for recovering access to primary care, NHS England has published four ‘how to’ guides to support general practice teams to:
· better align capacity with need
· improve care-related processes
The guides provide know-how and learning from practices and primary care networks (PCNs) across the country about tested new systems, processes and approaches that are helping the transformation to modern general practice. They complement the existing ‘creating highly usable and accessible GP website for patients’ guide and support practices and PCNs to adapt this shared knowledge to their local context and realise the benefits more quickly and easily.
Accessible Information Standard (AIS)
We were fortunate to have representatives from Healthwatch Essex, including two of their volunteers with lived experience of sensory impairments, speak at our recent Practice Manager Conference.
In conjunction with their volunteers, the Healthwatch team has produced an AIS resource which we hope you will find useful.
New guidance for doctors who are pregnant or breastfeeding
The BMA has produced some new guidance that sets out both the legal minimum requirements, and key adjustments that the BMA recommends should be made for pregnant and breastfeeding NHS doctors, upon their request and within a timely manner.
In addition, the guidance provides links for further advice and support.
Practice Manager Supporter Scheme
The Practice Manager Supporter Scheme (PMSS) offers a dedicated support and advice service to Practice Managers/PCN Managers, recognising the unique challenges they face and helping safeguard their well-being. The supporters will be there to lend a helping hand, ensuring that Practice/PCN Managers have the resources and guidance they need to navigate the demands of their roles.
Initially set up to support Practice Managers, the scheme has been extended to offer the same support to PCN Managers. Advice, support, and peer to peer Personal Development Reviews are available for new, experienced and assistant/ deputy practice managers and PCN Managers in Essex. All interactions are treated with the utmost confidentiality. The information you share with your chosen supporter remains strictly between you and them.
There are six Practice Managers and one PCN Manager Supporter, who are actively working across different regions of the county. Practice/PCN Managers can benefit from this scheme without any associated costs. Our website provides further information and guidance on how to contact a Supporter.
GP Practice Workforce Data
Using data from NHS Digital, we now provide workforce data for Essex GP Practices, and male/female GP ratio documents, both commencing from November 2022.
Do you need help with PCSE cases?
Have you waited for more than 40 days for a response from PCSE for a case raised with them? Are you experiencing financial hardship as a result? Or, is there a risk to patient safety? If you have answered yes to any of these questions, then the LMC can help you.
Essex LMCs on Social Media
Please remember to follow us on Facebook and/or Twitter, and connect with us on LinkedIn to keep up-to-date with our latest news.
Please click on any of the icons below to connect with us on your preferred platform(s).
