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WELCOME TO OUR MAY 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.
Conference Registration Now Open
Registration is now open for this year’s Essex Practice Manager Conference which will take place on Tuesday 25th June 2024 at The Lion House, Boreham.
Speakers include representatives from CQC, Healthwatch Essex and the Practice Manager Supporter Scheme. Due to the extremely positive feedback received last year, we are also pleased to welcome back Julie Hurst from the Work Life Balance Centre and Darius Ferrigno from Primary Care Law. In addition, there will be an opportunity to hear the latest on the 2024-25 GMS Contract imposition.
Darius’ session this year will take the form of a Q&A surgery. If you would like to submit a question to Darius, you can do so using this link. Time permitting, there will also be an opportunity to ask questions on the day.
GP leaders have voted to ballot on potential collective action in England.
The ballot will be open to GP contractors/partners and, if there is a majority vote, then doctors will be able to take action immediately; the BMA will not direct GPs to breach their contracts in this initial phase.
The ballot will open on Monday 17 June and close on Monday 29 July ahead of action commencing from Thursday 1 August. Please log in to bma.org.uk to make sure your personal details, job roles, place of work and best contact email are correct. If you experience any issues, please email gpcontract@bma.org.uk for support.
GP Contract Roadshow Events in June and July
Across June and July, the GPC England officer team will be undertaking over 20 events nationwide, hosted by regional LMC leaders.
They will be presenting the GPC England manifesto and sharing the BMA GP practice survival toolkit to protect your practice and protect your patients. These face-to-face events provide the perfect opportunity to hear about the menu of actions, understand the ballot, and give you an opportunity to ask any questions. You can also take campaign resources and goodies back to your practice.
These events are free and open to:
- All holders of a GP contract
- Every GP and GP registrar
- Practice managers
- Practice nurses
You do NOT need to be a BMA member to attend. Please encourage your colleagues who are not members to register too.
Premises Costs Directions
After almost a decade of pressure from the BMA, the Department of Health and Social Care has published the long-anticipated update to the premises costs directions, which will bring changes to assist premises costs, including permission for commissioners to award improvement grants of up to 100% of the project value (up from 66%) and new powers for commissioners to better support contractors.
PCSE Online Chat Available
We have been advised that PCSE is trialling an online chat function and are interested to know if practices find this to be a useful aid. To access the online chat, please visit the PCSE website where you will see the green and white icon in the bottom right of the screen on any of their pages.
The link below provides further details of the new website assistant for PCSE website users
Following engagement with the ICO (information commissioner) and NHSE, the BMA maintains the position outlined by the ICO. While the direction to provide prospective record access to patients is legal, mitigations outlined by practices in DPIAs submitted to the ICO should also be implemented to ensure that processing is compliant with the requirement of the Data Protection Act.
Where practices are facing pressure from ICBs to move ahead with prospective automatic access and have produced a DPIA, they should cite the ICO's response and continue in line with their DPIA.
Medical Examiner system in England
The BMA continues to engage with stakeholders on the implementation of the ME (medical examiner) system in England which is currently scheduled for 9 September 2024.
The statutory instruments and timeline of the ME implementation and relevant legislation are available.
If you have any concerns about the implementation, please make these known to the LMC or elected BMA members.
Supervision of MAPs
The BMA has issued guidance to standardise practice and avoid variation in what MAPs are expected to undertake and should be read alongside their MAPs scope of practice guidance.
Doctors who supervise and work alongside MAPs need to be able to assure the safety of the patients they are clinically responsible for at all times.
Recommendations have been chosen to provide assurance to patients that a safe level of working is being undertaken that allows MAPs to contribute to high quality patient care.
QOF Target Questionnaire
The LMC continues to be aware of the difficulties that some practices experience in achieving the Childhood Vaccinations and Immunisations QOF targets because of not being able to exception report for parental refusals or missing the scheduled deadline due to new registrations.
For a third successive year, we continue to be keen to understand the extent of the problem in Essex and, if you are a practice affected by this, we would be grateful if you could complete the following short questionnaire in order for us to collate such information that will be shared with GPC to further inform ongoing discussions with NHS England.
We ask for all affected practices, where possible, to supply this information to us - through our questionnaire.
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 Practice Manager 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
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