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26 June 2020

All documents can be found here

Dear colleague

Please find below the latest GP update regarding Covid-19.

You can view the North West London password-protected GP extranet homepage using the details below.

As always, you are advised to review the full list of Covid-19-related service changes on a regular basis, to ensure you have not missed any notices.

Website: https://www.nwlondonccg.nhs.uk/professionals/coronavirus-clinical

Password: NWLCovid-19

 

Today’s update includes:

  • Update on recovery from NHS North West London CCGs
  • Claiming for PPE and other Covid-19 related expenses
  • Message from NHSEI re immunisations
  • Primary Care Staff Covid-19 Antibody Testing: Indemnity Arrangements
  • GP Endorsed Invitations for Bowel Screening
  • Safeguarding webinar invite from Royal College of GPs
  • VIDEO from Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust re hospital safety for BAME communities
  • Implementing GP Connect across North West London CCGs: Next steps for Practices

 

Update on recovery from NHS North West London CCGs

In North West London, we have not yet resumed business as usual, but we are moving towards recovery of our services.

It is vital that we continue to monitor the prevalence and impact of Covid-19 cases as we move towards recovery. We need to bring back elective, diagnostic and community services, but we can only do so in a way that is safe for patients and staff and supports infection control. We need to look across the system, including the role that can be played by each health and care organisation, the 111 service, our developing primary care networks and patients and the public.

During Covid-19 we have learnt that we function better as a single system. Joint working across all part of the NHS, in partnership with social care, has been critical to our pandemic response. It has become clear that the system working as one, rather than in a competitive culture between different organisations, is better for our residents and patients. With this in mind, we are moving sooner rather than later towards forming a single Integrated Care System, as in accordance with the NHS Long-Term Plan, which signalled that each sector is expected to form an ICS by April 2021 at the latest.

For primary care, this will mean delivering primary at scale through Primary Care Networks (PCNs).

Next steps

  • Our Chair, Penny Dash, has been formally appointed and will take up her position later in the summer.
  • Transitional structures are being set up to support the move to an ICS. This includes an ICS Board, a local authority group, a clinical board and Chairs’ meetings.
  • North West London CCGs are consulting with staff about a new organisational structure, which will include a strong borough presence to support PCN development. 

For more information, contact nwl.covid19@nhs.net.

 

Claiming for PPE and other Covid-19 related expenses

ACTION: Click here to view the guidance and claim form for Covid-19 related costs including PPE

This is for expenditure for items secured 1 March to 30 June 2020. Last submission date is 31 August 2020 although we'd encourage to send your claim ASAP to your CCG contact on the claim form.

This process is in advance of the expected guidance from NHSEI on reimbursement of costs. Should that national guidance contain additional reimbursement opportunities we will let you know.

Please take note of important guidance below with regards to the ordering and access of PPE for general practices in NW London.

Registration and use of Government’s PPE Portal

  • Member(s) of staff at each GP practice in NW London should have received an email (possibly from ppe.dedicated.supply.channel@notifications.service.gov.uk) inviting practice to register for access to the Government’s PPE portal.
  • The PPE portal is emergency top-up system and practices are required to register and place order each week up to the pre-authorised limit set by the national team.
  • PPE ordered via this portal is FREE and approved quantities will be delivered to practices directly.
  • If you have any issues with registration or accessing the site, please contact the PPE Dedicated Channel customer service team on 0800 876 6802 immediately.

Accessing PPE going forward

In addition to practices ordering their weekly supply from the Government’s PPE Portal, current NWL process (outline below) remains in place.

Step 1: practices should continue using their business-as-usual and wholesaler routes to source their local PPE requirement.

Step 2: practices who have an urgent requirement for PPE, which they are unable to secure through their business as usual channels, should then contact the NSDR via the 24/7 helpline: 0800 915 9964.

Step 3:  request support for urgent supplies by sending an order form to NWL team (nwlccgs.covid19ppesupplies@nhs.net)

If you have any further queries, please contact your CCG Primary Care Lead in the first instance.

 

Message from NHSEI re immunisations

ACTION: Click here to view the three documents mentioned below

The following communication is being sent on behalf of Dr Catherine Heffernan, Principal Advisor for Commissioning Early Years, Immunisations and Vaccination Services, Hon. Associate Professor for Public Health (LSHTM), Public Health England but based at NHSEI London.

Many thanks for all your hard work in adapting your delivery of vaccination services during Covid-19.  I have attached regional advice from the London Immunisation Commissioning Team on delivering childhood immunisations and technical advice from the national NHSE Section 7a team on delivering immunisations. I hope you find them helpful.

We have commissioned webinars from PHE (London) on delivering immunisations during Covid-19 to take place in the next couple of weeks.  Details on how practice nurses and managers can join will be sent out in a later email this week.

There is also a webinar on how to apply guidance and consider ways to address issues with vaccine uptake in practice. The webinar will be delivered by PHE London on six occasions between 30 June and 2 July 2020. Each webinar includes a formal presentation of the same content for 30 minutes and then 20-25 minutes for an interactive session for questions, sharing of practice and ideas. You only need to attend one of the webinars. The flyer is among the documents linked above.

If you have any queries please contact the immunisation team directly at england.londonimms@nhs.net.

 

Primary Care Staff Covid-19 Antibody Testing: Indemnity Arrangements

The Covid-19 antibody testing FAQs is now live on NHS Resolution (NHSR) website. In addition NHSR have been refining the Clinical Negligence Scheme for Coronavirus (CNSC) webpage over the weekend and the FAQs are now in the drop down format consistent with other scheme pages.

The FAQs can be found here. Within that page, there is also a full list of CNSC FAQs which you will find here.

 

GP Endorsed Invitations for Bowel Screening

ACTION: If you do not wish your patients to continue to receive GPE invitations please contact England.TCSTLondon@nhs.net by Friday 26 June.
Read full message here

The Transforming Cancer Services Team (TCST) for London needs to confirm your continued consent to enable the London Bowel Screening Hub to send GP Endorsed (GPE) invitations to your patients due for bowel screening. This is in order to fulfil Information Governance requirements.

 

Safeguarding webinar invite from Royal College of GPs

Out of sight, out of mind? Safeguarding adults during Covid-19
ACTION: Click here to sign up and for other information

Date: Tuesday 30 June 2020

Time: 19:00 - 20:15

Covid-19 has brought many new challenges including how GPs manage safeguarding. Many victims of abuse have been more 'hidden' during lockdown and COVID-19 has amplified many different types of abuse and exploitation. Many GPs have been very concerned about their vulnerable patients during this time. 

Join this webinar to learn more about how abuse has been manifesting during Covid-19 and practical ways in which GPs and the Primary Care team can continue to safeguard and support their most vulnerable patients at this time. 

Dr Joy Shacklock will focus on how Covid-19 has amplified adult safeguarding issues and brought new safeguarding challenges. She will also explain how to identify and manage adult safeguarding issues when working remotely. Professor Gene Feder will focus specifically on issues around domestic abuse which has been increasing during lockdown

Webinar Chair: 

Dr Michael Mulholland, Vice Chair Royal College of General Practitioners (Professional Development), GP Partner Unity Health, HEE Thames Valley Workforce

Webinar Speakers:

  • Dr Joy Shacklock, RCGP Safeguarding Lead, Named GP and Practice Safeguarding Lead, Harrogate North Yorkshire
  • Professor Gene Feder, Bristol GP and Professor of Primary Care, Centre for Academic Primary Care, Bristol Medical School

 

VIDEO from Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust re hospital safety for BAME communities

ACTION: View the video here

Message from Imperial CHT: To address feedback we’ve been getting of concerns about the safety of our hospitals in light of Covid-19, especially from our black, Asian and minority ethnic communities, we’ve put together a short video to highlight the developments and changes we’ve made across our hospitals to ensure safe and high quality care for everyone. There has been a really positive response to the video from community stakeholders and we would be grateful if you could share it more widely across our eight referring CCGs.

We’re working on translations into a number of other languages as well as a further video responding directly to the myths circulating about care for patients from BAME backgrounds. We will share these with you too as soon as they are ready.

 

Implementing GP Connect across North West London CCGs: Next steps for Practices

ACTION: View next steps here

North West London is getting ready to move to a new direct booking service for NHS111 called GP Connect.