19 May 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:
- Respiratory resource pack and webinar update
- GP Connect
- Enhanced Summary Care Record
- Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust lung cancer service
- Webinar: Mental Health during Covid-19
- Microsoft Teams Advice and guidance for GPs, Rheumatology: Thursday May 21 at 13:00 – 14:00
- Pharmacies on 25 May bank holiday
- Apology and reminder: NW London GP Quick reference guide to EOL services
Respiratory update: resource pack and webinar slides available
ACTION: Ensure you have the most up to date respiratory resource pack
Resource pack: The NHS London Clinical Networks respiratory resource pack for primary care has been updated. Please ensure you are referencing the version in the link above. There is a version control section at the beginning which shows you which changes have been made.
Webinar slides: Thank you to everyone who took part in the respiratory webinar session last night with Dr Elkin Dr Mak. If you missed it, the session is available here on playback, and the accompanying ‘lessons learnt’ slides are here.
GP Connect
ACTION: Continue to make 111 slots available through the direct booking mechanism already in place.
The NW London Primary Care IT Team recently wrote to you to advise you not to enable GP Connect Appointment Management in your clinical system, and that we would communicate further with any updates.
The NW London IT team is working closely with colleagues at NHS Digital and our 111 providers LCW and Care UK in order to implement GP Connect Appointment Management functionality across NW London. While we cannot confirm the timescales for the full roll-out of this across all practices, we can advise you that end-to-end testing is due to commence shortly. A small number of practices representing each CCG and clinical system have been identified as our initial test group and we have already been in contact with those practices to agree their participation in the testing. As soon as this testing has been completed, and the appropriate localised configuration and support package has been developed, we will be working with Primary Care Leads in each CCG to plan the deployment to all remaining practices. We will keep you informed of the estimated time-scale for this in the coming weeks. In the meantime, practices should continue to make 111 slots available through the direct booking mechanism already in place.
Enhanced Summary Care Record
As a short-term Covid-19 measure, under COPI legislation extending to the 20.9.2020, NHSE will be uploading medical data to support the enhanced Summary Care Record on the basis of implied consent. Any prior or subsequent explicit dissent will remain valid. Find out more here.
Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust lung cancer service
ACTION: When making a referral, please use the pan London suspected Covid-19 lung and pleural cancer referral form. This has temporarily replaced the standard suspected cancer forms.
The Royal Free London’s lung cancer service continues to operate a straight to test model. The system will automatically book a virtual appointment to ensure registration on Cerner (this is for the trust’s administration purposes only).
Please do not ask patients to attend this virtual appointment or inform them of the appointment. We will contact them separately at a different time to arrange a CT/out-patient appointment before a decision is made about the care pathway that they will be on (approximately within three working days).
When making a referral, please use the pan London suspected Covid-19 lung and pleural cancer referral form. This has temporarily replaced the standard suspected cancer forms.
If you have any queries, please contact 0207 794 0500 ext. 23332 for the Royal Free Hospital and ext. 52268 for Barnet Hospital.
Webinar: Mental Health during Covid-19
Date: Wednesday 20 May
Time: 1-2pm
There is no need to pre-register for this event.
Dr Amrit Sacchar, Consultant Liasion Psychiatrist, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, West London Mental Health NHS Trust, LTC lead for Diabetes and Renal, Covid-19 welbeing team, Generation Q Fellow Health Foundation, and NW London integrated care. They will be joined by Dr David Bailey, member of the North Kensington Recovery team and CAMHS manager.
Topics
- Impact of lockdown, risk and change in presentations
- Lessons from North Kensington Recovery
- Running a remote mental health review
- IAPT service provision
- Appreciative Enquiry
- Case Studies
How to join the webinar: Download teams and click the link. Aim to join five minutes before the session begins. This is to allow time in which to iron out any technology issues, so it’s especially useful if you don’t use teams much.
Microsoft Teams Advice and guidance for GPs, Rheumatology: Thursday May 21 at 13:00 – 14:00
Imperial are holding another advice and guidance session this Thursday, this week it’s rheumatology. If anyone has someone in their team that would be able to distribute a meeting invitation directly to their GPs for this session, please let me know and I’ll forward the invitation for dissemination.
Details of the session are as follows:
- Microsoft Teams Advice and guidance for GPs, Rheumatology: Thursday May 21 at 13:00 – 14:00
- Advisor: Dr Benjamin Ellis, Rheumatology Head of Specialty, Imperial College Healthcare
- Click on this link to join: Join Microsoft Teams Meeting
Session structure:
- 10 minutes: What is the Imperial rheumatology service offering in the COVID recovery period for existing patients and new referrals
- 30-40 minutes: A&G on cases referred in and opportunity for shared learning and questions
Preparation:
- GPs with a case to discuss should email benjamin.ellis@nhs.net by 19:00 on Wednesday 20 May 20 with “Rheumatology A&G” in the subject line.
- Give details of the case(s) you would like to discuss, and make sure you include specific management questions.
A recording of the session will be available for circulation afterwards.
Pharmacies on 25 May bank holiday
The pharmacies open on the 25 May bank holiday are the same as the last bank holiday. You can view the full list here.
Apology and reminder: NW London GP Quick reference guide to EOL services
ACTION: Print out and keep NW London GP Quick Reference Guide to EOL services (and share feedback using the details below)
NB: Following feedback that some of you have experienced problems accessing these documents, please find them attached as files.
Via the link you will find a NW London GP Quick Reference Guide to EOL services which you are encouraged to print out so you have easy access to the document as needed.
This NW London guide is intended to support GPs and other community services (including NHS111 OOH GPs) to:
- Give a quick overview of the generalist and specialist palliative and end of life care services in each of the boroughs
- Show services hours of operation (in hours and out of hours)
- Provide the most direct telephone numbers to facilitate direct contact for expert medical advice 24/7
- Show the level of medical advice within each services (i.e. CNS or consultant)
- Strengthen the use of the local arrangements already in place.
You will see on the last page of the document, GPs and clinicians are invited to email michelle.scaife@nhs.net and katie.smith44@nhs.net with their feedback about the ease of use of the guide, as well as their experience of using the telephone numbers provided and suggestions of how this tool can be improved in future iterations.
London-wide guide for primary care on providing EOL care support
As you may be aware, there is also a London-wide reference guide on EOL care. This is an updated version of the NHSE EOLC London Clinical Network document, which has previously been circulating. It contains information for primary care on how to provide EOL care support. You will also find this document attached and available via the link.
