15 October 2020
All documents can be found here
- If you are receiving this update as a practice manager, please make sure you do share it with your colleagues, including sessional GPs.
- You will have seen today the update from the Department of Health and Social Care, which advises that the London alert level has been raised to high. See here for the full transcript.
ASK OF THE WEEK
ACTION: Review patient records and ensure the appropriate SNOMED code is assigned to your patients who are from an at risk influenza group. See codes below.
Add the below codes to a patient record to either:
- remove them from an at risk influenza group if they are appearing erroneously,
- or if the patient is not appearing but a vaccination is clinically indicated for the patient.
|
Action |
Term |
SNOMED code |
|
Mark asthma diagnosis as no longer active |
Asthma resolved |
162660004 |
|
Mark CKD 3-5 diagnosis as no longer active |
Chronic kidney disease resolved |
939211000000104 |
|
Mark diabetes diagnosis as no longer active |
Diabetes resolved |
315051004 |
|
Mark immunocompromised / suppressed diagnosis as no longer active |
Immunosuppression resolved |
818621000000100 |
|
Remove from any at risk group (needs to be reviewed and re-added each year) |
Seasonal influenza vaccination not indicated |
822971000000103 |
|
Action |
Term |
SNOMED code |
|
Add to any at risk group (needs to be reviewed and re-added each year) |
Needs influenza immunisation |
185903001 |
HARD WORK IN NW LONDON WITH ‘C THE SIGNS’ PRAISED
Action: For celebrating!
We are delighted to see recognition in the press for all the hard work of those involved in the roll out of the C the Signs cancer detection tool to GP practices across all eight of our boroughs. Congratulations to our cancer leads and all of the CCG primary care leads who have supported this important implementation. Find a selection of news articles below:
Pulse
Health Care Leader News
https://healthcareleadernews.com/news/ai-early-cancer-detection-tool-rolled-out-to-400-gp-practices/
Health Tech News
https://www.thehtn.co.uk/2020/10/02/c-the-signs-diagnostic-tool-rolled-out-to-400-gp-practices/
Kensington, Chelsea and Westminster News
https://www.kcwlondon.co.uk/2020/10/early-detection-offers-hope-to-cancer-patients/
Harrow Online
INCREASING THE RELIABILITY OF UTI TESTING
Action: Read guidance from the Royal London Free Hospital about an easy way to improve the reliability of UTI testing in your GP practice
When patients present with symptoms of a urinary tract infection it is best practice to refer a sample of their urine for MC&S testing to identify a causative organism and ensure an effective antibiotic is prescribed. In order to identify the specific organism causing an infection it is important that the specimen cultured accurately reflects the bacteria present in the urine at the time of collection.
Unfortunately, in some cases the microscopy and culture result proves unhelpful returning findings of mixed growth without an identifiable increase in white cells. This guidance helps reduce the number of MC&S results that are returned as false negative, false positive or as mixed growth.
SUPPORTING PATIENTS WITH CANCER SCREENING
Action: Read guidance from Cancer Research UK about how to support people to access cancer screening services, with a particular focus on those who may have missed a screening appointment.
Across the UK, national cancer screening programmes covering bowel, breast and cervical are now restarting, however this varies across each nation and programme. In your practice, you can support people to access cancer screening services. For useful tips click on the guidance produced by Cancer Research UK here.
WEEKLY NHS MESSAGES FROM NW LONDON
Action: Read the key messages from the NHS and primary care in NW London here
COMPLAINTS FROM PATIENTS ABOUT OVER THE COUNTER MEDICINES POLICY
Action: Direct patient complaints to our Complaints Team at Nwlccgs.complaints@nhs.net or by phoning 02033504567 (Monday- Friday)
Further information about over the counter medicines can be found here.
REMOVAL OF OUTLOOK 10 AND ROLL OUT OF WINDOWS OFFICE 2016
Action: Note the upcoming changes to NHS IT systems in NW London, due to be completed by mid-February 2021
As part of a wider implementation of Office 2016 and the removal of Outlook 2010 (part of the Office 2010 Suite), the following changes will be taking place between now and next February:
- Office 2016 will be installed as part of on-going Windows10 deployment
- Windows 10 machines with Office 2010 will have Office 2016 deployment centrally
- All Windows 7/10 desktops are on ATP portal. Any malicious activity on these devices will be reported and subsequent action will be taken.
- TLS 1.x referred to in the NHS Digital Email will be disabled centrally (for further information about Transport Layer Security, or TSL, and the changes taking place please see the Microsoft blog here)
If you would like further information about any of the above please email us at nwlccgs.gpwin10project@nhs.net
IS YOUR PRACTICE USING DATA CONTROLLER CONSOLE (DCC)?
Action: Please ensure that your GP Practice Manager and Caldicott Guardians are confident in using the DCC – make sure you have reviewed the latest guidance and are familiar with the new system.
The Data Controller Console (DCC) is a system that has been developed by NHS England London (Healthy London Partnership) to help GP practices and other data controllers in our health and care community manage the large number of new information sharing arrangements that need to be put in place to support better integrated care
If having reviewed the material on DCC here, you require any further assistance please contact us at Nwlccg.servicedesk@nhs.net
EVENTS, TRAINING AND RESOURCES
For upcoming training sessions related to Covid-19 please visit the NW London CCGs website here
Additional resources are also listed below:
|
Organisation |
Details |
Access |
|
RM Partners, The Royal Marsden and Jo’s Trust |
Remote training sessions for non-clinical GP practice staff to help their awareness and understanding of the importance of cervical screening. There will be 8 sessions in November and December specifically for staff in NWL |
Find out more here |
|
FutureNHS platform – National First Contact Physiotherapist Webinar |
The national Musculoskeletal First Contact Physiotherapists: webinar and Q&A session was held earlier this month. You can now access the recording of the webinar and presentations online. |
FutureNHS Collaboration Platform registration required
The recording and presentations of the webinar are available here |
For more information, contact nwlccgs.communications.nwl@nhs.net.
