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10 September 2020

Dear colleague

Please find below the latest GP update regarding Covid-19. If you are receiving this update as a practice manager, please make sure you do share it with your colleagues, including sessional GPs.

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, including restarts, 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:

Reminder: Shielded Patient List review
Reminder from NHSEI: risk assessments
  • ACTION: Complete risk assessments rapidly – and ask commissioners for support if needed
Message from NHSEI re Covid-19 antibody test results flowing to GP records
  • ACTION: Note this update
Message from NHSEI: Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) updated
  • ACTION: Note the updated QOF

 

Reminder: Shielded Patient List review

ACTION: Remember that WSIC can provide patient lists to work from on request – just email nwlccgs.wsic.dashboards@nhs.net. Review documents if needed.

In a letter sent to acute providers and GPs on 8 July, the Department of Health and Social Care requested that GPs and hospital teams review all children on the shielded patient list over summer 2020, in light of new evidence from the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) which shows the risk of serious illness for children and young people is low, and only those with the most severe conditions should now be considered clinically extremely vulnerable. Therefore, following clinical review, most children would be able to be removed from the shielded patient list. 

The specific ask to practices and PCNs is to use the WSIC Shielded Radar or GP records to examine the list of children (under 18 years of age) on the shielded patient list, and review those cared for within primary care with no ongoing acute input, taking appropriate action as per the attached document. For most practices this will be a very small number of children.

NW London can also support the process by sending lists of the children requiring review directly to practices. If you would like to request this, please email nwlccgs.wsic.dashboards@nhs.net. 

 

Reminder from NHSEI: risk assessments

ACTION: Complete risk assessments rapidly – and ask commissioners for support if needed

We recognise the ongoing efforts across primary care to offer and complete risk assessments for staff, ensuring particularly BAME and other ‘at risk’ groups are kept safe. Where assessments have not yet been completed, we strongly encourage these reviews to be conducted rapidly. Where necessary, please do speak to commissioners where support is needed, or to discuss available steps to mitigate risks.

 

Message from NHSEI re Covid-19 antibody test results flowing to GP records

ACTION: Note this update

Results from Covid-19 antibody tests are now flowing into GP records. From 10 September, whenever a person undertakes an antibody test that is taken through the public antibody portal (an industry ELISA test), the result will now be loaded directly into their patient records. This will be in addition to flowing of test results for pillar 2 viral testing and will follow the same process, according to each practice’s GP IT system provider of choice.

Results will be presented on patients’ records as ‘positive’, ‘negative’ or ‘unknown’. As for viral testing, there will be no action required from the GP practice on receipt of the test results. Bulk upload of test results into GP records will take place without any manual patient by patient process. GP practices will shortly receive further guidance by their own system supplier about how this will work in their own system of choice, as well as details on how results will be filed in the system.

 

Message from NHSEI: Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) updated

ACTION: Note the updated QOF

NHSEI has updated the QOF 2020/21. This is effective immediately and the Statement of Financial Entitlement will be amended shortly to reflect this. As outlined in NHSEI’s letter of 4 September, the Dispensary Services Quality Scheme (DSQS) which was reinstated on 1 August has also been updated.