Chair update
Dear Members, Colleagues & Patients,
Wishing you all a very Happy New Year and welcome to our first newsletter of the year.
Many of us will be grappling with delivering the new LTC LCS and finding the way this works best for our patients, practices and PCNs. In addition, practices will soon be dealing with an additional administrative burden as the ICB decommissions the Referral Support Service (RSS) with no new referrals being accepted from the end of the month. As an organisation our clinicians make a number of referrals on behalf of practices through the Bridging service and in the GP EA sessions which we are contracted to provide for some of our PCNs.
We are currently looking into the impact the RSS closure will have on how we safely manage secondary care referrals and deal with any potential rejections. Community referrals will be unaffected. We will let you know in advance if there will need to be any changes.
I’m pleased to say that all practices should have received their achievement payments for 22/23 SMI Health checks. Please contact us if you require clarification.
I would like to say a few words for two of our senior executives who will leaving the organisation this month.
Misty King has been our Head of Finance for the last 5 years managing our own finances as well as those of most of our PCNs which has been no easy task with complex funding flows. Along with the board, I would like to thank Misty for her dedication and hard work during her time at ‘the Fed’ and wish her well in her future career.
Michael Whitworth has served as our CEO for the last 4 years starting just before the Covid-19 Pandemic. His calm and assured manner is just what was needed at the time. He has steered the organisation through some choppy waters and established himself as a well respected senior leader both in Barnet and across NCL. This has been reflected in his appointment as PCN Director a couple of years ago and Chair of Barnet GP Cabinet as well as championing Barnet primary care as an executive board member of NCL GPPA. Michael will still be linked with Barnet through his ongoing work with the PCNs and cabinet. As a board we will be sad to see him go and thank him for leading the executive team so ably during his four years with us.
As the closing date for applications for the Chair position closes we hope to go through the selection process next month after which I hope to introduce you to a new Chair who will start in April
It just remains for me to thank you all for all the hard work you and your teams are continuing to do in the face of increasing workload pressures. Do speak to any of you representative cabinet or GPPA members if there are any issues you feel should be communicated to the ICB.
Best wishes,
Ahmer Farooqi (Federation Chair)
Headlines
SMI Healthcheck update
Earlier this month, the Federation shared individual GP practice performance against target so far in 2023/24. Barnet as a whole is short on its target at this time. GP practices are encouraged to attain their target before the end of March 2024 and to use the “Headlines template from Ardens which covers all six elements required for payments. These elements are:
- Measurement of weight (BMI or BMI + Waist circumference)
- Blood pressure and pulse check (diastolic and systolic blood pressure recording or diastolic and systolic blood pressure + pulse rate)
- Blood lipid including cholesterol test (cholesterol measurement or QRISK measurement)
- Blood glucose test (blood glucose or HbA1c measurement)
- Assessment of alcohol consumption
- Assessment of smoking status
GP practices which are close to achieving their target should contact the Federation to discuss funding for additional activity. GP practices can contact the Federation for support at the following email address: barnetfederatedgps.services@nhs.net.
The Federation will be contacting GP practices which have performed well to share learning.
RSS Closure The Federation will continue to process referrals generated in the Bridging Service and subcontracted EA service. The Federation may need to contact GP practices for support with accessing information from Cerner (such as blood test results) whilst the Federation applies for access to Cerner. Arrangements will be kept under review during the transition period whilst the RSS is available to support practices and the Federation.
Strike Action The Federation added additional capacity to the Bridging Service in response to planned consultant and junior doctors strike action in January 2024. The utilisation of the capacity was generally well-utilised overall. Appointments were available through NHS 111 and the call centre.
Practice Support GP Sessions Barnet Federated GPs are offering to provide additional in-hours and extra Enhanced Access GP sessions to any of our member practices that may wish to take up this offer. This offer is made to all our member practices, as part of our core values of supporting all practices equally. Please use the online request form at the following link to make a request: https://forms.office.com/e/R29sdbY7KM. Kindly request one session at a time. When you click submit, you will be given the option to submit another form.
This is to ensure that all requests are managed as effectively as possible: If requested, we will endeavour to fill sessions within practice hours, but may also offer support during EA hours (18.30-21.00) as an alternative if we are not able to fill the sessions in hours. The sessions run as follows: Sessions are telephone and video consultations only, with GPs working remotely. Sessions are created in EMIS Community and booked into using the same process as for Federation EA appointments (though the slots will be reserved only for the individual practice requesting the session).
A discharge summary for each patient is sent to the practice. Appointments are 15mins, similar to EAS sessions. Federation administrators will provide support to the GP during the session. The total cost is £115.00/hour – this covers the cost of the GP time, as well as the administration and governance costs associated with putting on the sessions, as we provide a full service similar to the Enhanced Access/111, Sunday, & Bank Holiday service.
This is subject to us successfully sourcing GPs to fill the sessions and all the sessions are conducted remotely. We would of course, only charge for the sessions that were successfully provided.
If you request a session but later find that the session will no longer be required, you must notify the Federation with at least 48 hours’ notice prior to the start of the session. If we do not receive this notification, we may still charge you for the session, as we will be required to pay the GP for their time. For any queries, please email barnetfederatedgps.services@nhs.net.
Support For Our Practices
NHS Pensions
There are a couple of programmes that are available to support general practice employers in the administration of the NHS scheme and for employees to understand their personal entitlements. I would be grateful if you could cascade through your networks and encourage people to attend. For both employers and employees it is important to ensure accurate and timely administration of the scheme for members and failure to do so can have financial implications for the employer and employees.
For employees The national NHSE team have commissioned webinars for employees in general practice – further details of the webinars are available here and employees are invited to sign up to the seminars and are directed to the most appropriate seminar for them based on their submitted details
Please also share details of a very helpful RCN webinar that addressed pensions issues for general practice staff; whilst aimed initially at GPNs it is very pertinent to other general practice staff including the new ARRS roles and non-clinical staff
For employers Know your responsibilities when is comes to NHS Pensions Administration – Calling GP practices, PCNs and GP Federations and their pension administrators
The NHS Pension Scheme is complicated to administer and the consequences of getting it wrong can be devastating.
Hill Dickinson Primary Care Team are hosting a webinar on the 24th January 24th 1230-1400 aimed at General Practice, PCN and Federation Employers and their pensions administrators, covering points including:
- NHS Pension Scheme employing authority
- The legal responsibilities of employers under pension legislation, including pensions regulations
- Common errors with real life case studies
- Practical tips for good pensions administration.
- Advice from Alison Oliver, Paula Warnock and Amy Milson of Hill Dickinson and speakers Jan Harley-Doyle and Gill Rogers.
To join the session please register here for the session: https://www.hilldickinson.com/events/nhs-pensions-scheme-your-responsibilities-employer
Date for your diary
Pan Barnet Event
Wednesday 7th February
Click here to join the meeting
For all Training Hub events and training opportunities, please visit: https://www.ncltraininghub.org/events
For further practice support, training information and research updates please see below
Training Information and Opportunities
We are also pleased to announce that the annual NHS Health and Social Care Careers Fair, which is hosted by Middlesex University in collaboration with NCL Training Hub recently won a HELOA award!
LTC LCS Clinical Support Drop-in Session
Date and time: Thursday 8 February, 12:00 – 13:00
Audience: Anyone working to progress the LTC LCS within their NCL practice These clinical support drop-in sessions offer NCL staff an opportunity to bring questions to the NCL LTC LCS clinical leads, with the overall aim to support practices to initiate a new way of working, share good practice and meet any challenges that may arise. Audience: Anyone working to progress the LTC LCS within their NCL practice These clinical support drop-in sessions offer NCL staff an opportunity to bring questions to the NCL LTC LCS clinical leads, with the overall aim to support practices to initiate a new way of working, share good practice and meet any challenges that may arise.
LTC Update Webinar: Children’s Asthma
Date and time: Wednesday 21 February, 13:00 – 14:00
Audience: Professionals working with children and young people with asthma The next of the LTC update webinars focuses on children’s asthma and will cover:
- Asthma diagnosis in children
- Updates on asthma guidelines
- The asthma annual review
- The post attack review
- Green prescribing and the suitability of different inhalers at different ages
NCL and NEL Polypharmacy Masterclass
Date and time: Thursday 29 February, 13:00 – 14:30 Audience: GPs, Pharmacists, Advanced Nurse Practitioners (ANPs), Advanced Clinical Practitioners (ACPs), Non-Medical Prescribers NCL Training Hub invites you to the joint NCL and NEL Polypharmacy Masterclass, which is designed to support prescribers carry out structured medication reviews and stop inappropriate medicines. Attendance at this educational event will be rewarded as outlined in the NCL Prescribing Quality Scheme (PQS) and, where possible, at least one prescriber should attend from each practice.
North Central London Integrated Schwartz Rounds
Upcoming dates and times:
- Friday 26 January, 13:00 – 14:00: When Our Help Is Refused – The Impact on Staff
- Friday 23 February, 13:00 – 14:00: Sharing to Connect: Balancing the Professional and the Personal
- Friday 22 March, 13:00 – 14:00: When Taking a Pause Made a Difference
Audience: All health and social care staff Organisation: Keeping Well NCL, Community Matters and The Point of Care Foundation Schwartz Rounds are a multidisciplinary forum designed for staff to come together once a month to discuss and reflect on the emotional and social challenges associated with working in health and social care.
Human Dimension of Supervision Workshop
Audience: Educators Organisation: NHSE Dates, times and venues:
- Tuesday 30 January, 09:00 – 12:30 – Asia House, 63 New Cavendish Street, London W1G 7LP – book now
- Tuesday 30 April, 09:00 – 12:30 – Mary Ward House, 5 – 7 Tavistock Place, London WC1H 9SN – book now
This half day in-person workshop is open to multi professional educators from primary care and secondary care. The focus is about how to reclaim the human aspects of teaching and supervision in our current target focussed climate. Please use the links above to book onto your preferred date.
Bullying and Harassment Workshop
Date and time: Thursday 22 February, 09:00 – 13:00 Venue: Montague on the Gardens, Red Carnation Hotels, 15 Montague Street, London WC1B 5BJ Audience: Educators Organisation: NHSE This half day in-person interactive course is open to multi professional educators from primary and secondary care. The workshop aims to share experiences, consider approaches, discuss cases and ask questions of how we might prevent, respond to and support learners/supervisors affected by bullying & harassment in our workplaces.
Islington Wellbeing: 15-Minute Mindfulness
Audience: Open to all of the Islington workforce Islington’s Wellbeing Team invite you to a guided 15-minute mindfulness meditation, which will give you a well-deserved break from your busy day. Upcoming dates:
- Tuesday 30 January, 13:30 – 13:45 – Introduction to mindful breathing
- Thursday 8 February, 13:30 – 13:45 – Body scan
- Tuesday 13 February, 13:30 – 13:45 – Breathing to destress
- Tuesday 20 February, 13:30 – 13:45 – Cultivating gratitude
Camden MPEG: Celebrating Diversity and Challenging Discrimination in Practice
Date and time: Thursday 01 February, 13:00 – 14:00 Audience: Camden clinical staff Delivered by the Camden Multi Professional Educator Group, this workshop aims to explore personal advantages and disadvantages, encourage collaboration regarding common scenarios that occur in the community and explore the words and language that might be used to tackle discrimination of all sorts.
For all the latest news and events from NCL Training Hub, please visit www.ncltraininghub.org
Research
Aim: To create a dynamic resource of demographic, health and genetic data to enable analyses to understand clinical disease progression in primary care and risk prediction.
Benefits: Remuneration of approx. £2700 for participation and recruitment of 500 pts with added incentives Practice involvement: Activating data sharing agreement signing, patient screening and sending of recruitment text messages
PETRA
Aim: To compare active pregabalin with an identical placebo as means of investigating the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of pregabalin.
Benefits: Remuneration of £200 + additional research costs
Practice involvement: Database search & mail-out (Can be coordinated remotely by BRN coordinators)
OPTIMISE2
Aim: To establish whether deprescribing common drugs that lower blood pressure is safe or effective in older people in the longer term (a year or more).
Benefits: Remuneration of approx. £1145 (intervention arm) or £905 (control arm)
Practice involvement: Online SIV, Database search & mail out for 10-15 pts, Baseline visit screening (30 mins per pt), CRN nurse support provided.
For expressions of interest, please contact the Barnet Research Network on nclicb.barnetresearchnetwork@nhs.net or narendra.samarasekara@nhs.net