Chair Update
Dear Members, Colleagues & Patients,
The Federation has started it’s GP remote practice support sessions again to support our members to take well-earned summer breaks, and as expected they are being well used during these exceptionally busy times. Please do contact us if they could help your practice.
Within the Federation our programme of downsizing continues and should be completed by October when we will be much more aligned to supporting the Barnet GP Cabinet, and PCNs and practices delivering services rather than directly providing services ourselves. However, we were still able to quickly and effectively respond to the call for additional out of hours capacity in the Bridging Service during the recent national strikes. We are also already planning to provide additional sessions over the August Bank Holiday.
The Training Hub arm of the Federation has improved it’s Long Term Conditions training and development programme, bringing Barnet practice managers and clinical leads into the support team from July. It also great to hear that 12 GP Trainees will have completed their training in Barnet at the start of August. Please contact the Training Hub if your practice has any vacancies and would like the details to be circulated to the them. I’m also pleased to report that at our July Board meeting the Directors agreed to fully fund the Practice Index subscriptions for another 12 months for all Barnet practices as part of our on-going commitment to practice support.
We are also now working with the Training Hub to try and arrange a joint face-to-face Pan Barnet event alongside the Federation AGM in September. We will hopefully have a diary date shortly.
Regards and best wishes until next month, when you’ll be pleased to know the Chair will be back to write this introduction!
Michael Whitworth (Federation CEO)
Headlines
PCN EA Update
- The Federation is providing some sub-contracted activity to PCNs 1D and 6.
- Reporting on available slots has been implemented on EA subcontracted activity and the information is being shared three times per week with PCN colleagues.
111, Sunday & Bank Holiday (Bridging) Service
- Provide over 1,000 additional appointments across the junior doctor strike days in June and July. These were available through NHS 111 and the call centre.
- Utilisation remains high, at over 95%.
- For more information, please see the practice support section below.
Practice Support GP Sessions
- The Federation has provided 57 hours of GP time to support practice in July, which we expect to further increase in August.
- For more information, please see the practice support section below.
BFG Recruiting for Sub-contract Services
- We are actively recruiting all types of clinicians and health professionals to work in our sub-contract services
- We provide competitive rates of pay and offer a varied selection of weekday, evening, and weekend shifts
- Opportunities exist for home working in some circumstances
- Please contact barnet.federation@nhs.net if you would like to know more
Pan Barnet Event Update
It has been decided that due to the summer holidays the August Pan Barnet event will not go ahead. It will be back on Wednesday 6th September at 1pm. More information will be shared in the next newlsetter.
For further practice support, training information and research updates please see below
Support For Our Practices
Our vacancy board – Do you have a vacancy or looking for a role in Barnet?
Advertising job opportunities via the Federation website!
Practices and professionals seeking job opportunities in Barnet can advertise through our website on our Pan Barnet Noticeboard: https://barnetfederatedgps.org.uk/pan-barnet-recruitment
111, Sunday & Bank Holiday (Bridging) Service
- Provide over 1,000 additional appointments across the junior doctor strike days in June and July. These were available through NHS 111 and the call centre.
- Utilisation remains high, at over 95%.
- Capacity is in place for the August bank holiday, with face-to-face provision at Oak Lodge Medical Centre and the service running 08.00-20.00.
Practice Support GP Sessions
- The Federation has provided 57 hours of GP time to support practice in July, which we expect to further increase in August. Please see details below.
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. Kindly request 1 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.
https://forms.office.com/e/R29sdbY7KM
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.
Training Information and Opportunities
For all Barnet Training Hub events and training opportunities, please visit: https://www.barnetcepn.org.uk/
Barnet Training Hub with Medicines Management Team Pharmacy Education Sessions 2023
Our Barnet Training Hub with Medicines Management Team Pharmacy Education Sessions 2023 are well underway. So far the topics have been Anticoagulation, Type 2 Diabetes, CQC and ADHD and COPD.
You can access all the sessions here https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1ROs2B1Y2Wf0VtzsfHO-kQvnx5tX4IMR
There are more planned for the upcoming months and they are designed for the whole of Barnet Pharmacy workforce to attend.
If you do have any suggestions for topics, or feedback about the programme so far, please get in touch with Dr Will Meyer – GP Pharmacy Lead for BTH who would be happy to hear from you. Dr Meyer’s email: w.meyer@nhs.net
Medicine in the Community – Year 4 Medical Student Teaching with UCL Medical School
At the end of June we completed another year in Partnership with UCL Medical School and we are pleased to say we will be continuing on for the next academic year as well.
The programme is focussed on Medicine in the Community specifically patient consultations. A series of scenarios have been written that reflect common GP consultations. The Year 4 medical students take on the roles of GPs and work through their scenario in a 10 min consultation with their patient – one of our patient volunteers and then are given feedback and guidance on their communication style and diagnosis. The facilitator supports the feedback process and provides tutoring on areas of improvement also.
We worked with different nearly 200 students through the course of the year, in this face to face interactive and engaging programme.
The feedback throughout has been how valuable the students found the process. Especially working in groups with the patient volunteers and guided tutoring from the Facilitators to support and improve their understanding of patient consultations. Key comments have been how important is it to listen to their patients, ask the right questions and really consider the patient perspective.
We could not do this programme without our dedicated team of patient volunteers and facilitators so we would like to thank them once again for their amazing work along side team at UCL Medical School who support it.
We love working with them all on this programme and look forward to next academic year starting.
If you have any questions or queries, please email: Barnet.cepnadmin@nhs.net
Prescribing Clerk Training 2023
The Barnet Training Hub prescribing clerk training is over halfway through. The topics covered so far have been on the Prescription journey, Repeat Prescription, Quality Improvement, Community Pharmacy plus medicines management. The training has been delivered by our own team of GPs, Pharmacists and Community Pharmacists and we are most excited for the final 2 sessions. The prescribing clerks in training have been demonstrating their wealth of knowledge and experience along side their enthusiasm for their roles and their patients.
The course also includes not just our Pre Reg Pharmacy Technician Trainees (PTPTs) but also the NCL PTPT’s. With just 2 sessions left they have all been working on their practice specific Quality Improvement Projects and building links with their local pharmacy’s. In the last 2 sessions digital technology, communication, and embedding of the role into practice will be covered along side a final section with the Prescribing Clerks and their mentors to celebrate their completion of the course.
If you would like more information or have any queries about the training please email: Barnet.cepnadmin@nhs.net
Fertility Pathway webinar for primary care
Following a review, development of a single NCL-wide policy was approved and launched across NCL on 25th July 2022. Following a year of implementation, this session on 19 September at 1pm will provide primary care with an opportunity to understand the process for fertility referrals and a chance to ask any questions about the policy.
This session is open to NCL GPs, with Practice Managers and admin staff involved in the referrals process also welcome.
Book now: https://www.ncltraininghub.org/events/fertility-pathway-webinar-for-primary-care
If you have any questions or queries, please email: kitty.grew@nhs.net
NCL Physician Associate Mental Health Training
NCL are excited to announce their partnership with Maudsley Learning to deliver interactive Mental Health training to the NCL Physician Associate workforce.
This will be split into two sessions with multiple dates to choose from:
-
NCL Physician Associate Mental Health Training – Masterclass
-
NCL Physician Associate Mental Health Training – Online Simulation
By the end of this training session Physician Associates will have a better understanding of the elements of a mental state examination and psychiatric ill health.
Important note: in order to receive your CPD accredited certificate you will need to sign up for the second part of the training: ‘NCL Physician Associate Mental Health Training – Online Simulation.’
Should you have any questions or queries, please email: Chaima.hale@nhs.net
Event recap: Glucagon-Like-Peptide 1 Receptor Agonist National Shortage webinar
The government recently declared a ‘national shortage’ of GLP-1 receptor agonists for type 2 diabetes until 2024, which will affect approximately 7500 patients in NCL.
Last week NCL ICB hosted a webinar in response to this, which advised and informed GPs and clinical staff on supporting choice of alternative OHA therapy when GLP-1 RAs are unavailable due to a national shortage.
Please share with clinical colleagues who were not able to attend.
Event recap: https://www.ncltraininghub.org/news/event-recap-glucagon-like-peptide-1-receptor-agonist-national-shortage-webinar
Registrations for best practice Birmingham 2023 are now open!
As we build up to face-to-face Best Practice Show – the largest gathering of general practice HCPs at the NEC Birmingham on 11/12th October, we are putting on a series of webinars – free-to-attend, specific for HCPs like you.
We hope you find our webinars and events of interest and able to interact with our speakers, these webinars will give you a preview of what you can expect by attending our in-person event later in the year, see further information at: www.bestpracticeshow.co.uk
Research
Research Studies for Barnet GP Practices
Current studies
STATIC
Aim: To investigate if withdrawal of aminosalicylate therapy is not unacceptably less effective than continuing on therapy in maintaining Crohn’s Disease
Benefits: Remuneration of at least £200 + additional per patient costs, support from British Society of Gastroenterology + local IBD team
Practice involvement: Signing practice docs, brief site training, patient eligibility screening
DISCOVER ME (Commercial Study)
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: Site SIV, Data sharing agreement signing, patient screening and sending of recruitment text messages
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 in any of the above studies, please contact Narendra Samarasekara (narendra.samarasekara@nhs.net) or Dr. Joanna Yong & the Barnet Research Network (nclicb.barnetresearchnetwork@nhs.net).