Chair Update
Dear Members, Colleagues & Patients,
I hope those celebrating had a wonderful Diwali with family and friends.
I am pleased to update on our appointment of a General Manager which will be the most senior executive role in the organisation. We have appointed Ross Arnold who comes with a wealth of experience in GP Federations and primary care. I will give you more details in the next newsletter when he is formally in post.
Further good news, the Federation has secured a 3 year contract with the local authority to support the delivery of up to 3000 SMI health checks across the borough. Practices will continue to be incentivised to provide their individual, capitation base targets. We now have the final figures for practice achievement in the 22/23 contract year. We aim to make payment to practices in the coming weeks. Please look out for emails from us regarding these payments and the new contract. This contract demonstrates how the Federation can act as a single point of contracting for a commissioner and allows us to collaborate with our practices and PCNs to deliver the services for the benefit of patients and their practices.
Finally, this is going to be another busy winter, We will, of course, continue to support patients with our bridging service. Practices can use our In-Hours Support to provide remote clinics but do get in touch early as there is limited availability.
Do look after yourselves and your teams in the coming months.
Best wishes,
Ahmer Farooqi (Federation Chair)
Headlines
111, Sunday & Bank Holiday (Bridging) Service
- The Federation added additional capacity in response to planned consultant and junior doctors strike action in October 2023. The utilisation of the capacity was generally well-utilised overall. Appointments were available through NHS 111 and the call centre.
- Rotas are in place up to and including the Christmas period, with face-to-face provision and the service running 08.00-20.00 on each of the bank holidays.
SMI Health Checks & Anticoagulation Service
- The Federation has signed a three year SMI health check contract for Barnet and a five year Anticoagulation Service contract linked to the continuation of the Bridging Service.
Hepatitis A Vaccination Clinic
- The Federation collaborated with Oak Lodge Medical Practice to provide an urgent Hepatitis A vaccination clinic commissioned through the 111 Bridging Service contract in conjunction with Public Health in October 2023.
Barnet LD COVID19 Vaccination Clinics
- The Federation was approached by the ICB to facilitate PCN3’s delivery of two Barnet LD COVID19 vaccination clinics by granting access to Federation EMIS Community in November 2023.
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
Date for your diary
Pan Barnet Event
Wednesday 6th December 2023 – Patient Access to Health Information
Click here to join the meeting
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
Rotas are in place up to and including the Christmas period, with face-to-face provision and the service running 08.00-20.00 on each of the bank holidays.
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. 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.
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 Training Hub events and training opportunities, please visit: https://www.ncltraininghub.org/events
Barnet Upcoming Events
We have a busy schedule for the next few months leading us into 2024
- Barnet Long Term Conditions series for the Wider workforce – commenced 16th Nov – 7th
- Pan Barnet – Patient Access to Health Information – 6th December 1300-1400
- Inclusion Barnet delivering 3 sessions for our non clinicians commencing 22nd Nov – 7th Dec
- Pharmacy Education sessions – Smoking cessation on the 20th December 1300-1400
- Multi- professional Educators Peer Support Sessions – Trainee in difficulty – 16th January
- Safeguarding education session – Barnet Safeguarding Childrens Partnership – Continuum of help 17th January 1300-1400
Please take a look at the listings on the NCL Training hub website – NCL Training Hub
For more information about the events, please contact Emily on: barnet.cepnadmin@nhs.net
Barnet Long Term Conditions Learning Series for the Wider Workforce
As promised, we introduce a series of sessions to upskill our wider teams on the new Long Term Conditions Locally Commissioned Service delivered by Dr Rafif Mansour.
Designed to complement NCL condition training already underway. For those members of practice/PCN team involved in check + test / discussion / follow up appointments NOT making clinical decisions, but involving the patient in the personalisation aspect of the Model of Care (MOC).
They commenced on the 16th November and run until the 7th December
Sessions :
- Introducing the Long Term Condition LCS and Multimorbidity template
- Introducing LTC 1: Cardiovascular disease and Hypertension
- Introducing LTC 2: Atrial Fibrillation and Heart Failure
- Introducing LTC 3: Diabetes
- Introducing LTC 4: Chronic Kidney Disease
- Introducing LTC 5: Asthma and COPD
All sessions will cover the use of the Multimorbidity template/Crib sheets/Care plans.
You can catch up on all sessions delivered so far here – https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1ROs2B1Y2WfWS0i4BbUW9d3IZ7S_z1QH&si=uzCLJwgqcpCG2pCb
If you would like more information or have any queries, please email Rafif Mansour on: r.mansour@nhs.net
Year 4 Medical Student Teaching with UCL Medical School
We have continued on our Medicine in the community teaching programme in collaboration with UCL Medical School.
We have a team of facilitators from across Barnet working with a team of volunteer Patients trained to be role players and they deliver ‘OSCE’ style scenarios face to face.
This is the 5th year of delivering this programme and one of the highlights of our work across sectors and within the community.
Each year is never the same and this years Y4 medical students are full of hope and enthusiasm for the future of medicine.
If you would like more information about the programme please contact Kyra Rowlatt at Barnet Training Hub: kyra.rowlatt@nhs.net
Fellowships Celebration Event & Onboarding of New Fellows
Online Nursing Team Forum which will take place on 15th December 2023 at 13.00-14.00pm. Everyone is invited:
Dr Rakhee Shah, who would like to introduce The Faculty of Multiprofessional Educators to you
Gather information from you regarding:
- Your thoughts on the NCL Training Hub Website and training offered
- Frequency of Barnet Nurses Forums
- How you would like those forums to look like
- Topics you would like to be covered
If you would to find more information, please email Georgina Marsden on: barnet.cepncpd@nhs.net
NCL Prescribing Quality Scheme 23/24 – Polypharmacy Masterclass
Date & Time: Thursday 29 February 2024, 13:00 – 14:30
Aimed at GPs, Pharmacists, Advanced Nurse Practitioners (ANPs), Advanced Clinical Practitioners (ACPs), Non-Medical Prescribers
The polypharmacy masterclass is designed to:
- Support primary care prescribers in effective decision-making around deprescribing where clinically appropriate.
- Outline some of the clinical resources and tools available to support prescribers in conducting structured medication reviews (SMRs).
Book: https://www.ncltraininghub.org/events/ncl-prescribing-quality-scheme-23-24-polypharmacy-masterclass
For more information, please email: Asra.ahmed@nhs.net
QI and Staff Health & Wellbeing – Workshop
Calling all teams across North Central London who are dedicated to enhancing staff wellbeing through Quality Improvement (QI) projects! We are excited to present this virtual workshop which aims to inspire, connect, and foster excellence in your initiatives.
Date & Time: 23 January 1pm-2.30pm – https://www.ncltraininghub.org/events/ncl-prescribing-quality-scheme-23-24-polypharmacy-masterclass
For more information about the event, please contact Emily on: neslisan.yilmaz@nhs.net
QOF QI Workforce & Wellbeing – ‘Ask the Expert’ Drop-in
This session is designed to empower primary care colleagues with a unique opportunity to seek answers, advice, and expert insights in relation to their QOF QI Workforce & Wellbeing projects.
Date & Time: 28 November 12.30 – 2pm – https://www.ncltraininghub.org/events/qof-qi-workforce-and-wellbeing-ask-the-expert-drop-in
Should you have any questions or queries, please contact Emily on: neslisan.yilmaz@nhs.net
LTC Update Webinar: Adult Asthma
Date and time: Wednesday 13 December, 13:00 – 14:00
Audience: involved in adult asthma care in primary care
This session aims to update on the latest guidance on diagnosis and management and when to refer to secondary care.
Book now: https://www.ncltraininghub.org/events/ltc-update-webinar-adult-asthma
Should you have any questions / queries, please email: beth.freedman@nhs.net
Barnet Nurse Forum
We would like invite all Barnet Nursing Team to on online forum on 15th December 2023 at 13.00-14.00pm.
- Thoughts on the NCL Training Hub Website and training offered
- Frequency of our Forums
- How you want the forums to look and what topics
- Plus a chance to meet and discuss
We hope to see as many of you as possible on the day
Click here to join the meeting
If you have any questions or queries, please email: barnet.cepncpd@nhs.net or tatjana.brazza@nhs.net
Barnet Multi-professional Educators Peer Support Sessions
Over the course of the last few months we have delivered 5 peer support sessions to the Barnet Educators group.
This has been led by Dr Rakhee Shah and supported by fellow educators Andrew Preece (LAS), Evonne French (Pharmacist), Tanya Brazza (Nurse) and Sally Hurcomb (BEH Mental Health). This is part of an NCL led project focussing on developing an education faculty in each borough to support all our educators.
Each session is aimed at those educators working in all disciplines across primary care whether as mentors, supervisors or as co-ordinators and focussed on practical tools to help develop our skills and support practice. Our sessions are planned into 2024 and we look forward to welcoming you! If you would like more information please reach our Dr Rakhee Shah and see our upcoming events attached.
For further information, please click here, or contact Dr Rakhee Shah on: rakheeshah@nhs.net.
Acute Vertigo – Don’t get Dizzy making the Diagnosis!
This talk is intended to provide a practical approach for the clinician in North Central London to manage the dizzy patient in the acute and chronic phases.
The key speaker will be Professor Diego Kaski, consultant neurologist at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, honorary associate professor at University College London, and honorary senior lecturer at Imperial College London.
https://www.ncltraininghub.org/events/acute-vertigo-don-t-get-dizzy-making-the-diagnosis
Please contact Kirti Shah for further information on email: Kirti.shah2@nhs.net
Research
Research Studies for Barnet GP Practices
Current studies
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: 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