Chair Update
Dear Colleagues, Members & Patients,
Firstly, Happy Diwali to everyone celebrating. I hope you have enjoyed the festivities.
The new EA service is now up and running. The transition to a PCN delivered service has been relatively smooth and we are pleased to be working collaboratively with some of our PCNs to deliver a hybrid model.
I am also pleased to hear that the SMI Health Check contract that we have been commissioned to provide through practices is resulting in a significant improvement in our performance as a borough. However, there is still a way to go to match the other boroughs across NCL. Further details below.
As ever please do get in touch if you or your practice require any support from your Federation particularly if you have a CQC visit soon.
Best wishes
Dr Ahmer Farooqi
Patients
Patience needed for access
Postings on neighbourhood bulletins and other social media indicate that people are still finding it difficult to make any kind of appointment with a doctor: urgent appointments are filled within minutes and it can take weeks of trying to get a routine appointment. Currently at one practice the only appointments bookable online are for flu jabs and patients in the surgery are told they cannot make other appointments in person. One patient who complained when offered a telephone appointment two weeks later was then offered an appointment with the out-of-hours service for the next day. Most people think they should contact the out-of-hours service only when the surgery is closed. Offering routine appointments with this service when all bookable appointments are full might help reduce the long waiting lists, ease pressure on practice staff and relieve the frustration of patients.
For further details, please contact Barbara Jacobson on: b.jacobsons@btinternet.com
Headlines
SMI Checks
The Federation is pleased to be able to continue to support practices with the SMI health checks.
Commissioners are encouraged by the positive upward trajectory. We have seen a 20% increase since the same time last year. While our rate of growth is higher than our NCL neighbours and the gap is closing, opportunities exist to make up for underperformance which will be communicated separately to practices.
Anticoagulation
We are awaiting an update on a service extension or a re-procurement, the service continues to operate well with an effective mix of clinical pharmacists providing good quality service delivery. It is our every intention to continue with the service, based on practice need and commissioner requirements.
In-hours Practice Support
With the pressures of winter fast approaching, additional in-hours sessions are likely to be in high demand. The Federation will do our best to support this demand, subject to available workforce. Sessions will be filled on a first come first served basis. Please let us know your requirements at the earliest opportunity.
For all GP Practices!
Please ensure when booking patients into Federation services following an e-consult submitted to the practice, that the e-consult is saved in the patients notes. This ensures that the information is available to the GP during the appointment avoiding confusion, reducing patient frustration and helping the service stay on schedule.
BFG Recruiting for BFG Extended Access (EA) service
BFGs will be onboarding new sessional GPs into the EA service. If you would like to find out more about the onboarding process as well as sessions and how to book them or would like to join the Federation, please email: barnet.federation@nhs.net
Date for your diary
Wednesday 2nd November 2022 at 13.00 on Hypercalcaemia
Click here to join the meeting
For further practice support, training information and research updates please see below
Support For Our Practices
Welcome to 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/
Salaried GP
Ongoing recruitment for Salaried GPs to work primarily in EAS and other Federation services. If you are interested and would like to be considered, please refer to the attached Job Description for more details, or email: barnet.federation@nhs.net.
Extended Access
We are pleased to announce that the new Extended Access service went live on 1 October and has been received well. Rotas were approved by PCN colleagues prior to launch with appointment types, splits between clinician types and booking options decided by pro-rating against weighted list sizes.
GP appointments will continue to be telephone or video consultations in the first instance, and the patient will be booked for a face-to-face appointment if needed.
Patients can still access the service by calling NHS 111 or the Federation call centre number, 020 3948 6809. These appointments have been commissioned separately and are not part of the PCN EA service.
Hubs are open as follows:
Weekdays: 6:30pm to 9:00pm
Saturday: 9:00am – 5:00pm
Sunday: 8:00am – 8:00pm
Weekday appointments are same day bookable and released in two phases at 10:00am and 3:00pm.
Saturday appointments are released in two phases, on Monday at 8:00am and Wednesday at 8:00am.
If you have any questions or queries, please contact our services team on: barnetfederatedgps.services@nhs.net
Training Information and Opportunities
For all Barnet Training Hub events and training opportunities, please visit: https://www.barnetcepn.org.uk/
NCL Training Hub launch new website
NCL Training Hub has recently launched their own website. The website gives NCL primary care staff the opportunity to look up events and training by borough, job role and date to find training opportunities that are suitable for you.
To find Barnet-specific events: https://www.ncltraininghub.org/events?role=&borough=barnet&date=future
For events open to all NCL staff: https://www.ncltraininghub.org/events
In addition, the website offers information to members of staff or people interested in joining NCL, about:
- Training and Support programmes including wellbeing, return to working and personalised care; https://www.ncltraininghub.org/training-and-support
- Useful resources including podcasts and videos filtered by topic; https://www.ncltraininghub.org/resources?role=&borough=&topic=
- Information about different roles and opportunities in primary care, and how to become upskilled; https://www.ncltraininghub.org/roles
- Latest news and information: https://www.ncltraininghub.org/news
Please see the website at: www.ncltraininghub.org
The Barnet Training Hub website will soon be redirected to the NCL Training hub website so check our Barnet specific page as it develops.
For any queries, please contact: Sharon.ralph1@nhs.net (Communications and Engagement Lead, North Central London Training Hub)
Barnet Training Hub and UCL Medical School Medicine in the community teaching partnership continues
We are pleased to say that our partnership with UCL Medical School continues on and we had our first session with Year 4 Medical School Students last week. Focussing on Medicine in the community and working with our wonderful Patients as Educators and clinical facilitators, a full day face to face training was delivered in Mill Hill. Working in small groups, discussing common general practice medical scenarios including pre diabetes, falls discharge and 2ww pathways using role play and peer support. We have another 5 sessions across the year and are always looking for more patient volunteers and clinical facilitators to join our team.
For more detailed information, please visit: Undergraduate Medical Student Programme | Barnet PCT Hub (barnetcepn.org.uk)
IF you havr any queries, please email: Barnet.cepnadmin@nhs.net
NCL Low Calorie Diet: Referrer Training
Date and time: Thursday 3 November, 12:30 – 13:30
Audience: All clinical staff
The Low Calorie Diet is an evidence-based programme available free of charge to patients with Type 2 Diabetes in North Central London.
This refresher training aims to:
- Give an overview the benefits of the programme
- Discuss the eligibility criteria
- Review the guidance on essential medication changes to be part of the programme
- Highlight the EMIS system resources, such as searches and templates
Book: https://www.ncltraininghub.org/events/ncl-low-calorie-diet-referrer-training
Shapes Masterclass: How to stay productive and avoid virtual fatigue in the new ways of working
Date and time: 21st November 1-2pm
Audience: all roles across primary care
The workplace has changed, whether we’re on the frontline or working partially at home. In this webinar we explore strategies that will help you and your team maintain a healthy balance between home and work, communicate better, and work more productively whilst avoiding the stress and fatigue that comes with virtual, hybrid or home working. In this 60-minute masterclass you’ll discover:
● Common issues facing leaders and teams as we adapt to the new ways of working.
● Lessons learned about how hybrid working, Zoom fatigue, and the COVID crisis impact our wellbeing.
● Practical steps to help you find balance, communicate more effectively, and prioritise your wellbeing.
Book here: https://www.shapestoolkit.com/ncl-how-to-stay-productive
For more information, please email: Nesllisan.yilmaz@nhs.net
Barnet Training Hub Bitesize Learning sessions for Admin, Recep and Non-Clinical has delivered 7 sessions so far with more to come
Barnet Training Hub launched its Bitesize learning series for the Admin, Recep and Non Clinical workforce in October and has delivered 7 sessions on varying topics so far. Spending 45-60 mins, online, learning and discussing topics that relate to day to day operations in General Practice.
4 of the topics are being delivered by our own Practice Managers along side other topics being delivered by our own GPs. More topics to come on EMIS, Learning disabilities, patient empathy, domestic abuse and managing challenging conversations. If you have missed any you can catch up on our programme page and also see the upcoming sessions. Great to see so many of our teams across the borough logging on and taking part.
For further details: please visit: Non Clinical Bitesize Learning Series 2022 | Barnet PCT Hub (barnetcepn.org.uk)
If you have any questions, please contact: barnet.cepnadmin@nhs.net
Dr Rakhee Shah takes the lead in Barnet for Multiprofessional Education Lead
We are pleased to say that Dr Rakhee Shah has taken up the role of Multi-professional Educational Lead in Barnet. She will be focussing on building on our existing Multi-professional education group, developing peer support, supporting supervision needs and sharing practice across the boroughs.
Dr Shah completed their own training in Barnet and is part of other Barnet training hub programmes including the Year 4 Medical Student Teaching and our GP Assistant programme with Enfield. She asks if all educators – clinical and non clinical can complete the survey:-https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/G5KNJ7G by 7th November. The aim is to identify all the educator roles in Barnet and then build the faculty! This continues on from the work completed by Dr Joe Fernandes. We hope you will help support Dr Shah in their new role.
For more information, please email: barnet.cepnadmin@nhs.net
Research
Research Studies for Barnet GP Practices
Many thanks to all practices who are taking part in the “Search & Send” studies (EMIS search and a text to patients). The studies are LOLIPOP (S Asian Biomarkers), VAPELINE (Smoking cessation) – £200 per study and HARMONIE (Baby RSV vaccine) £268 + £53 per participant . Any practices wishing to join, please contact Dr Jo Yong.( The ELOPE study now has sufficient practices).
The closing work on the SUMMIT study is due to complete ahead of publication. Thank you again to the 47 Barnet GP practices which engaged in recruitment for this nationwide lung cancer screening study – we await study findings.
The Liverscreen study (random scanning of all over 40s with no h/o liver issues) started on 12th October at the St Andrews practice. We aim to invite patients of nearby practices over the course of the study.
For more information, please feel free to contact:
Dr Jo Yong – barccg.barnetresearchnetwork@nhs.net
David Jones at Noclor – davidjones@nhs.net