Primary care bulletin - 10 April 2024
Bulletin:
EMIS F12 launches; ICHT cancer improvement programme; GP cancer bulletin; medical devices database and more

Welcome to this week's primary care bulletin

Key points this week include:
  • GP cancer bulletin
  • EMIS F12 launches
  • ICHT cancer improvement programme
  • Spring 2024 COVID-19 vaccination programme
  • Medical devices database
  • Medical examiners service and changes to medicinal certifcate for cause of death (MCCD)
  • Oversight for Ihep community engagement project
  • Seasonal flu primary care contractual documentation
  • NW London diabetes path to remission programme 
  • Change to online support for adults experiencing mental health difficulties 
  • NW London cervical screening survey - request for help to complete our survey
  • Cost of living support for local residents
  • Stress Awareness Month - Keeping Well NW London 
  • Training, webinars and more

GP cancer bulletin


This edition of the cancer bulletin includes:
  • Bowel Cancer Awareness Month – ACTION FOR PRACTICES: All practice staff
  • Temporary pause to cervical and bowel cancer screening SMS reminders – ACTION FOR PRACTICES: All practice staff
  • Pan London Urgent Suspected Cancer Referral forms – Updated on SystemOne: All GPs
  • Job opportunity:  GP recruitment: Imperial College Healthcare Non Site Specific (NSS) Rapid Diagnostic Centre (RDC) – All GPs
  • Cervical Screening Assessor / Mentor training dates: 23rd April 2024 - All Practice Nurses, Physician associates and GPs
  • Primary care education resource to support urgent suspected cancer referrals - new module now live - Brain cancer – All GPs
  • Gateway C – Training resources for April – All practice staff
    West London Primary Care education schedule – All practice staff

EMIS F12 launches 


The NWL F12 template launcher provides EMIS users in North West London quick access to all of the templates created and maintained by the NWL IT Primary Care Systems team, and it have been updated with the latest enhanced services templates. 

The F12 launcher is an easy way of accessing all the templates which have been created for local contracts and services, especially those which generate a payment. Templates can still be accessed from the patient record in the usual way (Add > data using template > choose template from the template picker) in addition to accessing via F12.

Each user will need to configure their own F12 shortcut

The user guides can be found in the user group team for your borough. If you do not have access please click here to email the NHS NWL service desk and they can add you to your borough team.

ICHT cancer improvement programme


Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust have started a review of their cancer pathways to make sure their care is as patient-centred and joined up as possible. The programme will draw on the views and experiences of staff, as well as patients and their families and health and care partners, to explore better ways of working and potential areas for focused investment.  

They want to speak to people who have received lung cancer care at Charing Cross, Hammersmith or St Mary’s hospitals in the last year, as well as people who have supported them. 

Please could you support by sharing the poster in your surgeries and direct any appropriate patients to www.imperial.nhs.uk/lungcancer 

If you are interested in helping to improve the cancer care at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, please email imperial.userinsights@nhs.net  

Spring 2024 COVID-19 vaccination programme


The COVID-19 vaccination campaign launches on 15 April, starting with visits to older adult care homes and housebound patients. For all other eligible cohorts, vaccinations will be available from 22 April 2024 - 30 June 2024.

Where a site offers appointments via National Booking System (NBS), patients will be able to book their vaccination from Monday 15 April 2024 for vaccination week commencing 22 April 2024. 

From 22 April 2024, those eligible can also visit a walk-in site with no need for an appointment. It is advised that individuals contact the vaccination site in advance to confirm when the site is planning a COVID-19 vaccination clinic. They do not have to be registered with the NHS to use walk-in services and do not need to bring any identification.

Those eligible for vaccinations in Spring 2024 are:

adults aged 75 years and over.
residents in care homes for older adults. 
individuals aged 6 months and over who are immunosuppressed (as defined in the Green Book, chapter 14a; tables 3 and 4).
 
Please also note that not all sites offer vaccination to children as this is subject to site meeting assurance requirements. It is advised to contact the site in advance to check this.

Details of most up to date locations that will offer COVID-19 vaccination are available here.

Medical devices database


As part of the primary care medical devices MOU process agreed in early 2023 (see attached), the PCNs across North West London ICB were given funding to cover the cost of refreshing your medical devices.

The next step is to upgrade some software on your computers.
  • This is the responsibility of the medical device suppliers and practices to arrange, the work needs to be completed before 9 July 2024. Anything using SQL 2014 or below will become unsupported & unusable. 
You must have the newer medical devices and software (where applicable) so that they continue to record on your clinical system.

If you are still using old equipment (medical devices), then these will stop recording on your clinical system when SQL 2014 is disabled post 9 July 2024.

If you are concerned if your equipment is old, then please contact your medical equipment supplier ASAP, who will advise you.

If you need to refresh any medical equipment, then please do this immediately.

Please speak to your PCN about the funding for medical device upgrades. 

We are planning to begin scheduling the software deactivation from 9 July 2024, so please ensure you have the appropriate medical devices and needed Software in place by then.

Further information will be published closer to the time.

Example: Welch Allyn ABPM/ECG (Cardio Perfect), the software includes as a dependency the installation and the use of Microsoft SQL server to store data, the version of SQL server is dependent on the medical device hardware. The practice needs to ensure that the software and the hardware is up to date with no vulnerable software still installed which includes SQL server 2014 and below used by ABPM/ECG software.

Medical Examiners Service and changes to Medicinal Certificate for Cause of Death (MCCD)


We are still awaiting a date for these changes to become statutory  - we will keep you updated.

In the meantime you should continue to use the medical examiners service, if your practice is set-up. If your practice is not yet set up please use this time to get ready for implementation.

Guides for setting upSystmOne and EMIS can be found below – along with FAQs, staff and public information on the ME service.
NEW: Medical examiner process :: North West London ICS (nwlondonicb.nhs.uk)

Oversight for lhep community engagement project


NHS England and health partners recently extended an invitation for you to complete a short survey and/or attend an interview exploring “General Practice community engagement to reduce health inequalities in London”. 

If you have not participated, this is a reminder that the survey will close on the 15 of April, and the interviews will continue until the end of April. Please find attached a formal letter of invitation and further information on participation from Dr Agatha Nortley-Meshe, Regional Medical Director for Primary Care.

The purpose of the survey and focus groups is to understand variations in practice around general practice community engagement to reduce health inequalities across London, what is or isn’t working, why, and how best you can be supported. We intend to share findings and best practice from this work. We will also influence the health system and health policies to support General Practice in community engagement to reduce health inequalities.

For any queries regarding the study, please refer to the participant information sheet or contact m.karki@imperial.ac.uk.

Seasonal flu primary care contractual documentation 


On behalf of Marie-Claire Demblon, Head of Unit – Flu and Vaccination and Immunisation primary care contracts

The seasonal flu primary care contractual documentation has now been published. The flu letter sets out JCVI advice on moving the start of the programme for most adults to October, with the exact start date to be confirmed in due course. The contractual documentation remains largely the same as 2023/24, but please review in full: 

For GPs: 
Seasonal influenza enhanced service (adults and at risk) specification 
Childhood influenza enhanced service specification 
Seasonal vaccination influenza collaboration agreement 

For CPs: 
Seasonal influenza advanced service specification 
 
It is recognised that following clinical assessment, there may be a small number of other adults for whom it would be better not to delay flu vaccination until October. For example, for those who are due to commence immunosuppressive treatment (such as chemotherapy) and therefore having the flu vaccine before they start treatment would allow a better response to their vaccination. To enable flu vaccinations to be administered in exceptional clinical circumstances, the contractual start date for the general practice seasonal influenza enhanced service will be the 15 August 2024. This clinical exception only applies to general practice delivered flu vaccinations and where a practice has clinically assessed the need for vaccination before the announced and authorised start date for the majority of adult cohorts, practices will be entitled to payment of the item of service fee where the commissioner is satisfied exceptional clinical circumstances applied. The payment will need to be requested via usual manual payment claim routes prior to 1 October 2024.

The item of service fee will remain the same for both general practice and community pharmacy for the 2024/25 programme.

The GPES extracts will be updated to phase the start date for all adult cohorts (those aged 18 and over), except for those who are pregnant, from 1 October 2024. However, any vaccinations provided by a practice prior to the announced and authorised start date will not be eligible for payment unless an exceptional clinical circumstance applied as outlined above. 

Community pharmacy will not be eligible for any payment for flu vaccinations administered to the relevant adult cohorts prior to the announced and authorised start date. The payment systems will be setup to prevent payment claims being made in advance of this date. 

For any queries please contact: england.vacspolicyandcontracts@nhs.net

NW London diabetes path to remission programme  


Download the letter here. 

Change to online support for adults experiencing mental health difficulties


Qwell, the online counselling service for adults aged 18+ who live in North West London (Brent, Harrow, Hillingdon, Westminster, Kensington and Chelsea, Ealing, H&F, Hounslow) closed on Sunday 31 March 2024.

Qwell is provided by Kooth, who will continue to offer online support for young people up to 25 years with access to free, safe and anonymous support through an online mental health platform providing community, practitioner support, and self-help activities.

Adults experiencing difficulties with anxiety and depression can still get support face to face or in an online appointment from NHS Talking Therapies Services – this provides free, confidential talking therapy and specialist mental health support.

Please find a list of alternative support services below that service users can be signposted to, depending on need:

Brent, Harrow, Hillingdon, Westminster, Kensington and Chelsea –

CNWL Single Point of Access - This is a mental health crisis line with 24/7 access
CNWL Talking Therapies - Free and confidential service providing treatments for low mood, depression and anxiety. This service accepts self-referrals
The Coves - Daily drop-in support service for people aged 16+

Ealing, Hammersmith and Fulham, Hounslow –

WLT Mental Health Helpline This is a mental health crisis line with 24/7 access
WLT Talking Therapies - Free and confidential service providing treatments for low mood, depression and anxiety. This service accepts self-referrals
Ealing Crisis Centre - a new service for those experiencing a mental health crisis
Ealing Mind
Young Adults Mental Health and Wellbeing Space

Nationwide/ London Wide – 

Samaritans - A 24/7 free confidential support line for those in need
Papyrus UK - Suicide Prevention and Mental Health support for people aged 35 or below
Shout - 24/7 Crisis Text Service for Mental Health Support
Hub of Hope - The UK's leading Mental Health database
Best for You - Website library of NHS approved mental health apps and content
Good Thinking - Online Service for Londoners. Provides self-help tools for mental health and wellbeing

NHS 111 - If you are experiencing something that makes you feel unsafe, distressed, or worried about your mental health, you can contact your local crisis service from Tuesday 2 April 2024 by calling NHS 111 and selecting the mental health option

GP Service – If more intense support is needed, a GP can assess and decide upon the best approach. 

For any further queries, please read this article or email cnwl.jamesonupdates@nhs.net. 

NWL cervical screening survey - request for help to complete our survey


NWL are committed to ensuring excellent clinical effectiveness and are working with primary care to increase cervical screening uptake within our population. The Cervical Screening Task and Finish Group have been working with RM Partners, cancer screening leads and primary care colleagues to learn what the challenges and possible solutions are around cervical screening uptake. 

The team are asking for your help to support gather detailed information about cervical screening processes at practice level, especially in terms of what is working well and where further support may be required. 

This data will support the group to gain a greater understanding of the current processes and what General Practice requires to manage and deliver the demands of the National Cervical Screening Programme.

The team would therefore be grateful if you could take some time to complete the short survey. Only one response per practice is required.

If you have any questions, please email the Borough Professional Leads at: nhsnwl.pcquality@nhs.net

Cost of living support for local residents


Please can you include following short article in any patient facing newsletter and place on practice website

Find out what support is available to you with the cost of living.

It’s important to remember there is still support available. This can include schemes and discounts to help individuals and their families, and those who are disabled or are Severely Mentally Impaired (SMI).

Our cost of living pages act as a ‘one-stop-shop’ for information about these schemes, as well as local support and advice about the cost of living.

The pages now include information about the NHS Healthy Start Scheme. It is designed to help support parents with the costs of buying milk, fruit, vegetables and instant formula, along with other selected items. It is open to parents with children under the age of four who meet an eligibility criterion.

Access our pages here.

Stress Awareness Month – Keeping Well NWL


April marks Stress Awareness Month. The NHS has been identified as having higher than average stress-related sickness absence, compared to all job sectors across the country. (NHS Digital Statistics). 

This year’s theme for Stress Awareness Month is “little by little”, aiming to highlight how even the smallest steps taken each day towards self-care and stress reduction can yield significant improvements in mental health over time.

Find out more about The Stress Society’s resources here, about supporting our NHS people and the Keeping Well NWL dedicated stress & burnout page

We are here to support you. Get in touch with us by:     
Telephone: 0300 123 1705  
Email: keepingwell.nwl@nhs.net     
Complete a self-referral form 

Education and training

Medicines optimisation team forum   


Thursday 4 April 2024 at 1:00pm-2:00pm

Join the Medicines Optimisation Team for an update on the Valproate National Patient Safety Alert, and forthcoming Medicines Optimisation Enhanced Service 24/25.

The forum will take place quarterly throughout the year with this being the first one. 

Teams link to the forum. 

Practice free mindfulness based stress reduction (MBSR) with Keeping Well NWL 


Join Peter Helmer, NHS mindfulness practitioner with the Keeping Well NWL service for an eight week MBSR programme, free to join for all staff.   

What is MBSR: 
MBSR is an 8-week training program that can help us better understand how stress manifests in our day to day lives and how mindfulness can help.  There is further information about mindfulness and resources for relaxation here. 

How to join: 
We have a limited number of spaces remaining in two groups starting in April and June 2024, the dates and timings for the groups are as follows: 

Monday 17 April, 4-6pm - for 8 weeks
Wednesday 3 June, 7-9pm - for 8 weeks 

If you are interested in joining please email us at - keepingwell.nwl@nhs.net  

We are here to support you. Get in touch with us by:  

Telephone: 0300 123 1705  
Email: keepingwell.nwl@nhs.net  
Complete a self-referral form 

Pan London infection prevention and control conference 


Wednesday 8 May

The conference has a focus on infection prevention and control in adult social care settings in London including care homes, supported living, private care and hospice care.

Presentations include:
  • Back to the Basics of IPC
  • Surviving Sepsis- a personal journey
  • Measles Update
  • Focus on risk
  • Not the bug
  • Practical prevention in the community and recognition
  • Prevention
  • Management of urinary tract infections
The event is via MS teams. Places are limited and on first come first serve basis, click here to book your spot on Eventbrite now! 

 Agenda and flyer are attached.  

Multiple dates available for polypharmacy action learning set workshops


Cohort fifteen - 17 April, 1 and 15 May 2024
Cohort sixteen - 8 and 22 May, 5 June 2024
Cohort seventeen - 12 and 26 June, 10 July
Cohort eighteen - 19 June, 3 and 17 July

The National Polypharmacy Programme invites you to join the action learning set (ALS) to help build GP and prescribing health care professionals’ confidence in, and understanding of, the complex issue surrounding and stopping inappropriate medicines safely. Delegates need to attend all three sessions. The ALS with also help PCNs deliver the medicines optimisation elements of the new Directed Enhanced Services contract and contributes to the QoF.

To learn more about the Polypharmacy ALS please click here, to register for either: 

Cohort 15 please click here
Cohort 16 please click here
Cohort 17 please click here
Cohort 18 please click here

Feel free to circulate this invite to other colleagues who may be interested. 

For further information and/or to get involved with the ICHP Polypharmacy Programme please contact - catherine.caldwell@imperialcollegehealthpartners.com