Primary care bulletin - 22 May 2024
Bulletin:
New provider for NHS community services in Hounslow, Spring bank holiday pharmacy opening times, Learning from Oliver's Story webinar and more

Welcome to this week's primary care bulletin

Key points this week include:
  • New provider for NHS community services in Hounslow
  • Spring bank holiday (Monday 27 May) may affect pharmacy opening hours
  • For action: final preparations for transition to the Cervical Screening Management System (CSMS) 
  • Learning from Oliver's Story: a NW London Discussion
  • Latest on Mount Vernon Cancer Centre Strategic Review
  • RM Partners: cancer GP bulletin
  • Invitation to work with your NW London Medicines Optimisation Team
  • Medical Director for Primary Care and Deputy Chief Medical Officer jobs are now live on NHS Jobs
  • Keeping Well: moving more for our mental health
  • RM Partners Community Cancer Awareness Grants Programme
  • Survey on social welfare advice in North West London
  • Training and webinars including:
    • Lifestyle medicine webinar
    • Reducing health inequalities in pharmacy - showcasing written medicine's technology
    • Reducing admissions and improving quality of life for patients with COPD

New provider for NHS community services in Hounslow


West London NHS Trust (WLT) will be the new provider of community health services in Hounslow from July 2024, after NHS North West London Integrated Care Board (ICB) and Hounslow and Richmond Community Healthcare NHS Trust (HRCH) agreed to end their current contractual arrangement.

There will be no changes to patient services, which will ‘lift and shift’ from HRCH to WLT. WLT have been selected as the new provider by the ICB, under the new national provider selection regime.

Click here to find out more

Spring bank holiday (Monday 27 May) may affect pharmacy opening hours


This table provides the opening hours for pharmacies in North West London which have been asked to open over the Spring bank holiday (Monday 27 May).

There may be additional pharmacies opening which are not listed. Patients can also check pharmacy opening hours by searching at ‘NHS find a pharmacy’ or by calling NHS 111.

Additionally, some pharmacies may close early on Saturday 25 May; opening hours on this day can be checked by using the above methods.

For action: final preparations for transition to the Cervical Screening Management System (CSMS) 


We are now in the final stages of testing the CSMS, the new IT system that will support the continued success of the NHS Cervical Screening Programme. We expect the system to go live during late June 2024.  

Final actions outlined in the system letter issued on 21 May 2024 must be completed by 17 June 2024 by all staff delivering cervical screening services.  
  1. Carry out a check to confirm they can access CSMS - this guidance will support completing an access check and what to do if any problems are encountered. 
  2. Complete CSMS training – Part 1 Introducing the new CSMS and Part 2 Using the new CSMS which are now live on the Learning Hub (to access, use your e-Learning for Health login). Training must be completed before using the new CSMS.
In addition, GP practices have been asked to review and update email details held on Open Exeter to continue to receive prior notification list (PNL) reminders and support effective call/recall of patients. 

Once CSMS goes live, it will be accessed via an NHS smartcard and the current Open Exeter system will no longer be accessible for the purposes of delivering NHS cervical screening services. 

Should you have any questions or require further assistance, please contact the CSMS Implementation Team at screening.implementation@nhs.net

Learning from Oliver's Story: a NW London Discussion


The Hounslow Primary Care Training Hub recently hosted three local webinars to help raise awareness of The Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training for Learning Disability and Autism among GP surgeries and PCNs.

The final webinar was open to all health and social care partners across North West London and a recording is now available so more of your workforce can view it.  

This recording is a hidden link and therefore we’d ask you not to share it on public websites or circulate beyond NW London health and social care colleagues.

In the webinar colleagues can hear Oliver’s Story from his mother Paula McGowan OBE. Paula’s presentation includes a video update from Philippa Spicer, the NHS England SRO for the training. The webinar also includes a panel discussion facilitated by Dr Ketana Halai, NW London ICS GP Clinical Lead for Learning Disability and Autism.

Once you have watched the webinar, please complete this form to request your attendance certificate.

If you have any questions relating to this webinar, please email hrch.traininghubhounslow@nhs.net

Latest on Mount Vernon Cancer Centre Strategic Review


Following news last year that proposals to relocate Mount Vernon Cancer Centre (MVCC) had not been selected to join the New Hospitals Programme, work has continued to discuss possible ways to meet the urgent need to re-provide MVCC services on an acute hospital site.

NHS England’s Chief Finance Officer has provided a commitment in writing to work jointly with commissioning teams to identify the necessary local and national money for the scheme which has been confirmed as a regional priority. The scheme will still require capital funding to be made available before building could begin.

At the recent national Strategy, Planning and Investment Committee, it was agreed that public consultation could go ahead on proposals to relocate MVCC. This is subject to the normal NHS England assurance processes for schemes requiring public consultation.

Find out more

RM Partners: cancer GP bulletin


This cancer GP bulletin contains updates for GPs and practice staff on several areas, including C the Signs, Community Cancer Awareness Grants Programme, and the Multi Cancer Blood Testing Programme - click here to view the full bulletin.

Invitation to work with your NW London Medicines Optimisation Team


The Medicines Optimisation Team is looking for doctors, nurses and pharmacists working in NW London to collaborate with them on optimising medicines use. If you are interested, please contact the team at nhsnwl.mpt@nhs.net

Please see the attached flyer for more details.

Medical Director for Primary Care and Deputy Chief Medical Officer jobs are now live on NHS Jobs


The following roles are now live on NHS Jobs:

807-NWL-638 – Medical Director for Primary Care
807-NWL-639 – Deputy Chief Medical Officer

The closing date for applications for both roles is Sunday 2 June 2024. We look forward to receiving your applications.

Keeping Well: moving more for our mental health


Following on from Mental Health Awareness Week last week, we want to remind all colleagues about the benefits of movement on our mental health. These can include improved mood, confidence, sleep, concentration and memory as well as a reduction in anxiety, stress and inflammation. 

It’s important to remember that even short bursts of activity are beneficial. As little as 15 minutes of movement a day has been shown to positively impact mental health.

The Keeping Well website has a dedicated page with more information about physical health offers and discounts accessible to NHS staff.

The service is here to support you. You can get in touch by:     

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

RM Partners Community Cancer Awareness Grants Programme


Do you know a local community or voluntary group that would you like to run an event to support local people to stay healthy and well, and help increase cancer awareness in your local community? If so, funding is available.

RM Partners, the North West and South West London Cancer Alliance is offering up to £500 to local community and voluntary groups to deliver activities and events that support local people to stay healthy and well.

Events or activities need to take place between 15 July and 30 September 2024.

Click here to find out more. Applications are open until 31 May 2024.

Survey on social welfare advice in North West London


The population health team is working with ICS colleagues to better understand how people who need advice and assistance with social welfare problems, such as welfare benefits, housing, debt, employment rights, and immigration, are assisted to resolve their problems.

To do this they have set up a survey for frontline statutory and voluntary sector staff and volunteers, in health, social care, social prescribing, foodbanks, hospitals etc, across the eight NW London boroughs to find out how access to social welfare advice provision can be improved and better integrated. 

The team would really like to hear your views and experience, either as someone who refers residents into social welfare advice services or someone who provides welfare advice. You can access the survey here - it should only take about 20 minutes to complete. The deadline for submissions is Monday 3 June.

Education and training

Lifestyle medicine webinar


Thursday 23 May, 1pm 

This webinar is for GPs and primary care teams 

The webinar will be hosted by Dr Tony Willis, GP and Clinical Lead for Personalised Care, Clinical Effectiveness and Diabetes for NW London.

It will cover:
  • Learning about four lifestyle factors to reduce risk of chronic disease by 78%
  • Key principles of lifestyle medicine
  • The powerful evidence base for lifestyle medicine
  • Practical tips to support patients in making sustainable changes
Click here to register for the webinar.

If you have any queries before then, please get in touch with Eleanor.phelan@nhs.net

Reducing health inequalities in pharmacy – showcasing written medicine’s technology


Tuesday 28 May, 12.30 – 1.30pm

This webinar will showcase Written Medicine’s technology for the translation of pharmacy labels and discharge papers, and the benefit that this could have on reducing health inequalities, inaccurate use of medication and adverse events.  

Click here to register.

Reducing admissions and improving quality of life for patients with COPD


Thursday 6 June, 12 – 1.30pm

This webinar will focus on Lenus’ technology for the remote monitoring of patients with COPD. HIYH has recently supported an evaluation of the technology at Hull University Teaching Hospitals Trust. The webinar will cover these results with talks from the clinical team and from York Health Economics Consortium.  

Click here to register for the webinar.