Primary care bulletin  - 25 September 2024
Bulletin:
Reporting of non-coronial deaths; COVID vaccination; change of complaints numbers; and more

Welcome to this week's primary care bulletin

Key points this week include:
  • All non-coronial deaths must now be referred to the medical examiner’s office
  • COVID-19 seasonal vaccination programme – Autumn/Winter 2024/25
  • Prompts to support vaccination decision making for people with a learning disability
  • Change of NHS NW London complains phone number
  • Brent and Harrow perinatal Mental Health Service open for self-referral
  • The HEART UK Nutrition Academy
  • World Heart Day takes place on 29 September 2024
  • Practice free Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) with Keeping Well NW London 
Webinars and training, including:
  • Managing chronic pain course - Hammersmith and Fulham practice pharmacists and PCN staff only
  • Interpreting blood test results webinar
  • ICHP Masterclass - Safe Prescribing in Frailty: Tackling Overuse & Anticholinergic Risks
  • Are Your Medicines Working For You? Translations for SMRs  
  • Final Dates Released for Polypharmacy Action Learning Set Workshops

If you have any submissions for this bulletin please email them to the communications inbox - nhsnwl.communications.nwl@nhs.net

Deadline for content is 3pm Monday

To view any previous editions click here
All non-coronial deaths must now be referred to the medical examiner’s office

The new legislation is now in place and all non-coronial deaths must be referred to the medical examiner’s office.

All information about the change and updated FAQs can be found on the website here.

If you have any questions about the process or are unsure of anything, please do speak to your local medical examiner’s office.

Any IT issues relating to the new process please contact the IT team.
COVID-19 seasonal vaccination programme – Autumn/Winter 2024/25

Identifying and inviting (or signposting) of persons aged 6 months to 64 years who are in a clinical risk group AND Vaccination of infants aged 6 months to 4 year olds who are in a clinical risk group.
 
The government has announced that a Covid-19 booster dose will be made available to individuals aged 6 months to 64 years in a clinical risk group as defined in tables 3 and 4 of the COVID-19 chapter of the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) Green Book on immunisation against infectious disease COVID-19 Greenbook chapter 14a.

National call/recall service will remind & invite patients on a clinical risk group letting them know that they are eligible for a booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine this Autumn. 

The NHS North West London COVID-19 website is now fully up to date with the listings of confirmed vaccination centres and pharmacy sites within each borough, where people can book (from 23 September) or walk-in for their COVID-19 booster vaccination from 3 October. Please also note that not all sites offer vaccination to children, so please contact the site in advance if child vaccination is required.

Any patient querying where they can get a booster vaccination can be directed to this NHS North West London webpage.

Click here for details about the actions required by practices.
Prompts to support vaccination decision making for people with a learning disability

Click here for the guidance for flu vaccination, and here for COVID-19 vaccination.
Change of NHS NW London complains phone number

Please note that the new NHS NW London Complaints Team number is 0203 350 4141. Find out about the NHS complaints process and relevant contacts here.
Brent and Harrow perinatal Mental Health Service open for self-referral  

The Brent and Harrow Perinatal Mental Health team support women and birthing people with their mental and emotional wellbeing during pregnancy and up to two years after having a baby. 

The service is now open for people to self-refer. 

Find out more here.
The HEART UK Nutrition Academy

The HEART UK Nutrition Academy has recently launched which aims to provide Health Professionals with the latest dietary advice, information, support and training on cholesterol and other lipid disorders. 

Here you will find the most reliable information on diet and lipids based on the up-to-date evidence: Nutrition Academy for Health Professionals - HEART UK.

Action: please review this resource and share with wider partners as appropriate.  This resource may be particularly useful for Integrated Neighbourhood Teams to promote a standardised offer / approach to management of cholesterol and other lipid disorders.
World Heart Day takes place on 29 September 2024

World Heart Day is an annual event which aims to increase awareness of cardiovascular diseases (CVD), and their global impact. 

The NHS Long Term Plan identifies cardiovascular disease (CVD) as a clinical priority and the single biggest condition where lives can be saved by the NHS over the next 10 years. There is a major National ambition to prevent 150,000 strokes, heart attacks and dementia cases by improving the detection and treatment of the high-risk conditions of Atrial Fibrillation, hypertension (high BP) and high cholesterol. 

It is important we continue to detect and treat patients with cardiovascular diseases, especially those hard to reach patients; CVD is a primary driver of health inequalities, as reflected in the CORE20PLUS5 clinical areas for NW London.  

Actions:

1. Continue to actively take blood pressure to increase detection rates of hypertension
2. Continue to actively promote and review progress treatment plans for hypertensive patients
3. Ensure hypertensive patients have had a blood pressure check in the last 12 months 

More information is available here.
Practice free Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) with Keeping Well NW London

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

MBSR is an 8-week training programme 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.  

We have a limited number of spaces remaining. The sessions take place from 4 - 6pm on Monday 14 October and last eight weels.

If you are interested in joining please complete our self-referral form and tick the option ‘Access Mindfulness Sessions’.

Education and training
Managing chronic pain - Hammersmith and Fulham practice pharmacists and PCN staff only

Managing chronic pain, particularly when discussing deprescribing, can be complex. Connect Health (NW London MSK Partnership provider) are offering an opportunity to enhance your approach with evidence-based strategies designed to empower your patients in managing their pain more effectively.

This tailored program for practice pharmacists and PCN staff will enable you to:
  • Adopt a coaching mindset to support chronic pain management
  • Communicate the latest insights on chronic pain with confidence
  • Promote non-pharmacological alternatives to improve patient outcomes
  • Refine your consultation skills to foster patient engagement and support deprescribing
The course consists of two interactive sessions, available in October or December, please click here to register your interest.

Feel free to circulate this invite to other H&F Practice Pharmacists and PCN staff who may be interested. 
Interpreting blood test results webinar

GatewayC and RM Partners Cancer Alliance are holding a free half-hour webinar on ‘Interpreting Blood Test Results in Suspected Cancer’ on Wednesday 16 October 2024, 1.00 - 1.30pm. This is a chance to refresh your cancer knowledge and hear the latest pathway updates for West London. Register your free place here.
ICHP Masterclass - Safe Prescribing in Frailty: Tackling Overuse & Anticholinergic Risks

The webinar takes place on Wednesday 9 October 2024 with Dr Graham Stretch, PCPA President, Partner Argyle GP, Lead Pharmacist Ealing Community Partners. 

Dr Graham Stretch and Imperial College Health Partners would like to invite you to attend our upcoming Safe Prescribing in Frailty: Tackling Overuse & Anticholinergic Risks webinar on Wednesday the 9th of October 2024 from 12pm to 2pm. In this session we will examine medicines overuse in patients living with frailty with particular reference to the dangers of anti-cholinergic medicines and cognitive impairment. We will use case-based discussions to highlight tools, resources and strategies to reduce risk of medication related harms and overprescribing in frailty  

Please click here to register for the session.  

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 
Are Your Medicines Working For You? Translations for SMRs  

ICHP are looking to roll out the translated Polypharmacy – Are Your Medicines Working For You? across the wider NWL footprint. The patient facing checklist aims to help patients and health professionals have conversations about medicines. Are Your Medicines Working For You? focuses on empowering patients to have discussions and structured medication review with their GP, Practice Pharmacist, or other health professional.

For further information and/or to get involved with the ICHP Polypharmacy Programme please contact  

catherine.caldwell@imperialcollegehealthpartners.com
Final Dates Released for Polypharmacy Action Learning Set Workshops

Cohort twenty – 16 October, 6 and 20 November 2024

Cohort twenty-one - 13 and 27 November and 11 December 2024

Cohort twenty-two - 22 January, 5 and 26 February June 2025

The National Polypharmacy Programme exclusively invites our NWL prescribers to join the Action Learning Set (ALS). The programme aims to 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 20 please click here

Cohort 21 please click here

Cohort 22 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