Primary care bulletin - 2 April 2025

Spring 2025 COVID-19 vaccination programme launches from Tuesday, 1 April 2025

Colleagues, please relay the following information to all of your eligible patients:

Spring 2025 COVID-19 vaccination programme launches from Tuesday, 1 April 2025

From Tuesday, 1 April to Tuesday, 17 June 2025, the seasonal COVID-19 vaccination will be available, free of charge, for those who are at greatest risk of becoming seriously ill from the virus.

The national booking system opened to the public on Tuesday, 25 March 2025, and a number of walk-in sites will be available across North West London from Tuesday, 1 April 2025.

No booking is required at walk-in clinics, but it is advised to contact the vaccination site in advance to confirm their opening times. Individuals do not need to be registered with the NHS to use walk-in services and do not need to bring any identification.

Those eligible for vaccinations this Spring 2025 are:

Adults aged 75 years and over
Residents in a care home for older adults
Individuals aged 6 months and over who are immunosuppressed, as defined in COVID-19: The Green Book, Chapter 14a; Tables 3 and 4 (PDF).

Please also note that not all sites offer vaccinations to children or members of the general public. It is advised to contact the site in advance to check this.

The list of North West London sites offering COVID-19 vaccinations to the general public can be accessed using the link: Where to get your vaccines.

S1/EMIS searches for GPs to identify, invite and vaccinate persons aged 6 months and over who are immunosuppressed (reminder)

The government has accepted JCVI advice that NHS should plan for a seasonal COVID-19 vaccination programme in Spring 2025. This means that a COVID-19 booster dose will be made available to individuals aged 6 months and over who are immunosuppressed, as defined in COVID-19: the green book, chapter 14a; Tables 3 and 4.

The national call/recall service will invite and remind eligible people (including those who are immunosuppressed) to get their COVID-19 vaccination this Spring. Find out more: COVID-19 seasonal vaccination programme – Spring 2025.

Update for contractors using EMIS PharmOutcomes IT system

An operational note has been issued regarding an ongoing issue with unactioned post-event messages, affecting contractors using the EMIS Pharmoutcomes IT system. Find out more: Reminder of patient safety notification: update for contractors using EMIS PharmOutcomes IT system (PDF).

This follows up on the operational note that was sent on 16 September 2024. Find out more: Patient safety notification for contractors using EMIS PharmOutcomes IT system September 2024 (PDF).

New NW London community MSK EMIS to SystmOne sharing agreement

Within the next two working weeks, EMIS users within Brent, Harrow and Hillingdon will see a new sharing agreement become available in their EMIS Web clinical system.

This agreement, titled "NHS NW London Community MSK Service", will enable EMIS to SystmOne sharing, allowing the NHS NW London Community MSK service to view patient records. It will also allow GP teams to access patient records held by the community MSK Service. This sharing is RBAC controlled and is only available whilst your patient is within the active caseload of the community MSK team.

To activate the agreement, please navigate to your EMIS data sharing manager within EMIS Web and the agreement will be found within the care record data sharing tab. A user guide can be found here.

For any support in activating this agreement, please reach out to our NW London IT Service Desk Support team via: nhsnwl.servicedesk@nhs.net

Discrepancies in NDPP/NDH starter data

There have been discrepancies noted between the data from several practices and the provider data regarding the number of starters for the NDPP/NDH programme. Practices are being asked to verify that the number of starters they are reporting is accurate. This verification should be completed before the year-end.

A review of the provider data will be conducted to justify payment for starters, but ensuring that reported data is correct is essential.

The issues related to this programme are currently being addressed as part of an ongoing specification review.

WorkWell good news story

In a remarkable story of resilience and transformation, one Hillingdon resident shows how the right support can change lives.

When Garry first walked through the doors of WorkWell – North West London on 10 December 2024, he was facing significant challenges. Living with both ADHD and autism had made maintaining stable employment difficult, and his conditions had contributed to struggles with substance use in the past. Just 35 days sober on his first attempt, an achievement he found incredibly challenging, Garry was determined to turn his life around but needed support to navigate his path forward.

Find out more: Garry's journey with WorkWell (PDF).

Volunteer lived experience representatives

NHS North West London is looking for passionate volunteers to help shape local healthcare. If you have lived experience of managing a long-term condition, or care for someone who does, you can make a real difference by joining the programme group for long-term conditions.

Residents aged 18 and above from Brent, Ealing, Hammersmith & Fulham, Harrow, Hillingdon, Hounslow, Kensington and Chelsea, and Westminster are welcome to apply. Your insights will help improve patient outcomes and reduce health inequalities.

This volunteer role lasts for 12 months, with a six-month review. The deadline to apply is 07 April 2025. Find out more: Volunteer lived experience representatives information and application pack.

Education and training