Welcome to this week's primary care bulletin

Key points this week include:

• NHS NW London cancer bulletin
• Workforce update
• Cold-health alerts in place
• Antibiotic-resistant Shigella
• NHS England infection diagnosis digital coding survey
• Training, webinars and more
  • Overcoming vaccine hesitancy webinar
  • Mindfulness - reducing stress
  • Cardiovascular disease education series
  • Aquatics and swimming programme 

NHS NW London cancer bulletin

This edition of the cancer bulletin includes:

Breast Screening for Trans and Non Binary people (for GPs, Practice Nurses and Practice Managers)
West London Webinar: Focus on Prostate Cancer - 31 January 2024 1-2pm (for GPs and Practice Nurses)
West London Primary Care education opportunities (for all groups)

Workforce update

FAO: GP's, clinical staff, practice managers and practice staff

NWL Flexible Pool Digital Provider

Hounslow Consortium have been commissioned to run the Flexible Digital Pool across NWL along with Agilio TeamNet (Technology) and My Locum Manager the (digital platform). 

What is My Locum Manager (MLM) and Flexible Pool?

·  A digital platform where you can advertise your session for local GPs 

·  The flexible pool allows the GP Locums the opportunity to work flexibly

·  GP practices can get access to local GPs in their area.

·  Helps reduce administrative burden in finding a locum to cover a shift. GP practices can book GPs instantly against clear terms and availability including the professional credentials of the locums you choose to work with

·  There is no cost to your practice as it has been funded by NWL ICB, this means that there are no fees for GP practices to find and book locums

·  Live training sessions are available on Eventbrite to demonstrate how the platform works and its benefits

Find out more:

To get started and register your practice: https://mylocummanager.com/ 

MLM support and guidance can be found here.

Following attendance at the training session, you will be required to register and claim your practice.

Cold-health alerts in place

The Cold-Health alerting system went live on 1 November.

We are particularly encouraging stakeholders to sign up for email alerts as the weather is especially cold at this time. 

As of 11 January, the CHAs issued by UKHSA and the Met Office have been extended until midday on Friday 18 January. All regions of England have currently been placed under a yellow alert. See the rolling news story.

If you would like to receive the alerts, please register and share the link with anyone you feel should be receiving them.

Antibiotic-resistant Shigella

FAO: Clinical staff

There has been a concerning rise in cases of extensively antibiotic-resistant Shigella sonnei infections, mainly in gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM), as detailed in a UKHSA press release.

The strain is difficult to treat because it does not respond to the antibiotics typically used to treat Shigella.

The UKHSA has advised the best way for patients to protect themselves and their partners is to practice good hygiene after sex. Avoid oral sex immediately after anal sex, and change condoms between anal or oral sex and wash your hands with soap after sexual contact. 

It’s important that gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM) do not dismiss their symptoms and speak to their GP or sexual health clinic (see also Sexual Health London), mentioning Shigella, if they are unwell.

More information is available about Shigella here or by calling the free National Sexual Health Helpline at 0300 123 7123.

NHS England infection diagnosis digital coding survey

NHS England are looking for responses from those who work in a primary care settings in England, care for patients with common acute infections and enter relevant details in the electronic health record. 

Almost 50% of prescriptions for antibiotics are not associated with a coded indication in the electronic health record. [Gulliford MC 2020] GPs have identified the lack of a shortlist of recommended codes as a barrier to digital coding of infection syndromes.

NHS England have commissioned NECS to develop a shortlist of recommended digital codes for common acute infection syndromes encountered in primary care. Implementation of a shortlist of recommended codes list is expected to bring a number of benefits, including:

•  Improved patient safety through better communication and continuity of patient care

•  Accurate information on burden of disease and significant changes over time

•  More efficient coding, supported by digital systems, to save time for clinicians

• Insights into antibiotic prescribing by diagnosis to understand variation in practice

Click here to complete the survey, it should take between 10-15 minutes and is intended to validate the recommendations of a Clinical and Digital Reference Group that reviewed SNOMED codes for common acute infection syndromes.

The survey will be open for two weeks, between Monday 15th January and Friday 26th January 2024.  

NHS NW London professionals webinar: Overcoming vaccine hesitancy

FAO: This webinar is open to all who work directly or indirectly with children and young people, for example, but not limited to; health visitor, community organiser, nursery/early years, nurse, paediatrician etc. 

Working with our partners and colleagues in Children and Young People’s health (CYP) NHS North West London has launched a monthly professional webinar. Each month a topic will be introduced by a professional in the field to prompt a discussion for attendees to share best practice, discuss barriers and opportunities to co-support our growing population. These webinars hope to provide a valuable, growing support network for clinical and non-clinical professionals.

Join us on Thursday 25 January, 13:30 – 14:00 for a webinar focused on vaccine hesitancy in the context of the growing reported cases of measles. 

This session will be led by Dr Elizabeth Whittaker (Imperial College HealthCare Trust) and colleagues from NW London Immunisation Team.

Click here for more information and to register.

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 February 2024, the dates and timings for the groups are as follows:

Monday 5 February, 4-6pm - for 8 weeks

Thursday 8 February, 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 

FAO: Clinical staff

Wednesday 24 January, 1-2pm, Dr Yasmin Razak and Healthy Hounslow. 

On behalf of Dr Yasmin Razak (Clinical Lead for Hypertension & Inequalities, Neohealth PCN, GP Principal & Trainer, Golborne medical practice) and Healthy Hounslow Health Checks, we would like to invite you to the upcoming CVD webinar on “Innovations in NWL” on Wednesday 24 January 1-2pm. In this webinar you will hear real-life examples from two of your colleagues, Dr Yasmin Razak and Healthy Hounslow Health service. You will have the opportunity to put your questions to NWL clinicians in a Q&A moderated by ICHP. 

Please click here to register for the session. Feel free to circulate to other colleagues who may be interested.  

For further information and/or to get involved with the ICHP CVD education series please contact:

chanelle.corena@imperialcollegehealthpartners.com or catherine.caldwell@imperialcollegehealthpartners.com

FAO: GPs, physiotherapists and those who influence an individual’s decision to be active, such as social prescribers and leisure professionals.

The Aquatic Activity and Swimming for Health elearning programme is now universally available for everyone to access within health and social care settings.

Previously it was just available for colleagues with an NHS email address but, thanks to an upgrade in functionality, it can now be accessed by all.

The resource, developed in partnership with Swim England, Aquatic Therapy Association of Chartered Physiotherapists (ATACP) and the University of Nottingham, raises awareness of the benefits of aquatic activity on health and wellbeing and will enhance learners’ confidence in identifying patients who would benefit most.

It covers the following topics:

· Helping people navigate their way to swimming and aquatic activity

· What happens to the body in water?

· Adaptive effects of aquatic exercise

· Who can exercise in water?

· Exploring aquatic activities

For more information and to access the programme, please visit the Aquatic Activity and Swimming for Health programme page.