Primary Care E-briefing (Issue 31) - 4 May 2020

Welcome to the COVID-19 e-briefing to support GP practices across mid and south Essex with operational information and advice.

Please note: this e-briefing will now be sent on Monday, Wednesday and Friday afternoons. However, we will not be circulating a COVID-19 GP e-briefing this Bank Holiday Friday (8 May). Please continue to share any thoughts about how we can improve this e-briefing by using the ‘send feedback’ button below.

All previous bulletins can be found here.

In this issue
• Testing for NHS staff document
• New standard operating procedure for access to medicines in care homes
• ECFWS: GP practice ‘link’ health visitor
• Birth registrations in primary care
• Maternity direct service
• Sign-up to upcoming webinars
• NHSE primary care COVID-19 bulletin

Testing for NHS staff

Please click below to download a flyer for NHS staff in relation to COVID-19 testing. It explains the test process for staff (or someone in their household) with symptoms and the different testing options available.

New standard operating procedure for access to medicines in care homes

Note: there is a new standard operating procedure (SOP) which supports timely access to essential prescribed medicines during the COVID-19 pandemic, for patients who are being cared for in a care home or hospice setting.

Each individual care home or hospice must carry out a risk assessment on an individual / single medicine basis.

• Key indicators should inform the risk assessment and the subsequent decision:
• A valid prescription has been written and no other stocks of the medicine are available in an appropriate timeframe, (as informed by the supplying pharmacy) and there is an immediate patient need for the medicine
• No suitable alternatives for an individual patient are available in a timely manner i.e. a new prescription cannot be issued, and the medicine(s) supplied against it in the conventional manner quickly enough
• A registered healthcare professional has considered that the benefits of using a medicine that is no longer needed by the person for whom it was originally prescribed or bought, outweigh any risks for an individual patient receiving that unused medicine
• Consent to repurpose the medicine(s) has been sought from the patient or next of kin.

Additional local guidance to support implementation of this process is being developed and will be circulated as soon as possible.

Essex child and family wellbeing service: GP practice ‘link’ health visitor

With the impact of COVID-19 affecting the way all of our services are being delivered to children and families across Essex, we are eager to remind you that your named ‘Link’ Health Visitor is available and would be pleased join your web-based ‘virtual’ multidisciplinary meetings to discuss our shared vulnerable children and families. Please follow a link below to the directory of services for GP practices in Essex.

Please note, this does not include Thurrock or Southend-On-Sea areas. We will share further information once we have it. 

Birth registrations in primary care

Please note: this has also been sent to GP practices via the ‘Gateway’.

We have become aware of large numbers of babies in recent weeks not being registered in primary care following birth; this could have implications for timely invitations for immunisations and the new birth check. We understand that the production of birth certificates is currently suspended but this should not be a barrier to registration.

Maternity Direct service

Maternity Direct is now available for all pregnant women and new mums who have registered their pregnancy with the Mid and South Essex Hospital Group. Women can now self-refer by sending an online referral form to their maternity service of choice. 

Upcoming webinars

COVID-19 - Digital Contractual Targets

5 May: 12:30pm

This 30 minute webinar is designed to help practice staff understand the digital related commitments in line with the GP contract in light of COVID-19, as well as the new commitments that have gone live in April 2020.

What will be covered:

• Online record access
• Fax machine commitment
• 111 direct booking
• GP practice websites
• NHS.UK practice profiles
• Online and Video Consultations
• Online booking of appointments.

Register for COVID-19: Digital Contractual Targets

Using EPS in response to COVID-19

7 May: 16:30

This 30 minute webinar is to help you make the most out of the Electronic Prescription Service during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Register for EPS in Response to COVID-19

NHS England Primary Care COVID-19 bulletin

Click here to read NHS England’s latest primary care Covid-19 bulletin which includes items on:

• Information about 8 May Bank Holiday Opening
• Remote total triage in general practice
• Notification of COVID-19

Upcoming webinars

• 6 May, 7-8pm: Community Pharmacy webinar with Keith Ridge and Ed Waller
• 7 May, 11am: Homeless Health webinar
• 7 May, 5-6.30pm: Primary Care webinar with Nikki Kanani and Ed Waller including a Q&A session.

For the latest advice and guidance around coronavirus for clinicians, please visit the NHS England and NHS Improvement website.