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New To Practice Fellowships
Dear PCNs and Practices,
As you will no doubt have heard, NHSE&I are introducing a fully funded Fellowship offer for GPs and Nurses who are new to General Practice. Devon Training Hub is co-ordinating this offer across Devon and we are pleased to be able to now provide you with details of the offer for the first tranche of these fellowships. From a PCN / Practice point of view there are 3 points for you to consider:
- If you have a GP or nurse new to general practice
If you have any GP or Nurse who is working for you who qualified since November 2018 and you are interested in them taking up one of these fully funded fellowship positions, please can you send your expression of interest giving details to andy.smallshaw@nhs.net by 30th June 2020. You will see from the document that places are limited at this moment in time, so once the closing date has passed, we will be back in touch to let you know the next steps.
- If you are looking to employ a newly qualified GP or nurse
This offer is also being circulated out HEIs and Medical Schools to allow students who are about to qualify and who are interested in working in Primary Care the opportunity to apply. We will gather their details in a database and we are therefore keen to hear from your PCN / Practice if you are looking to employ a student and we can then put you in contact with these students for your to commence your recruitment process. Obviously, the eligibility criteria for the fellowship requires participants to ‘hold, or be about to hold, a substantive salaried or partnership contract in Primary Care and must be working to provide primary medical services’ and so they will only be able to commence the fellowship once they meet these criteria.
- If you are a newly qualified GP or Nurse
If you are a newly qualified GP or Nurse, having qualified since November 2018, currently working in Primary Care and you are interested in this Fellowship offer, please contact your Practice Manager to discuss your interest and the possibility of them submitting an expression of interest as required.
Please click here to see the document that we have produced giving details of the Fellowship offer. Hopefully you will find all the information that you require on there, but if you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.
Kind regards,
Andy
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CPD Funding For Nurses, Midwives and AHPs
Devon Training Hub is delighted to announce some good news during this evolving COVID period.
It has been agreed that the distribution of the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) funding for nurses, midwives and allied health professionals (AHPs) in Primary Care in Devon will be being managed by Devon Training Hub on behalf of HEE. This amounts to £333 per year over 3 years for each qualifying individual.
We are awaiting final details from HEE in terms of the final process, but we expect to be contacting PCNs in the next couple of weeks to obtain details of what training, education and development needs your nurses, midwives and AHPs have and how Devon Training Hub can support you with this.
We will be back in touch with you as soon as we have further information!
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Devon Training Hub is delighted to advise that there are more courses available that make use of online platforms to share presentations and collaborate to support group learning.
We will send you the meeting details and our experienced trainers will lead the online forums on the dates below.
Visit www.devontraininghub.co.uk to secure your place!
New Courses:
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Blue Stream Academy - Complimentary Training
From Emily Mackrell
National Trainer
Blue Stream Academy
Hi there,
I hope you are keeping well during these unprecedented times.
With all the uncertainty surrounding the Coronavirus, I wanted to make sure that you are able to access any training that you may require.
In order to make sure that you are up to date with the features for any of our eLearning suites, we would like to offer you one our complimentary training webinar’s on the Management of Information System (MIS).
This can be accessed from our webinar platform and does not require any special systems or downloads to take part.
During these webinar’s, you will be walked through the various features of our MIS and also have the chance to ask any questions you may have.
Please see below for a full list of features that we cover:
⦁ Dashboard – Where users see notifications from you
⦁ Training Passport
⦁ Adding/Removing Staff
⦁ Manage Profiles (where you add/remove modules from users job roles, to ensure your staff only have the modules you want them to do available to them.)
⦁ Completed Training / Incomplete Training Reports
⦁ E-learning Training Matrix & Core Training Matrix
⦁ External Training/External Reports
⦁ Training matrix /External training matrix
⦁ Module Settings (automating your training – so your system will automatically reset users training and send them an email notification)
⦁ Policies (Adding/Updating policies on your account and linking to modules for staff to electronically agree to)
⦁ Policy Report
⦁ Setting up Sites/Department filters on your account - assigning a user a Site/Department Manager
⦁ Setting up the Induction Module (creating a training plan using the Induction module for new staff)
⦁ An overview of all our newly added reports including our user % report / modules % report and Job Role Module Report.
We have recently released the following modules – you can add the modules below to your staff accounts within ‘Manage Profiles’:
⦁ Coronavirus (COVID-19)
⦁ Mental Health Awareness
⦁ Positive Behaviour Support
⦁ Anxiety Awareness
⦁ Depression Awareness
⦁ Eating Disorders Awareness
⦁ Stress Awareness
⦁ Suicide Awareness
⦁ Stroke Awareness
⦁ Epilepsy Awareness
⦁ Coming Soon: Electrocardiogram (ECG)
If you feel one of these training sessions would be of use to you, please follow this link to book a date and time - http://www.bluestreamacademy.com/schedule-mis-training/
Please note, you may be on a session with up to 10 other users. If you feel you would prefer a one-to-one webinar, please make sure to select that resource when booking.
Training sessions are available Monday – Wednesday, between the hours of 9:15am and 3:45pm (end time of 5:15pm). Each session has sufficient time to go over each feature of our management suite and discuss any queries you may have via our webinar platform.
If I can help you with anything else, please don’t hesitate to contact me.
Stay safe,
Emily
https://www.bluestreamacademy.com/bsa-today-winter-2019/
To book onto a complimentary virtual training session please follow the link below:
http://www.bluestreamacademy.com/schedule-mis-training/
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Mental Health Awareness Week
18th May 2020 to 24th May 2020
This week has been Mental Health Awareness Week and has been supported by companies large and small, right across the country. Organised by the Mental Health Foundation, the theme for this week has been Kindness and the Mental Health Foundation website has links to a number of ways that people can get involved.
From the website....
Why kindness?
One thing that we have seen all over the world is that kindness is prevailing in
uncertain times.
We have learnt that amid the fear, there is also community, support and hope.
The added benefit of helping others is that it is good for our own mental health and wellbeing. It can help reduce stress and improve your emotional wellbeing.
Beyond ourselves, our report reveals how inequality is rising in our society and its harmful effects on our health.
Life expectancy is falling for the poorest for the first time in 100 years. As child poverty rises, children and young people in the poorest parts of our country are two to three times more likely to experience poor mental health than those in the richest.
After the 2008 credit crunch it was the most vulnerable in our communities who experienced the severest consequences of austerity, with devastating effects on their mental and physical health. This not the hallmark of a kind society.
We must not make the same mistakes after this pandemic.
Kindness could transform our schools, places of work, communities and families. Let's shape a society that tips the balance in favour of good mental health, for all of us, but especially for those who are most vulnerable.
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Breastfeeding Celebration Week
Breastfeeding Celebrations Week will take place during the week 1st – 7th June 2020. The theme will be ‘Promoting and supporting breastfeeding during the Covid-19 pandemic’. During the week PHE will be highlighting the support available for breastfeeding in the community and in neonatal units, as well as showcasing innovation, such as support provided via video-conferencing. For partners who would like to support, we will provide a social media toolkit which will be available from early next week.
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Dear Colleagues,
NHSE/I are interested in hearing from GPNs who would be willing to work with a Task & Finish group within NHSE/I to use their expertise to help with national Flu planning.
They are looking especially for those GPNs who are involved in any innovative ways of working.
Expressions of interest to gill.littlehales@nhs.net please.
Kind Regards
Karen
Karen Storey RN, MSc, QN
Primary Care Nursing Lead
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Medicines and Prescribing Support
Important New Evidence: April 2020
Selected important new evidence relating to prescribing and medicines optimisation published in April 2020
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Reminder!!!
Student Nurses during the Covid-19 Pandemic
As you may be aware, nursing students have been given the opportunity to opt-in to a paid placement as part of their training in order to help manage the current Covid-19 crisis and also to ensure they continue learning. We are aware that some are interested in coming out into Primary Care as this will be their long-term employment choice.
If you would be interested to hear more about how to get your Practice involved in this, please contact Tracey O'Keeffe (t.okeeffe@nhs.net) for more information.
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Support available from DRSS on managing shielding patient letters
Devon Referral Support Service (DRSS) are able to offer practices support for the increased administrative work that may have been created through the shielding patient letters process. DRSS can provide the following services for your practice:
· Receiving inbound calls from patients (signposted from the practice) who are experiencing difficulties accessing the government portal
· Making calls to patients who have been identified by practices and sending shielding letters
· Contacting and informing patients who have been assessed by the clinical team as not meeting the shielding criteria
DRSS cannot support where patients have requested follow up calls to query shielding status.
Please contact devon.primarycare@nhs.net if you would like additional support from DRSS. Please continue to offer patients a referral for suspected cancer, in the usual way. Following triage, if investigation or treatment has to be deferred, the hospital teams will contact and discuss with patients and their GP. They will continue to track the patient and will take responsibility for continuing their care at a later date.
Some patients may choose not to be referred at this time, even though COVID-19 levels in Devon have not reached those seen in other parts of the country. Where the patient has chosen to defer, it is recommended that clinicians and admin teams in primary care make use of their clinical IT system to schedule follow up. Means of doing this may vary between system, but can include the use of scheduled tasks, read code reports or recalls.
In addition to cancer symptomatic patients choosing to defer, fewer patients have had access to national screening programmes, and routine monitoring tests in GP practices or hospitals that might have identified cancers. These patients are at increased risk of presenting with late stage cancers. Practices are encouraged to reinstate cervical screening for some high risk patients where possible, but it is understood it may take longer to reintroduce bowel cancer screening.
Increasing or improving use of Read/SNOMED coding in the patient record will make it easier to search for patients when we start to put in place catch-up programmes for people at highest risk, once restrictions are lifted and the infection rates drop further.
Colorectal cancer referral update for GPs
This week we are sending out an LMC approved revised form to be used for referring patients with suspected lower GI cancers. We ask that you still use the same referral criteria, but as you begin to see more patients face-to-face, we ask that you consider performing a FIT test and a rectal exam prior to referral. If the patient meets the 2015 NICE NG12 guidelines for referral, please refer to a specialist, irrespective of the results of the FIT test and rectal exam, but include the results of the DRE and FIT Test on the new form with your referral, if you have been able to complete them. This will help secondary care to allocate and prioritise patients to appropriate investigation.
Usual practice is for patients referred on suspected lower GI cancer pathways to go straight to colonoscopy. The capacity to perform colonoscopy, an Aerosol Generating Procedure, has been reduced by the additional infection control procedures necessitated by the pandemic. For this reason, we need to provide additional information to the specialists so that we can make sure those patients at highest risk of cancer get the most appropriate investigation as quickly as possible. Thank you for your help in supporting us to deliver the best care we can under unusual circumstances. More about the formulary pages is below:
· Colorectal (lower GI) 2WW - Eastern
· Colorectal (lower GI) 2WW - Northern
· Colorectal (lower GI) 2WW - Western
· 2 week wait - South Devon & Torbay
Referral forms section: Eastern | Northern | Western | South Devon & Torbay
Microsoft Teams for NHSmail
You can now see up to nine of your colleagues and virtually ‘raise your hand' in Microsoft Teams calls. If you are organising or chairing a Teams meeting, please ask people who have joined via telephone to identify themselves. This ensures the right people are in the meeting. For more help and guides please visit our CCG Digital Team’s page on TeamNet.
Can I create a new Team?
Yes, additional teams can be created. New Teams need to be setup by NHSmail administrators. All Practices and PCNs have been setup with a Team already but if you require additional teams please e-mail devonccg.nhsmail@nhs.uk
Can someone dial in to a Teams meeting without a computer?
Yes, someone in your practice has the ability to create a meeting with a dial-in number. Please see the linked guide for more details.
Can someone without an NHSmail account be added to our Team?
Yes, you can add guests (those without NHSmail accounts) to your Team. You will require the “guest inviter” role. Please see the linked guide for more details
Referring patients and staff for COVID-19 tests
Any patients requiring information about testing can be directed to the NHS website. Testing is now available to symptomatic people over the age of 5. Patients who do not have access to or cannot use the internet can call a dedicated phone line, which can be used to order a test if no other options are available.
The Coronavirus Testing Call Centre can be contacted on 0300 303 2713 between the hours of 07.00 and 23.00. The majority of test results are sent automatically to the individual within four days but for any that aren’t, the Call Centre can help individuals to follow up on their results.
Patients should not be directed to request tests via NHS 111, as the service is not able to do this for them.
For any other patients struggling to access the online portal, or the national helpline, they can be directed to DRSS locally for support on 01626 204950.
Referral process for staff testing
The latest flowchart for accessing staff testing is available here.
People on anti-coagulation therapy
The Department of Health and Social Care has confirmed that anyone on anti-coagulation therapy should be tested at a normal testing site, as the guidance has been made more clear.
Please continue to refer staff for testing as normal, and if you experience any issues, please report this through the Yellow Card system
Protecting shielding patients from scams and financial abuse
During the pandemic, members of the public are being targeted in scams, particularly those who are isolated from family and friends, those who are older, and those who have care and support needs – including shielding patients. Patients will not be required to disclose any financial information to access support through local or national shielding support arrangements.
National Trading Standards and Citizens Advice have produced resources which can support patients and healthcare professionals to notice the signs and report anything suspicious. If you think someone is being abused or neglected you can raise a safeguarding concern by calling:
· Devon County Council – 0345 1551 007, or emailing csc.caredirect@devon.gov.uk
· Torbay Council - 01803 219700 or using their online form
· Plymouth Council - 01752 668000 or using their online form |
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You may have a project or team who's work would fit across different awards and you'd like to increase the chances of being shortlisted - with the entry fee currently waived until 15th May, now is a great time to make multiple entries!
Whether they have been working tirelessly on a project for years or have recently stepped up to deal with the current situation, we want to hear about your colleagues and teams, and to celebrate all your efforts.
How to enter
Your 2020 categories:
Clinical Improvement: Chronic Conditions
This award is looking for a team or individual who has demonstrated excellence when supporting patients with chronic conditions - helping to improve their lives and the management of their symptoms. We are looking for projects, strategies, and schemes that have been implemented to improve long-term patient care.
GP Trainee of the Year/Rising Star Award
Open to all UK medical graduates in postgraduate training, we are looking for evidence of enthusiasm, a keen desire to learn, imagination, and a contribution aligned with the objectives of the Five Year Forward View. We invite applications from Trainees themselves and also their colleagues.
Pharmacist of the Year
We are looking for a community pharmacist or pharmacy team who have embraced new technologies and ways of working, and has sought to improve patient care in their local community.
Practice Nursing Award
We are looking for a Practice Nurse or Practice Nursing team who have made an outstanding contribution to patient care in their practice. We are looking for evidence of effort and imagination, leadership, and innovation.
Receptionist/Reception Team of the Year
This award seeks to recognise a receptionist or reception team who are making an outstanding contribution to their practice and its patients. We invite applications from receptionists themselves and also from colleagues. Applicants should demonstrate evidence that their attention to detail has improved the organisation of the surgery, ambience, and patient experience.
We also have categories for GPs, Practice Managers, Mental Health team, Public Health projects, Extended Practice Team Members, and overall GP Team of the Year.
To see all of this year's categories, visit the website today:
View categories
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Message from Diabetes UK
Along with the daily COVID-19 deaths update today, there was an additional figure released on the number of people with diabetes that have died as a result of COVID-19.
The total number of deaths of those with diabetes currently makes up 26% (a quarter) of the total number of deaths so far.
People with diabetes, their carers and those that treat them may be concerned, however we would like to reassure them and you that further analysis is being undertaken and will be published in due course. The risk for people aged under 40 with diabetes is still low.
The NHS has put extra measures in place so that people living with diabetes can continue to receive care and is currently commissioning services to help people with diabetes of all ages self-manage their condition with online support.
We have also extended the availability of a diabetes helpline for anyone with insulin-dependent diabetes to help with any concerns during this difficult time. The helpline is available via Diabetes UK’s support line: 0345 123 2399.
We are currently working up some materials to help local teams promote these new services including template letters to people with diabetes, promotional tweets and newsletter/bulletin copy which will be with you next week.
As soon as the further analysis of the data is available, we will share it with you.
FAQs relating to the diabetes data published in the daily COVID-19 deaths update – 14 May 2020
Is this type 1 or type 2 diabetes? Is this related to obesity?
This data is not split by type of diabetes. NHS E&I are working on further analysis to address this question which will be published in due course, this will consider the role that obesity may have.
How does this compare with e.g. the over-70s? Both absolute numbers and as a proportion of the whole?
Age is identified as a risk factor for COVID severity and mortality. Age is also an important factor in Type 2 diabetes risk, with people of older age at greater risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. Further work is required to understand the independent effect of Diabetes status on an individual’s COVID risk.
It is important to note that there have been no deaths, as yet reported, of anyone under 20 with diabetes dying as a result of COVID-19.
Why weren’t people with diabetes in the shielded group from the start?
Diabetes is not a respiratory disease, does not make people immunocompromised and doesn’t require people to take immunosuppressive drugs – so was not considered to be something that was expected to put people at the highest clinical risk. Not all people with diabetes can be shielded and some are more at risk than others.
Will they now be added to the shielded group?
Government has confirmed that NERVTAG will review the evidence for shielding, including what evidence is emerging about who is at highest clinical risk of severe illness if they catch COVID-19. This will inform the future of the shielding programme.
Should people with diabetes take extra precautions now?
Those with diabetes should continue to be in touch with their local clinical team if they have concerns. Appointments are going ahead as normal – either online or in person in COVID19 protected sites.
How worried should people with diabetes be now?
Evidence is still emerging on this and while we know that the risk for those with diabetes is higher, more work is required to understand the independent effect of diabetes on risk. While we know that this might concern people living with diabetes, they should continue to take their medications, manage their condition and attend their appointments as normal.
Age continues to be an important factor; there have been no deaths, as yet reported, of anyone under 20 with diabetes dying as a result of COVID-19
What have you done to help people with diabetes self-manage?
Working with local systems, diabetes services continue as normal for those who require support, including, where appropriate online consultations. NHS E&I are nationally commissioning new online services which people with diabetes will be able to access shortly to help in self-managing their condition.
When did you know how bad things are for people with diabetes what have you done to sort it?
People with diabetes were identified as being at an increased risk which is why they have been asked to stringently follow social distancing rules in government guidance. We are monitoring all diabetes data closely as it emerges and NERVTAG will review the evidence for shielding, including what evidence is emerging about who is at highest clinical risk of severe illness if they catch COVID-19. This will inform the future of the shielding programme.
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REMINDER
NEW VIDEO GROUP CONSULTATION TRAINING
FREE
Would your practice like to participate in this programme to support you to introduce video group clinics (VGCs)?
Here is some info and details of how to sign up for training for you and your team.
Sentinel practices (not to be confused with Sentinel CIC in Plymouth) will be first to run VGCs. They will get some additional support from The Experience Led Care Programme and our digital support partner Redmoor Health to help them to get set up and make accelerated progress with VGCs.
In return, Sentinel practices will:
- Help identify priority VGC models that save time and create capacity linked to managing the primary care COVID 19 caseload and more widely;
- Share what is working well and can be improved about the technology and platforms you are running video group clinics on;
- Share what is working well and can be improved about the practicing this way;
- Flag areas where you need us as a support team to help you find solutions and improvements that will accelerate progress.
VGCs are expected to realise the same benefits in the virtual world that group consultations deliver in the real world, namely:
- Clinician time efficiencies compared to 1:1
- Creating community connection
- Improving clinician and patient experience compared to 1:1
- At a time where many clinicians are self-isolating, VGCs will also help you make the most of clinicians and other support staff who are still able to work remotely.
Technical capability
Our digital partner is Redmoor Health. The team will advise you and ensure that you have the technology to run video group clinics. Our recommendation is Microsoft Teams. Redmoor will advise you how to get this switched on if you do not have access just now. Contact Redmoor for advice at: hello@redmoorhealth.co.uk
Preparing your workforce to deliver VGCs
The practice delivery team for VGCs includes:
- Clinicians: like in real world group consultations, the 'clinician' is only present half the time (social prescribing link workers may also use VGCs to monitor sheltered people - in this context, they may only be present for part of the VGC)
- Technical facilitators: because of the challenges of getting patients up and running with video technology, the facilitator in a VGC has an additional role - as well as supporting patients to prepare questions for the clinician and to reflect on next steps after the clinician leaves, the facilitator in VGCs has to make sure patients are set up and ready to participate using their technology. This is why we have called them 'technical facilitators'. The people who take on this role do not have to be based in the practice. They do need skills in supporting people to get to grips with simple IT and also good people skills. It may be possible to use NHS volunteers, as well as practice and other out of hospital non clinical support staff
- Clinic co-ordinators: this way of working will require administrative support so having people within your admin team who understand this change will be key. Those who provide admin support may also be facilitators.
Training in delivering VGCs
We recommend that all staff (clinicians, technical facilitators and administrators) to be involved attend our 2.5 hour training sessions. Practice managers may also deepen their understanding by attending (some of the sessions is devoted to planning for mobilisation) .
We are running training sessions for Sentinel teams every week from now on. From the start of May, training will be available daily.
People only need to attend one training session.
To sign up for these 2.5 hour training sessions,
Go to www.events.england.nhs.uk
Enter “VGC” or “Sentinel” in the search box.
Book on your chosen training session (you will need to click “buy” even though the sessions are free to attend)
You will be sent a joining instructions email with the link to join your chosen session. If you are attending training, you will receive documents with the link that you will need to print off and have with you at the training
Deciding your focus patient group
Early VGC work within the national programme is likely to centre on proactively supporting those at high risk, including sheltered people and those living with COVID and LTCs. Where capacity allows now and as we start to move towards recovery, VGCs will also provide a very efficient way of catching up with planned reviews.
When you sign up for this programme, we will ask you to identify at least two VGC models that you want to test. There is lots of flexibility. Speaking to clinicians, we have talked about: proactive care and support of sheltered people; 6 week baby checks; repeat prescription requests for inhalers amongst others. We just want to track these so that we can touch base and see what learning is emerging
Evaluation
We are very lucky because the Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences is going to b undertaking some independent evaluation of the move to VGCs. This will be led by Professor Trish Greenhalgh. We would be keen for you to get involved in this as an early pioneer. This may require a bit more admin, and it will reap many rewards for you as a team in terms of access to support with quality improvement.
If this is of interest, please contact
Georgina Craig
National Delivery Lead, Video Group Clinics (VGCs) Programme
Tel: 07879 480005
Email: georgina@elcworks.co.uk
If you have any questions on next steps, do let us know.
If not, we look forward to working with you and your team to get going with VGCs as part of your plan to cope with COVID 19.
Best wishes
Lucy Wood RN
Education Delivery Team Lead
Devon Training Hub
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Happy to help.
If you need any help with the website, courses which have not been advertised or just want some advice please do not hesitate to contact a member of the team. We look forward to speaking with you. Best Wishes
Lucy,Julie, Tracey, Kathy, Summer, Vix, Andy and Paddy
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22nd May 2020 - Newsletter
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