Bolton LPC Update
14th March 2022
|
|
Reminder: PQS Gateway Criteria - Complete 20 NMS
Deadline: Tuesday 5th April 2022
The NHSBSA has published a spreadsheet showing which community pharmacy contractors have currently met the Pharmacy Quality Scheme (PQS) 2021/22 Advanced Services gateway criterion. Contractors are required to have claimed payments for the completion of a minimum of 20 New Medicine Services (NMSs) between 1st April 2021 and 5th April 2022.
Please note: this data is up to date as of January 2022. If you have completed 20 NMS after this date then no further action is required.
Action for contractors
Please check the latest information on the NHSBSA website and ensure you are working towards achieving this gateway criteria:
If you have any queries relating to the data please contact nhsbsa.pharmacysupport@nhs.net
|
|
|
National Cyber Security Centre resilience request
The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) is urging organisations to bolster their cyber security resilience in response to the malicious cyber incidents in and around Ukraine.
While the NCSC is not aware of any current specific threats to UK organisations in relation to events in and around Ukraine, they have issued guidance which encourages organisations to consider steps that reduce the risk of falling victim to a cyber attack.
Community pharmacy contractors are also reminded of the following PSNC Briefings, which contain information on how to improve data and cyber security for pharmacies:
Further information can be found on PSNC’s cyber security page.
|
|
|
GM Health and Wellbeing Programme
A pilot health and wellbeing scheme has been launched for all primary care staff in Greater Manchester. As part of the programme a range of resources are available via the Primary Care Excellence Health and Wellbeing Hub.
These include Health and Wellbeing Podcasts, Wellbeing Resources and links to the Greater Manchester Resilience Hub. All Greater Manchester Primary Care staff can also now access free health and wellbeing apps covering a range of areas including physical, mental, emotional, social and practical wellbeing.
There are also opportunities to become a Health and Wellbeing Champion, take part in a Leadership Development Programme and the recently announced Wellbeing courses and webinars.
GMHSCP have announced a series of wellbeing sessions and published new resources for healthcare professionals as part of the GM Wellbeing toolkit.
You can also view the workshops due to take place from March - June 2022
Connect 5 Online - relaunched on Eventbrite with new dates
The free Connect 5 training to Take Time to Talk and support better conversations around mental health in the workplace have been relaunched on a new learning platform with new dates:
Click here to sign up and book your place
|
|
|
Reminder: Have you confirmed your choice of CPCS IT system?
The national procurement of IT support for the NHS CPCS service is due to stop at the end of March 2022. Community pharmacy contractors that wish to continue providing CPCS must, therefore, confirm their choice of CPCS IT system by no later than February 2022. Failure to do so could impact referrals and service continuity.
Guides from PSNC and NHSX list the verified system suppliers and explain how contractors can either confirm that they wish to stay with their current IT provider or switch to a new provider.
Read the guides and learn more about this change
Please note: This is for referrals from NHS111 only - referrals for the GP pathway will continue in the usual way
|
|
|
Updated: Live Serious Shortage Protocols
There are three Serious Shortage Protocols (SSPs) currently in place which are listed on the PSNC Website and below with the expiry date:
- SSP05: Fluoxetine 10mg tablets - Extended until 13th May 2022
- SSP14: Salazopyrin® EN-Tabs 500mg - until 22nd April 2022
- SSP015: Paracetamol 120mg and 240mg suppositories - extended until 4th March 2022
- SSP016: Lipitor 10mg chewable tablets - until 18th March 2022
- SSP017: Lipitor 20mg chewable tablets - until 30th March 2022
For more general information about what SSPs are and when they may be used, please see the PSNC website.
Details will be updated above as and when changes occur, but the most up-to-date information is available from the NHSBSA
|
|
|
|
GPCPCS Go-Live (Last Update: 14th March 2022)
The following practices have requested a go-live date in February / early March:
- Stable Fold Practice
- Burnside Surgery
- Dr Malhotra and Partners
- Dr Loomba and Partners
- Dr Zarrouk
- Dr Jain, Little Lever
- Crompton View Surgery
- Shanti Medical Centre
- Beehive Surgery
- Dr Sidda – Waters Meeting
- Al-Fal Medical Group
- Dr Selverajan
The following Practices are now live with GPCPCS:
- Swan Lane Medical Centre
- Harwood Health Centre
- Unsworth Group Surgery
- Dr Uddin & Partners
- Breightmet HC (Dunstan)
- Kearsley Medical Centre
- Drs Jeyam & Jesudas
- Stonehill Medical Centre
- Bolton Community Practice – All sites
- Heaton Medical Centre
- Drs Karim & James-Authe
- Bolton Community Practice
- Cornerstone Surgery
- Spring House
- Dalefield Surgery
- Garnet Fold
- Dr Hendy & Rizwan
- Tonge Fold Health Centre
- Deane Medical Centre
- Breightmet HC (Alastair Ross)
- Dr Hallikeri (Little Lever)
- Dr Earnshaw & Partners
|
|
|
Actions for Community Pharmacy Teams
- Pharmacies must check PharmOutcomes and NHSmail regularly throughout the day for referrals
- Referrals sent by 2:30pm Monday to Friday must be acted upon the same day by the pharmacy
- Referrals sent after 2:30pm must be reviewed by the pharmacist to identify if action is required the same day
- For non-urgent escalations (routine GP appointment, not same day) and urgent escalations – the pharmacist must telephone the practice to arrange the appointment. Patients must not be sign-posted back to the practice.
Please ensure your pharmacy team is well prepared to start accepting referrals (referrals may go to any pharmacy providing the service in Bolton) and that there is a robust process in place for you and your team to regularly check and monitor PharmOutcomes for any new referrals This includes ensuring locums are also able to check for and accept referrals.
We have enabled access to the CPCS resources in VirtualOutcomes for all pharmacy teams in Greater Manchester, please access them here. You will need your pharmacy ODS code to login.
Contractual obligations regarding Service Availability:
6. Service availability
- 6.1 The pharmacy contractor must ensure that the service is available to patients throughout the pharmacy’s full opening hours (i.e. core and supplementary).
- 6.2 Ensure all pharmacy team members, including locums and relief pharmacists, are aware of the procedures to be followed in the event of a temporary suspension of the service and have easy access to the key contact numbers for the service (they should be recorded in the SOP for the service).
- 6.3 Ensure all pharmacy team members, including locums and relief pharmacists, are aware of how to contact the support team for the NHS CPCS IT system if there is a problem with the system. Include the contact details in the SOP for the service.
- 6.4 When locums are being booked to work at the pharmacy, make sure the locum is made aware that the NHS CPCS is being provided and ensure they can provide the service.
For more information about the service including a a range of useful resources and local processes please see the Bolton LPC website.
|
|
|
Urgent GP CPCS Referrals
We are receiving feedback from practices in relation to referrals not being completed within the agreed timeframe and patients not being contacted within 2-3 hours.
If you are struggling to provide the service and wish to pause referrals for a short period of time please contact your local practices and advise them of this.
If you wish to be removed from the active list of providers please email england.gmtop@nhs.net.
|
|
|
GPCPS Do's & Don'ts
Download a printable version here
|
|
|
Greater Manchester GPCPCS FAQ
Download a copy of the FAQ here.
|
|
|
New: Controlled drugs in chronic pain: supporting patients with safe and effective use e-learning
On the 17th January 2022 CPPE launched the Controlled drugs in Chronic pain: supporting patients with safe and effective use e-learning.
The two and a half hour programme aims to support all pharmacy professionals to develop the knowledge, skills and behaviours to support patients to use prescribed controlled drugs safely and effectively, with a focus on controlled drugs used in chronic pain.
|
|
|
CPPE Discharge Medicine Service
The following CPPE training is available to support the extended cohorts of patients now being referred for the Discharge Medicines Service
These can be accessed on the following links:
|
|
|
The GM Healthcare Academy
The GM Healthcare is a partnership of:
- Greater Manchester Health & Social Care Partnership (NHS and local authorities
- Bolton Local Pharmaceutical Committee
- Greater Manchester Local Pharmaceutical Committee
- Greater Manchester Pharmacy Local Professional Network
It aims to support and deliver high quality training to community pharmacy teams across Greater Manchester. Find out more about their work here.
|
|
|
March Deadline Tracker
The Deadline Tracker for March 2022 can be downloaded from the LPC website.
|
|
|
|
Previously Circulated Information
|
|
|
Pharmacy Quality Scheme
The declaration window for the Pharmacy Quality Scheme has now closed.
Further information and resources regarding PQS and the extension can be found on the PSNC website.
|
|
|
NHSE&I letter on flu vaccines for 2022/23
NHSE&I have published their flu vaccination reimbursement letter for the 2022/23 season.
The letter provides information on the flu vaccines which will be reimbursable under the 2022/23 Community Pharmacy Seasonal Influenza Vaccination Advanced Service (Flu Vaccination Service), for the two cohorts (65 years and over and at-risk adults aged 18-64).
While the reimbursable vaccines for the coming season remain unchanged, there are changes to the first line vaccination recommendations.
The letter also highlights that in 2022/23, the NHS flu vaccination programme will only be offered to patient groups eligible in line with pre-pandemic recommendations.
The cohorts relevant to the community pharmacy service that were eligible in the 2021/22 season but that are not included in the cohorts for 2022/23 are those aged 50 to 64 years and primary care staff.
Find out more on the PSNC website.
|
|
|
Pharmacy Collect: update for contractors
Service ends 31st March 2022
Free mass testing for COVID-19 is due to end from 1st April 2022. This means the last day on which the Pharmacy Collect service will operate will be 31st March 2022.
To ensure an even distribution of lateral flow tests across the country, UKHSA are planning future deliveries across all test distribution channels. Alliance Healthcare’s last delivery of tests from the UKHSA warehouse will be on 18th March 2022. Pharmacies will be able to order for a short period of time after that date.
UKHSA ask that all orders for kits placed by contractors with Alliance Healthcare should be based on the current need, driven by demand, rather than trying to cover future demand.
Further details about the service end, including information on final payment claims, will be provided to contractors as soon as those details have been finalised.
|
|
|
Reminder: Pandemic Delivery Service
The Pandemic Delivery service has now ended in line with the Governments’ strategy for living with Covid.
Pharmacy contractors can still make prescription deliveries to eligible patients who have a CTAS number issued on or before 23 February 2022 if the CTAS number is valid (ie during the maximum 10-day window for self-isolation).
No medicine deliveries should be made as part of the Pandemic Delivery Service after 5 March 2022.
Claims for the Advanced service (for deliveries) must be submitted no later than 5 April 2022 to be remunerated for any deliveries made on or before 5 March 2022.
The payment for the Essential service element of the Pandemic Delivery Service will continue until 31 March 2022.
Learn more about the end of the service
|
|
|
Secretary of State emergency declaration extension
Extended until 31st March 2022
The declaration of an emergency requiring the flexible provision of pharmaceutical services which was introduced to help maintain pharmacy services during the COVID-19 outbreak, has been extended to 31st March 2022
This means that contractors are still allowed to make temporary changes to opening hours or temporary closures where:
- Adequate reasons for these changes have been provided to NHS England and NHS Improvement (NHSE&I);
- NHSE&I have been given 24 hours’ notice of these changes; and
- NHSE&I have agreed these changes or have not objected to them.
After 24 hours’ notice has been given and in the absence of a response from NHSE&I, contractors may start the flexible provision of opening hours. However, if their flexible opening-hours request is refused by NHSE&I, contractors must continue to provide their normal service provision and remain open for the entirety of their core and supplementary hours.
Further information about the emergency regulations is available on PSNC’S COVID 19 Hub page
|
|
|
Reminder: IPC guidance still applies to pharmacies
Following the Government's announcement that from January 27th, face coverings will no longer be mandatory in public places, pharmacy teams are reminded that the UKHSA's infection prevention control (IPC) guidance will continue to apply to patients and staff in healthcare settings, including community pharmacy, to ensure that everyone is protected.
Resources supporting the IPC guidance, including posters to use at entrances to notify visitors that they must wear a face covering, are available for download.
Download the IPC guidance resources
|
|
|
|
|
