Sent on behalf of the COVID-19 Primary Care Incident Management Team for Coventry and Rugby, South Warwickshire and Warwickshire North CCGs

In today's briefing we include the latest news stories falling into the following categories:

1. Flu vaccination updates
Immunisation plans for this year
NHS England and Improvement has issued a letter updating GP practices about flu immunisation plans. You can read the letter here. Please also see attached information on the transfer of flu vaccines between practices. 

Fatwa on Flu vaccine containing Porcine gelatine
The British Fatwa Council have shared the attached response on the use of the nasal flu vaccinations that contain porcine gelatine. They conclude that the use of the nasal flu vaccine containing porcine gelatine are permissible for use. Practices can share this information with patients that this affects.

Flu SNOMED coding 
Information on Flu SNOMED coding within IT systems, please see attached.

FREE eLearning on influenza
Now that the COVID-19 pandemic is in ascendancy again, we will have to prepare for an autumn and winter in which two very different respiratory viruses causing significant morbidity and mortality will be circulating. So it's even more important that we vaccinate our patients against influenza. The Royal College of General Practitioners has released new eLearning resources to discuss flu vaccination in the UK and how COVID-19 may impact on this in 2020/21.

2. Use of non-contact forehead thermometers for fever screening 
In July 2020, MHRA put out a statement noting that temperature screening products should not be relied on for the detection of coronavirus (COVID-19): https://www.gov.uk/government/news/dont-rely-on-temperature-screening-products-for-detection-of-coronavirus-covid-19-says-mhra. There is nothing in the COVID-19: Guidance for the remobilisation of services within health and care settings Infection prevention and control recommendations that recommends temperature testing as a stand-alone screening tool. 

3. NHS Test and Trace app
NHS England and Improvement are urging everyone to download the NHS Test and Trace app to help control the spread of Covid-19 as well as protect themselves and their loved ones as case numbers rise. The app can be downloaded from the Apple Store or Google Play. It forms a central part of the NHS Test and Trace service by identifying contacts of those who have tested positive for Covid-19. The contact tracing element logs the amount of time you spend near other app users, and the distance between you, so it can alert you if someone you have been close to later tests positive for Covid-19 – even if you don’t know each other. GP practices can download their own QR code to display in practice sites. Patients will be able to scan the QR code when they arrive, using the NHS COVID-19 app. 

4. New GP Payment System
NHS England and Improvement has written to GPs to update you on the upcoming changes to the way GP practice payments will be generated. These changes should not affect the payment values for the majority of practices. Practice payments are currently calculated by a system called the National Health Application and Infrastructure Service (NHAIS). This system is at the end of its working life and needs to be replaced. Therefore, a replacement system has been commissioned to calculate practice payments, including Global Sum (GSUM), vaccinations and immunisations payments. The new payments system will go live in October. The system change is being overseen by a project board which includes representatives from the British Medical Association (BMA).

Read more here 

5. Healthier You: NHS National Diabetes Prevention Programme 
*New provider, WW (formally Weight Watchers)* 
You can still refer patients who might be ‘at risk’ of Type 2 diabetes to Healthier You: NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme. The programme pre-COVID was delivered in groups at different times and locations across Coventry and Warwickshire, currently the programme is being offered via telephone; group video conference, or digitally through our 5* rated app and website.
 
New referral participants will be given 3 options:

1. Join the Healthier You programme remotely
2. Join our digital only programme
3. Pause their referral until physical face to face workshops resume – we have been given to date to when this will happen so participants are being encouraged to choose option 1 or 2.

Remote workshops will be held by a Healthier You trained coach where relevant topics are discussed which are key to participants who are at risk of Type 2 diabetes but also key to people who are in isolation who still need to look after themselves. Read more here 

You can find out more about the NHS National Diabetes Prevention Programme by attending a webinar on Wednesday 30 September at 12.30pm. You don't need to book a place in advance and you can join the session by clicking here. 

6. Healthcare leaders update
Read an update from Amanda Pritchard, NHS England and NHS Improvement's Chief Operating Officer, and NHS Improvement's Chief Executive, on the next steps to our response to COVID-19, news from partners and webinars here. 

7. New primary care resources for CVD prevention and better respiratory care
You may already be aware that University College London has a website with resources for long-term conditions. New resources have recently been added to this site, to help manage patients with high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes. These resources are in addition to those previously available for supporting patients with asthma and COPD. They have all been designed to help clinicians deliver care for patients in the new world where a lot of care is delivered virtually. The resources include:

• Search tools to risk stratify and prioritise patients
• Pathways and protocols to deliver care at home and use of the wider workforce (e.g. healthcare assistants, link workers and pharmacists)
• Digital resources to support remote management and self-management
• Training that includes motivational interviewing and health coaching

NO UPDATES FOR South Warwickshire – 29 September 2020
 

NO UPDATES FOR Warwickshire North – 29 September 2020 


NO UPDATES FOR Coventry and Rugby – 29 September 2020

Please note all sessions are open to all localities

11. Coventry Safeguarding Children Partnership: Culturally-based Practices and Child Safeguarding
A framework for understanding what culturally-based practices may present in a child protection context in four overlapping categories: body modification for cultural identity, gender practices, health beliefs/medicinal practices and punishment practices.
Date: Thursday 1 October
Time: 9.30 – 10.30am      
For booking a place please email: cscptraining@coventry.gov.uk. Submitting an application does not automatically mean a place on the webinar. Please wait for confirmation of your place.

12. Coronavirus Accessible Information Resources
As we see cases of Coronavirus in the community increase we thought it may be useful to remind you of the resource made available by Health Education England (HEE) for frontline staff. HEE's national Library and Knowledge Services team has made available the https://library.nhs.uk/ website which hosts information resources which front line staff can use to help them communicate effectively with patients, clients, and their families around Coronavirus. The website includes easy read, sign language and Makaton formats as well as other communication guidance. All materials on the website meet the accessible information standard.

Please note: we are now issuing the briefing once a week (Tuesday) communications via: warnoccg.covid19primarycarecommunications@nhs.net. We would also ask that if you have questions or concerns relating to the current situation around coronavirus and COVID-19 you use the same address: warnoccg.covid19primarycarecommunications@nhs.net. Please keep us updated with any issues that you may be having so we can try to address them.

Please note that the below data does not include care home data.  

Coventry and Warwickshire COVID position up to 29.09.2020

• 5,687 cases now confirmed in Coventry and Warwickshire (+485 / +9.3% from Tuesday)

17 of these are currently admitted (+5 / +41.7% from Tuesday)
Admissions by Trust:

• GEH: 2
• UHCW: 11
• SWFT: 4
• CWPT: 0

• 406 beds still available (-14 / -3.3% from Tuesday)
• 4 ITU bed(s) occupied by Covid patients (+1 / +33.3% from Tuesday)
• 537 reported deaths in a hospital setting (+0 / +0.0% from Tuesday)

For more information click here 

Latest National Picture

As of Monday 28 September 2020 at 4:00pm: