BEST Events – Held @ Shaw Lane Sports Club, Barnsley
For further information the BEST Portal Website can be accessed at http://best.barnsleyccg.nhs.uk/
Medicines Management
Shared care and Amber-G guidelines can be found at the following link: http://best.barnsleyccg.nhs.uk/clinical-support/medicines/shared-care-guidelines/ An overview of Shared Care guidelines, including the Principles of Shared Care is available to read here.
Prescribers (including secondary care clinicians) are encouraged to report any problems they experience with shared care or other medicines related issue, particularly where guidelines are not being complied with, to the following email address: BarnsleyAPCReport@nhs.net.
With secondary care opening up activity and undertaking remote consultations, it has been reported that there has been increased pressure in primary care to undertake things they wouldn’t normally. Due to this, the APC reporting has been temporarily expanded to capture any issues and these can be fed into the APC. The hospitals need this information so that issues can be addressed.
Practices can now report any interface issues they have, as much as possible, via Barnsley LMC, which will then be submitted to the hospitals.
A list of Prescribing Guidelines is available to view here.
The Barnsley Area Joint Formulary is available to view here.
Medicines Management monthly Newsletters are available to view here.
Workload Shift
Barnsley LMC would like to remind all practices it is important that we receive examples of any workload shift. Please provide examples of workload shift to barnsley.lmc@nhs.net in order that these can be taken to the meeting with Secondary Care.
Barnsley LMC would like to inform practices that if there are any examples of workload shift from Sheffield Hospitals they can now be emailed to Sth.Impagsheffield@nhs.net.
Safe working in general practice
The BMA’s England GP committee (GPCE) has generated the following guide to enable practices to prioritise safe patient care, within the present bounds of the GMS contract.
Cloud Based Telephony
GPCE has written to NHSE to raise concerns over the rollout of CBT (cloud-based telephony) and the financial and workload impact this is having on practices along with pressure to sign complex contracts on very short deadlines. NHSE advised last year that there would be no increased costs to practices for their monthly contracts. We have relayed concerns raised about these issues and are seeking an urgent meeting with NHSE while calling for a pause of the roll-out of this contract mandated procurement exercise.
We want to hear if you are seeing increased costs and please do email info.gpc@bma.org.uk with details of what you pay now and what you are being asked to pay going forward with the telephony provider.
GPs have been pressured at the last minute to sign up to new telephony systems at huge extra cost – despite reassurances from NHS England this would not be the case. Deputy chair Dr David Wrigley thinks this is a huge mistake and has called for an immediate pause, read more here
Updated Guidance on Integrated Care Strategies
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has published updated guidance on the preparation of integrated care strategies, based on user feedback. It includes new case studies and reflects developments since it was first published in July 2022. Read the guidance.
HRT Guidance Updates
An updated HRT PPC guidance document has been published by DHSC. This is to reflect changes to the definition of products in scope of the HRT PPC, following the launch of new products onto the market, and an agreed process for managing discontinuations. The latest version can be found here: HRT PPC guidance | NHSBSA.
Practices Sending Paper Records
In most instances, patient medical records are electronic and transfer between GPs via an electronic GP2GP file transfer upon successful registration at a practice.
GP2GP does not allow an electronic summary to move outside England, or vice-versa. When a patient moves to a practice outside of England, the English GP Practice will need to use the established CitySprint collection procedure to send patient records. You will need to:
- print out the patient summary notes on paper and ensure that the notes are clear for the receiving practice to read them
- use a transit label and check that it shows the documents are leaving England
Please note that files in digital formats, including CDs, DVDs and USB files, will not work as these files are often encrypted.
Palliative Care Meeting
Following a meeting with Katie Yockney, SWYT, to discuss prescribing issues which were brought up recently, attached below is the revised and updated local palliative care formulary for your information. This will also be on the BEST website.
Local Palliative Care Formulary
Rebuild General Practice
Rebuild General Practice has launched a patient engagement toolkit action pack containing ideas, tools and support available for Local Medical Committees (LMCs) and individual GPs wishing to engage with patients about the Rebuild General Practice campaign.
Watch the Rebuild General Practice patient engagement animation which can be downloaded to the screens of your surgery.
News for Barnsley
Some major news in Barnsley, following the announcement that partners are working to transform some parts of the Alhambra Shopping Centre into a health and wellbeing hub for the community. This would include the relocation of some major outpatient services from Barnsley Hospital into the town centre. The CDC in the Glass Works has been a game changer over the last couple of years and the Alhambra has the potential to be just as transformative.
It’s estimated more than 100,000 visits a year could be made to the Alhambra instead of the hospital. This will not only alleviate pressure on the hospital, improve parking, but it will also increase footfall in the town centre itself, which will hopefully drive regeneration.
Buying Group Recruitment Support
The LMC Buying Group understand that recruitment is often an expensive and time-consuming business, so they created an eye-catching, easy to use recruitment page where any registered member can post their clinical and non-clinical vacancies at no cost.
They also offer practices the opportunity to feature their vacancies with a featured package which comes at a small fee.
What they offer
As well as posting the job on their website, they also highlight any new job posting at least once across their social media platforms. This is a free service to any member practice interested in expanding their vacancy reach beyond their region.
They have also introduced a ‘Featured Job’ option for those members that want to draw more attention to their advert. The featured role will appear at the top of the Jobs page in a bright colour and be highlighted on their social media channels each week for a month. This service only costs £50 +VAT.
To place an advert, visit the Jobs page GP Practice Vacancies, UK | LMC Buying Group (lmcbuyinggroups.co.uk) and upload your vacancy using the application form template. If you choose the Featured Advert option, they will send you an invoice once the advert has been posted online.
LMC Buying Group
Buying Group Support for PCNs and Federations
The Buying Group have developed an initiative for GP practices working together so they can help each other save money on their purchasing.
They provide a bespoke service by loaning out their procurement consultant Gary, who has over 35 years procurement’ experience and 15 years specific to healthcare. Gary will work with your group e.g. Primary Care Network (PCN) or GP federation to help identify savings that can be made with Buying Group suppliers.
The Process
1. Gary will carry out a cost analysis for up to three practices you nominate within your group
2. The findings of this cost analysis will be presented to the three nominated practices and then to the entire group
3. Gary can answer any questions you have about the suppliers and if you are happy, they can help your group of practices switch to Buying Group approved suppliers.
The Buying Group have been helping individual members save money on the products and services they regularly buy for over 15 years and can now support groups of providers in the same way.
Email the Buying Group at info@lmcbuyinggroups.co.uk to find out more.
Are you making the most of your Buying Group membership?
When was the last time you reviewed how much your practice is spending on the products and services you regularly buy?
The cost of living crisis is really starting to bite and even GP practices will be looking for ways to reduce running costs.
This is where your free membership to the LMC Buying Group can really come in handy as it offers practices access to discounts on a wide range of products and services. They can help you save money on the following areas:
- Medical consumables and equipment
- Stationery, Office equipment and furniture
- Workwear
- Insurance
- Confidential information shredding
- Energy
- Recovery Oxygen
- Trade Waste Management
- Telecoms
- Test and Calibration
- Online Training
- DBS Checks Processing
The Buying Group suppliers won’t just offer you a great price one week and then ramp up the price the next so you can be assured that if you order from their suppliers, you’ll get a great price every time you shop meaning you don’t have to ‘shop around’ to find the best deal every month anymore.
If you’re not sure whether you’re a member and/or have access to the Buying Group website (this is where you can view the pricing/discounts and get quotes) then contact the Buying Group team on 0115 979 6910 or info@lmcbuyinggroups.co.uk. They can also help you with any questions you might have about your membership or the suppliers.
LMC Buying Group
A Reminder about LMC Buying Group Membership
The LMC Buying Group helps GP practices save money on products and services they regularly buy. The Buying Group have negotiated excellent discounts on a wide range of products and services from their approved suppliers.
Buying Group membership is completely free and there is no compulsion to use all the suppliers. They do the hard work associated with finding the most competitive suppliers in cost and customer service, so they save you time as well as money on your purchasing!
Although the Buying Group was originally set up to help GP practices save money on the products and services they regularly buy, membership is now also open to GP Federations and Primary Care Networks.
Why use the Buying Group?
- No membership fees
- Excellent negotiated discounts from a range of suppliers
- Quality products and services
- Free cost analysis for members
- No need to ‘shop around’ anymore – we’ve done the hard work already!
- Access to a recruitment platform to advertise your clinical and non-clinical roles for free and a premium ‘Featured Job’ package for a small fee.
- Access to a community resource hub
If you’re not sure whether you’re a member and/or have access to the Buying Group website (this is where you can view the pricing/discounts and get quotes) then contact the Buying Group team on 0115 979 6910 or info@lmcbuyinggroups.co.uk . They can also help you with any questions you might have about your membership or the suppliers.