Important Notice for Practices in NHS PS Premises – Update from GPC
NHS England (NHSE) and NHS Property Service (NHSPS) have sent out a joint communication to tenant practices whereby NHSE have indicated that they will temporarily reimburse increased rental costs that NHSPS are seeking to charge despite the fact that a formal assessment has not yet been carried out by the District Valuer (or such other valuer acting on behalf of NHSE).
GPC have serious concerns about this proposal given that NHSE and NHSPS are two separate legal bodies. With this in mind, all practices occupying NHSPS premises should be careful to avoid agreeing to any temporary measure put forward by NHSE unless NHSPS have provided categorical written confirmation that their ability to charge such increased sums, and indeed the obligation on practices’ to meet such increased rental costs, is conditional on the practice receiving funding to cover the same.
We hope to provide further information on this.
In the meantime, if a practice is considering agreeing to a temporary arrangement concerning reimbursements and charges they must ensure that once the temporary measure ends in respect of reimbursements, that they do not inadvertently find themselves continuing to be liable for the increased cost. To this regard we strongly advise practices to seek advice before agreeing any temporary measures.
If you are in an NHS PS building you might like to let the LMC office know to ensure that you are kept updated with the latest developments.
admin@sandwelllmc.com
Important changes to the hospital contract to stop inappropriate workload shift onto GPs
Please click here for details of important changes. Please note changes are contractual requirements, and therefore if hospitals do not abide by these standards they are in breach of their contract. The 5 changes are:
1. Hospitals to issue fit notes, covering the full period until the date by which it is anticipated that the patient will have recovered.
2. Hospitals to respond to patient queries for matters relating to their care rather than asking the patient to contact their GP.
3. Hospitals must not transfer management under shared care unless with prior agreement with the GP.
4. Hospital clinic letters to be received by the GP within 10 days from 1 April 2017, and within seven days.
5. Issuing medication following outpatient attendance.
Practices will be key to enabling this change, since it is GPs and their staff who will be directly aware when these standards are not met. It is vital that we push back on inappropriate demands rather than allow them to continue unchallenged, and report breaches to both the provider and CCG. To make this easier, the BMA has devised practice templates. Please use them – they have been adapted to be uploaded onto clinical systems – so that you can produce a pre-populated template letter at a keystroke.
Legislative Change from 3.4.2017
Patients who die while subject to an authorisation under the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) no longer require automatic referral to the coroners
Before that date, patients who died subject to DoLS were regarded as dying while in state detention, triggering an automatic requirement for an inquest. From Monday the 3rd of April the
Coroners and Justice Act 2009 will be amended so that coroners will no longer be under a duty to investigate a death solely because the individual was subject to the DoLS at the time. These deaths will only require reporting to the coroner if the cause of death was unknown, or where the cause of death was violent or unnatural.
All deaths while subject to a DoLS authorisation that occur prior to the 3rd of April will still need to be reported to the Coroner.
Update from Dr. Chaand Nagpaul (BMA GPs Committee Chair)
Amongst other things, this update focuses on the IR35 rules changes, and an important reminder about the Sessionals survey. Please click here for update; link This will be covered in more detail in the next newsletter, so please look out for this update particularly if you use long term locum cover.
Global Sum Uplift Breakdown
Whilst focused on PMS and APMS this document also contains the GMS figures, with a breakdown of the elements going in to global sum.
https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/apms-pms-contract-changes-17-18-v0.5.pdf
GP Forward View – BMA Webpage
The BMA website has been updated with a specific section for the GP Forward View. Everything is included on one hub page and any updates/new information/guidance specific to the GP Forward View will be linked through this central page.
https://www.bma.org.uk/advice/employment/gp-practices/general-practice-forward-view
TPP QRISK2 – Enhanced Service
A new temporary Enhanced Service was introduced in February 2017 to recognise work caused by historic issues with code mapping errors in the QRISK2 calculator in SystmOne.
Practices have been provided with lists of patients potentially affected and clinical recommendations for identifying patients for call/recall and support reviews. Practices need to identify patients who may have been affected by the QRISK2 code mapping error and offer an up to date cardiovascular assessment where clinically appropriate.
Where clinically indicated, patients should be invited for a consultation and offered appropriate follow up clinical interventions. Practices can claim £6.50 per affected patient.
Full details of the Enhanced Service and more background on the QRISK error are available here:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/enhanced-service-spec-tpp-qrisk2.pdf
Claims need to be made by 31 May 2017 and payments will be made by Monday 31 July 2017. All claims are on the basis that the follow up work set out in the Enhanced Service is carried out by 31 September 2017.
Update on Doctors’ and Dentist’ Remuneration
The DDRB has released its 45th report with recommendations for the pay and conditions for doctors in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
