Primary Care E-briefing (Issue 30) - 1 May 2020

Welcome to the COVID-19 e-briefing to support GP practices across mid and south Essex with operational information and advice.

Please note: this e-briefing will now be sent on Monday, Wednesday and Friday afternoons. Please continue to share any thoughts about how we can improve this e-briefing by using the ‘send feedback’ button below.

All previous bulletins can be found here

In this issue

• Important Bank Holiday information
• Summary of today’s mid and south Essex broadcast teleconference
• Understanding primary care capacity & any associated challenges during COVID-19
• Clarification: GP Connect for 111/direct booking
• Pando update: ERS advice and guidance across the MSE group
• Reminder: guidance on changes to outpatient care in response to COVID-19
• NHSE/I staff feedback hub
• Possible fraud warning
• NHSE primary care COVID-19 bulletin

Important Bank Holiday Information

8 May bank holiday – it has been agreed to only operate respiratory hubs, extended access and IC24 to cover on this day. Note – the impact will be reviewed to inform decision making re. second bank holiday on 25 May.

REMINDER: information about claims for staffing in south east Essex on the Easter Bank Holiday Friday and Monday are included in the below letter.

Understanding primary care capacity and any associated challenges during COVID-19

Please can all practices ensure they notify their local CCG primary care leads with regards to the below points so that there is a clear picture around local capacity and resulting challenges:

• To notify their commissioner immediately should they be unable to provide a full service to registered patients for any reason (with contact details included)
• Ensure that internal practice arrangements for contacting commissioners is shared with all practice staff as part of current business continuity processes; and
• In addition, practices are reminded that if they have to shut for a deep clean, this should not include their phones not being available. The CCG Infection, Prevention and Control team can provide guidance on deep clean requirements if practices are unsure. Advice is also available from the Local Medical Committee.

CCGs are now required to use this information to update the NHS Digital Directory of Services.

Clarification: GP Connect for 111/direct booking

We would like to remind practices that:

• no action is required at present (NHSE are covering this in national briefings which is creating confusion – see below for reference)
• work has been underway this week to test the functionality, and;
• further guidance will follow shortly on actions required from practices.

For reference, you can read the original NHS Digital bulletin where this information was communicated.

Pando update: ERS advice and guidance across the MSE group

Please click below to download a file showing where ERS advice and guidance is available across the three hospitals (MSE Group), and where the Pando Advice and & Guidance app is live.

Note: The response time for Pando is significantly faster than ERS Advice & Guidance , therefore where Pando is live it is preferred that this method is used for any queries. There will be further specialties going live over the upcoming weeks therefore an updated file will be published regularly.

Further support and training to support clinicians to use Pando/A&G is being planned and will be communicated ASAP.

In the meantime, more information about the Pando app can be found here.

Guidance to changes to outpatient care in response to COVID-19

A reminder of all the Mid and South Essex University Hospitals Group outpatient related service changes in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This includes guidance on:

• Same day emergency care
• Two week wait referrals for suspected cancer
• MSE Outpatients Diagnostics Imaging Services
• Basildon Rapid Access Chest Pain Clinic
• Ophthalmology.

We are working with the Mid and South Essex University Hospitals Group re. keeping referrals with the GP – this is under review as we seek to implement the requirements of the Simon Stevens letter looking at the second phase of the COVID-19 response.

NHSE/I staff feedback hub

NHS England and NHS Improvement invite you take part in the NHS Staff Feedback Hub. Ipsos MORI is running the Feedback Hub on behalf of NHS England and NHS Improvement to understand your experience of COVID-19 and your views of the response so far. Click below for more information.

Possible fraud warning

A practice in mid Essex has reported activity similar to a possible scam highlighted during March, which involved a box containing printer toners and printer drums delivered without an invoice or delivery note.

A company claiming to be based in Southend then sent an invoice to the practice for several hundred pounds and in a follow-up call claimed the order was made by a member of staff from the practice who had since left. This seemed convincing as the name of the departing staff member was given by the company, but no such order had been made.

In what are already very challenging times for general practice, we wanted you to be aware that such scams are continuing and possibly even becoming more persistent. Please be mindful of such scams and take appropriate precautions. Please also consider contacting your CCG’s Local Counter Fraud Specialist if you are concerned or would like advice.

Eleni Gill is the local specialist, covering the mid and south Essex CCG areas and her details are: [email protected], 07827 308906.