News

11 November 2020 Dear Colleague Taking your temperature Late on Monday we finally received the much awaited letter setting out details of the Covid Vaccination DES. With around three weeks to 1 December and barely six weeks until Christmas, General Practice has been presented with the prospect of scoping, building and delivering a brand new […]

30 October 2020 Dear Colleague If you or other practice team members have seen an increase in aggressive behaviours from our patients, sadly you are not alone. We are receiving increasing reports of such experiences from valued staff at our front desks, our caring nurses and our GPs. Examples include swearing during phone consultations about […]

All GPs are eligible for an NHS email (‘NHSmail’) account, regardless of whether you are a partner, locum or salaried, and it has never been easier to get registered. NHSmail accounts have been open to locums since March of this year and we encourage everyone eligible to sign-up to get one. During the Coronavirus pandemic it has never […]

At the end of September NHS England wrote to practices and commissioners reminding them of the 2020-21 GP Contract changes and announcing announced the extension of some temporary measures introduced as part of the Coronavirus response, specifically: • A suspension of the requirement that practices report to commissioners about the Friends and Family Test returns. […]

The GMC have updated their guidance in relation to consent – the guidance comes into effect on 9 November 2020 and can be accessed at the link below: Guidance on professional standards and ethics for doctors – Decision making and consent The guidance does not introduce any new obligations, rather it provides more expansive guidance […]

Amongst other things,Parliament’s Health and Social Care Select Committee called for improvements in referral handling at the primary/secondary care interface, better staff testing (including for GPs and staff) and quoted evidence highlighting: Problems with information flow between primary and secondary care. Difficulties in GPs getting investigations booked/ tests conducted. More risk aversion when working remotely/digitally. […]

October 2020 Newsletter Updated Flu Guide Our guide on the complexities of the flu season has been updated to include new information on supplies, eligible cohorts and coding. READ MORE > Living Guide additions Our Living Guide has updated   sections on essential non Covid-19   health needs, the process concerning   the death of a patient and a […]

By 1 December NHS 111 will be able to book appointments at emergency departments (EDs) within all London hospitals. This will coincide with a campaign encouraging patients to contact NHS 111 before attending an ED. Patients who are assessed as needing to attend an ED by NHS 111, will be advised where they need to […]

We provide weekly tips based on common queries which come through to us from London GPs and practice teams. These are shared via social media and collated for this newsletter.   Some patients and practice staff may be eligible for the Test and Trace Support Payment scheme, which tops up the income of people asked […]