General Practice During The Pandemic: The Role of the General Practitioner and Practice Team
Our new document, General Practice During The Pandemic: The Role of the General Practitioner and Practice Team, looks at how practice teams are adapting to the Covid-19 challenge and some of the future implications of this period of rapid change. It also contains guidance on a number of areas, including:
Emergency/urgent care
- Diagnosis and management of patients presenting with acute illness.
- Risk assessing and triaging these presentations into those suitable for advice only, prescription, further investigation, referral for specialist advice or acute hospital referral.
- Referring cases of suspected cancer to specialist services in accordance with revised 2 week wait pathways.
Long-term conditions (LTCs)
- Diagnosis and management of many LTCs in general practice.
- Referral for secondary care for the diagnosis and/or initial management with referral back to GP for the long-term management.
- Referral to secondary care for the diagnosis and/or initial management and then ongoing joint management of the patient.
- Referral to secondary care for the diagnosis and ongoing management of patients.
Prevention and health promotion
- This includes vaccinations, immunisations, lifestyle modification (diet, exercise, smoking and alcohol).
End of life care
- Increasing numbers of patients with end stage disease or malignancy or choosing to die in the community with the GP being part of the multi-disciplinary team supporting them and their families through this event.
Patient and local community advocacy
- Identifying and referring vulnerable individuals, especially where there may be a safeguarding concern.
- Understanding the local communities being served.
- Providing holistic care, for example assistance with benefits.
- Linking with voluntary organisations.
- Providing patient support forums within the practice.
- Contribute to community cohesion.
GP Contract changes – Coronavirus provisions extended (21 Oct 2020)
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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...Health Select Committee pandemic report (21 Oct 2020)
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...Tips of the Month October 2020 (21 Oct 2020)
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...Londonwide LMCs' October 2020 Newsletter (21 Oct 2020)
...NHS 111 First roll-out (21 Oct 2020)
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...Calling all general practice managers, business managers, HR managers, finance managers, operational managers, managing partners and site managers (24 Sep 2020)
As part of our Practice Manager Development project, we are able to offer you an opportunity to take-up a fully...Appraisal resumes and GMC to consider Coronavirus impact during investigations (23 Sep 2020)
NHS England has instructed GPs to resume the appraisal process from 1 October, although this will be in a form which is intended to reduce the amount of paperwork involved,...Coronavirus protection for London general practice (23 Sep 2020)
As the only truly independent voice for London general practice, Londonwide LMCs continues to provide constructive challenge on behalf of GPs, nurses and the whole team in each and every...Guidance
We provide expert guidance for practices in our guidance section, as well as an archive of other materials you may find useful.
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