Brexit update - October 2019
On 8 October Matt Hancock, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, released a statement on his department’s preparations for a ‘no-deal’ exit from the European Union. It provides some high-level details of supply chain plans, but no specific actions for general practice.
At the end of September, the National Audit Office (NAO) released its report ‘Exiting the EU: supplying the health and social care sectors’. Key points from the NAO on ‘no-deal’ EU exit preparations include:
- Of the 12,300 prescription-only and over-the-counter medicines used in the UK, 7,000 come from or via the EU and the vast majority use the short Channel crossings [Calais or Dunkirk to Dover].
- More than half the clinical consumables the UK uses come from, or via, the EU and the vast majority use the short Channel crossings.
- Half of all supplies for clinical trials come from or via the EU, and half of those (25% of the total) come through the short Channel crossings.
- 72% of medicine product lines have at least six weeks’ worth of supplies stockpiled and for 25% of medicine product lines suppliers have secured freight capacity away from the short Channel crossings.
- DHSC does not know what proportion of social care providers have followed its stockpiling advice. 80% of care home providers operate a single care home [creating issues of physical, financial and administrative capacity for procuring and storing additional supplies].
The full NAO report is here.
The NAO report summary is here.
Last updated : 23 Oct 2019Trusts asking practices to identify overseas patients when referring (18 Sep 2019)
We are aware some practices are receiving messages from hospital trusts asking for assistance in identifying overseas patients at the point of referral. We would like to...New courses: owning your practice premises and cervical sample takers training (18 Sep 2019)
Following feedback from practices on their training needs, we are pleased to be able to offer two new training opportunities. Owning your practice premises: the essentials Running for the first...Comments sought on CQC for parliamentary evidence session (18 Sep 2019)
The Parliamentary Health and Social Care Committee are planning to hold an evidence session with the Chair, Chief Executive and Chief Inspectors of the Care Quality Commission to discuss its...Government ‘no-deal’ EU exit planning - September 2019 update (18 Sep 2019)
On 10 September the Government published part of its ‘no-deal’ Brexit planning documentation, including a section on drugs supplies which says: “The reliance of medicines and medical products' supply...Sharing patient records with the Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD) (18 Sep 2019)
The General Practitioners Committee (GPC) has now concluded a review of the management and use of patient data by the Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD). The GPC are content that...Tips of the month September 2019 (17 Sep 2019)
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...Organising your flu campaign for 2019 (13 Sep 2019)
Jacqui Perfect, an experienced practice manager and member of our GP Support team, shares her top tips for the flu vaccination season. It’s that time of year again when the...'No Deal' EU exit impact survey - your views required (05 Sep 2019)
We are keen to understand how leaving the EU without any transitional arrangements could impact on practices' supplies of medicines, products and staff. Please take a few moments toLondonwide LMCs' August 2019 Newsletter (21 Aug 2019)
...Data sharing agreement checklist and guidance for practices (21 Aug 2019)
Londonwide LMCS is aware of the increasing complexity and number of information and data sharing agreements (DSAs) and documents which practices are receiving to review and sign. To support practices,...Guidance
We provide expert guidance for practices in our guidance section, as well as an archive of other materials you may find useful.
GP Support
Contact our GP Support team if you need help or advice.
The team provide professional and pastoral support to GPs and practice teams on a broad range of issues.