Un-resourced work from secondary care
Practices are currently facing a significant challenge as capacity is reduced by the need to adhere to infection control measures and pent up demand from patients staying away from practices during the early stages of the pandemic has been released, with these people now seeking appointments in large numbers. Against this difficult background we are hearing more cases of hospitals passing non-contractual work to GPs, we understand the pressures on hospital colleagues, but it is in everyone’s interests that general practice capacity is not pulled away from keeping people well in the community.
We have prepared a template letter for LMCs, PCNs and GPs to send to their local trust CEO/CMOs urging them to follow the example set by Barts Healthcare in ensuring that consultants and clinical teams directly request the blood and diagnostic tests that they require, and directly prescribe hospital-only medications, rather than ask GPs to do either of these on their behalf.
You can download the template letter here.
We have also added a category for ‘referral management’ issues to our Beam to LMC app to make it even easier for you to report, and allow us to help you tackle, workload issues at the primary/secondary care interface. Find out more here.
Last updated : 21 Jul 2020New CQC guidance section for practices (20 Aug 2019)
In the past 12 months CQC have visited nearly 400 practices in London and found that: 3 were considered outstanding, 300 were considered ‘good’, 57 required improvement, and 23...Bowel screening update – August 2019 (20 Aug 2019)
NHS England have provided an information sheet to explain the introduction of the faecal immunochemical test (FIT). This replaced the guaiac faecal occult blood test (gFOBt) at the start of...Tackling social isolation and loneliness to improve health (20 Aug 2019)
Colin Brown, UK Director for Independent Living & Crisis Response at British Red Cross looks at how their expertise will be of use to social prescribing link workers, as they...Primary care buddying system (20 Aug 2019)
The NHS London Leadership Academy is working with primary care providers to support development in the sector, and to facilitate wider working across the health and social care system. They...Vaccination update August 2019 (20 Aug 2019)
Hepatitis B in at risk babies Babies born to mothers infected with hepatitis B require a course of hep B vaccination. The first dose is given within 24 hours in...Londonwide LMCs’ support for Primary Care Network Clinical Directors (20 Aug 2019)
The introduction of the PCN DES means significant changes in the way practices deliver some existing services, and the rolling out of a new range of services. Londonwide LMCs is...Safeguarding payments and collaborative arrangements (15 Aug 2019)
On 11 July 2019 Dr David Geddes, NHSE/I Director of Primary Care Commissioning, wrote to CCGs and STPs advising that payment for safeguarding activity is not covered by core NHS...Tips of the month August 2019 (15 Aug 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...Congratulations to Dr Katie Bramall-Stainer on becoming CEO of Cambridgeshire LMCs (15 Aug 2019)
At the start of August Dr Katie Bramall-Stainer took over from Dr Guy Watkins as Chief Executive of Cambridgeshire LMC. Katie trained as a GP in London and was previously a medical...CNSGP confirmed to cover safeguarding reports (13 Aug 2019)
NHS England and NHS Resolution have confirmed that the Clinical Negligence Scheme for General Practice (CNSGP) does cover GPs for claims relating to reports produced in response to safeguarding requests, for...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.