Advice on military veterans with concerns over Mefloquine
Individuals who may have taken Mefloquine prescribed by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) are now being offered support from the MoD’s Single Point of Contact (SPOC) for Mefloquine, launched on 5 September 2016. This signposts veterans to appropriate advice through existing resources and patient pathways. A summary of the signposting algorithm is attached, which provides advice to individuals seeking information, those with health concerns, those who wish to make a complaint or those pursuing a legal claim.
Veterans will be encouraged to register their status with their NHS GP (Read Code XaX3) should they not previously have done so, to enable a pathway to existing resources in the NHS should they have concerns about their health. If a veteran attends your practice with a history that they have (or may have) used Mefloquine in the past, this letter serves 3 uses:
- Information for you on what advice your patient has already been given.
- Information on how to obtain copies of their military medical records should your records not hold a sufficient summary to assess the patient’s concerns.
- Some guidance on what options may be available to you in addition to your routine management.
The information that your patient has been given is included in the leaflet attached and includes the contact details for obtaining a copy of their military medical records. Since much of the focus has been the on mental health issues surrounding the use of Mefloquine, a link is provided to the Veterans and Reservists Mental Health Programme (VRMHP). If your records confirm that your patient took Mefloquine while in the military (or you have reason to believe this is the case) and they have mental health issues that you would wish to refer for further assessment or treatment, the VRMHP can provide an assessment and , if appropriate, enable further follow-up and treatment through local NHS resources.
You may find that you can provide information, reassurance or treatment within your routine patient pathways and may choose to support the veteran locally. Further information and education on veterans’ health is available on the free to access e-Learning for Health.
Last updated : 22 Sep 2016September 2016 Newsletter (22 Sep 2016)
Capita / PCSE delays in performers list applications (21 Sep 2016)
There have been delays in processing GP trainee applications for the Performers List beyond the three month window for applications to be processed. Whatever the reason, GP trainees are not...London GPs amongst most influential in the UK (21 Sep 2016)
Pulse magazine’s annual list of the 50 most influential GPs in the UK was published at the start of September. In its seventh year, the Power 50 recognised Dr Michelle...Sustainability and Transformation Plans - September 2016 Update (21 Sep 2016)
Sustainability and Transformation Plans in London On Wednesday 14 September MPs debated concerns regarding the impact of NHS Sustainability and Transformation Plans on frontline services. Challenging both the transparency and...Patient engagement survey shows patients are behind us (21 Sep 2016)
Our patient engagement survey reached both practice leads and members of patient participation groups (PPGs). Responses suggest that many of the current challenges faced by general practice are on the...Winter planning - start encouraging flu vaccinations now (19 Sep 2016)
Practices should have received their stocks of influenza vaccine by now. We strongly advise that practices who have yet to do so, to start informing their patients who are over 65...Speakers' Corner - Cancer awareness at The Royal Marsden (14 Sep 2016)
This month's Speakers' Corner comes from The Royal Marsden, the world renowned hospital that specialises in cancer care, treatment, research, training and education. This month is Gynaecological Cancer Awareness month. ...Mword - Issue 30 (12 Sep 2016)
12 September 2016...From Mindfulness to Reflection: how to stay healthy in today's NHS, event for GPs 12 October and 10 November 2016 (23 Aug 2016)
August 2016 newsletter (18 Aug 2016)
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.