Avon LMCs Newsletter on 17-07-24

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The ALMC Newsletter

Welcome to our weekly newsletter, sharing the latest news and topics of interest for practices.

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– LATEST NEWS –

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As someone who rarely requires medical care, apart from the usual female rites of passage such as contraception, childbirth and menopause, I had to access my GP practice last week for an unexpected issue. The access to my GP practice (you know who you are!) was exceptional and I received a phone call within thirty minutes of submitting an on-line consultation, with a face-to-face appointment three hours later.  The irony of this situation is that I am likely to wait many months to consult with someone in secondary care, if the referral is accepted at all. It goes to show how nonsensical it is to focus on two-week access targets in general practice, when patients could wait years for secondary care consultations for their condition. We need to continually fight against the prioritisation of access over continuity of care, as we know the latter reduces referrals, admissions, and even death.

It was great to see many practices represented at our first LMC virtual drop in yesterday and we are planning to repeat these events on a regular basis, as an opportunity for any practice member to engage with Avon LMC. We are keen to hear your current concerns, your thoughts about potential solutions, and how you would like to be represented by us.

“The essence of the beautiful is unity in variety” Felix Mendelssohn

Dr Shaba Nabi
Chair Avon LMC

An email reminder to complete this was sent to practice managers yesterday and the deadline for practices to submit their response (one per practice) is Friday 26th July. If you have not received this survey, please email info@almc.co.uk. We are aware that the contents of this survey will need to be discussed within your practice leadership meetings, which is why we have allowed a submission window of several weeks.

We are asking for a 100% return from practices so that Avon LMC has legitimate authority to provide a BNSSG steer for collective action options – none of which represent a contractual breach.

The results of this survey will be discussed further at the membership event, open to all practices.

This membership event will take place at BAWA and the results of the collective action survey will be discussed, with a view to achieving a consensus for collective action within BNSSG.

We will be inviting two representatives per practice, as well as Avon LMC Committee representatives.

It was good to see so many practices represented at our first virtual drop-in. Some of the topics covered were:

• Timeline for collective action survey and LMC membership event
• LES contracts and notice period for this
• The influence of a change of government for general practice
• The importance of unity within BNSSG

Avon LMC is planning to continue these lunchtime drop-in sessions after the holiday period.

Question: The 2024/26 Local Enhanced Service (LES) specification does not reference any notice period. Should this be one of the collective action options our Practice chooses, what would the notice period be?
 
Answer: Avon LMC has confirmed with ICB representatives that they will be issuing standard NHS contract variations for 2024/25 and that general terms and conditions will apply. This would stipulate a 3-month notice period, either way, for termination of the LES Contract should the practice wish to cease to participate in the activities.

The safe working webinars took place this week and shared the importance of safe working within general practice. The average patient to GP ratio is now 2,300 and demand is higher than ever, so it’s vital to step off the hamster wheel and work safely. Some ways of implementing safe working are:

• Gradual move to fifteen-minute consultations
• Designated time for clinical administration and supervision
• Robust clinical triage
  • Care navigation hubs combining care navigators with clinical staff such as ACPs or GPs
  • RAG rating for clinical prioritisation with waiting lists for non-urgent issues
• Use of ARRS roles to support GPs
  • Clinical Pharmacists for medication issues
  • Care Coordinators to support patients
  • GP Assistants to support GPs

Kim Ball, the LMC Director of Nursing, has recently been offered a part-time position as the Professional Lead for Primary Care with the Royal College of Nursing. We are thrilled that Kim will continue to work for the Avon LMC as our Director of Nursing. This exciting opportunity will enable her to develop and leverage effective professional relationships between the RCN and key national stakeholders, complementing her work locally.

Kim is a passionate and driven nurse who fervently advocates for primary care nursing. With the recent change in government, it is a promising time to explore opportunities and lead initiatives with RCN members and staff to develop innovative solutions and strategies for contemporary nursing to address health and social care challenges.

Congratulations, Kim!

Read the latest GPC England bulletin here

• Thursday 11 July General practice bulletin (mailchi.mp)
• Tuesday 16 July General practice bulletin (mailchi.mp)

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– LATEST TRAINING AND EVENTS –

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• 25 July FCP Workshop – An interpretation of blood results in MSK cases
• 14 August Pelvic Health – Why it matters?  https://forms.office.com/e/QLtGHqWns8
• 15 August Getting the Best out of your Laboratory Tests: Blood and Infection Science Session https://forms.office.com/e/jgv3KziFCi
• 20 August CYP EduForum: Allergy https://forms.office.com/e/w8XvU4iW03

Please see here for full event details.
For further information please contact Bnssg.training.hub@nhs.net

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