Avon LMCs Newsletter on 24-04-24

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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 we face a new financial year, many practices will have concerns about their financial sustainability and how to make the books balance. We are collating the results of the practice resilience survey and will share this with you anonymously in due course. 

Let’s not delude ourselves that there’s a magic money tree hidden somewhere waiting to give general practice the injection of funding it needs. In the current political and economic climate, the only tool you have up your sleeve is solidarity and awareness of where your contractual obligations end.  GPC England has now declared it is formally in dispute with NHS England over the imposed contract and has advised all ICBs to add this to their risk registers. 

The key is for each and every one of you to get engaged with what’s going on at a local and national level so please consider attending the meetings highlighted within the newsletter this week.

Dr Shaba Nabi
Chair Avon LMC

Avon LMC is honoured to be hosting the regional GPC England Roadshow for the southwest region on 20/06/24 from 19.00 – 21.00. We are expecting the Chair of GPC England, Dr Katie Bramall-Stainer, to discuss next steps and timeline for action, following the GP Referendum.

We are also planning an Avon LMC membership event (with supper) to occur prior to the GPCE roadshow of 20^th June, which is likely to take place from 14.00 – 18.00.

More details about agenda, venue and sign-up form will be shared later but, in the meantime, please do lock in this important date of 20^th June.

We have the last few places available for attendance at this exciting annual conference, and it’s a stone throw away from the Bristol area, so you don’t even need to stay overnight.

If you would like to attend, please email info@almc.co.uk by the end of this week.

Question: “What work is being done to address the communication between midwifery teams and GPs? Prescription requests are often handwritten, with limited information, and occasionally with a patient being unaware of the need for treatment”.

Answer: Thank you for raising this issue as it seems fairly widespread. Avon LMC is planning to meet with the BNSSG midwifery leads to establish clear pathways for communication with GPs, as well as highlighting the need for PGDs to be developed for community midwives.

As you are aware, ADHD referrals can fall into the “right to choose” category and there are currently five providers listed on Remedy within BNSSG.

It has come to the attention of Avon LMC that referral to the provider ProblemShared is time consuming as it requires manual uploading of information to an on-line platform which does not self-populate. In addition, we have some concerns around eligibility criteria which exclude people who are unable to communicate in conversational English.

Avon LMC will be highlighting this to the ICB, as well as sharing some principles around referrals to Right to Choose Providers which include:

• One self-populated form to be used for all providers of the same condition
• LMC approval for all referral forms

In the meantime, GP practices may wish to avoid any referrals to providers which create significant workload for clinical and administrative staff.

Please find the letter here.

The LMC Buying Group helps GP practices save money on products and services they regularly buy. The Buying Group have negotiated excellent discounts on a wide range of products and services from their approved suppliers.
 
Buying Group membership is completely free and there is no compulsion to use all the suppliers. They do the hard work associated with finding the most competitive suppliers in cost and customer service, so they save you time as well as money on your purchasing!
 
Although the Buying Group was originally set up to help GP practices save money on the products and services they regularly buy, membership is now also open to GP Federations and Primary Care Networks.

Why use the Buying Group?

• No membership fees
• Excellent negotiated discounts from a range of suppliers
• Quality products and services
• Free cost analysis for members
• No need to ‘shop around’ anymore – we’ve done the hard work already!
• Access to a recruitment platform to advertise your clinical and non-clinical roles for free and a premium ‘Featured Job’ package for a small fee.
• Access to a community resource hub

If you’re not sure whether you’re a member and/or have access to the Buying Group website (this is where you can view the pricing/discounts and get quotes) then contact the Buying Group team on 0115 979 6910 or info@lmcbuyinggroups.co.uk. They can also help you with any questions you might have about your membership or the suppliers.

Avon LMC extends warm wishes to all colleagues observing Pesach next week, which will be celebrated on Monday and Tuesday, marking the final two days of the festival.

• Thursday 18 April General practice bulletin (mailchi.mp)
• Tuesday 23 April General practice bulletin (mailchi.mp)

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– LATEST TRAINING AND EVENTS –

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When: 10th July 2024
Time: 9:00 – 17:00
Where: BAWA, 589 Southmead Road, Filton, Bristol BS34 7RG

Are you currently on a period of leave from working as a GP? Coming to the end of your parental leave? Sabbatical finishing soon? Ready to come back after a stretch of sick leave? If so – are you feeling a little daunted at the prospect? You’re not alone…but we are here to help!

This whole day, in person, free to attend event from the BNSSG Training Hub will help improve your confidence and have you ready to get back to work and hit the ground running. With a mix of larger group teaching sessions and smaller interactive workshops all designed to improve your confidence and knowledge around the return to work process and beyond, we hope that you will be raring to return by the end of the day. The event is aimed at those currently on a period of leave or who have returned to clinical work in the last few months.

The BNSSG Training Hub GP Retention Team

Any questions please email andrew.hunter17@nhs.net or bnssg.training.hub@nhs.net.

Please find the flyer for details

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