Download this week’s GP Weekly Update here which features the following updates:
- COVID-19: Vaccination Programme
- General Vaccine Update
- Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) Bulletin
- NICE 5 Year Strategy
- Integrated Care Systems (ICS) Guides
You can download a pdf version here
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You can also read the update here:
COVID-19: Vaccination Programme
People aged 40 and over are now able to book their COVID-19 vaccine appointments through the National Booking Service, and PCN Local Vaccination Services can also contact this group of patients (cohort 10) to come forward for their first vaccination.
This phased approach continues in line with supply. However, cohorts 1-9 remain the priority following the process that is in place. For people aged 29 and under who have yet to receive a COVID-19 vaccination, and/or who have contraindications, and/or are pregnant, to enable them to access the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine. For local vaccination services (LVS) PCN sites this is either by accessing excess Pfizer supply from second dose clinics or requesting additional supply.
Cohort 11 is not yet open, but updates will be communicated in due course.
General Vaccine Update
A phase 2 special edition of the vaccine update is available which covers many topics including the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy and post-acute COVID-19 syndrome. Links to the new versions of the COVID-19 vaccination leaflets and posters are also available in the vaccine update.
Change to dTaP/IPV vaccine
Boostrix-IPV is currently supplied for both the pre-school booster and maternal pertussis dTaP/IPV programmes. This has recently changed from Repevax. The 2 vaccines are equivalent, and there is no other change to the pre-school booster or maternal pertussis immunisation programme. Further details about this programme can be found in chapter 24 of the Green Book.
The vaccine update also contains information about the late May bank holiday orders and delivery schedules for routine vaccinations.
Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) Bulletin
The Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) Bulletins for GP Practice Staff contain information on good practice and research from some of the most recent CQC inspection reports.
The latest bulletins include information on donning and doffing stations for personal protective equipment (PPE), and hand hygiene.
NICE 5 Year Strategy (2021 to 2026)
When NICE refocused their efforts on the pandemic last year they produced a suite of rapid guidelines on COVID-19 and, last month they launched their new strategy to focus on transformation for the next 5 years, creating 4 strategic pillars to underpin their plans:
- Provide rapid, robust and responsive technology evaluation
- They will evaluate new technologies and healthcare innovations, which will include the launch of a new office for digital health and a life sciences hub on their website
- Create dynamic, living guideline recommendations
- They plan to make their guidelines easier to access and use, which will include a new digital platform to produce guidelines in a new interactive format
- Effective guidance uptake to maximise impact
- They want to ensure their recommendations are used to deliver improvements and contribute to reducing inequalities
- Show leadership in data, research and science
- They will develop cost-effective, innovative and improved data-driven methods, and create a new approach to public engagement
The latest clinical guidance and advice can be found on the NICE website.
Integrated Care Systems (ICS) Guides
Integrated care is about giving people the support they need, joined up across local councils, the NHS, and other partners. It removes traditional divisions between hospitals and family doctors, between physical and mental health, and between NHS and council services. In the past, these divisions have meant that too many people experienced disjointed care.
- Making Sense of the NHS Structure
NHS Providers has developed a guide to explain some acronyms and terminology now commonly used to describe how the NHS structure is evolving
- Place-Based Partnerships
A report by The King’s Fund considers the potential of ‘place-based partnerships’ to improve population health and support integrated care. The key functions are understanding and working with communities, joining up and coordinating services around people’s needs, addressing social and economic factors that influence health and wellbeing and supporting quality and sustainability of local services.