GP Weekly Roundup (Last update: 14.05.21)

Dementia Care
May 14, 2021

See below some GP highlights from this week, gathered from our team here: 

In this bulletin:

  • Improving GP Appointment Data – GPAD DES
  • Referring Patients with Minor Illness Symptoms to a Community Pharmacist
  • Mental Health Awareness Week
  • Payroll – HMRC Webinars
  • Resus UK Guidelines
  • CQC’s Review of DNACPR Decisions During the COVID-19 Pandemic
  • CQC Mythbuster of the Week

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Improving GP Appointment Data – GPAD DES

NHS Digital has been collecting data from General Practice appointment systems and publishing monthly data by CCG area since 2018. However, the variation in how General Practice appointment books are used and how the different IT systems function means that the current GP appointment publication has limitations.

The Network Contract Directed Enhanced Service (DES) Standardised GP Appointment Categories was published on 31 March 2021 asking Practices to undertake a short one-off exercise to map each slot type it uses to one of the national categories. Piloting suggests that this exercise will take around one hour per practice. You can read more about the GPAD DES in our QCS blog.

Referring Patients with Minor Illness Symptoms to a Community Pharmacist

Patients who contact their GP Practice with minor illness symptoms can be referred for a same day consultation with a Community Pharmacist, using the referral pathway to the Community Pharmacist Consultation Service. To explain how the referral pathway works, the benefits to practices and patients and how to start using it, the RCGP will be hosting a webinar on 27 May.

Mental Health Awareness Week

It’s Mental Health Awareness Week (10-16 May 2021) and the theme this year is Nature. We know that everyone involved in the delivery of primary care services, both clinical and non-clinical, are facing unprecedented challenges through COVID-19 and it can be extremely hard to maintain psychological wellbeing during this time.

NHS England wants you to Look After You Too and offers individual #LookingAfterYourTeam coaching sessions which are available for all staff working in the delivery of primary care services including those who lead, manage or organise a team or group in primary care. Click here to register and book a coaching session.

Also, Tracy Green, our Head of Primary Care, has recently trained to become one of our fantastic team of certified Mental Health First Aiders at QCS, and has written a great blog with ‘8 compelling reasons to support mental wellbeing in the workplace’ which you can read here.

Payroll – HMRC Webinars

HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) helps employers with payroll, and to make PAYE easier they invite you to join one or more of these live webinars for more information on how recording the right information and submitting payroll reports can save you time:

For more help with when and how to pay PAYE and how to issue P60s to your employees you can watch these short videos on HMRC’s YouTube channel.

CQC’s Review of DNACPR Decisions During the COVID-19 Pandemic

At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic the CQC had concerns about the blanket use of ‘do not attempt cardiopulmonary resuscitation’ (DNACPR) and that they were being used for groups of people without any consideration for an individual person’s needs. In the latest CQC Connect podcast episode the CQC’s latest report called Protect, respect, connect is discussed which includes decisions about living and dying well decisions made durin

In this bulletin:

  • Improving GP Appointment Data – GPAD DES
  • Referring Patients with Minor Illness Symptoms to a Community Pharmacist
  • Mental Health Awareness Week
  • Payroll – HMRC Webinars
  • Resus UK Guidelines
  • CQC’s Review of DNACPR Decisions During the COVID-19 Pandemic
  • CQC Mythbuster of the Week

Improving GP Appointment Data – GPAD DES

NHS Digital has been collecting data from General Practice appointment systems and publishing monthly data by CCG area since 2018. However, the variation in how General Practice appointment books are used and how the different IT systems function means that the current GP appointment publication has limitations.

The Network Contract Directed Enhanced Service (DES) Standardised GP Appointment Categories was published on 31 March 2021 asking Practices to undertake a short one-off exercise to map each slot type it uses to one of the national categories. Piloting suggests that this exercise will take around one hour per practice. You can read more about the GPAD DES in our QCS blog.

Referring Patients with Minor Illness Symptoms to a Community Pharmacist

Patients who contact their GP Practice with minor illness symptoms can be referred for a same day consultation with a Community Pharmacist, using the referral pathway to the Community Pharmacist Consultation Service. To explain how the referral pathway works, the benefits to practices and patients and how to start using it, the RCGP will be hosting a webinar on 27 May.

Mental Health Awareness Week

It’s Mental Health Awareness Week (10-16 May 2021) and the theme this year is Nature. We know that everyone involved in the delivery of primary care services, both clinical and non-clinical, are facing unprecedented challenges through COVID-19 and it can be extremely hard to maintain psychological wellbeing during this time.

NHS England wants you to Look After You Too and offers individual #LookingAfterYourTeam coaching sessions which are available for all staff working in the delivery of primary care services including those who lead, manage or organise a team or group in primary care. Click here to register and book a coaching session.

Also, Tracy Green, our Head of Primary Care, has recently trained to become one of our fantastic team of certified Mental Health First Aiders at QCS, and has written a great blog with ‘8 compelling reasons to support mental wellbeing in the workplace’ which you can read here.

Payroll – HMRC Webinars

HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) helps employers with payroll, and to make PAYE easier they invite you to join one or more of these live webinars for more information on how recording the right information and submitting payroll reports can save you time:

For more help with when and how to pay PAYE and how to issue P60s to your employees you can watch these short videos on HMRC’s YouTube channel.

CQC’s Review of DNACPR Decisions During the COVID-19 Pandemic

At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic the CQC had concerns about the blanket use of ‘do not attempt cardiopulmonary resuscitation’ (DNACPR) and that they were being used for groups of people without any consideration for an individual person’s needs. In the latest CQC Connect podcast episode the CQC’s latest report called Protect, respect, connect is discussed which includes decisions about living and dying well decisions made

In this bulletin:

  • Improving GP Appointment Data – GPAD DES
  • Referring Patients with Minor Illness Symptoms to a Community Pharmacist
  • Mental Health Awareness Week
  • Payroll – HMRC Webinars
  • Resus UK Guidelines
  • CQC’s Review of DNACPR Decisions During the COVID-19 Pandemic
  • CQC Mythbuster of the Week

Improving GP Appointment Data – GPAD DES

NHS Digital has been collecting data from General Practice appointment systems and publishing monthly data by CCG area since 2018. However, the variation in how General Practice appointment books are used and how the different IT systems function means that the current GP appointment publication has limitations.

The Network Contract Directed Enhanced Service (DES) Standardised GP Appointment Categories was published on 31 March 2021 asking Practices to undertake a short one-off exercise to map each slot type it uses to one of the national categories. Piloting suggests that this exercise will take around one hour per practice. You can read more about the GPAD DES in our QCS blog.

Referring Patients with Minor Illness Symptoms to a Community Pharmacist

Patients who contact their GP Practice with minor illness symptoms can be referred for a same day consultation with a Community Pharmacist, using the referral pathway to the Community Pharmacist Consultation Service. To explain how the referral pathway works, the benefits to practices and patients and how to start using it, the RCGP will be hosting a webinar on 27 May.

Mental Health Awareness Week

It’s Mental Health Awareness Week (10-16 May 2021) and the theme this year is Nature. We know that everyone involved in the delivery of primary care services, both clinical and non-clinical, are facing unprecedented challenges through COVID-19 and it can be extremely hard to maintain psychological wellbeing during this time.

NHS England wants you to Look After You Too and offers individual #LookingAfterYourTeam coaching sessions which are available for all staff working in the delivery of primary care services including those who lead, manage or organise a team or group in primary care. Click here to register and book a coaching session.

Also, Tracy Green, our Head of Primary Care, has recently trained to become one of our fantastic team of certified Mental Health First Aiders at QCS, and has written a great blog with ‘8 compelling reasons to support mental wellbeing in the workplace’ which you can read here.

Payroll – HMRC Webinars

HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) helps employers with payroll, and to make PAYE easier they invite you to join one or more of these live webinars for more information on how recording the right information and submitting payroll reports can save you time:

For more help with when and how to pay PAYE and how to issue P60s to your employees you can watch these short videos on HMRC’s YouTube channel.

CQC’s Review of DNACPR Decisions During the COVID-19 Pandemic

At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic the CQC had concerns about the blanket use of ‘do not attempt cardiopulmonary resuscitation’ (DNACPR) and that they were being used for groups of people without any consideration for an individual person’s needs. In the latest CQC Connect podcast episode the CQC’s latest report called Protect, respect, connect is discussed which includes decisions about living and dying well decisions made during the pandemic.

CQC Mythbuster of the Week

GP Mythbuster 64: Effective Governance Arrangements in GP Practices – 10 May 2021

In this mythbuster the CQC explains that one of the five key questions they look at on their inspections is how well-led GP practices are. To make that judgement, the CQC inspection teams look specifically at the governance arrangements to ensure that responsibilities are clear and that quality, performance and risks are identified, understood and managed and will consider:

  • Is there an effective governance framework to support the delivery of the strategy and good quality care?
  • Are staff clear about their roles and do they understand what they are accountable for?
  • Is there a holistic and comprehensive understanding of performance, which integrates the views of people with safety and quality information?
  • Are there comprehensive assurance systems and performance measures, which are reported and monitored, and is action taken to improve performance?
  • Is there a systematic programme of clinical and internal audit, which is used to monitor quality and systems to identify where action should be taken?
  • Are there robust arrangements for identifying, recording and managing risks, issues and mitigating actions?

A full list of CQC tips and mythbusters by latest update can be found on the CQC website.

the pandemic.

CQC Mythbuster of the Week

GP Mythbuster 64: Effective Governance Arrangements in GP Practices – 10 May 2021

In this mythbuster the CQC explains that one of the five key questions they look at on their inspections is how well-led GP practices are. To make that judgement, the CQC inspection teams look specifically at the governance arrangements to ensure that responsibilities are clear and that quality, performance and risks are identified, understood and managed and will consider:

  • Is there an effective governance framework to support the delivery of the strategy and good quality care?
  • Are staff clear about their roles and do they understand what they are accountable for?
  • Is there a holistic and comprehensive understanding of performance, which integrates the views of people with safety and quality information?
  • Are there comprehensive assurance systems and performance measures, which are reported and monitored, and is action taken to improve performance?
  • Is there a systematic programme of clinical and internal audit, which is used to monitor quality and systems to identify where action should be taken?
  • Are there robust arrangements for identifying, recording and managing risks, issues and mitigating actions?

A full list of CQC tips and mythbusters by latest update can be found on the CQC website.

g the pandemic.

CQC Mythbuster of the Week

GP Mythbuster 64: Effective Governance Arrangements in GP Practices – 10 May 2021

In this mythbuster the CQC explains that one of the five key questions they look at on their inspections is how well-led GP practices are. To make that judgement, the CQC inspection teams look specifically at the governance arrangements to ensure that responsibilities are clear and that quality, performance and risks are identified, understood and managed and will consider:

  • Is there an effective governance framework to support the delivery of the strategy and good quality care?
  • Are staff clear about their roles and do they understand what they are accountable for?
  • Is there a holistic and comprehensive understanding of performance, which integrates the views of people with safety and quality information?
  • Are there comprehensive assurance systems and performance measures, which are reported and monitored, and is action taken to improve performance?
  • Is there a systematic programme of clinical and internal audit, which is used to monitor quality and systems to identify where action should be taken?
  • Are there robust arrangements for identifying, recording and managing risks, issues and mitigating actions?

A full list of CQC tips and mythbusters by latest update can be found on the CQC website.

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