Menu
Topics covered:
CNGSP Indemnity Guidance;
Suffolk PMs Conference;
New Medical Examiner System;
Accelerated Access to Records update;
CNSGP Indemnity guidance for General Practice
In response to queries regarding the scope of CNSGP cover, please use the following link CNSGP Indemnity Scheme for General Practice. Colleagues will need additional cover from their medical defence organisations for performance issues (such as those relating to NHS England and the GMC) together with support with coroners’ queries, and matters referred to the Ombudsman. Colleagues should also confirm that their medical defence organisation also covers them for non-NHS services delivered individually, or by their practice. Non-NHS clinical services (e.g., DVLA, local authority safeguarding etc) are not covered by CNSGP.
Suffolk LMC Practice Managers’ Conference
Further to a previous newsletter article, the conference programme has now been developed with input from practice managers and the PMA will be hosting the event. Details and how to register will be circulated to practices shortly.
Medical Examiners
There have been several queries about the new ME system, the introduction of the ME service has been put back until April 2024. However, pilot systems across the country and even within counties are operating inconsistently regarding who refers to the coroner and who completes and is paid for the crem form. Further updates will clarify how the system will operate in practice.
BMA GPC Update
Accelerated Access to Records Programme update
The 31 October 2023 is the date by which practices must have provided their patients with the facility to access their prospective GP record online. GPC England remains concerned about the potential risks of providing the facility to all patients irrespective of patients’ preferences. We remain in discussion with NHS England about how the programme can be rolled out safely. We have issued comprehensive guidance for practices next week outlining the steps that practices can take to prepare before 1 November. NHSE and the DHSC have assured us that commissioners will be expected to implement this programme in a supportive way. The BMA is undertaking a Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) relating to this programme and will be providing guidance for practices needing to undertake their own. A DPIA can be used by practices to assess the risks potentially posed by the new requirements, and support decisions they may wish to make about how to provide the facility in the safest possible way. There are several on-line resources already available, including the RCGP toolkit.
In essence, practices need to:
Flow chart below courtesy of Avon LMC
GP pressures
GP practices in England are experiencing significant and growing strain with declining GP numbers, rising demand, struggles to recruit and retain staff and knock-on effects for patients.
The longer-term trend is that the NHS continues to lose GPs at an alarming rate: over the past year we have lost the equivalent of 269 fully qualified full-time GPs. The number of practices in England has also decreased by 110 over the past year – and as of August 2023, there was another record high of almost 63 million patients registered in England, with another record-high average of 9,872 patients registered per practice. This is an increase of 363 patients per GP, or almost 20% since 2015, demonstrating the ever-mounting workload in general practice. Inform your PPG, and engage your local media by using our press release here.
UK LMC Conference – May 2024 – Save the date
The UK LMC Conference 2024 will be held on Thursday 23 and Friday 24 May 2024 in Newport, Wales. The event will be taking place at the Celtic Manor Resort. Further information will be circulated in due course, but in the meantime, please ensure that you save the date. In the meantime, if you have any queries, please email info.lmcconference@bma.org.uk .
Undergraduate GP Placement Survey
Medical Schools are currently struggling to identify adequate placement providers in general practice. University of Liverpool is running a survey which aims to identify the factors which affect a practice’s decision to host undergraduate medical students. The data will be used by medical schools to identify drivers and barriers to medical student placements in general practice, to allow tailoring placement requirements appropriately and identify strategies to help practices overcome potential barriers. If you are interested in participating, please read the Participant Information sheet and complete the online survey here (it is fully anonymous and should take no longer than 5 minutes to complete). Please contact Dr Kathryn J Harrison (docthark@liverpool.ac.uk ) for any queries.
