NEWSLETTER FOR THE GENERAL PRACTICE LINK OFFICE
APRIL 1998 ISSUE 48
The General Practice Link Office is always looking for articles to be included in Link News. If there is anyone out there involved in General Practice who would like to submit an article, please contact us with any contributions, which will be warmly welcomed.
STOP PRESS
CONTENTS
CROYDON HEALTH TO REDIRECT SERVICES TO MAYDAY
A.G.M. and Meeting South London Group N.A.N.C.S.H.
NEW PARTNER AT SELSDON PARK MEDICAL PRACTICE
CROYDON HEALTH TO REDIRECT SERVICES TO MAYDAY
Croydon Health Authority needs to make significant savings in 1998/99 in order to maintain financial balance.
We require your co-operation to implement some of these savings effectively, particularly around the redirection of elective and maternity cases.
Elective
All non emergency routine elective cases will be redirected to Mayday. Only a few exceptions will be considered for funding by Croydon Health Authority by the application of the following criteria, based on the ECR criteria agreed with the LMC:-
Any exceptions to being referred to Mayday will be considered using Extra Contractual Referral/Unplanned Referral Process.
Maternity
We do request that GPs do not refer Croydo.n residents to hospitals other than Mayday for maternity cases except in the following circumstances, which have been developed with GP representatives and on which the LMC has been consulted.
The operation of these criteria will be reviewed after six months in collaboration with the L.M.C.
We believe that although restricting choice of hospitals is not ideal, it is better than reducing services which may otherwise have been necessary. It is estimated that this redirection will amount to savings of �1.34 million per year.
Andrew Davies
Business and Communications Manager
Croydon Community Health Trust have recently implemented a new Trust-wide information system (CCHIP) which will record details of all care delivered to patients/clients.
Information from the old BCS/Child Health systems has been carried over and there are currently 200,000 patient records on the system. One of the aims in introducing the system is to reduce the amount of time and effort spent on basic administrative tasks associated with recording information and manipulating it. At present this uses 25% of staff time and accounts for �3m annually. This is so high due to the excessive duplication of effort caused by an historic reliance on manual systems.
When the inevitable teething troubles are overcome, there will be benefits in terms of the quality of working lives and of patient care. For example, the system will eliminate duplicate recording of information and care provision as information about patients and care will be shared throughout the Trust (subject to security restrictions).
At present the system is used to record registration, referral, episode and contact details and send and receive email messages. In the coming months it will be used to generate appointment letters, manage waiting lists, record assessments, monitor outcomes, produce care plans, manage medical loans and much more!
Geoff Broome CCHIP Project Facilitator
A.G.M. and Meeting South London Group N.A.N.C.S.H.
Saturday 16 May 1998
National Association of Nurses for Contraception and Sexual Health is open to all registered nurses, midwives and health visitors who hold a recognised Family Planning qualification. Those who have an interest/involvement in Family Planning but do not hold a recognised Family Planning qualification may become Associate Members. Trainee membership is open to all nurses undertaking the E.N.B. Family Planning Courses.
The benefits of membership include a twice yearly journal, which is an excellent source of information from around the country and valued as a way of keeping up to date. There are two National Conferences a year to which all members are invited.
The South London Group are holding a joint S.W. and S.E. Thames Meeting and A.G.M. on Saturday 16 May at the Mayday Hospital Postgraduate Medical Centre, Croydon. Practice Nurses are welcome to attend. The programme includes an overall Family Planning update by Dr Barbara Hollingsworth and the afternoon has been devoted to Sister Patricia Allen, who will talk on the Development and Management of a Male Sexual Dysfunction Service. Since 1987 Sister Allen has been involved in providing this service based at the Royal Hallamshire Hospital in Sheffield. The service provides for clients throughout the Sheffield area and other areas around the country. It has one of the largest caseloads in the British Isles. Between 50-70 patients are seen in clinic throughout the week both new and follow up and a comprehensive service is provided including in depth psychosexual counselling and surgery when and where appropriate. She is an excellent speaker, who loves her work!
Also present will be many companies involved in Contraception and Sexual Health. Lunch is provided. The cost is 100% reimbursable for Croydon Practice Nurses so take this opportunity to come along. Further details about N.A.N.C.S.H. are available through the Link Office or Brenda Coghlan S.W. Thames Representative 01883-625904 (evenings).
FRIDAY 8th MAY
9:00am to 1:00pm
CROYDON POSTGRADUATE CENTRE
Quality assurance is something that all practices are concerned with. Quality describes all the things that we do well in our practices, and implies an analysis of how we can do things better in the future. Currently we have the opportunity to formalise this ourselves, with a free hand and without imposition from the health authority.
The Quality group is run under the auspices of the Link Office. Its remit is to provide a set of quality criteria and standards for Croydon. The Quality group comprises representatives from the following groups: practice managers, practice nurses, community nurses, GPs and the health authority. It has been examining areas of primary care practice that are easily describable and measurable in terms of quality. The work has now been sufficiently synthesised that we would like to take it out to practices. We would like the criteria to be decided mutually by practices themselves, and to this end we have organised Croydon’s first Primary care forum. At this event you, or your practice representatives, will be able to decide what are the appropriate criteria and normative standards. The conclusions drawn from this meeting will form the basis of the first Croydon quality standards document that will then be disseminated to practices. It will be a document that describes normal working standards that the vast majority of practices agree to be acceptable.
This work has been discussed and agreed by your representatives at the LMC at its March meeting. The LMC has agreed that quality assurance should be our own responsibility and has agreed that the exercise will be voluntary.
The first Quality forum is directed particularly at practice managers, but also doctors and all primary care team members with responsibility for quality. We will be supported by Liz Haggard who is a quality expert with the regional health authority. The programme will be available shortly.
Dr Jeremy Shindler
A meeting was held on Monday 23 March 1998, convened by the Medical Research Council, to discuss all the information available relating to a possible link between MMR vaccine and bowel disease and autism.
The conclusion was that there is no link between measles vaccine or MMR immunisation with Crohn’s disease or autism.
Sir Kenneth Calman, Chief Medical Officer, strongly advises for parents continue to have their children immunised with MMR vaccine.
This information has been brought to you by the Practice Nurse Group Committee which is in place of the monthly Travel Health update.
(Ethnic Groups)
Since our launch in 1995 we have had an exciting, and a challenging time. General Practices – both large and small, community/voluntary groups. Libraries and supermarkets have enabled us to reach a wider audience.
A variety of information/education has been given from general to specific areas of diabetes.
There is a need to reach many more. Could you give us the opportunity to hold a session at your surgery and direct some clients and their carers to us?
If so please contact:-
The Diabetes Education Team
Mayday University Hospital
London Road
Thornton Heath
CR7 7YE
Telephone 0181-401 3000 - ext 4456
The second issue of this journal aimed specifically at nurses is out now. Below is a list of articles that may be of interest to Practice and Community Nurses:
TREATMENT
PROGNOSIS
QUALITY IMPROVEMENT
QUALITATIVE
The above is a selection of the articles that appear in the journal. The journal is available at the Link Office for you to come and peruse at your leisure.
Cheryl Roper - Primary Care Quality Co-ordinator
This new copper frameless intra-uterine device is implanted into the myometrium at the fundus, and has both a lower expulsion rate and cramping pains at insertion and subsequent periods compared with framed devices. It is suitable for nullips, and a version with a larger implantation knot can be fitted immediately after first trimester termination.
Gynefix will only be supplied by Family Planning Sales to doctors who hold the Faculty of Family Planning and Reproductive Healthcare Letter of Competence for Intrauterine Techniques, and have undergone training in its use. This can be arranged with Dr Alyson Elliman (684 2085), and will consist of a theoretical session with a model uterus, plus three supervised fittings at your own premises. The training fee and three devices will be paid for by Family Planning Sales. If you wish to be trained, please contact me when you have three patients interested in using this device; it could be fitted at any time in her cycle if she is already covered by hormonal contraception, or if no sex has occurred since the last period. It can also be used as emergency contraception up to five days after earliest predicted ovulation.
FLAT SPRING DIAPHRAGMS
Ortho have discontinued production of these diaphragms. Although the Reflexions flat spring diaphragm is still produced, it does not appear on the Drug Tariff, and so is not prescribable on an FP10. It is possible that in the future Reflexions will be returned to the Drug Tariff. The Family Planning service can provide Reflexions diaphragms free to their own previously registered patients. If a patient who is well suited with a flat spring diaphragm finds using a coil spring one of the same size uncomfortable, please refer by letter to myself at Broad Green Centre, and she will be offered a new patient appointment.
Dr Alyson Elliman - Family Planning Service
Croydon Community Health
Broad Green Centre, 1-13 Lodge Road, CR0 2PD
Tel: 0181 684 2085 (Patient Line 0181 655 7485) Fax: 0181 689 8175
New Partner at Selsdon Park Medical Practice
The practice would like to welcome Dr Henk Parmentier who is joining them as a full time principal in May. Henk recently completed his registrar year at the practice. Dr Trompetas was very pleased he passed Henk’s interview with flying colours!
The GPLO does not necessarily endorse or support any of the positions, products or people advertised herein
GP Assistant, six sessions per week,1:4 Saturday mornings. No nights or administration, six weeks annual holiday. Fundholding practice, excellent team, friendly atmosphere For further details contact Mrs Dianne Miles – Practice Manager, 31 Queenhill Road, Selsdon. Telephone No. 657 2918.
GP Liz Assistant. Friendly single-handed practice in SW16. Particular interest in female health an advantage and prospect of future employment possible. Please telephone Sue Marley on 0181-679 1700 for further details.
Medical Receptionist required to work in a busy surgery in New Addington. Hours are 9am – 2pm Monday – Friday. The rate of pay �5.50 per hr. 1:5 Saturday rota. Previous experience preferred. Hand written applications and CV to: Mrs Y.A. Ratnasinghe, Drs Amarasekera & DeSilva’s Surgery, Parkway Health Centre, New Addington, Croydon CR0 0JA.
Practice Nurse for friendly four doctor practice in Thornton Heath. One Saturday morning in three. 16 hours per week. Apply with CV to Mrs B Prescott, Practice Manager, Thornton Heath Health Centre, 61a Gillett Road, Thornton Heath, Surrey, CR7 8RL.