NEWSLETTER FOR THE GENERAL PRACTICE LINK OFFICE
JUNE 1998 ISSUE 50
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
IMAGINE.....
MAYDAY WAITING LIST INITIATIVE
Imagine.....
- You are visiting Ada -
She has just come out of hospital after a bout of pneumonia. She has CCF, OA, COPD, NIDD and some other letters I cannot quite decipher on her flimsy discharge summary. She also has a list of 12 medicines - all different to her "list" prior to her admission. "I just want some small white ones like Dr X used to give me" Ada shouted - (she is deaf, although I'm not). I am a little lost - what was Ada on, what is she on now, what has she been taking?!!! "All my medicines are in the cupboard above the sink". With an awful sinking feeling of déjà vu, I open the cupboard door, only to watch 2000 odd tablets cascade dramatically into the washing up - exactly the same as six months ago after I had "sorted out" Ada's pills - all prescribed by me - and I had been so proud of myself! Surely there has to be another way. Well maybe - The CCCG are employing out of their drug budgets four pharmacists. They will work in The Mayday and produce a full pharmaceutical discharge summary for our patients. This will include what Ada had been actually taking, what worked and what did not, what had upset her and what she was allergic to. It will include a pharmaceutical opinion about the drugs, possible interactions and recommendations for review. The indications for the drugs will also be included. To make the service seamless, if complicated, our pharmacists will also be working in the practices, and so will be able to liase directly with the GP. They will also be able to brief our consultant colleagues about what we have been doing - a truly two way process. The quality of care for our patients should improve, life should be easier for us and our patients, and waste minimised - but lets really dream on - Imagine - summaries on e-mail before we visit so we know what we are doing before we arrive - fantasy, fiction - hopefully later this year. Dr A Brzezicki MBBS., MRCOG
It's coming home. It's coming home. Dermatology's coming home
Even before UCLH's recent decision to terminate their contract prematurely (1.10.98), Mayday had indicated a desire, supported by CHA, to provide dermatology services again. Led by Fred Schon, discussions about a quality service were already in progress; we now face a tight timetable! The aim is to have two consultants ultimately; we are presently looking at potential tertiary providers (probably St. Georges or St. Thomas/St. Johns). We in primary care have an ideal opportunity to help shape a service to reflect the needs of our community. Our group intends to define what a good, tho' realistic, service should provide before looking at funding issues. What aspects of the present service should be kept? Where can improvements be made? What scope is there for cost-efficient manoeuvres?(e.g. nurse-led cryotherapy).
Any comments or suggestions would be welcome to (Mike Clementson, Mohan Pawa, Fred Schon or myself).
Dr John Linney
The 1998 campaign materials are targeted towards:
1. Babies and young children, targeted through their parents and carers
2. Teenagers
3. Young women
4. Outdoor workers.
Posters, fact cards, luggage labels and photocopiable children's activity sheets are available for your practice waiting areas - on a first come, first served basis.
Margaret Lewis, Health Promotion Resources 0181-680 2008 ext. 214
TRAVEL ADVICE from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Issued on 2 June 1998 Travel Indonesia
"The Indonesian situation is calmer although it has not yet stabilised and so at present remains unpredictable. For holiday travellers it is recommended that only those with a pressing need should visit Indonesia. The situation in Bali has been relatively calm and services for tourists are operating normally".
Taken in part from Traveller World Wide Health Information Service and brought to you by the Croydon Practice Nurse Group Committee.
We would like to wish Ruth Lawler every success in her new position as Quality Co-ordinator for Primary Care at Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham Health Authority. The GPLO would like to thank Ruth for supporting Practice Nurses and developing Practice Nurse Services within Croydon. GPLO
Let's talk to each other (electronically)
Increasing numbers of Croydon GPs are now on the Internet and I'm sure that one or two of you have even worked out how to send e-mails. It has been mooted, it may be a good idea to circulate, via Link News, our e-mail addresses. Just imagine it, we could chat to each other with or without a Croydoc shift being involved! If GPs could contact the GPLO or even e-mail us at GPLinkOff@Classic MSN with e-mail addresses, a database could be circulated.
[email protected],nhs.uk.
MEDICAL EDUCATION IN CROYDON 1997
...was an exceptionally busy and successful year for Croydon GP education. The main areas were: Administering the Existing PGEA System Croydon had a record year in PGEA activities. It has now moved from fourth place in 1996 in the South Thames Region, to the second place in the last academic year (1997-8). This makes Croydon the biggest provider of PGEA with the exception of St George's. Mayday PGMC had in the same period 27 PGEA activities contributing just under a fifth to the overall annual activity. Total educational activity for Croydon was 427 PGEA hours. Investing in People Croydon has benefited from LIZ Educational incentives, investing in people and the future. Croydon now has a well-established Education Board ensuring that local achievements will be long lasting. Eleven GPs have applied or are in the process of completing a Master's Degree. Over 20 GPs are involved in a higher qualification of diploma or above status. The Young Principals and Assistants education group (CRESLA) is now in its second year. An innovative IT training scheme has brought every day IT skills within reach of every GP in Croydon. Accredited workshops for Family Planning and Minor Operations have been established locally. Hard lobbying secured from CHA an extension of the LIZ educational benefits to GPs outside the LIZ zone. Individual GPs and Practices have been helped to look at educational issues in a way that is both current and relevant. Our success in Croydon has secured an additional £77,000 from the North Thames Region. Looking into the Future Nationally, GP education is undergoing a huge transformation, as detailed in the CMO's report. Funding and implementation dates are still uncertain. PGEA in its traditional form will be abolished although PGEA payments will continue for one more transitional year. GPs and whole Practices will receive payments on completion of an approved professional development programme. Locally, important developments include restructuring the PGMC to allow it to produce even higher quality educational programmes. A questionnaire on GP education will be sent out later in the summer. The summer term normally sees no evening PGEA meetings, but we have a new weekly lunchtime clinical PGEA programme. The normal programme will resume in September 1998 with a planned monthly evening meeting, a fortnightly lunchtime meeting and two annual large all day workshops. Dr Alex Trompetas GP Tutor
MAYDAY to get extra £2 million to reduce Croydon's waiting list
More Croydon people will be taken off the waiting list for hospital treatment by March, thanks to an injection of almost £2 million by the Government as part of its drive to reduce the number of patients on waiting lists by 100,000 nationally by the end of 1998/99. Croydon Health Authority and Mayday Hospital have been working closely together to agree a package which will ensure that the Government's local targets are met and improved upon. The agreement means that an extra 2000 Croydon residents will be treated this year. Some of the extra money will be used to invest in improvements to Mayday's physical infrastructure to allow them to perform more operations every year. The changes will include:- - the conversion of a vacant ward on the easily accessible ground floor for elderly/medical patients: - the use of the vacated elderly/medical ward which is near to the operating theatres for surgical operations. The better use of day case facilities by:- - providing a separate area for patients who would have otherwise been waiting in the day case area: - removing the endoscopy service from the day case unit and providing it in a separate area: - the provision of additional theatre equipment. Terry Hanafin, Chief Executive of Croydon Health Authority said: "It is wonderful news that we have been able to use the extra £2 million from the Government not just to reduce waiting lists this year but to put in place additional facilities that will allow Mayday to operate on more patients every year" Keith Ford, Chief Executive of Mayday Healthcare NHS Trust said: "I am delighted to have had the support of Croydon Health Authority in developing the plan. This is a further vote of confidence in Mayday".
For further information, please contact Helen Cameron, Director of Acute Commissioning at Croydon Health, on (0181) 401 3980.
The Colposcopy Unit has recently received Audio Tapes for Minority Ethnic Groups from the NHS Cervical Screening Programme. The tapes are intended for use by women who are unable to read English or who have a visual handicap. The tapes consist of translations of the three HEA leaflets:- "Your Smear Test", "An Abnormal Smear" and "Colposcopy". They are available in Urdu, Gujarati, Bengali and Punjabi. The reverse side of the tape contains information on Breast Screening and Breast Awareness. I also have a few posters available entitled "Did you know regular smear tests can save your life".
For further information, please contact Marianne Wood, Colposcopy Nurse Specialist, on 0181-401 3000 ext. 4406.
Marianne Wood
The GPLO does not necessarily endorse or support any of the positions, products or people advertised herein.
Practice nurse required for a friendly 4 doctor, computerised surgery in Upper Norwood. Grade G to work 12 hours per week - Monday, Wednesday & Friday Mornings, Thursday or Friday evening.
Please apply in writing with CV to Business Manager, Auckland Surgery, 84A Auckland Road, Upper Norwood, SE19 2DF. Closing Date : Monday 29 June 1998.
Nurse Practitioner wanted - 4 mornings a week (not Wednesdays) to start A.S.A.P. 3 months initially - with a possible view of extending employment.
Please contact Dr Nick Ford for further details. 2 South Way, Croydon CR0 8RP telephone: 0181-776 2055.
Practice Nurse required 5 hours (flexible) per week.
Please contact Sue Colomb Practice Manager on 01737-553660.