Important Londonwide CEO message number 15 - 24 July 2009
In this message I will cover:
- Flu Line impact on your workload
- Vouchers and FP10s
- Fit certs
- Vaccination Programme
- Media
- And Finally...A toolkit to help you keep your sanity
I hope you get a rest over the weekend.
1. Flu Line impact on your workload
Yesterday, after a few hiccoughs, the national flu line went live. Overnight we have had reports that flu-related demand on OOH services has dropped off significantly. We need to know whether this is the case in-hours at your practice, and whether any reduction is sustained over the weekend. We are not seeking sophisticated scientific data, merely your perceptions backed up by some degree of objectivity based around call volumes and appointments. This intelligence will help us assess the pressures being placed on colleagues, and gauge what advice needs to be given to your PCT ahead of the almost inevitable Autumn surge. It will also help us with managing the media. Please be good enough to respond to our rapid assessment surveys commencing next week.
2. Vouchers and FP10s
My advice for GPs and INPs to default to FP10s annotated Convenient Stationery still stands for all the reasons of safety and best practice mentioned previously.
Whilst I would not wish to undermine alternative arrangements to FP10s in pockets of London where this has evolved to be sensible, you should understand the nature of our argument on safety grounds, and be aware that our national bodies are making similar arguments to the DH. It is also important to understand although some national guidance has initially been issued to PCTs regarding vouchers, the rationale for their use is to do with the bureaucracy of patient charges not safety, and it is only guidance – the legal Regulations have not changed, and the legal terms of your contracts (which some still refer to as terms of service) have not changed. For the present therefore, please continue to do what you already have been doing.
Therefore, if challenged by PCTs or others against the use of our annotated FP10 fix, please quote from the bold type in the following extract from today’s NHS London circular to PCTs Medicines and Pharmacy issues relating to the current situation around influenza A/H1N1 issued by Helen Marlow (Pharmaceutical Advisor, NHS London). This statement confirms that patients will not be hindered in accessing their medication prescribed on an annotated FP10.
Vouchers to authorise supply of antivirals Whenever possible the antiviral authorisation vouchers should be used to authorise supply of antivirals for treatment of influenza. Discussions are continuing between DH and GP representative bodies about the use of vouchers. The Antiviral Authorisation Voucher guidance provides useful information on the rationale for the vouchers. PCTs need to ensure that ACPs receiving FP10s annotated as convenient stationery have suitable arrangements in place for their security once they have been used, to ensure they are not diverted and used in a fraudulent manner. Vouchers can be used by any staff authorised by the PCT to operate under the national protocol for the supply or administration of antivirals. This could extend to staff working in secondary care as well as primary care. |
3. Fit Certs
Well, I said if you told me demand was high I’d reveal my cunning plan, so I’ve developed a model Fit Cert specifically for this moment. Feel free to copy it but be sure to get your staff to put today’s date on the day’s supply before making it available for patients to pick up at the front desk or wherever you feel appropriate. Your signature is not necessary. Do not charge for this statement.
4. Vaccination Programme
No news yet of who, what, when or how much! Watch this space.
5. Communications and the Media
Thank you to all those who have sent in comments to flu@lmc.org.uk. These messages are invaluable to us in getting a pan-London perspective on the current situation as it affects your practice. In particular it has helped me and our communications department provide the Media with clear, concise quotes and reportage which reflects how you feel and how it really is, as well as what to advise patients. The Buy a Thermometer – Take Your Temperature theme started with a message from a certain Nurse Practitioner in NW London. Thanks also to you for the numerous kind messages of support I have received. I have passed them all to our 30 strong team here at Londonwide as it applies to them too.
6. And Finally
There’s a lot of it about.
Now that we’ve resurrected from the depths of memories past an understanding of what a fever is and what a thermometer is for, at least within the media and some of the public, it’s time to bring back old sayings as well. So, for those who don’t recall, here are some old-fashioned definitions to help you explain what’s going on to patients.
- Mild illness – means you will feel unwell for the next few days (or few plus 2 if it’s close to a weekend).
- Moderate illness – means what we do for ourselves and our kids when we feel pretty unwell.
- Properly ill – means you look and feel awful, with a fever of 38 or more, which isn’t settling with paracetamol, and which makes even the GP think ... is this one for the Tamiflu/Amoxicillin/Hospital?
- Severe – a term best reserved for if and when the virus mutates to a real nasty.
- Epidemic – should be translated as “There’s a lot of it about”.
- Pandemic – should be translated as “There’s a helluva lot of it about”.