Dear colleague,
If you have received this newsletter from a colleague and would like to join our mailing list please contact joni.wilson-kaye@lmc.org.uk or click here.
Please find below the latest updates relating to mental health issues impacting general practice across NCL including:
- July Mental Health interface meeting – summary
- WNL ADHD Task and Finish Group – summary
- Key NCL Mental Health Contacts including one side PDF
Latest updates in NCL
North Central London Mental Health Interface Meetings
Key updates from the recent NCL Mental Health Interface monthly meeting:
- The updated referral form and health professional line information has been uploaded to EMIS.
- NLFT is continuing work to enable its staff to organise blood tests and ECGs directly, without needing to send patients back to their GP.
- LMC reps asked for clearer communication about when mental health services can arrange investigations directly and when ECG results will be shared with practices.
- SPA processes are being reviewed, including clearer routes between crisis teams, core teams and Talking Therapies.
- Talking Therapies is expected to move towards a single community mental health access route from around October.
Practices: please use the updated referral information on EMIS and continue to raise recurring interface issues through your LMC representatives or joni.wilson-kaye@lmc.org.uk.
Your LMC reps attending mental health interface meetings are:
- Barnet – Dr Oge Ilozue
- Camden – Dr Tina Agrawal
- Enfield – Dr Naeemah Haji
- Islington – Dr Emily Grant-Arrowsmith
ADHD Task and Finish Group
LMC representatives attended a joint NCL/NWL ADHD Task and Finish Group with medicines management colleagues, ICB leads, transformation partners, clinicians and managers from NHS ADHD services across NCL and NWL, and federation representatives. Prior to the meeting LMC reps from both NCL and NWL met and agreed a position statement on the future direction of primary care involvement in ADHD prescribing.
To read the WNL LMCs’ ADHD position statement click here.
Key points for practices:
- The group discussed the need for a properly designed ADHD service model, potentially including a GPwER hub supported by consultant mentorship.
- There was recognition that the financial envelope is challenging, although investment may be needed in the short term to reduce longer-term reliance on Right to Choose pathways.
- Further clarity is needed on the clinical competencies required to undertake substantive ADHD reviews.
- Discussions were constructive and collaborative, with an options appraisal expected once the financial position has been reviewed.
- LMC reps emphasised that any shared care arrangements, including height, weight and blood pressure monitoring, must be appropriately resourced in general practice.
Action for practices: please continue to follow current local ADHD pathways and raise any recurring shared care or interface issues through joni.wilson-kaye@lmc.org.uk.
Key NCL Mental Health Contacts
Click here to access all your key mental health contacts in one place.
Mental Health Crisis Assessment Services (MHCAS)
MHCAS provides 24/7 urgent mental health assessment and support for adults in crisis, offering a specialist alternative to A&E in a calm and therapeutic setting. There are now two sites across NCL, one in Highgate and the other is based in Enfield. For further information about MHCAS click here.
Community Single Point of Access (SPA) Contacts
Pathway Leads / Community SPA Team Managers
- Camden – Shireen Hussein-Roy – s.hussain-roy@nhs.net
- Islington – Lorein Zanamwe – lorein.zanamwe@nhs.net
- Barnet – Sam Tuso – sam.tuso@nhs.net
- Enfield – Amal Pomphrey – amal.pomphrey@nhs.net
- Haringey – Arnold Mutaviri – Arnold.Mutaviri3@nhs.net
Senior Service Manager (Trust-wide) – Community SPA
- Charlene Devilliers – charlene.devilliers1@nhs.net
Head of Community SPA
- Helen Price – helen.price25@nhs.net
For Clinical Escalation, the contact info for the SPA clinical lead and/or the relevant ACDs/CD for Core Teams by borough are below:
Clinical Lead for Community SPA
- Dr Afzal Siddiqui – afzal.siddiqui2@nhs.net
ACDs / CD for Core Teams
- Islington – Dr Pia Ghosh – pia.ghosh2@nhs.net
- Camden / Barnet – Dr Chandni Pujara – c.pujara@nhs.net
- Enfield / Haringey – Dr Alex Kitromiledes – a.kitromilides@nhs.net
Well done to the prize draw winners from our Buying Group survey
Thank you to everyone that took part in our Buying Group survey, we plan to run another one in the autumn. The randomly selected winners of the gift vouchers were:
- Trudy Do, Havergal Surgery
- Karen Tobin, The Bromley Common Practice
- Anca Radulescu, St. Margarets Medical Practice
- Marian Negoita, Amersham Vale Practice
- Aparna Pal, Jubilee Garden Medical Centre
Our Buying Group suppliers are:
- Hillcroft Surgery Supplies – Get next day delivery and industry leading stock availability, thanks to their investment in substantial warehouse facilities.
- Practice Index – Pick and choose what you need out of their learning platform, or software to manage HR, finance, compliance and rotas.
- Hippo Labs – Have your call-and-recall work smarter, reach more patients and improve QOF attainment. Hippo Labs automatically customises many types of message.
- Equity Energies – Reduce energy costs, save time, become greener and remove the administrative burden of managing utilities by having experts do it all for you.
- Surgery Connect – Automates more tasks within your phone system, integrates with clinical records and seamlessly bridges in and out-of-hours.
- MIAB – You existing policies may have more gaps than you think, particularly in developing areas like cyber and ARRS employment. Rely on MIAB’s specialist expertise to ensure you are fully covered.
- Restore Information Management – Whether you need a room full of records doing or a steady flow of new registrations, Restore take the hassle out of digitising patient records.
- Tickets for Good – Reward yourself and your colleagues with free and discounted tickets to concerts, theatre shows, sports and more!
Londonwide LMCs NCL sector team
You can find the details of your LMC Chairs across NCL here. The NCL Londonwide LMCs team are:
- Jamie Wright, Director Primary Care
- Dr Vicky Weeks, Medical Director
- Joni Wilson-Kaye, Assistant Director Primary Care – joni.wilson-kaye@lmc.org.uk
- Sarah Ocran, Committee Liaison Executive – sarah.ocran@lmc.org.uk.