Public Health Services Contract through Local Authorities – sign up reminder
Public Health Shared Services would like to thank all practices that have returned their signed Section A of the Public Health contract. Once the contracts are signed and authorised by the Local Authority, all practices will receive a copy of the signed agreement. For all those practices that are yet to return a contract, could you please do so as soon as possible or notify Philip Ray that you do not wish to provide the services. If you have any queries please contact Philip Ray on 01642 745288 or email Philip.ray@nhs.net.

2014/15 Seasonal Flu Tripartite Letter
The tripartite seasonal flu letter and flu plan have been published.

Childhood Flu Service Specification 14/15
The updated childhood flu vaccinations service specification for 14/15 commences 1 September 2014 and will be offered to practices by NHS England no later than 20 June 2014.

BMA ‘Your GP Cares’ Campaign
Your active support of this campaign is absolutely vital to its success. Can we please ask you to do the following today:

• join the campaign via the BMA website www.bma.org.uk/YourGPcares
• help raise awareness of the campaign with your colleagues and contacts
  engage with the campaign on Twitter using #YourGPcares and following the BMA @TheBMA if you are active on social media
• if you have case studies to illustrate the issues the campaign is highlighting please email them to YourGPcares@bma.org.uk
• join in the conversation on BMA communities

This campaign will aim to increase awareness amongst the public, patients, government and policymakers of the intense pressure faced by general practice caused by escalating demand, and fuelled by demographic change of an older population with complex needs, coupled with the shift of care out of hospitals. It also highlights the impoverished infrastructure of general practice with regards to workforce and premises, and of a service where demand simply outstrips capacity. It will promote solutions, and fundamentally the long overdue need for sustained investment. The campaign will be a prolonged programme of activity, leading up to the next general election. It will also enable GP practices to publicise the campaign to and involve their patients, through materials to be used in GP surgeries, which will be made available in the near future – there are two posters that you can download from the website and start using straight away if you so wish.

Locum Cover Reimbursements for Working with NICE
NICE has increased the reimbursement rate for GP locum cover for those involved in work on behalf of NICE. These reimbursements are available for principle and salaried GPs working in a practice and are payable where a practice incurs costs in order to release a GP to attend a NICE committee meeting. Self-employed locums are also now able to be reimbursed at eth same rates. Full details available on the NICE website. This guidance on Non-Staff Travel Subsistence and General Expenses Policy and Procedures has been updated to include the above changes.

EU Healthy Aging Questionnaire
The EU has released 2 linked questionnaires relating to healthy aging. The survey for doctors aims to assess their awareness on functional performance (capacity), decline and frailty relating to ageing and possibilities to prevent/delay the onset of these issues and/or mitigate their consequences. The survey for patients aims to assess the awareness, opinion and attitude of the population aged over 60 regarding healthy and active ageing. If you are willing to assist with this survey please contact Paul Laffin (BMA’s EU Policy Manager) via email: plaffin@bma.org.uk.