Sharing Electronic Records for Direct Patient Care 
This set of principles has been developed to support GP practices that are considering implementing shared record systems. Until relatively recently, data recorded in GP systems have not been directly accessible by other organisations. Data have previously been shared via specific clinical communications, such as referral letters. A number of GP clinical system suppliers have developed systems which allow healthcare professionals across different organisations to access directly the detailed information recorded during patient consultations. These are high level principles, which the BMA believes represent best practice in terms of allowing records to be shared in order to facilitate patient care, whilst maintaining high standards of confidentiality. All system suppliers should aspire to meet these standards.

Whooping Cough (Pertussis) NES for Pregnant Women
It has come to our attention that the data that all PCTs have been instructed to request from practices varies from that which was previously agreed between the DoH and the GPC (see a bulletin 157 below for a copy of the agreed NES). The agreed NES only requires practices to provide the following information for monitoring purposes:

• Number of Pregnant patients (28 weeks and over)
• Number of women in the above group who have been vaccinated with Repevax

The DH has given guidance to PCTs which supersedes this and additionally asks practices to provide:

• Number of pregnant women with an estimated date of delivery (EDD) in the survey month
• Number of pregnant women with an EDD in the survey month that received a dose of Repevax

Both the GPC and the LMC are concerned about the additional workload this is creating without any additional funding and find it unacceptable that additional reporting requirements have been added to the NES after the agreement was made. The GPC have written to NHS Employers asking for urgent clarification on this issue. The PCT have forwarded us a copy of a revised NES which reflects the new data collection – we have advised we are awaiting further national guidance before we can comment on such changes.

Focus on Travel Immunisations Updated
The Focus on Travel Immunisations has been amended to add a note about the reimbursement of oral typhoid vaccine, and to clarify which travel immunisations are not reimbursable on the NHS.

CQC Consultations
The CQC has recently published two consultations, on fees and their strategic direction. The consultations are available at
http://www.cqc.org.uk/feesconsultation and http://www.cqc.org.uk/thenextphase.
The BMA will be responding to both consultations, but GPs are also encouraged to respond.  The more who respond, the better CQC will understand our unhappiness with being charged to be inspected.

Area Health Guides
You may be approached by a company producing something called the Area Health Guide. Please be advised that they do not, currently, have PCT authorisation to sell advertisements on the PCTs behalf. If you are approached please contact alison.hyde@tees.nhs.uk.

QOF Achievement & Prevalence Data
The 2011/12 QOF achievement and prevalence data has been published by the NHS Information Centre, including a statistical bulletin, an online database and a set of detailed data tables.