111 Repeat Callers
This update ‘repeat callers to NHS 111’ provides and explanation as to how 111 repeat callers will be managed in Tees. Put simply, a safety net is being added so that if a GP has been unable to make contact with a patient within 1 hour the patient is advised to re-contact 111 where they will be sent to a walk-in centre.
Please ensure you continue to provide feedback on the 111 service using the feedback form ‘NHS 111 Issue Management provided. It is essential that the 111 team continue to receive this in order to assess and improve the service.

“MMR Outbreak Control and Catch up NES
Currently we are still under ‘outbreak control’ in Tees and practices are carrying out MMR catch up under a LES arrangement whilst a school programme takes place. We would like to remind practices that the school programme will finish at the end of June and notice of the ending of the LES will also be issued at this time. We strongly recommend that practices sign up to the NES as soon as possible (there is a deadline to notify the AT by Friday 14 June) to continue to receive funding for any catch up vaccinations they offer in the future. Public Health are aware of the urgency to ensure the data with regard to school programme vaccinations is up to date on GP systems and they will send a notification just as soon as the uploading of all data is complete so that practices have comprehensive information as to how many children still require immunisation. Information about the MMR catch-up programmes in England and Wales, including the specification and new joint FAQs [GPC/NHS England and NHS Employers], is now available here.

Conflicts of Interest Guidance
Decisions about allocation of resources, population need and service design are complex, particularly at a time of financial constraint. As CCGs adopt their statutory duties, doctors in commissioning roles have responsibility for significant amounts of public money. The GPC have produced guidance Ensuring transparency and probity on conflicts of interest for GPs as commissioners and providers. The guidance covers issues such as the governance of CCGs, GMC obligations for doctors in commissioning roles, primary care incentive schemes and what membership of a CCG means for GP practices.

AST002 Indicator – Coding in business rules to be reverted
The coding in the business rules for QOF indicator AST002 has to be reverted. Amendments were proposed to the relevant codes for Asthma8 (now AST002) during the 2013/14 QOF business rules review in order to refine the code clusters. The usual process when introducing changes to the code clusters for cumulative indicators such as AST002 is to reset the indicator so that historical diagnoses do not need to be revisited. On this occasion, this process did not take place. NHS Employers has discussed this further with NICE and HSCIC and have agreed to revert to the previous code clusters for the AST002 indicator (i.e. to use those applied to Asthma8 prior to 1 April 2013 – v24). The changes to the business rules will be made to v26 meaning that it will not be necessary for practices to recode any patients this year. Please note that until such time as the code clusters are updated in clinical systems, any extracts being run will show an under achievement. This will, however, correct itself once the code clusters are updated.

Meningitis C Booster for Adolescents
Following the announcement by the Department of Health about changes to the Men C vaccination schedule, that as from 1 June 2013 the second dose currently given at four months would be replaced by a booster dose given in adolescence, NHS England has now confirmed that the booster dose for 14-year-olds in academic year 2013-14 will be given in school based programmes (i.e. not in GP surgeries). We await further details about the catch-up programme for first time university entrants under the age of 25 years, to be introduced from mid-August 2014.Further information, including FAQs  Meningococcal C (MenC) vaccination programme have been published by NHS England.

PMS Equitable Funding Reviews
NHS England wrote this letter ‘Personal Medical Services Reviews’ to Area Teams about PMS funding reviews.

GPC Campaign – helping patients understand NHS changes
The GPC has been working on a new initiative to communicate with patients and public about the various issues facing general practice and the wider NHS. The first phase of their programme of communications – a new, public-facing section of the BMA website at changingnhs.com  A patient’s guide to the new NHS  – is now live. It explains to patients and the public what’s happening, while also communicating our concerns and reassuring them that doctors will always put patients first. You may wish to display this poster ‘GPC Poster’ in your practice. The pages on the site have been designed to be print-friendly, so you may also want to run off copies of some of the information for patients who do not have internet access. The GPC will be raising awareness of the site further through online advertising, contact with other organisations, and media coverage. Please note that all of this is only the first step in a longer term campaign seeking to engage doctors and patients in a dialogue about the future of general practice. Hopefully you find these resources useful but do let the GPC know what you think by sending any feedback or questions to info.gpc@bma.org.uk.

LMC Annual Conference 2013 Resolutions
These LMC Annual Conference Motions and Resolutions ‘General Practitioners Committee, Conference News’ have now been published.