GP Health Continues
The GP Health scheme has been extended until 31 October 2015. You can find further details including how to access services here.  GP Health has generously decided to continue to provide their mental health and wellbeing services to all GPs in Tees at their own expense. As you know, there have been many discussions with both CCGs in Tees with regard to the provision of a GP wellbeing services but such a service has not yet been commissioned. It is likely that there will be a service commissioned in the near future but GP Health recognise how valuable this service is to GPs in the area and did not wish to see GPs left without support. We are sure you will share our appreciation of the generosity of GP Health in providing this service.

CLMC Secures Funding to Assist GP Groups
CLMC has successfully secured GPDF funding to support practices in the development of joint working/working at scale. This is time and funding limited resource. In the first instance we will be contacting the ‘groups’ that are already emerging and have been in contact with CLMC but if you would like to discuss what may be available or are looking to form a group of which you have not yet made us aware, please contact janice.foster@nhs.net. We will ensure we keep all practice informed as to the funding usage and subsequent opportunities.

QOF Collection Failure Notice
The Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) sent an email to all practices to advise of a technical issue resulting in the September data Quality Outcomes Framework (QOF) information collection not being successful. There’s no payment directly attached to information from this collection, as payment is made annually at the end of the 2015/16 financial year. NHS Employers have confirmed that the GPES business team is implementing the changes to resolve the issue. The September data collection will now take place at the end of October/early November once the assurance process has been completed. The October data will then be scheduled as soon as the September data has been successfully collected. The GPES team do not believe that this issue will impact local system supplier reports, as the issue related to data being processed in GPES (GPET-Q) and not on the GPSS GP extraction (GPET-E).

Leases: Negotiating Head of Terms
Looking to lease new premises or coming to the end of your current agreement? BMA Law have provided these top tips via BMA Communities to ensure you know what to look for when negotiating the key commercial terms of your lease – from service charges to your rent review, it is all covered.

Sharps Bins & Pharmacy Collection
We have been made aware that practices are directing patients to pharmacies in order ‘hand in’ yellow sharps bins. The LPC has highlighted that whilst pharmacies can issue sharps bins they are not obliged to accept them back from patients and, indeed, cannot accept them unless appropriate arrangements are in place. GP practices should also decline to accept sharps bins unless they have issued them to the patient in the first instance. Where the sharp bin originated from community or Trust services practices should direct patients to these providers. We appreciate this leave a gap for pharmacy issued bins and we are working with the LPC to resolve this as it appears to be a commissioning oversight. As soon as we have clarity as to where to direct patients with these sharps bins we will forward this.

Healthwatch & Fees for Work Not Covered in the GP Contract
GPC has met with Healthwatch England to discuss charges that GPs can make for work not covered by their contract. The patient group understands the reasons behind charging, their main concern was a lack of consistency between practices and sometimes even within practices. It was explained that the BMA is not able to set fee levels for this work and is expressly prohibited from doing so; GPC would like to to remind practices of their current guidance on charging. It may also be helpful for practices to display information about fees and the reasons where they can easily be seen by patients.

Royal Benevolent Fund Annual Review
The RMBF (Royal Medical Benevolent Fund) – the charity for doctors, medical students and their families – has just released its annual review. In 2014/15 the RMBF helped 212 beneficiaries with financial support, nearly 50 per cent of whom were GPs or GP trainees. The charity has been helping doctors and their families for nearly 180 years, giving support through times of adversity and hardship which may have been caused, for example, by personal tragedy, financial problems, ill health or an accident. Reaching the doctors who are most in need continues to be a top priority and a challenge for the charity. If you are in need of support, or if you know of a colleague who may need help you can contact the RMBF/visit the RMBF website.