Workforce Minimum Data Set
For clarity, only information marked as ‘essential’ in the workforce minimum data set is mandated under the Health & Social Care Act. Some items such as ‘absence type’ and ‘reason for sickness absence’ are listed as ‘not required’ and it is practice decision as to whether or not they provide information marked as ‘not required’.

Pertussis Data Collections
Following a high volume of amendment requests due to incorrect Read Coding, HSCIC would like to remind practices that in order to ensure accurate data collection and payment, payment guidance for the pertussis service must be adhered to for the October collection. This collection will use the codes quoted in the guidance and practices will need to code appropriately in order for the automated collection to calculate the correct payment. Failure to do so will result in practices not being paid for activity undertaken unless practices spot a discrepancy. To correct this practices would have to agree adjustments with their regional team, creating additional work for all concerned.

GP Workforce, Research GPs Joining & Leaving the Profession
Ipsos MORI are conducting some independent qualitative research with GPs to explore their views of joining and leaving the profession. They are especially interested in hearing from GPs with a health condition which, at times, makes them question how easy it is for them to continue working as a GP; GPs currently caring for another adult or who think they might need to care for another adult in the future, which may challenge their ability to stay in the profession; GPs who returned to practice in England following a period of not working as a GP or as a GP in England; or GPs who trained in England but are now working as a GP outside the UK. If you’d like to know more about taking part in their research, and to find out if you are eligible, please email ResearchGP@ipsos.com. If you are eligible and able to participate in an interview, Ipsos MORI will be able to pay an incentive to thank you for your time.

Indicators of Quality of Care in General Practice, Health Foundation Report This report is the outcome of the Health Foundation review into indicators of the quality of care offered by GP practices in England assessing if comparable indicators of the quality of primary care were sufficiently developed to be used to help practices improve quality, and whether such indicators help patients and carers gauge the quality of care their GP practice provides. It also considered whether credible indicators were available for specific population groups and the services available to them. The review was commissioned by the DoH and made a number of recommendations to the government including consolidating the multiple information sites, developing a small set of indicators that show information about what matters most to the public, health care professionals and those accountable for the quality of general practice and providing support to those working in general practice about how to understand and use information to improve patient care. The review also strongly advises against making a composite score out of selected indicators to indicate the quality of care overall in general practice, or for particular population groups.

State of Health Care & Adult Social Care, CQC Report
CQC has published its annual analysis of the quality of Health and Adult Social Care in England. This is the first such national assessment since the introduction of the new inspection regime in October 2014. Key findings include: despite increasingly challenging circumstances, the majority of services across health and social care have been rated as good, with some rated outstanding; in the case of primary medical services, 85% of GP practices were rated either good or outstanding; strong leadership and collaboration emerged as a key factor in delivering good care; GP practices deliver a better quality of care when sharing learning and providing joined up care through multi professional networks. CQC recognised the pressure GPs face from a rise in the number of patients registered with them and the number of unfilled GP posts, with fewer people entering the profession (in 2014 12% of GP training posts went unfilled) and 34% of GPs considering retirement in the next five years. It is these statistics (taken from the BMA’s own survey) that should be considered when reading the conclusions reached in the report.

NHS England Urgent Care Commissioning Standards
An updated version of urgent care commissioning standards has now been published. A ‘post event messaging (PEM) problems’ site that provides guidance for overcoming any outstanding issues relating to PEMs can also be accessed HERE.