Welcome
Welcome to the August edition of the NHS South Yorkshire Primary Care Bulletin.
Firstly we wanted to thank all of our primary care colleagues who have continued to ensure our patients are safe and receive the best care possible during the recent weeks when we have seen awful scenes of far-right, anti-immigration disorder here in South Yorkshire.
We know this continues to have an adverse impact on many of our NHS colleagues and want to reassure you that NHS South Yorkshire is fully committed to promoting anti-racism and any acts of racism, abuse or violence towards any NHS colleagues will not be tolerated. The ICB is in regular contact with South Yorkshire Police as well as healthcare and local authority and local community colleagues to understand intelligence and plan for any disorder. We continue to work together to ensure our staff and communities feel safe and supported.
Our health and wellbeing colleagues have a range of wellbeing and mental health resources which colleagues in primary care can access to support them during this very distressing time. You can read the message from Gavin Boyle, Chief Executive at NHS South Yorkshire ICB to all primary care staff here.
In other news, as you will be aware, following a ballot by the BMA’s General Practitioners Committee that closed on the 29 July, BMA GP members have voted to take collective action. GPC England has identified 10 actions that GP contractors/BMA members will be able to choose from. Practices may choose to engage in some, all or none of the proposed actions. Practices are advised to follow the BMA’s proposals and any guidance from their own LMCs to ensure that they do not breach core contract activity. Patient safety remains a paramount consideration. The ICB will continue to work closely with LMCs in South Yorkshire and continue to make contingency plans where possible.
Anthony Fitzgerald, Executive Place Director for Doncaster and Executive Lead for Primary Care, NHS South Yorkshire
Dr Andy Hilton, Chair, NHS South Yorkshire Primary Care Alliance
Items covered in this edition include:
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Save the Date – NHS South Yorkshire Annual General Meeting
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South Yorkshire Success in HSJ Awards Shortlist
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NHS South Yorkshire Launches Citizen Involvement Strategy
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Non-Emergency Patient Transport Eligibility Criteria Changes
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New data and insight strategy to drive innovation and improve health
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Veteran friendly practice newsletter - Summer 2024
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Introducing “DAYLIGHT” – a digital app to help patients deal with anxiety and worry
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Statement and FAQs for SYB NHS on regulatory guidance for Physician Associates
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Pharmacy First, reminder regarding criteria
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GPs Talk Cancer Podcast
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Heath Innovation Yorkshire event - Macmillan Innovation Challenge showcase
NEWS UPDATES
Save the Date – NHS South Yorkshire Annual General Meeting
It has been a busy 12 months for NHS South Yorkshire. Join us on Monday 30 September as we look back on our progress, achievements and challenges from the past 12 months at our Annual General Meeting. If you are unable to attend in person, there is the option to join the event online, via Microsoft Teams.
Date: Monday 30 September
Time: 9.30am – 11.30am
Location: NHS South Yorkshire HQ, 197 Eyre Street, Sheffield S1 3FG
Read more here Save the Date – NHS South Yorkshire Annual General Meeting :: South Yorkshire I.C.B (icb.nhs.uk)
South Yorkshire Success in HSJ Awards Shortlist
The shortlist has been announced for the prestigious 2024 HSJ Awards with South Yorkshire healthcare providers shortlisted in an impressive five categories.
There are 24 award categories in 2024 covering mental health, partnership work, innovation, safety and efficiency amongst others.
Read more here South Yorkshire Success in HSJ Awards Shortlist :: South Yorkshire I.C.B (icb.nhs.uk)
NHS South Yorkshire Launches Citizen Involvement Strategy
NHS South Yorkshire has launched ‘Start with People: South Yorkshire’, the strategy which sets out how they work alongside people and local communities to bring their experiences and voice into the shaping health and wellbeing plans and services.
The involvement strategy is a refresh of the first one, which was published when the organisation was set up in 2022. It has been developed following extensive conversations with people across a broad range of groups and places in South Yorkshire.
Read more here NHS South Yorkshire Launches Citizen Involvement Strategy :: South Yorkshire I.C.B (icb.nhs.uk)
Non-Emergency Patient Transport Eligibility Criteria Changes
Work is currently underway across South Yorkshire to review and implement national criteria for Non-Emergency Patient Transport Services (NEPTS).
The application of this amended eligibility criteria could potentially result in significant fewer journeys being offered to local patients. In order to help us understand the impact this may have on our patients we are undertaking a piece of involvement work to gather the views from residents between 22 July and 2 September 2024.
Read more here Non-Emergency Patient Transport Eligibility Criteria Changes :: South Yorkshire I.C.B (icb.nhs.uk)
New data and insight strategy to drive innovation and improve health
South Yorkshire residents will benefit from improved care services as a result of improved insight for decision making, following publication of a new system-wide data and insights strategy for health and social care.
Our new two-year data and insights strategy published in August, focuses on five areas to harness the data-driven transformation in health and care, creating a secure and privacy-preserving system that delivers for both people using health and care services and those working in them.
Read more here New data and insight strategy to drive innovation and improve health :: South Yorkshire I.C.B (icb.nhs.uk)
Veteran friendly practice newsletter - Summer 2024
Please find here the Summer 2024, veteran friendly practice newsletter plus, the latest Op RESTORE newsletter.
PRACTICE SUPPORT
Introducing “DAYLIGHT” – a digital app to help patients deal with anxiety and worry
From 9 September 2024, South Yorkshire GP Practices will be able to offer patients the Daylight App.
Daylight is a free, evidence based digital app treatment for anxiety and worry. It has been developed by Big Health who are the makers of “Sleepio” an app to treat insomnia. Daylight has been rolled out and used to benefit patients in Scotland for some time and is now being provided to South Yorkshire.
Daylight delivers CBT, the NICE 1st line recommended treatment for anxiety, via a smartphone app that patients (18+) can access instantly, in their own time and at no cost. Patients do not need to be referred or prescribed the app, they simply need to visit www.trydaylight.com/nhs to get started. For healthcare professionals, it provides them with another non-drug option when considering whether to start patients on medications.
Daylight is being provided free to South Yorkshire primary care teams / patients, as part of an economic evaluation partnership, led by NHS South Yorkshire ICB, Health Innovation Yorkshire and Humber, and Big Health.
GP practices in South Yorkshire will be receiving resources in August ready for Daylight to be fully launched across South Yorkshire in September.
If you would like to look online at the resource pack materials, you can do so at: Resources (bighealth.co.uk) There’s also information videos available below:
If you have any questions, please email greig.thomson@bighealth.com.
Statement and FAQs for SYB NHS on regulatory guidance for Physician Associates
We are writing to all primary care provides across the ICB following recent statements from professional bodies and discussion in the media regarding the Physician Associate (PA) profession to clarify regulatory guidance regarding non-medical clinical roles in primary care.
As you will be aware, the BMA and the RCGP have recently proposed that there is a review of how the role is regulated and how PAs should work. The RCGP also released a survey after a consultation with its members regarding the role in primary care. This survey identified GPs concerns about professional scope, supervision, and patient safety.
Pharmacy First, reminder regarding criteria
The Pharmacy First service was announced in the NHSE Delivery plan for recovering access to primary care to allow patients to be seen quickly (usually the same day) by a trained healthcare professional (a pharmacist) for minor illness consultations.
Reception staff should offer referral to Pharmacy First for all patients contacting the practice with minor illness. Clinical triage is not needed and GPs do not need to be involved in referring.
Please note this is NOT a medicines supply service and the service should not be promoted in a way that makes the patient believe they will be supplied with treatment/medicine free of charge. Currently there are just 7 conditions for which Pharmacists may supply medication through this service. Usual prescription charges apply.
Should someone be referred to a pharmacy via Pharmacy First, for a condition where medication supply is not in the scope of the service but an OTC product may help relieve symptoms, the patient is expected to purchase it over the counter. There is discretion for their circumstances and only if necessary the patient can be referred by the pharmacist into a ‘local scheme’ such as MAS. NB there is no MAS in Rotherham.
For more information and additional resources for practice teams please see latest Pharmacy First Newsletter here.
GPs Talk Cancer Podcast
GPs Talk Cancer podcast launched by GatewayC – the free early cancer diagnosis resource funded by the NHS, to help support the NHS Long Term Plan to diagnose 75% of patients with cancer at an early stage (stage 1 or stage 2) by 2028 has leased episode 2 – covering gastro and oesophageal cancer.
In the podcast GPs question how we can best ‘think cancer’ when patients present with vague symptomology. Weight loss, difficulty swallowing, and abdominal pain are some of the key areas covered – with useful safety netting questions shared to provide our listeners with increased confidence when considering cancer as a differential. This episode also covers Barrett’s oesophagus, the impact of radiotherapy from other cancer groups and key risk factors.
New episodes will be released fortnightly.
Listen here A podcast is inspiring GPs to detect cancer earlier – GatewayC
EVENTS & TRAINING
Heath Innovation Yorkshire event - Macmillan Innovation Challenge showcase
Heath Innovation Yorkshire are inviting you to an online event on Thursday, 19 September 2024 at 10 AM for an inspiring showcase of the projects shortlisted from the Macmillan Innovation Challenge 2023!
This is your chance to connect with leading innovators and discover the cutting-edge technologies that are set to change cancer care. Learn about pioneering solutions in virtual care, virtual wards, and remote monitoring – all designed to deliver high-quality healthcare to cancer patients beyond the hospital setting.
Heath Innovation Yorkshire are proud to support Macmillan Cancer Support working with our colleague at Health Innovation East and Health Innovation Kent Surrey Sussex.
Don't miss this opportunity to be a part of the future of innovation in healthcare.
Secure your place: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-macmillan-innovation-challenge-showcase-event-tickets-948839312927?aff=oddtdtcreator
