Covid19 Daily Briefing 1 April
**Email sent on behalf of the LMC, Clinical Directors and NHS Calderdale CCG**
Hi everyone
Message from the CCG
With the new model of GP services now up and running in Calderdale, we’d like to thank you all for your effort and dedication during this extraordinary and difficult time.
What an unpredictable situation we all find ourselves in! This is probably the biggest change in working practice we will ever experience - and all happening in the space of a couple of weeks.
We appreciate and applaud every single person supporting General Practice in Calderdale who is working in a new and unfamiliar way; from reception staff who are working with worried and anxious people over the phone, to clinicians who are triaging and offering full-on telephone and video consultations. And also staff working in the new community hubs, seeing patients face-to-face, carrying out home visits and treating our most unwell and vulnerable patients.
We know this is a stressful time to be working on the front line of the NHS. Your CCG is trying its utmost to support you all wherever we can, so that you can continue to help Calderdale’s people.
Please remember how much your work is appreciated, and once again: thank you!
Dr Steven Cleasby, Clinical Chair
Neil Smurthwaite, Chief Financial Officer/ Deputy Chief Officer
NHS Calderdale Clinical Commissioning Group
1. Update from GOV.UK – COVID-19: guidance for the public on mental health and wellbeing
· Advice and information on how to look after your mental health and wellbeing during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.
· Added easy-read guide to looking after your feelings and your body.
· https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-guidance-for-the-public-on-mental-health-and-wellbeing?utm_source=f4fe9d0e-2e25-4f75-acc1-64ceb6d0f3a4&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=govuk-notifications&utm_content=immediate
2. Safeguarding
The role of primary care in safeguarding at this time is to:
· continue to recognise when children/adults/families are struggling or potentially suffering abuse or neglect
· signpost to resources which can help
· refer to other agencies as available and appropriate
· support vulnerable patients were possible
· This may include making safeguarding referrals as you would normally do through your local pathways – be aware these may be different from normal.
· Attachments:
o RCGPs Safeguarding Advice
o Email from Julia Caldwell with Calderdale Safeguarding Adults Board & Calderdale Safeguarding Children Partnership message and resources
3. Poster for practices to support new ways of working
· Please add your practice details and display in your surgery to support the telephone triage approach.
4. PPE update from NSDR
· Letter received from NSDR and an FAQ
· This includes the required information to place a 72 hour order via NSDR
· Please note orders are being prioritised around ‘How long your current PPE stock provides cover for (e.g. <24 hours; 1-2 days, or more than 2 days)’
5. Cancer referrals to CHFT
· Details of referral pathways moving to telephone triage and a reminder to use the NHSE e-referral service
· Request to reduce new referrals to the one stop breast clinic for bilateral breast pain or patients under 25
· Simplified process on RAS for haematology
· Reminder to reassure people being referred of the importance to attend for tests and appointments
6. VAC – service interruptions
· Please see attached list of voluntary organisations whose services have been interrupted due to Covid-19
7. District Nurse Contacts
· https://www.cht.nhs.uk/services/clinical-services/district-nurses-calderdale/
8. Pausing of Complaints
· Due to the ongoing COVID19 pandemic NHS England and NHS Improvement are supporting a system wide “pause” of the NHS complaints process which would allow all health care providers in all sectors to concentrate their efforts on the front-line duties and responsiveness to COVID19 – see attached confirmation
9. Prescribing
a) CHFT will start to use morphine as the preferred SC opioid for palliative care from next week due to ongoing stock shortages with diamorphine. Note: this will be changed on palliative care prescription charts, the EPACCs template is being updated for this change. An opioid conversion chart is attached.
b) Guidance from CHFT Haematologist on which patients you can stop or delay vitamin B12 injections is attached.
Please note that in future the key messages will come out twice a week. We will continue to produce a summary tracker so you see what came out and when.
Thanks very much