NHSE&I: 26th August Primary Care round up
Vaccinations for all staff entering a care home
From 11 November 2021, all staff entering a care home need to be vaccinated, unless exempt. Following the publication of DHSC operational guidance, we have written to the NHS and published FAQs on how this new regulation will be delivered operationally. All relevant providers of NHS funded services will need to:
- actively support staff to have their first COVID-19 vaccine by 16 September 2021 (as eight weeks is required between the two doses)
- carry out proactive workforce planning to ensure:
- only staff who are vaccinated, or exempt, are deployed to a care home from 11 November
- service provision is not disrupted once this regulation comes into force
- ensure that relevant staff can demonstrate to care home staff, via the NHS COVID Pass service, that they have either had two doses or are exempt
The FAQs will be updated on a regular basis, to support systems and providers to implement this new regulation.
COVID-19 Lateral Flow Device Distribution Service (Pharmacy Collect)
Following discussions with NHS Test and Trace we can confirm that we will extend the Community Pharmacy COVID-19 Lateral Flow Device Distribution Service (Pharmacy Collect) until 30 September 2021. Thank you to community pharmacy for your continued support in providing these vital services to your communities and keeping patients safe. NHS Test and Trace are working with NHS England and NHS Improvement and PSNC to develop a revised service. More details will be released in due course.
Year 3 of the Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework
We are delighted to have reached agreement for Year 3 of the Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework. We remain committed to the vision in the 5-year deal for pharmacy to be more integrated in the NHS, provide more clinical services, be the first port of call for healthy living support as well as minor illnesses and to support managing demand in general practice and urgent care settings. The agreement, which will come into effect from September 2021, was published on Monday by DHSC jointly with PSNC and NHSE&I.
- England’s community pharmacy teams have the opportunity to provide a new, proactive blood pressure check service to thousands of people as part of an integrated PCN approach, making the NHS’s commitment to prevent cardiovascular disease a reality across the country.
- Pharmacies have also been given an expanded role in supporting people diagnosed with heart failure, high cholesterol, Parkinson’s disease, epilepsy, gout and osteoporosis, who will now be able to access a New Medicines Service conversation with their local pharmacist about how to get the most from their newly prescribed medication.
- A new smoking cessation service will continue the NHS’ action to prevent ill-health by supporting patients who have agreed to quit while in hospital – they will have the choice to continue their treatment with support from a community pharmacy.
- The majority of pharmacies will also start to provide assistance to people who would like support with their weight, including advice and referral to support/exercise groups, local authority funded weight management services and the NHS Digital Weight Management Programme as they step up to help tackle the country’s obesity challenges.
- Ensuring patients have personalised asthma action plans, including the use of spacers for children, checking inhaler technique, and encouraging return of unwanted and used inhalers for disposal to protect the environment provide a real community pharmacy focus for patients with respiratory illnesses and demonstrate an active approach to the sustainability agenda.
- A new three-year programme of education and training for community pharmacists and pharmacy technicians will be introduced this Autumn to enhance their clinical and patient consultation skills further – including training some community pharmacists as independent prescribers with more training courses offered as capacity builds.
- Work will continue to embed GP referrals to the Community Pharmacist Consultation Service for minor illness and we are also focusing efforts on implementing the Discharge Medicines Service, to provide integrated care for patients and better communication between secondary care and primary care, so reducing harm from medicines at discharge.
- Pharmacies will receive a transition payment to support with PCN and ICS engagement to encourage further local integration of services and strengthening relationships with PCNs with the aim of increasing uptake of clinical services, digital transformation and preparing for dispensing efficiencies. Changes to the Pharmacy Access Scheme will take effect from January 2022.
COVID-19: 6th August Primary Care round-up
Updated JCVI guidance for the vaccination of children and young people
On 4 August 2021, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) published an updated statement on COVID-19 vaccination of children and young people aged 12 to 17 years to advise that all 16 to 17-year-olds should be offered a first dose of Pfizer-BNT162b2 vaccine. This is in addition to the existing offer of 2 doses of vaccine to 16 to 17-year-olds who are in ‘at-risk’ groups. We have published a letter with updated guidance in relation to COVID-19 vaccinations for children and young people following the JCVI statement.
Enhanced service specifications updated in line with latest JCVI guidance
Further to the JCVI’s recent announcements we have updated the COVID-19 enhanced service specification for phases 1 and 2 and the enhanced service specification for phase 3 to include the new eligible patients.
Vaccinating Children and Young People in Community Pharmacy LVS sites
Following the publication of today’s letter, this is a notification that ALL patients aged 16 and 17 years are now included in the list of cohorts of those who are eligible for vaccination as per section 4.2 of the Community Pharmacy Covid-19 vaccination local enhanced service. Community pharmacy LVS sites can start to vaccinate patients in this cohort as walk ins or via local booking, subject to completion of the clinical criteria, in the checklist, as a self-assessment process, and where the site is operating under a PSD and where the requirement is for a first dose. Please note that the PGD and national protocol do not currently cover 16 and 17-year-olds unless they are in cohort 2, 4 or 6 or are aged 17 years and 9 months or over per our letter of 22 July. We anticipate that they will be updated in the coming weeks.
All Pharmacy Contractors delivering services under the Local Enhanced Service: COVID-19 vaccination programme 2020/21 are required to carry out the service in compliance with their Terms of Service which include having appropriate safeguarding procedures in place for those receiving vaccinations. Appropriate safeguarding procedures that are considered acceptable by NHS England in relation to vaccinating 16/17 years olds with a first dose are set out in the checklist.
Vaccination in pregnancy – latest resources
Sites are reminded that the most up to date leaflets and posters on vaccination in pregnancy are available from PHE and RCOG. Please ensure any out-of-date materials are replaced with these. The Royal College of Midwives also has a number of helpful resources for maternity staff to support pregnant women get the vaccine.
COVID-19: 29th July COVID-19 round-up for primary care
Communications pack for JCVI guidance on vaccinating specific groups of children and young people
We have produced a communications pack to help general practices and community pharmacies to communicate with the public about the recent JCVI guidance on vaccinating specific groups of children and young people. The pack contains a script with key messages, some template web text, and some FAQs, and is available on FutureNHS.
Phase 3 Covid vaccination programme FAQs for general practice and community pharmacy
Further to the Phase 3 webinar held on 15 July for general practice and community pharmacy, we have published a set of frequently asked questions (FAQs) for general practice and community pharmacy to support those considering taking part in the potential COVID-19 booster programme from the autumn.
Workforce considerations for phase 3 adult vaccination programme
The delivery of the COVID-19 vaccination programme is reliant on our workforce being identified and trained.
This pack has been created to support the delivery of the COVID-19 adult booster vaccination programme and has been developed based on current assumptions, as we set out in the letter on 1 July.
It includes:
- Clinical red lines for adult booster vaccination, based on the latest guidance from JCVI.
- Training requirements for flu and COVID-19 vaccinations to support adult booster vaccinations.
If you have any comments or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact your lead employer.
New pharmacy profiles on NHS website
The NHS website has launched new service profiles for pharmacies. The new profiles better meet the needs of patients, feature improved support for mobile devices and meet modern accessibility standards.
No action is needed by pharmacy editors as existing profile information is being copied across to the new profiles. Pharmacies can view their new profiles by using the NHS website pharmacy finder. The way to update the new profiles will stay the same, using the current profile editor.
This work is part of a programme to continuously improve the care and experience offered to patients through the NHS website, the UK’s largest health website for the public.
If you have any questions, you can contact the NHS website service desk.
New tests for pharmacies participating in the Covid-19 test kit distribution service
Further to last week’s message on the transition from Innova to Orient Gene test kits in pharmacies participating in the Covid-19 test kit distribution service, NHS Test and Trace will now transition straight from Innova to Acon Flowflex test kits from the week commencing 2 August.
During this transition between products pharmacy contractors should continue to work through existing stock levels and are reminded that people collecting for themselves should only be provided with one box of test kits.
Evaluation of Medicines Optimisation in Care Homes (MOCH)
On behalf of NHS England and NHS Improvement, Midlands and Lancashire Commissioning Support Unit have evaluated the Medicines Optimisation in Care Homes (MOCH) programme to understand the impact of medicines optimisation for residents and the associated improvements in quality, safety, and cost-effectiveness. They collected both quantitative and qualitative data, working closely with MOCH teams, General Practitioners, GP practice teams and care home staff to produce a report that demonstrated improved quality of care, reduced risk of harm from medicines and improved efficiency.
The report sets out recommendations for MOCH, including continuing a programme of structured medication review, employing shared decision making, training staff on the safe administration of medicines and sharing learning. You must be a member of the Pharmacy Integration FutureNHS workspace to access this report - to join email england.pharmacyintegration@nhs.net.
Better Health Adult Obesity - Summer 2021 Campaign Launch
Public Health England has launched this summer's Better Health adult obesity campaign, which is aimed at supporting adults who have gained weight over the last year, with a focus on making small changes every day to lose weight and feel better now.
To help support people to make these healthier choices, the campaign provides a suite of free apps and tools that support adults to make better food choices and become more active.
New video on best practice in prescribing antibiotics in primary care
Health Education England (HEE) has launched a new video to support health and care staff who recommend, prescribe, dispense and supply antibiotics in primary care.
It highlights processes, considerations and actions that should occur to support safe and effective antibiotic prescribing and signposts to further available resources.
Based on the TARGET Toolkit and NICE Guidance on 'Managing common infections and antimicrobial stewardship', the video helps health and care staff to:
- understand the connection between antibiotic use and antibiotic resistance;
- identify their role in optimising antibiotic use and stewardship;
- ensure compliance with national guidance when recommending, prescribing, dispensing and administering antibiotics; and
- improve their self-care/safety-netting advice to patients on the appropriate use of antibiotics.
