Information for New Doctors and Locums

Please introduce yourself to the staff and ensure you sign in. It is a good idea to identify a contact in case you have any problems.  You can screen message any partner on site doing clinical work. Do not hesitate to ask the reception team, Team Leaders, practice manager or partners if you have any queries or concerns.

For your safety, please complete the Emergency Contact form.

Login Details

Telephone Numbers

Panic Button

This is the red exclamation mark in the top right hand corner of EMIS

Getting Started

How to file / action test results

Docman

Messages

EMIS tips

F5

change patient

F6

consultations

F8

save

F9

medications

F11

investigations

F12

protocols

Requesting tests

See here for specimen containers needed

ICE-8.3-Requesting-and-Results-EMIS-Guidance-v1.0.docx

Medication Reviews

Try to do a medication review whenever you see a patient, especially if prescribing anything. Check that the review date is not red.

Pink Pop-up Box

Try to complete QOF alerts from the pop up box. Click on the alert to activate the template and fill in. Blood pressures, smoking status and smoking cessation advice are quick wins.

 Appointments

On calls

Home visits

Extended Access and Hub Appointments

EA for our patients, Hub available to us after 4.30pm

Referrals / Advice + Guidance

The practice monitors referrals to secondary care; please discuss any secondary care referrals with one of the partners before sending if you feel appropriate.

In consultation mode, click Add, click Document, click Create Letter

Please write your referral letter in your consultation and send a task on EMIS to the Medical Secretary team. Tick the URGENT box if 2ww or urgent.

For same day referrals eg for admission use the Same Day Admin task list on EMIS.

Urgent Referrals

https://www.uhb.nhs.uk/gps/referrals/same-day-emergency-care

Other Referrals

Services we offer here

Prescribing

Safeguarding

Our safeguarding lead Dr Parin Solanki.  Safeguarding information is available here. Please advise Dr Solanki if you make a safeguarding referral.

Staff are well-trained in all aspects of safeguarding and will be happy to advise you if you are unsure of how to proceed.

Staff comfort

Please ask a member of staff on where to find the toilets and tea/coffee facilities. Ask for the door codes.

Infection Prevention and Control

Infection Prevention and control is an important part of the care we provide and so we have put together a few pointers to remind all new and visiting staff of certain key areas vital for reducing the risk of infection for our patents and ourselves.

HAND HYGIENE- Always practice good hand hygiene, the single most important measure for preventing the spread of infection.

5 moments for hand hygiene 1.Before patient contact, 2.Before a clean/aseptic technique, 3.After body fluid exposure risk, 4.After patient contact and 5. After contact with patient surroundings.

The use of liquid soap, warm water and paper towels is best practice.  Alcohol hand rub is an effective alternative but should not be used if hands are visibly soiled, hands have come into contact with body fluids, caring for someone with diarrhoea and/or vomiting (including C. diff and Novo virus), working in areas with an outbreak of diarrhoeal illness.

When delivering direct care health care professionals must be “Bare below the elbows” this means wearing short sleeved clothing or rolling up long sleeves, being free of hand and wrist jewellery (a plan band ring may be worn), keeping nails short and clean, no nail polish or false nails, covering cuts and abrasions with a water proof dressing.

Personal protective equipment – must be worn for all procedures where there is a risk of contamination with body fluids.  Please be aware of the correct order for putting on personal protective equipment (apron, mask, eye protection then gloves) and removal (gloves, apron, eye protection, then mask).  Gloves and aprons are available in all clinic rooms – if unable to find an item please ask one of the nursing team.

All re-useable equipment must be wiped between use - this includes couches, BP cuffs and stethoscopes.  Wipes are available in all consulting rooms.

Sharps bins - Available in all clinic rooms.  As well as being assembled correctly, signed and dated they should be left closed at all times when not in use.

Sinks – should be free of clutter, only hand wash should be placed in the sink area.  Urine samples should be tested over clinical waste bins and not near sinks which are for hand washing.  All cupboards under sinks should be empty.

Notice boards – Should only contain laminated or wipeable leaflets/posters.  Other wall space should be uncluttered.

Spill kits - are located in all the nurses rooms.  Be aware that there are separate blood and urine spill kits.

Patients attending with suspected infectious diseases - should be asked to sit away from the general reception area outside the nurses rooms and be seen as quickly as possible.

Full “Infection prevention and control policies” are easily accessible on the intranet in the appropriately named folder.  If you have any queries or concerns, please speak to the practice infection control lead.

Confidentiality and Information Governance Agreement

You must at all times be aware of the importance of maintaining confidentiality of the information gained by you during the course of carrying out your duties.  This will in many cases include access to personal and personal confidential information relating to patients.  You must treat all information in a discreet and confidential manner and particular attention is drawn to the following:

Local Medical Committee (LMC)

Birmingham Local Medical Committee represents and supports general practice to ensure that GPs are properly valued and their skills properly utilised in serving the public.

LMCs are the only organisations recognised by statute as the bodies representing all the NHS GPs practising in an area. Although there have been countless changes within the NHS and community care, the Local Medical Committees across the UK are the single element of continuity throughout all the re-organisations since the NHS was inaugurated with statutory functions set out by Act of Parliament.

Birmingham LMC is made up of democratically elected GP members elected from among their peers in accordance with the terms of the LMCs’ constitution The electoral term is four years, with the next one commencing in October 2015. The LMC is seeking to increase the diversity of the committee to reflect the changing demographics of its constituents and any GP interested in standing for the LMC is welcome to contact us to find out more.

The recent Health and Social Care Act outlined the new structure of the NHS with the abolition of PCTs and SHAs and the establishment of Clinical Commissioning Groups accountable to NHS England which also has responsibility for commissioning all primary care services, including general practice, and some specialist services. Under the Act it is the NHS England which formally recognises the LMC as the local representative body.

There are currently three CCGs in Birmingham: Birmingham South Central CCG, Cross City CCG and Sandwell and West Birmingham CCG. CCGs are made up of member GP practices, which are all contractually obliged to be CCG members. Birmingham LMC has made a significant contribution advising both constituent practices and their CCGs on the content of their legally-binding constitutions. The LMC will continue to liaise with GPs, their CCGs and NHS England Local Area Team to provide help, advice and support wherever appropriate across all areas of their responsibilities.
The responsibility for commissioning public health local enhanced services has been transferred to local authorities rather than CCGs and the LMC therefore also has a role in liaising with Birmingham City Council in respect if these services and other matters of relevance to general practice.

The LMC plays a crucial role advising and supporting GPs and their practices in many different Circumstances. For example it plays an active part in supporting GPs who are experiencing professional conduct procedures or local poor performance measures.

Birmingham LMC has a major role to play where a GP is unable to practice through ill health - not only in an advisory role but because the LMC has a statutory role in securing an expert opinion about continued fitness-to-practice.

This is very important in securing continued income for GPs, particularly if the practitioner is suspended because of ill-health or other reason.

The Birmingham LMC has a statutory role where a practitioner is under investigation by NHS England in certain areas of clinical practice. The LMC has a specific role in considering certain types of complaints by GPs about their colleagues.

Work of the LMC

Birmingham LMC is proactive in keeping abreast of all local and national issues affecting general practice as soon as they arise. We keep aware of NHS England Local Area Teams’ policies and activities to ensure any issues affecting GPs and their practices are dealt with appropriately. Similarly we also liaise closely and work with the CCGs and local authority.

The LMC works with and liaises closely with the BMA General Practitioners Committee (GPC) in order to ensure that all national issues affecting general practice are quickly acted upon and important guidance disseminated locally as soon as it is available.

LMCs influence the policies of the GPC on a national level, particularly through submission of motions to the National Annual Conference of LMCs to which Birmingham LMC actively contributes.

Apart from the statutory functions, Birmingham LMC undertake a range of “pastoral care” functions advising individual GPs in difficulties and various other functions determined by the needs of GPs and their practices, which include:

Birmingham LMC is funded by its GPs through the collection of levies on its behalf by NHS England in accordance with the Health and Social Care Act.

The Statutory Levy (for GMS practices) and the Administrative Levy (for PMS practices) fund the work of the LMC on behalf of its GPs and practices. These levies allow all practice partners and employed GPs working within a practice, to benefit from the LMC’s advice and support. Freelance locum GPs can also be represented by the LMC by signing up to a levy mandate and paying an administrative levy.

As well as the statutory/administrative levies practices may choose to sign an additional voluntary levy. This funds Birmingham LMC’s contribution to the work of the GPC through the General Practitioners’ Defence Fund (GPDF) as well as small payments to certain medical charities which have historical links to Birmingham general practice. Payment of the additional voluntary levy allows GPs to vote in and to stand for regional elections to the GPC.

As Local Medical Committees are the only statutory representative bodies for all GPs be they self-employed, salaried or freelance, all GPs should associate themselves with an LMC. They are democratic (elected by and comprising of local GPs); professional (concerned to provide quality in patient care and uphold standards of professional practice); independent (funded by GPs themselves to support general practice) and are a source of advice and support to all GPs on all matters affecting professional activities.

Running expenses are funded by levies from the GPs in their area. Levies usually amount to a very tiny fraction of a GP’s income and are fully tax deductible business expenses. Salaried GPs employed by practices will be covered by the levy paid by their employing GPs. Locum GPs may be served and represented by the LMCs upon payment of the appropriate levies. 

LMCs perform a wide range of important functions and are highly influential bodies

They are involved with the administration of GPs’ NHS contracts and the planning and provision of services; advise NHS bodies both locally and, via the GPC, at national level; have input into training and education and, most importantly, advise and give pastoral care to individual doctors who may be experiencing problems.

Why, then, should non principals become involved with and subscribe to their LMCs?

Here are some of the reasons:

Practice Managers’ Association

The BLMC received widespread support from GPs and Practice Managers to form the "Birmingham Practice Managers Association" (BPMA): Practice Managers are a key element in the work of general practice and it is important that they are supported from both a professional and organisational perspective.

Wendy Loveridge is an experienced Practice Manager who manages the Association, arranges training for Practice Managers and is available to answer queries and to support Practices in their role of practice management. The BLMC has extended its role into supporting the business and management of general practice to increase income opportunities for Members. The long term objectives of the Association is to create regular business development sessions and setting up skill enhancement opportunities in business planning, resource management, budgetary control and service level agreements on top of GMS contract requirements such as QOF.

The BPMA encourages networking opportunities and provides advice and information to Practice Managers, thereby Supporting the Business of General Practice.

What next?

The LMC will continue to seek opportunities, both nationally and locally, to represent GP’s views and provide up-to-date advice and support as the profession moves through political changes, recognising that they seek to deliver the best care possible for patients.

The LMC is...

Phone: (0121) 454 5008

Email: Birmingham.LMC@nhs.net

Web site:  www.blmc.co.uk

Seymour House, 15A Frederick Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 1JD