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News

• Appraiser recruitment for Oxfordshire PCT
  
  
• Balint Group
  
  
• BMA's launch of their Salaried GPs' Handbook 2009
  
  
• Child protection
  
  
• Core Learning Unit more information
  
  
• Diagnosis of Chlamydia Infection in Primary Care
  
  
• The PCT now has a Local Counter Fraud Specialist
  
  
• GP-Care Dovedale Counselling has been replaced by a new Oxon PCT occupational Health provider PTH www.pthgroup.co.uk

  details can be found at http://www.oxfordshirepct.nhs.uk under Human Resources then Occupational Health
  
  

• High Risk Maternity care guidance
  
  
• How to Share your Concern about the Performance of an Oxfordshire PCT General Practitioner, Dentist, Community Pharmacist or Optometrist
  
  
• Licence to Practice
  
  
• Mental Capacity Act e-learning package (chaser from Rachel Griffiths)
  
  
• New Core Learning Unit Site
  
  
• Oxfordshire PCT Intranet
  
  
• Practice managers Core Skills for Practice Management
  
  
• Safeguarding Children
  
  
• Yahoo group (to be used purely as a mailing list)

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BMA's launch of their Salaried GPs' Handbook 2009

This has been produced as a benefit of BMA membership for salaried GP's and GP employers. The Handbook explains the legal entitlements of all salaried GP's as employees. It therefore helps to ensure that salaried GP's are aware of their statutory and contractual rights. In addition, it helps to prevent GP employers falling foul of the law.

The handbook also contains sections on the national and local representation of salaried GP's, how to become a salaried GP and the work involved. Salaried GP's who are BMA members have been sent their own individual hard copy of the handbook. Other BMA members who would like a hard copy of the handbook, can request this via the BMA website, by telephoning  0300 123 123 3 or by emailing support@bma.org.uk.

For ease of use, the handbook is also available on the BMA website for BMA members. The Handbook will be distributed to Salaried GP BMA members from 26 February 2009 and that, if they do not receive a copy by 11 March 2009, they should contact the BMA.

Finally, as you will be aware, the BMA is able to provide expert employment advice for salaried GP's and their GP employers. While the Handbook will be of value to these GP's, it does not replace the individual advice that is available and which it is essential that GP's obtain from the BMA.

Pauline Pauline Green Administration & Information Manager Berks, Bucks & Oxon LMC's 01628 475727 www.bbolmc.co.uk

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Oxfordshire PCT Intranet

The PCT Intranet will be available from Wednesday 4 February 2009. The site has been designed to provide up to date information to PCT and GP practice staff.
The site offers advice, corporate information, staff briefings, policies and procedures, PCT reports and audit information to name but a few.
Whilst we have endeavoured to give you access to all parts of the site, your access may be restricted to certain areas due to compatibility with N3 connections and your individual practice IT set ups.

However people within GP practices on an N3 connection should be able to see the GP area:

http://nww.oxfordshirepct.nhs.uk/GeneralPractice/default.aspx

This is the first stage of the site’s development and the content of the intranet will increase over time and will be regularly updated. Please note that as from 4 February 2009 the Weekly Mailing will also be available on the Oxfordshire PCT Intranet. This will be accessible via; http://nww.oxfordshirepct.nhs.uk/GeneralPractice/Pages/WeeklyMailing.aspx

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MESSAGE FROM THE CORE LEARNING UNIT

New versions of three of the following Statutory and Mandatory e-learning programmes (Fire Safety Awareness, Health & Safety Awareness and Manual Handling) will be launched on www.corelearningunit.nhs.uk on Friday 31 July 2009. The new e-learning programmes will offer a much higher level of functionality and will be more “user friendly”.

The revised courses will appear on the CLU as NEW courses, rather than updates of the original e-learning programmes, due to the level of technical changes that are required to their layout. The original versions of the e-learning programmes will remain on the site for a period of 3 months, from Friday 31 July to Friday 30 October 09, in order to allow anyone that has already started them the time they need to complete their training. Please notify your staff and colleagues of these changes, and encourage them, if they have started on the old modules, to complete them before the deadline passes.

If you are due to start your training after 31 July, please use the new courses, not the old. There is a reminder on the CLU about this as well. Should you have any specific enquiries about this change, please contact Clair Shaw, Head of Learning and Organisational Development, on 01865 336811 or via email at clair.shaw@oxfordshirepct.nhs.uk

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ARE YOU INTERESTED IN JOINING A BALINT GROUP?

Woodstock (or nearby)-based Balint Group.

I have been running a Balint-type support group for a group of nine GPs in North Oxfordshire for the last four years and am interested in starting another group with a colleague, Gordon Cunningham. Gordon is a group analyst who is about to retire from a full time post at the University Counselling Service. We both teach on the Psychodynamic Studies programme at Oxford University department of Continuing Education. I am also the Practice Counsellor at the White House Surgery in Chipping Norton and run a private counselling practice. We would suggest that any doctors who may be interested in attending a group to support their work with patients and explore the dynamics in the doctor/patient relationship, to please contact me by Email. Thank you for your help in communicating this to your colleagues. With good wishes, Val Parker

Oxford-based Balint Group

The Oxford Balint group meets monthly (currently the first Thursday of the month) at the East Oxford Health Centre between 19.30hrs and 21.00hrs. The group is facilitated by a psychotherapist, Ann Mountford, who has experience of leading doctors groups.

The focus of the group is the doctor-patient relationship. Group members can present cases of patients who are on their mind for whatever reason. The group is intended to be supportive and non-judgemental. Many people find exploring and gaining understanding of the dynamics of the cases discussed generates a new enthusiasm for consulting in everyday practice. No experience is required or expected, and these reflective sessions very definitely count towards revalidation.

Confidentiality is observed for the patients presented, for members of the group and any discussions arising. Patients’ cases can be presented so long as the patient is not identifiable. This conforms to GMC guidance on using case histories for educational purposes (http://www.gmc-uk.org/static/documents/content/Confidentiality_disclosing_info_education_2009.pdf). In order for group members to feel safe all discussions should be considered confidential and any information about the patient, the doctor, the practice, and the information presented must be treated with the utmost confidence.

The EOHC is usually locked at 19.30hrs so one of us (usually RS) will wait in the foyer to let people in from about 19.20hrs. If there is no one about ring the following numbers in sequence to be let in:

Richard Stevens mobile 07850 125199,
Ann Mountford work mobile 07807 355683,
direct landline to RS room 01865 261883.

While we aim to start (and finish) on time the group made a decision to recognise the reality of GP life, and the difficulty people coming from outside Oxford may have, to allow group members to join in if they are late. Anyone who is late should ring my mobile to get into the building and then join the group with the minimum disruption.

Group members are expected to sign up to a series of six meetings and to pay the facilitator’s costs in advance. The cost is currently £90.00 for the six sessions, though the first taster session is offered free.

Please don’t hesitate to contact me on 07850 125199 or rstevens.oxford@googlemail.com

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The safeguarding children team have had several requests from PHCT's for Child Protection updates and information about policies and protocols.
We would like to highlight the following resources for Primary Health Care Teams in relation to child protection and have attached the relevant documents.

• GP safeguarding children tool kit from the Royal College of GP's. This document is a resource for practices and we would encourage practices to use it to ensure they are able to clarify and undertake their safeguarding children responsibilities. It includes templates for practice procedures and covers key issues including staff training page 25, recruitment of staff, identification of a lead within the practice for child protection page 14 and a self assessment tool page 43.
  
  
• Safeguarding Children PCT training which can be accessed by independent contractors and their staff (£50 per half day session).
  
  
• Updated Key Contacts of Oxfordshire PCT named and designated professionals for child protection who are available for advice and support with child protection concerns. Plus details of local Social Services teams ( known as Children Young People and Families teams in Oxfordshire)
  
  
• Oxfordshire PCT child protection policy. This includes individual practitioner responsibilities.

The following web based information is also available

• Oxfordshire child protection procedures web link – www.oscb.org.uk. Details of interagency training is also available via this web link
  
  
• http://www.medicalprotection.org/uk/uk-factsheets/safeguarding-children-faqs
  
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• Oxweb Safeguarding children folder within clinical disciplines this contains all local and national relevant documents including Working Together 2006 and resources in relation to child protection.

If you require further information do not hesitate to contact one of the PCT's safeguarding team. Kate Riddle Oxfordshire PCT Operational Manager Safeguarding Children Team. 01865265019 07899988612

Safeguarding Children Newsletter

There is a new e-resource relating to Safeguarding Children and at http://www.e-lfh.org.uk/projects/safeguarding

 

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Oxford Radcliffe Trust newsletter (updated monthly)

www.oxfordradcliffe.nhs.uk/forclinicians/gpbulletin

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Licence to Practice

The GMC has recently published some literature on GP's Licence to Practice

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Mental Capacity Act e-learning package (chaser from Rachel Griffiths)

This isn’t a nag…well, perhaps only a very small one…
I ran a check the other day on how many people in the county had logged on to (and even completed) the Mental Capacity Act e-learning package. Results for the county were generally disappointing, but I was especially struck that, as far as I can tell, nobody in the PCT has even accessed the package.
I’m aware that various community based (and community hospital based) staff have attended training sessions with me, but there are many who have not, and e-learning is a useful resource for training new staff members and keeping existing ones refreshed.

As you know (because I keep going on about it) I’m particularly concerned about GP's in Oxfordshire, and you may remember it was hoped that e-learning would provide a more accessible form of training than face-to-face.

• The package is there, available and free
• You don’t have to complete it in one session, but can dip in and out at your convenience
• Once you’ve completed it, there’s a library of useful information available within the package for future reference

There are very real legal risks associated with failure to work within the Mental Capacity Act and e-learning is a convenient way to plug the gaps in knowledge.

The access details have been circulated, but here they are again for your convenience.

Don’t hesitate to get in touch if you have problems getting logged in: it’s usually proved very straight-forward.

I’m in the process of setting up more multi-disciplinary training sessions, and will of course notify you of those when the dates are fixed…although the take-up from GP's has up to now been extremely low.

Rachel Griffiths
Mental Capacity Act Lead
Yarnton House, Yarnton, Oxford, OX5 1LP
01865 854508

To find out more about the Mental Capacity Act and how it might affect you, follow one of the links below: http://www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/links/public/mentalcapacity (for the general public) http://www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/links/public/mentalcapacityinfo (for professionals)

This site's information

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Practice managers Core Skills for Practice Management
 
The NHS Alliance has published a report - the Nuts and Bolts of Practice Management - outlining the core skills and knowledge required by Practice Managers to successfully run the surgery. It contains sections on the basic principles of business; re-shaping services through initiatives (such as Practice Based Commissioning); and working with patients. It was written by Practice Managers and copies can be downloaded from the Alliance website or obtained from admin@nhsalliance.org (a fee of £10 will be charged to non-Alliance members). 

A Practice Managers Network has also been established by the Alliance, to help influence policy and procedure in the NHS by working with the DH and Government. For further information, contact w.evans@nhsalliance.org.

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