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Lewisham lmc August 2009 Representing GPs and practice teams in Lewisham
In this month’s LMC news: Click on the links below to be taken directly to the news item of your choice
Newsflash! 1 Swine flu outbreak – important message from your LMC
2 Urgent – GMC licence to practise – action required now!
3 Extra GP sessions and medico-legal cover
Local news 4 Date for your diary – open meeting for all Lewisham GPs and practice managers on 21 October 2009
5 GP performers list
6 PE7/PE8 appeals panel
7 A picture of health – out of hospital services
General news 8 Londonwide practice based commissioning (PBC) update
9 LMC statutory levy
10 Expanding Practice Allowance (EPA)
11 Please prepare for your QOF prevalence changes now
12 Final seniority figures for 2004/05 and 2005/06
13 Londonwide LEAD (Learning Education and Development) – providing training for the capital’s practice
teams
14 NICE announces review of its skin cancer guidance
15 Record keeping: health warning from the Department of Health
16 Your chance to talk with your GPC representatives and negotiators
17 NHS Choices website
18 Employment checks
19 BMA seminar for salaried GPs
20 Support for GPs and their families in the 21st century – a weather warning from the Royal Medical
Benevolent Fund (RMBF)
21 Opportunities in education – programme director vacancies
22 Mentoring, releasing potential, enhancing careers
23 Courses of interest
1 Swine flu outbreak – important message from your LMC
The national flu line launched last month. Patients can either phone on 0800 15 13 100 or use the flu line
website.
The situation regarding the A (H1N1) outbreak continues to evolve on a daily basis. Please remember to
check your inbox and our website daily for the latest information and guidance. You can also keep us
updated with your concerns by contacting our exclusive email address: [email protected].
Please note that the [email protected] email address is not an emergency helpline. However, please be
assured that all queries/local intelligence are read. They are also fed back to NHS London on your behalf
which helps us to raise the reality that you are facing with those organisations leading on flu.
Londonwide LMCs is the brand name of Londonwide Local Medical Committees Limited. Registered and office address: Tavistock House North,
Tavistock Square, London WC1H 9HX. T. 020 7387 2034/7418 F. 020 7383 7442 W. www.lmc.org.uk. Registered in England No. 6391298.
Londonwide Local Medical Committees Limited is registered as a Company Limited by Guarantee.
If you do not receive an email response from the flu account, this is because we are prioritising the
queries that we can deal with.
We have been working hard to ensure that key swine flu messages are reported by the media. In the last
few weeks our GPs, LMC Chairs, Medical Directors and CEOs have been interviewed or quoted by the
following media: BBC TV news, BBC London news, Radio 5 live, Channel 5 news, Sky news, the
Telegraph, the Evening Standard and 15 local papers.
We will continue to support you by promoting the hard work that you are doing during this difficult time
and by providing patients with clear advice on how to deal with this virus.
Back to index.
2 Urgent – GMC licence to practise – action required now!
The GMC will introduce its licence to practise on 16 November 2009. From this date any doctor wishing
to practise medicine in the UK will, by law, need to be both registered and hold a licence to practise.
A licence to practise is the first step towards the introduction of revalidation which will start at some time
in 2011.
All doctors need to decide whether they wish to be licensed by 14 August 2009. You will need to
inform the GMC if you would like to be classed as one of the following:
Registration with a licence to practise (£410 per annum)
Remain registered without a licence to practise (£145 per annum)
No longer registered
If you have not already done so, you must contact the GMC with your decision on 0161 923
6277 or visit the GMC licensing website at www.gmc-uk.org/licensinghelp.
Back to index.
3 Extra GP sessions and medico-legal cover
Some of you have raised a query about whether you need to take out additional cover because of extra
sessions that you are now doing around extended hours.
Our research has shown that there are two levels of cover: GP Principal and GP Salaried/Locum.
The MPS defines ‘full time’ as 11+ sessions; ‘maximum part time’ is 7 – 10 sessions inclusive. Both are
aggregated over the whole year. We assume that other defence organisations use similar criteria.
So, for instance, if a doctor is doing eight 8 regular clinical sessions a week, together with a Saturday
morning 1in 6 and one evening a month, they would probably be covered on the ‘maximum part time’
subscription.
There is no ‘one size fits all’ here and if you have any concerns about your level of cover, our advice
would be for each individual to check with their defence organisation’s membership department.
Londonwide LMCs is the brand name of Londonwide Local Medical Committees Limited. Registered and office address: Tavistock House North,
Tavistock Square, London WC1H 9HX. T. 020 7387 2034/7418 F. 020 7383 7442 W. www.lmc.org.uk. Registered in England No. 6391298.
Londonwide Local Medical Committees Limited is registered as a Company Limited by Guarantee.
Back to index.
4 Date for your diary – open meeting for all Lewisham GPs and practice managers on 21 October
2009
There will be an open meeting for all Lewisham GPs and practice managers on the afternoon of
Wednesday 21 October 2009 at St. John’s Medical Centre. This meeting will be a chance for you to meet
your LMC team and be briefed on hot topics. Further information will be circulated by email closer to the
time.
Back to index.
5 GP performers list
Please remember that if you move from one area to another then you must inform the GMC. If this is not
done and the GMC assume you have stopped working completely, you may be removed from one list
and not added to another. This will then mean that you will have to re-apply and this will cost both time
and money. You will not be allowed to practise without formally being on the performers list for your
working area. Please be careful.
Back to index.
6 PE7/PE8 appeals panel
The PCT has informed us that they will be looking at the outcomes of the QOF PE7 and PE8 across the
board for everyone. The PCT will do this on an informal basis and judge whether any adjustments are
necessary. If any practice is then unhappy with that judgement then a formal appeals dispute process can
begin. Your LMC has offered a representative from the GP support directorate to sit on PCT panels in
order to ensure transparency and consistency.
Back to index.
7 A picture of health – out of hospital services
At the last LMC meeting Magda Moorey reported that Lewisham is working very closely with colleagues
in Bexley, Bromley and Greenwich to develop its out of hospital services but is working chiefly with
University Hospital Lewisham and Kings’ Health Partners rather than the newly formed South London
Healthcare NHS Trust.
Some of the headlines for Lewisham practices and patients are:
Lewisham hospital will retain its A&E
There will be an Urgent Care centre at the front end of the hospital (due to go live April 2010)
The hospital will continue to do emergency surgery (24hours)
There will be a day service for GPs to seek urgent specialist opinion to support the managing of
patient care
Obstetrics and Gynaecology services will remain
Out of hospital care will have to relate to the new initiatives of urgent care centres, polysystems
etc. This means that it will have to integrate and the model of care will be based on a ‘virtual ward’
approach.
Anyone with any questions about its implementation could contact Magda directly by email
[email protected] or Dr Jo Medhurst who is also leading on this work stream for a
‘Picture of Health’, [email protected].
Londonwide LMCs is the brand name of Londonwide Local Medical Committees Limited. Registered and office address: Tavistock House North,
Tavistock Square, London WC1H 9HX. T. 020 7387 2034/7418 F. 020 7383 7442 W. www.lmc.org.uk. Registered in England No. 6391298.
Londonwide Local Medical Committees Limited is registered as a Company Limited by Guarantee.
We watch as developments unfold and will use our well established communication networks to engage,
consult and inform as things progress.
Back to index.
8 Londonwide practice based commissioning (PBC) update
As promised last month we are now in a position to give a pan London update on the current views held
on the progression of PBC to date.
Recently, three lines of exploration have taken place. The first by Dr David Colin-Thome, the National PBC
Lead, carried out a PBC assessment via his team by visiting PCTs and using a questionnaire to local PBC
leaders. At the same time, Londonwide LMCs did a quick information gathering exercise to see what
messages it could gain, and to enable it to ‘cross-check’ the information gained by the national team.
Our Joint Chief Executives shared information at a recent meeting with Dr Colin-Thome. The results and
the messages gained had been remarkably similar and we were able to put forward some simple
potential solutions which we felt would improve the development of PBC in the forthcoming year.
The final piece of research has been carried out by the King’s Fund entitled ‘PBC two years on - Moving
forward and making a difference?’. Many of the points made in this report also reflected those gained and
presented by Londonwide LMCs. The King’s Fund gained its information through a survey that was
carried out in March of this year. There were 321 responses and whilst the King’s Fund recognises that it
is not a representative sample, it does accept that the comments provide a valuable insight into the views
of those most closely involved with PBC. The view’s represent those of not only GPs but of a broader
range of professionals including PCT managers, practice managers, commissioners etc. The majority of
respondents represented clusters with more than ten practices covering a patient population greater than
50,000.
We strongly advise everyone to read this document as it contains many messages. We feel that the key
messages are:
1. Financial – In 2007, financial limitations were cited as one of the top criteria delaying the
implementation and activation of PBC. Given the current forecast of financial climate it is likely that
PBC will again be faced with this dilemma which will pose a significant challenge to its further
development.
2. Clinical engagement – Lack of engagement of clinicians by PCTs at local level remains a significant
barrier. Clinical engagement is frequently referred to in the Department of Health’s (DH’s) ‘World
Class Commissioning’ as are initiatives such as poly systems and GP led health centres, but all these
advancements will not take place if PCTs don’t get the GPs on board.
3. Directives – The operational details need to be addressed at a local level and prescriptive national
guidance is not going to be forthcoming.
4. Conclusion – The King’s Fund ends its report by saying: ‚Whatever form PBC takes, as the NHS
moves into a period of restricted financial resources where critical investment and disinvestment
decisions will have to be made, it will become increasingly important for the PCT and
clusters/practices to work closely alongside each other in an increasingly expert co-commissioning
partnership....‛ and how should this be brought about.... by real clinical engagement anchored by
clear locally developed visions, structures and agreements and lines of accountability.
Londonwide LMCs is the brand name of Londonwide Local Medical Committees Limited. Registered and office address: Tavistock House North,
Tavistock Square, London WC1H 9HX. T. 020 7387 2034/7418 F. 020 7383 7442 W. www.lmc.org.uk. Registered in England No. 6391298.
Londonwide Local Medical Committees Limited is registered as a Company Limited by Guarantee.
We couldn’t agree more.
And finally, another piece of recent research may be of interest to readers. A final report on the project of
the National Primary Care Research and Development Centre entitled ‘Practice-based Commissioning:
theory, implementation and outcome’ provides a good insight with a perspective taken alongside policy.
The full report can also be downloaded from the Centre’s website.
Back to index.
9 LMC statutory levy
Londonwide LMCs and individual LMCs across London work tirelessly to secure the future of general
practice, ensuring that GPs and practice teams receive the information, support and advice that they need
in these unprecedented challenging times.
The Darzi review and the threat of polyclinics, commercialisation, GP-led health centres, QOF prevalence
changes and increased scrutiny of practices by PCTs, are some of the many issues that we have been
addressing. Londonwide LMCs has issued a number of tools to support GPs and practice teams,
including our successful ‘Keep My NHS GP Local’ campaign, our ‘Self Assessment Toolkit’, our first major
conference. ‘Securing the Future of General Practice in London’ and the launch of our Learning Education
and Development programme (Londonwide LEAD). Our current major focus is on providing support and
information about swine flu to GPs and practice teams.
We are well aware of the considerable financial pressures on practices as costs rise much faster than any
increase in resources, and the Board of Londonwide LMCs has made every effort to limit increases in our
expenditure. Nevertheless, we have had to employ extra staff to cope with the additional work and it has
been necessary to increase the Statutory Levy for 2009/10 by 5.3p to 52.1p per patient per annum. As far
as we can see, there will be no above-inflation increases next year.
We hope that you feel that you are getting value for money, and we shall continue to provide you with
the best possible level of service.
Back to index.
10 Expanding Practice Allowance (EPA)
We recently asked the DH for details of the EPA scheme which was originally mentioned in the ‘Our
Health, Our Care, Our Say’ document in 2004 and again in the ‘Primary Care and Community Services –
Improving GP Services’ document.
In response the DH has told us that the EPA model enables PCTs to provide practices with a grant. This is
used to increase practice infrastructure – usually additional staff – in anticipation of increased list sizes. It
is one way of overcoming the time delay between additional patients actually registering with the practice
and increased capitation-based payments. EPAs are granted at a PCT’s discretion.
EPA payments are not therefore GMS contractual payments with specific entitlements attached to them.
They are not SFE (Statement of Financial Entitlement) or enhanced service payments. They draw their
legitimacy from the general provisions of section 96 of the NHS Act 2006.
They are time limited, exceptional tailored measures (not necessarily limited to a one-off grant) designed
to help with the problems that a practice might face when it looks at the options and risks of expanding.
Londonwide LMCs is the brand name of Londonwide Local Medical Committees Limited. Registered and office address: Tavistock House North,
Tavistock Square, London WC1H 9HX. T. 020 7387 2034/7418 F. 020 7383 7442 W. www.lmc.org.uk. Registered in England No. 6391298.
Londonwide Local Medical Committees Limited is registered as a Company Limited by Guarantee.
There is currently no national scheme or specific national guidance relating to EPAs. If a practice faces
capacity problems then an EPA might be the answer if it prevents the need for list closure etc.
PCTs would have to identify factors before offering assistance to the practice. Discretion lies entirely with
the PCT in question.
The DH is currently considering how the concept of EPAs can be made to work for practices and patients.
More information should be available later in the year.
Back to index.
11 Please prepare for your QOF prevalence changes now
1. Calculate the potential impact – As previously reported, on 1 April 2009, the square rooting
component used in determining QOF was discontinued. In November 2008, Londonwide LMCs
undertook a survey across London in order to assess the potential impact of these changes to the
prevalence arrangements which are currently used in determining QOF payments. If you have not
already done so, we encourage you to calculate the potential impact on your practice.
2. Maximise your prevalence – For example, improve your diagnostic levels for diabetes, asthma and
COPD. We encourage you to ‘invest to save’ in a practice spirometer that will improve your diagnosis
of lung conditions including COPD.
3. Prepare a business case – If you think that you will suffer significant losses please note that most
London PCTs have agreed to reinvest funds back into general practice through different mechanisms
agreed with the LMC, therefore we recommend you prepare a business case detailing:
how much that you think you will lose
the potential impact on your practice in terms of staff and services
what support you need from the PCT to recoup the funding, for example pump priming
to maximise your diagnosis of prevalence as above or ideas for the provision of LESs to
support PCT operating plan targets
any other steps that you will be taking as a practice to limit the impact.
You can contact Nora Breen, Manager GP Support Services at the LMC on 020 7387 2034 ext 241 or
[email protected] for support. Please contact your PCT primary care lead to discuss solutions as soon
as possible.
Back to index.
12 Final seniority figures for 2004/05 and 2005/06
The NHS Information Centre has published the final seniority figures for 2004/05 and 2005/06 for GMS in
England and Wales. The figures for England are: £81,123 and £91,123 respectively.
After taking legal advice, the DH has decided that the NHS Information Centre should not work out a final
seniority figure for PMS because PMS contracts are local contracts. The GPC (General Practitioners
Committee) advises PMS practices to also use the GMS figure.
Further details about how the Final Seniority Figures have been calculated are available on the NHS
Information Centre's website.
Londonwide LMCs is the brand name of Londonwide Local Medical Committees Limited. Registered and office address: Tavistock House North,
Tavistock Square, London WC1H 9HX. T. 020 7387 2034/7418 F. 020 7383 7442 W. www.lmc.org.uk. Registered in England No. 6391298.
Londonwide Local Medical Committees Limited is registered as a Company Limited by Guarantee.
Back to index.
13 Londonwide LEAD (Learning Education and Development) – providing training for the capital’s
practice teams
LEAD recently held the following events:
A practice manager workshop on leadership skills, attended by 64 practice managers from across
London. This included presentations, group work and self-assessment. From the evaluation forms we
have identified that practice managers would like further workshops on business planning and
financial management.
The first chargeable business planning master class will be held on 14 October 2009. We will be
pursuing sponsorship to reduce the fee for this event.
A practice nurse forum attended by approximately 50 practice nurses. This included a workshop on
how to maximise your impact in your practice and in local decision making (the PCT), how to work
with HPV, new vaccines and minor injuries. In light of developments since the launch of the
workshop, Dr Misra of the Health Protection Unit, followed her workshop on HPV and new vaccines
with a helpful, interactive session on recent developments in the management of Swine Flu.
LEAD will be providing a workshop for GPs and practice managers on the new complaints
process on 22 September 2009.
We will be running further free to attend practice nurse forums on 8 September 2009 and 17
November 2009 and a workshop for primary care nurse leads on 22 September 2009. The aim of these
forums is to bring together nurses that may, in some cases, work in isolation, or who would like to
discuss and learn more about clinical and non clinical issues that will affect their profession.
We will also be holding a GP update seminar on 17 November 2009.
We are always looking for further input on how to support you and your practice. Please do let us know if
there are any workshops that you would like us to provide, by contacting: [email protected].
Please remember to check our website regularly for information on all forthcoming LEAD events.
Free information governance training for practice managers and practice Caldicott
Guardians
NHS London, in conjunction with Londonwide LEAD (Learning Education and Development), is
providing three free training sessions in central London to update practices on national information
governance issues and to support practices to achieve information governance standards.
The sessions are:
Improving the security of GP surgeries
Date: Tuesday 15 September 2009 – lunch 1.00pm, workshop 1.30pm – 4.00pm.
Venue: Mothers' Union (Mary Sumner House), London SW1P 3RB.
60 places available.
Londonwide LMCs is the brand name of Londonwide Local Medical Committees Limited. Registered and office address: Tavistock House North,
Tavistock Square, London WC1H 9HX. T. 020 7387 2034/7418 F. 020 7383 7442 W. www.lmc.org.uk. Registered in England No. 6391298.
Londonwide Local Medical Committees Limited is registered as a Company Limited by Guarantee.
Worried about losing patient information? Come and learn from the results of a security risk
assessment conducted by Detica with two GP practices in London. This is an opportunity to
consider simple actions that you can take to protect your patients and your practice.
Consent for information sharing
Date: Thursday 15 October 2009 – lunch 1.00pm, workshop 1.30pm – 4.00pm.
Venue: Aeonian Centre, Shropshire House, London WC1E 6JA.
60 places available.
What are the rules and procedures for obtaining consent and sharing information; how is the
world changing as the NHS is linked together and the Summary Care Record goes into use?
NHS Data Loss incidents – lessons learned from recent events that you can take back to
your practice
Date: Thursday 19 November 2009 – lunch 1.00pm, workshop 1.30pm – 4.00pm.
Venue: Mothers' Union (Mary Sumner House), London SW1P 3RB.
60 places available.
An opportunity to learn from others’ mistakes and think through how to make it less likely back
at your practice.
To book your place visit our website.
If you have any queries please contact the NHS London events team on 0207 969 5767.
Back to index.
14 NICE announces review of its skin cancer guidance
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has issued guidance on Improving
Outcomes in Cancer for people with skin tumours including melanoma (2003).
NICE will also convene a guidance development group to formally review the recommendations relating
to the diagnosis and removal of ‘low risk’ basal cell carcinomas (BCCs) in primary care in the guidance.
This is precisely what we have been asking for and we look forward to a positive result.
The full press release is available on the NICE website.
Back to index.
15 Record keeping: health warning from the Department of Health
The Chief Medical Officer, Sir Liam Donaldson, recently wrote to all GPs concerning the keeping of
informal medical records that are separate from the official patient record.
A recent ruling in the Appeal Court and earlier proceedings, have highlighted the dangers of keeping such
records. It is essential that if separate records are kept (which should be unusual except in research
studies) that this be explicitly signposted in the main record. Your clinical colleagues and records staff
must be able to access all parts of the clinical record.
On balance, you are advised very strongly not to keep separate records.
Londonwide LMCs is the brand name of Londonwide Local Medical Committees Limited. Registered and office address: Tavistock House North,
Tavistock Square, London WC1H 9HX. T. 020 7387 2034/7418 F. 020 7383 7442 W. www.lmc.org.uk. Registered in England No. 6391298.
Londonwide Local Medical Committees Limited is registered as a Company Limited by Guarantee.
The full version of the CMO’s letter is available on the DH website.
Back to index.
16 Your chance to talk with your GPC representatives and negotiators
There will be a meeting on Wednesday 23 September 2009 for all GPs to attend to hear the latest news
on the annual contract negotiations and to seek advice from GPC representatives and negotiators
concerning London. Dr Beth McCarron-Nash, GPC negotiator, will start the event with a presentation
followed by a questions and answers session. The meeting will take place from 2.00pm in the Black
Suite, BMA House, Tavistock Square, London WC1H 9JP.
If you would like to attend please contact Jonathan Ashby at the LMC on 020 7387 2034 ext 228 or
The closing date for registration is Wednesday 16 September 2009.
Back to index.
17 NHS Choices website
The NHS has its own website for patients to use at www.nhs.uk.
Every GP is listed in this website – you can search for your practice by entering your postcode on the find
services page on the website.
If your details are incorrect (specifically the hours that your practice is open) then please log in to
correct these details.
You can also enter other information about your practice if you wish (eg, staff details, practice leaflet etc).
NHS Choices will allow patients to comment on GPs in the future via this website so it is imperative that
you ensure that your information is current and updated regularly.
All practices should have had a named person to log onto this site to update your details – if you are
unsure what your access password is then go to the login page and enter your practice code (FXXXXX) as
the username and click on ‘forgotten your log in details’. This will then email your practice account holder
the password.
Back to index.
18 Employment checks
We have previously reported that the Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA) vetting and barring
scheme will begin on 12 October 2009. However, the registration of individuals will not start until July
2010 and employers cannot begin to check potential employees until November 2010.
The scheme is designed to work in conjunction with current Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) checks.
Please note that it will not only apply to all GPs, but also practice staff who may work in an area with
access to potentially vulnerable adults or children, and to any employee who could have access to records
and personal information relating to potentially vulnerable individuals. In essence, anyone working in a
Londonwide LMCs is the brand name of Londonwide Local Medical Committees Limited. Registered and office address: Tavistock House North,
Tavistock Square, London WC1H 9HX. T. 020 7387 2034/7418 F. 020 7383 7442 W. www.lmc.org.uk. Registered in England No. 6391298.
Londonwide Local Medical Committees Limited is registered as a Company Limited by Guarantee.
practice, including receptionists and cleaners, will require checking via the new scheme. It will be a
requirement for anyone wishing to apply for these positions to be registered with the ISA.
Fees will apply to carry out the checks, about which more information can be found in the NHS
Employers FAQs.
If you have any further queries please contact [email protected].
Back to index.
19 BMA seminar for salaried GPs
The BMA is running a half day seminar in London specifically for salaried GPs. The aims of the event are
to:
provide advice on employment rights for nGMS, PMS, APMS and PCO employed GPs including
sickness, maternity and redundancy issues, as well as general guidance on contractual rights
following maternity leave and at the end of FCS and Retainer Scheme funding
outline in detail the benefits of the model/minimum salaried GP contract negotiated by the BMA, and
how to ensure that at least these minimum are obtained
provide helpful tips for successful negotiations on salary, terms and conditions, and contract changes
for use with current and new employers, with practice sessions
provide an interactive setting, with the opportunity for delegates to ask questions on the day
The London seminar will be held at BMA House on Tuesday 22 September 2009.
The cost to attend this half day seminar is £46.00 for BMA Members and £80.50 for non-members.
Prices include VAT. A sandwich lunch and refreshments will be provided. Non BMA members are entitled
to the BMA rate if they join the BMA when registering.
For further information about this event please call BMA Conferences on 020 7383 6819 or visit the BMA
website.
Back to index.
20 Support for GPs and their families in the 21st century – a weather warning from the Royal Medical
Benevolent Fund (RMBF)
Do you have a friend or colleague who could use some serious financial help or advice?
You’ll probably know of at least one at some stage in your career. And the later the diagnosis or
addressing the issue, the more their problems usually grow in the interim.
That’s why an early enquiry to the Royal Medical Benevolent Fund is usually helpful. Despite our archaic
name (founded in 1836) we are very aware of the issues GPs are currently facing and can provide a
reassuring safety net to help address and recover from problems which show no signs of disappearing.
Applications for help from GPs demonstrate their susceptibility to the general problems of illness, injury
etc – but also to pressures and stresses unique to their specialty. Categorisation of causative issues is
complicated by the special nature of each situation, but is broadly covered, in increasing frequency, by
physical health, drug/alcohol dependency, and mental health.
Londonwide LMCs is the brand name of Londonwide Local Medical Committees Limited. Registered and office address: Tavistock House North,
Tavistock Square, London WC1H 9HX. T. 020 7387 2034/7418 F. 020 7383 7442 W. www.lmc.org.uk. Registered in England No. 6391298.
Londonwide Local Medical Committees Limited is registered as a Company Limited by Guarantee.
We know the shift from partnership to sessional employment, at a time of expansion of medical
education is already causing pressure. More stringent requirements have increased the difficulty for
individuals who have a gap in their employment returning to work. Recent and new entrants in general
practice are most exposed in this area.
Add in the impact of the credit crunch and we’re likely to find greater numbers of GPs suffering financial
and domestic stress, with the knock on effects, mental health and drug/alcohol dependency. The trend in
age distribution of beneficiaries already shifted from post retirement, to doctors in training and in work, is
likely to continue. Of 17 doctors helped to return to paid employment, 13 were in medicine and research.
Encouragingly, awareness of the problems and the agencies to tackle them is developing. Several doctors
have already been advised to contact the RMBF by the recently established Practitioner Health
Programme. In the year 2008-09 the RMBF helped 347 doctors or their families with direct financial
support worth nearly £800,000. We also secured help from other charities, debt relief and benefits etc.
worth approximately £200,000. That’s £1million of financial help in just a year.
You can help too, individually, particularly by identifying doctors and their families in need and helping
them to access the support available, as well as the usual ways – contributing financial support,
volunteering in any of a variety of capacities, providing feedback and information on current needs.
For further information, you might like to visit
www.rmbf.org – for more information about who we can help and how, with case studies
www.support4doctors.org – provides useful signposts to other organisations that can help in times of
need
www.money4medstudents.org – to limit debt on entry to the profession, and particularly useful if you
have a son or daughter at medical school.
Peter Frost, RMBF Medical Liaison Officer
Back to index.
21 Opportunities in education – programme director vacancies
Two GP Training Programme Director posts have become available to support London Deanery GP
Specialty Training Programmes starting this September/October.
The schemes are based in Sidcup and Bromley and involve two sessions a week on a Wednesday.
Programme Directors are responsible for providing education in a safe environment for doctors wanting
to become GPs. This involves planning, facilitating and evaluating the process of learning. Programme
Directors are also responsible for ensuring that educational supervision is in place for trainers throughout
their training programme. There will be support from the remaining Programme Directors who are
attached to each programme.
An application form, person specification and job description are available to applicants from Tricia Bartlett
[email protected] or in her absence Tara Talbot [email protected].
Please ensure that you clearly state your preferred scheme on the application form.
Londonwide LMCs is the brand name of Londonwide Local Medical Committees Limited. Registered and office address: Tavistock House North,
Tavistock Square, London WC1H 9HX. T. 020 7387 2034/7418 F. 020 7383 7442 W. www.lmc.org.uk. Registered in England No. 6391298.
Londonwide Local Medical Committees Limited is registered as a Company Limited by Guarantee.
Closing date for applications is 20 August 2009. Interviews for both schemes will be held on 8 September
2009 at the Frognal Centre for Medical Studies.
Applicants are encouraged to discuss the posts with the Programme Directors, Dr Elphick,
[email protected] and Dr Medhurst, [email protected] for the Sidcup post, Dr Hoare,
[email protected] and Dr Ur-Rub, [email protected] for the Bromley post.
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22 Mentoring, releasing potential, enhancing careers
The London Deanery’s mentoring service has been created to put doctors interested in receiving
mentoring in touch with skilled and trained mentors who are quality assured, and supported in their roles.
The service aims to provide:
An accessible online application process for those wishing to receive mentoring
A confidential service with a choice of mentors
If you are in training or in your first two years as a post-CCT doctor working within the NHS in London,
your mentoring will be fully funded. Funding is also available for SASGs. Also, some PCTs and Trusts are
funding their established practitioners who wish to be mentored. The mentoring team will be happy to
advise you as to whether your Trust or PCT is funding this service for you.
Apply today to be mentored at www.mentoring.londondeanery.ac.uk.
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23 Courses of interest
Supervision skills for clinical teachers, three day training courses, various dates in 2009
Venue: Central London
Cost: £100
Course details: Good supervision means looking after people, not just looking over their shoulders. It
is about creating time and space to help people reflect on their encounters with patients, colleagues
and managers. Supervision skills depend on active listening and often on the focused use of
questions in order to challenge people to think about new ways of dealing with stuck or difficult
situations. Supervision skills are useful in vocational training, appraisal, mentoring, self directed
learning groups, and in enhancing your own consultation skills.
Remaining course dates for 2009 are:
o Early Autumn – 3 September, 17 September and 1 October
o Late Autumn – 3 November, 17 November and 1 December
Contact: Anna Henderson – 020 7866 3271 or [email protected].
Annual intensive course in medical ethics, 7 - 11 September 2009
Venue: Imperial College London
Cost: £1,025 (includes tuition, light refreshment and lunches) for bookings made before 7 August
2009
Course details: A stimulating multi-disciplinary introduction to philosophical medical ethics for medical
and nursing teachers, GPs, members of ethics committees, hospital consultants and health
Londonwide LMCs is the brand name of Londonwide Local Medical Committees Limited. Registered and office address: Tavistock House North,
Tavistock Square, London WC1H 9HX. T. 020 7387 2034/7418 F. 020 7383 7442 W. www.lmc.org.uk. Registered in England No. 6391298.
Londonwide Local Medical Committees Limited is registered as a Company Limited by Guarantee.
administrators. Organised in collaboration with the Institute of Medical Ethics. Lectures/seminars, small
and large groups led by leading international authorities in the field of medical ethics. Approval by the
Royal College of Physicians for 27 Continuing Medical Education (CME/CPD) credits has been sought.
Further details available at http://www.imperial.ac.uk/cpd/medeth.
Places are limited and bookings are taken first come first served. All fees must be received before the
course start date.
Contact: 020 7594 6881 or [email protected]
Developing your clinical teaching, 16 September 2009 (Day 1) and 30 September (Day 2)
Venue: Central London
Cost: £150.00
Course details: This two day course has been designed by a team of senior educators in the London
Deanery. The course will focus on techniques for teaching practical, communication and non-technical
skills. The course is open to consultants and specialty registrars already involved in clinical teaching
but who want to improve their skills. This course is only available to all those involved in teaching and
training on behalf of the London Deanery.
Contact: Gemma Heath – 020 7866 3133 or facultydevelopment@londondeanery. ac.uk
Balint Society Oxford Balint weekend, 25 – 27 September 2009
Venue: Lincoln College, Oxford
Cost: £275 (doctors), £265 (nurses, practice counsellors, GP Registrars), £10 reduction to Society
Members, £50 (medical students, supported by the Cyril Gill Fund) – cost includes board and lodging
Course details: Refresh your enthusiasm, revive your empathy, share your experience of the
consultation, come to understand your feelings and to work more effectively. Working groups, made
up of GPs and allied professionals, and led by experienced leaders, can explore the psychological
aspects of their work with patients. Group experience is not necessary. The conference commences
on Friday evening and ends midday on Sunday.
Contact: Dr David Watt – 020 7473 9399 or [email protected].
Professional certificate in supervision skills for clinical teachers, October 2009 – July 2010
Venue: Tavistock Centre, London
Cost: £300 per term or £750 for three terms. Bursaries may be available for clinical teachers.
Course details: This course provides an opportunity for GP educators, hospital trainers and other
health care clinical teachers to develop their skills in supervision and in teaching supervision to small
and large groups. It is open to clinical teachers working in primary and secondary care with prior
experience of supervision and supervision teaching, who wish to develop career opportunities in this
area. Satisfactory completion of the course will lead to accreditation by the London Deanery as a
supervision skills teacher.
The workshop will meet fortnightly each term on Thursday afternoons from 2.30pm to 5.30pm. The
autumn term will start on Thursday 8 October 2009, the spring term on Thursday 14 January 2010
and the summer term on Thursday 8 April 2010. Participants are asked to commit themselves to
three terms.
Contact: Dr John Launer – 020 8938 2252 or [email protected].
Londonwide LMCs is the brand name of Londonwide Local Medical Committees Limited. Registered and office address: Tavistock House North,
Tavistock Square, London WC1H 9HX. T. 020 7387 2034/7418 F. 020 7383 7442 W. www.lmc.org.uk. Registered in England No. 6391298.
Londonwide Local Medical Committees Limited is registered as a Company Limited by Guarantee.
Supervision workshop for clinical teachers, October 2009 – July 2010
Venue: Tavistock Centre, London
Cost: £150 per term or £400 for three terms. Bursaries may be available for clinical teachers.
Course details: This workshop will provide an opportunity for GPs, hospital doctors, dentists and
other clinical teachers to bring cases and work issues for group supervision. It is open to clinicians
working in primary and secondary care with different levels of experience of narrative or systemic
approaches to supervision or practice, who wish to build on that experience.
The workshop will meet fortnightly each term on Thursdays afternoons from 2.30pm to 5.30pm (five
sessions per term). Participants are asked to commit themselves to three terms.
There may be opportunities to proceed to the Professional Certificate Course in Supervision for
Clinical Teachers in the following academic year.
Contact: Dr John Launer – 020 8938 2252 or [email protected].
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