Welcome to this weeks LPC e-bulletin.w/e 11thMarch 2016
Hello and welcome to this week's LPC Bulletin
Decommissioning of Minor Ailments Service
Participating pharmacies of the Minor Ailments Service should have received a letter from NHS England detailing their decision to cease commissioning of the service from 1st April 2016. The hope was that Somerset CCG would take over the commissioning responsibility of the service but unfortunately, despite the best efforts of the LPC, this has not materialised. As such, the Minor Ailments Service will be de-commissioned from 1st April 2016.
This is thoroughly disappointing news. The LPC had recently evaluated the service, which suggested 157 hours of GP practice appointments were saved as a result of the service, and the service saved around £45,000 for the local health economy over a 9 month period. We will continue to engage with the NHS England and SomersetCCG to see if this decision can be reversed and will keep you posted if anything changes.
In the meantime, please continue to push this service and maximise uptake until the 31st March, especially over the busy Easter Period.
Please alsoensure that all claims for this serviceare up-to-date on PharmOutcomes to avoid any non-payment of provisions.
Flu Patient Questionnaires
As communicated previously, Somerset will be the only area in the country where flu patient questionnaire data will be collected. We have now finalised with NHS England how this will work. Remember that pharmacies will be paid 50p for each questionnaire they return.
Below is a step by step guide on how to complete the flu questionnaire for the 2015/16 season:
1) Click on this link to gain access to the flu questionnaire's for flu season 2015/16
2.Enter your pharmacy F code (This will be the code you use to complete your month end prescriptions on your FP37 form).
3.Enter your pharmacy email address.
4. You will then receive an email with a link to access the questionnaire's.
5.Click this link and you will have access to the data collection screen.
6. The screen you should now see has several options on how to submit your flu questionnaire's either online or you can download the questionnaire to an excel spreadsheet.
It is much more efficientto submit data using the'complete questionnaire online' tool as it takes under30 seconds to do per questionnaire to upload. If you choose to download the excel spreadsheets it can take well over a minute for each questionnaire upload. It goes without saying that having a member of staff complete this rather than the pharmacist will increase the profitability of this exercise.
Please can all questionnaires be uploaded by April 8th at the latest. For those who work cross-border, this only applies to pharmacies within the Somerset CCG/County Council area.
CPPE:Polypharmacy Focal Point Training
As part of the CPPE Polypharmacy campaign, we are running Polypharmacy focal point workshops in Somerset. These workshops will introduce you to models and tools to support and review patients receiving multiple medicines using a patient centered approach. Dates are as follows:
Wednesday, 13 April, 2016, 19:30 start, finishing by 21.00
Yeovil Town Football Club BA22 8YF. Booking Reference:44288, and your GPhc number.
Tuesday, 19th April, 2016, 19:30 start, finishing by 21.00
Holiday Inn Taunton, Deane Gate Avenue, Taunton, TA1 2UA Booking Reference:44860, and your GPhc number.
CPPE: EHC Emergency Contraceptive Training.
This workshop is now available for booking on the CPPE website.
CPPE are running this event in collaboration with Somerset LPC and the Public Health team at Somerset Country Council. This event forms part of the training required to offer an EHC service in Somerset community pharmacies. For pharmacists in Somerset providing the EHC service under the PGD, it is a requirement as part of your declaration of competence, that you attend this face to face workshop every 4 years.
The workshop is also open to pre- registration pharmacists so they are “service- ready” when qualified and to pharmacy technicians as a valuable piece of CPD.
Tuesday 13 September 19:15 start, finishing by 21.45.
Holiday Inn Taunton, Deane Gate Avenue, Taunton, TA1 2UA
Booking ref. 44862.
Book CPPE events at: (login and click on 'Book a workshop') or email: or telephone CPPE on 0161 778 4000.Information on all our up to date news and events can be found via our website and Calendar:
Rotas for Taunton and South Somerset covering the Easter period, are now available to view on our website, along with relevant notes and special medicines listing if applicable. Further information can be found at
Information on all our up to date news and events can be found via our website and Calendar:
Mary Pennington
Administration Officer
Somerset LPC
Tel: +44(0)7714214811
Please note I generally work for the LPC on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday mornings, but will endeavour to return emails outside of these times where possible.
Visit our website:
Follow us on Twitter: @SomersetLPC
Like us on Facebook: Somerset LPC