GP Bulletin

For Action

No action points for this edition

For Information

  • Information about the@home serviceincluding an updated 'how torefer'and a summaryof key message about progress.

Three ofthe 4 Matrons are now in post as of 3 February (2 still on induction- Rebecca Parles and James Jenkins who join Beatrice Kaunda and our fourth Matronarrives early March). As you may knowthe team is still recruiting to and though they are now taking referrals from across Lambeth and Southwark there is limited capacity (which will increase over the next few months). They assess referrals on a case by case basisand ifappropriate to the service and there is capacity they will accept them.In most cases referrals have been accepted however if they have been unable to accept an appropriate referral purely because they do not have all our staff in place, please accept their apologies for any inconvenience caused and do call them in the future. Each day they review discharges and know their capacity to take new referrals.If the recruitment programme continues on targetby end March2014the service aims to be functioning at 50% capacity - up to 50'beds' (adjusted for acuity) and by April/May 2014 the service aims to be functioning at 75% capacity, i.e. 60 - 75 beds(adjusted for acuity). By July 2014 the service aims to be functioning at 90%+ capacity, i.e. 80 - 90 beds.

GPs that are not familiar with what the @home service has to offer may be interested in the case study below

Case study - Helping Mrs C avoid another hospital admission

Mrs C, 58, has a long and complicated medical history. She has Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, Congestive Cardiac Failure, hypertension and obesity. As a consequence of this she has had numerous A&E attendances, ambulance call-outs and hospital admissions over the past few years, peaking at about 1-2 per month during 2011

Following yet another admission to St Thomas’, with an exacerbation of COPD complicated by an infection requiring IV antibiotics, the COPD outreach team referred Mrs C to the @home service when she was discharged. A full assessment was carried out and the team visited three times daily over the next two weeks to provide support, including administration of her IV antibiotics, to monitor her observations and provide continued education about her illness and self-management. A plan was made about what she should do in the event of a repeat deterioration in her health.

Mrs C was referred to the service by her GP on a further 5 occasions in 2012. With @home support on each of these occasions, a hospital admission was avoided. Working closely with her respiratory consultant and the microbiology the @home team were able to provide appropriate IV antibiotics and support in her home when needed. Her total hospital attendance for 2012 was three, a great reduction from 1-2 times per month in 2011.

She has learnt to recognise the signs of deterioration in her health early and the GP knows to contact the @home team as the first port of call

Flyers regarding referral details have been circulated in previous GP bulletins, but should you require them to be sent again, please contact

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  • Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) (please see attached report)

Please see attached the Intercollegiate recommendations for identifying, recording and reporting FGM.

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  • From Surviving to Thriving

Improving wellbeing with Lambeth’s black communities

Lambeth’s African and Caribbean residents are much more likely be diagnosed with a severe mental health illness than their neighbours of other ethnicities.

In response to this challenge the council has been developing ideas with the community and the NHStohelp prevent mental health illnessandimproveaccess tomoreappropriate services whenthey are needed. Now we need more local people to add their ideas and test our plans at a special event. On the day local leaders will explain this work and you will be asked your views – lunch will be provided so please let us know if you intend to come.

Speakers:

  • Lib Peck – Leader of Lambeth council
  • Derrick Anderson – Lambeth council chief executive
  • Matthew Patrick – South London and the Maudsley NHS mental health trust chief executive

Saturday 15 March2014

10am – 3pm

Lambeth Assembly Hall, Town Hall, Brixton SW2 1RW RSVP

Tel 020 7926 0027 (Elaine Carter)

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  • Safeguarding

A new safeguarding page has been added to the intranet and is now the place where all up-to-date information regarding safeguarding for both children and adults can be found:

Please save the above link in your favourites.

  • Can you provide a room in your Practice for Cruse Bereavement Care

As you are probably aware, Cruse Bereavement Care Lambeth Branch offers bereavement support through its 25+ trained bereavement volunteers. In total, we have supported 80 “longer term clients” (i.e. one or more hourly sessions, the most common being between 2-6 sessions) during the period April 2013-February 2014, with 33% of our clients being referred through GPs and Primary Care services. Additionally, we have responded to many telephone calls and emails with queries about our service.

Whilst we are actively looking at ways to raise funds (donations from clients, trusts, local rotary etc), the cost of renting rooms to see our clients is rising. It would help ease our tight budget if you could offer us a free room to meet with our clients to provide one to one counselling.

In addition to the local services, Cruse has a national website ( If you need more information and/or can offer a meeting room, please contact us on the local email () or phone 020 8989 2532 and leave a message. We are unable to staff this line continuously as all work is carried out by volunteers, with no local staff, but we will return your call within 24 hours.

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  • Child Protection Case Conferences(please see attached information)

This is a briefing on the new format for case conferences which is being implemented from April 2014 - anyone who regularly attends case conferences in Lambeth needs to know about this.

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Training Opportunities

  • Training Booklet

The latest edition of the Training Booklet can be found at

This holds all the details of dates and events open to staff within Lambeth Clinical Commissioning Group for 2014. Should you be aware of any additional training that is not currently in the booklet but is open to Lambeth staff, please do not hesitate to send me details to add to the booklet.

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  • Smoking Cessation Workshop

Lambeth CGG is holding an Action Learning Event on Smoking Cessation. The event is open to all staff who deliveries the smoking cessation service within the practice. The workshop is being run to allow for peer to peer engagement and build support. We aim for the workshop to allow sharing and all around learning for all. Details are as follows:

Smoking Cessation Action Learning Set - Monday March 17th 12-3.30 pm Lunch included

Where: Roots and Shoots Hall - Walnut Tree Walk, Kennington, London, SE11 6DN

Who – for all who delivery the service in practice , Nurse, HCA etc.

To book contact

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  • Safeguarding Children

The Lambeth Safeguarding Children Board will be hosting an event on ‘Working with Young People Affiliated with Gangs’ on 13th March 2014 in Brixton.

The event will include presentations from Dr Helen Beckett on recent research undertaken by the University of Bedfordshire into girls and gangs, Professor John Pitts on the local impact of gangs, as well as presentations on the Lambeth Gang Strategy and other local interventions and programs in place in Lambeth.

By the end of the day learners will be able to:

  • Describe what is meant by a “gang”
  • Understand the heightened risk of child sexual exploitation in a gang environment
  • Identify the reasons why young people affiliate with gangs
  • Describe the risk factors that face young people associated/affiliated by gangs
  • Plan how to assess the risk to the young person and their family
  • Plan how to divert Young people from gang activity
  • Describe the local context and list local organisations and resources

Booking is essential. To book a place please email and send the following details:

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  • Free Cardiovascular Training Session The cardiovascular directorate at Guy’s and St Thomas' would like to invite all GPs to a free evening workshop on Thursday 6 March.

Seminar title: 'heart failure in primary care: update on diagnosis and management'

The programme includes:

  • 'challenges in identifying and diagnosing heart failure in general practice (including a GP's guide to ECG and ECHO in heart failure) – Dr Eric Cajeat (tbc), Dr Stam Kapetanakis
  • 'treating heart failure in primary care: tips and tricks – Dr Gerry Carr-White
  • 'summary of guidelines and local resources for diagnosis and management of heart failure' – Dr Ronak Rajani

There'll be clinical case discussions and attendance certificates provided on the day. This evening event carries two CPD points.

Date: Thursday 6 March 2014, 6:30pm-9pm

Venue: Robens Suite, floor 29 Tower Wing, Guy's Hospital, London SE1 9RT

To book a place or request further information please email:

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  • King’s College Hospital NHS Trust(Please see attached Flyers)

Please find attached two flyers for training/informational events provided by KCH

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  • Spaces on courses from the LSCB Training Brochure Feb/March 2014

There are still several spaces available for the following LSCB multi agency training courses in February and March 2014.

  • Understanding and Responding to Child Sexual Abuse – 27/02/2014
  • Children with Disabilities and Child Protection – ADVANCED -04/03/2014 – (This is commissioned training provided by “Triangle” a National lead on communicating with, meeting the needs of disabled children)
  • Understanding the role of the LADO (HALF DAY COURSE) – 10/03/2014
  • Understanding and Responding to Child Sexual Exploitation – 18/03/2014- (This is commissioned training provided by “Barnados” the National lead with regarding to working with YP at risk of sexual exploitation)
  • Working with Families Affected by Drug and Alcohol Use ADVANCED – 24/02/2014

Please send bookings to Aisat Ahmed at

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  • IUD fitters' forum for primary care staff(Please see attachment)

Organised by Reproductive & Sexual Healthcare, Guy’s and St Thomas’ Community Health Services

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  • SEXUAL HEALTH IN PRACTICE (SHIP) – Free Training

This interactive, practical, peer-led training in sexual health has been tailored for GPs and Practice Nurses in the primary care setting. It will enable LSL clinicians to update knowledge and develop further skills in assessing sexual health risk, by offering real life approaches to HIV and STI testing, diagnosis and management. Join over 120 LSL clinicians who have benefited so far from SHIP in changing their practice to tackle our significant local HIV & STI rates.

GP session: Key Issues in Sexual Health

Date: 27th February 2014, 12.30 pm - 5.00 pm

Practice Nurse Sessions: PN1 & PN2

Date: 13th & 20th March 2014, 12.30 pm - 4.30 pm

Final Session for GPs & PNs: General Practice & HIV

Date: 27th March 2014, 12.30pm - 5.00pm

Cost: Free

Location: Burrell Street Sexual Health Clinic, 4-6 Burrell Street,London SE1 0UN

Download application:

General enquiries: Tel: 020 3299 4206,

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  • Free Sexual Health Promotion Training

The Guys and St Thomas Sexual Health Promotion Team provide free training to all staff groups working with the local population.

Inthe forthcoming months we are delivering the following courses:

  • Working with Men who have sex with Men -(Equality and Inclusiveness in service delivery)

7th March 2014 - Gracefield Gardens

This course explores health inequalities experienced by MSM and helps youconsider how you can ensure you, and yourservice, fully meets the needs of this group.

  • Training Skills in Sexual health (2 day course)

11th and 12th March, 9.30 - 4.30pm – Akerman Road Health centre

This courseis relevant to anyone who isinvolved ingroup work in relation to sexual health,for example those whorun support groups,train volunteers/staff, are involved in giving presentations and/orare responsible for staff development.

If you would like more information about thesecourses please contact

We can also support you too identify sexual health training needs within your practice. If you would like to know more please contact us at the above email links.

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  • Free Colorectal Update at Guy’s and St Thomas’

The colorectal service at Guy’s and St Thomas' would like to invite all GPs and practice nurses, toa free afternoonworkshop on Wed 2 April2014.

There will bepresentations, including referral pathways, tourof the new endoscopy unit, and opportunity to network and discussions with specialists.

Attendance certificates provided on the day. This event carries CPD points.

Programme of the day includes:

  • The Pelvic Floor Unit (Including conditions/ referral pattern)
  • Update on colorectal cancer (update on"2 week wait" referral pathways andenhanced recovery after Surgery)
  • New Pathways, telephone clinics/ "Straight to test " initiative
  • Anorectal Disorders and their Management (when to refer /includingthe rectal bleed clinic)

Date: Wed 2 April 2014

Time: 12.15pm to 4.30pm

Venue: Central Hall/ Govenors Hall, St Thomas’ Hospital, Westminster Bridge Rd, London, SE1 7EH

Cost: Free, but you need to email to reserve a place

To book a place or request further information please email: or

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  • Palliative Care Event

Thursday 27th February 2014 at 15:00-17:30 (Drinks reception 17:30-18:30)

Venue: Cicely Saunders Institute, Department of Palliative Care, Policy and Rehabilitation, King’s College London, Bessemer Road, London SE5 9PJ

We welcome you to this collaborative opportunity intended for all working in or relevant to, palliative and end of life care across London.

This event will introduce the Palliative and End of Life Care theme of the CLAHRC and its planned future programme including sharing of routine data and outcomes, and commissioner’s perspectives across the CLAHRC. We will also present our new Outcome Assessment and Complexity Collaborative (OACC).

We would very much appreciate you joining us to share your perspectives as to how the CLAHRC should develop, in particular how we establish a London / South East wide collaboration for palliative and end of life care. Although the formal focus (and funding) of the CLAHRC is London South, we are keen to involve collaborations beyond this, into other areas of London and the South East, if appropriate.

To register your attendance for our launch event please email:

21 February 2014