Coventry & Warwickshire COVID-19 Portal

 

Primary Care Coronavirus briefing – Coventry and Warwickshire – 28 April 2020 

 

**Please find below the latest daily primary care coronavirus briefing.**

 

Information provided by NHS Coventry and Rugby CCG, NHS South Warwickshire CCG and NHS Warwickshire North CCG in line with Public Health England guidance.

 

This information may change rapidly as the situation develops. For the latest information for primary care, visit: https://www.england.nhs.uk/coronavirus/primary-care

1. May Day Bank Holiday

A reminder that the May Day Bank Holiday is on Friday, 8 May this year. It was moved to coincide with a celebration of 75th anniversary of VE day. 

Like Easter, practices are asked to remain open and operating “normally”. This would include operating a doctor led service for their routine contractual hours, with patients being able to contact the surgery for queries, completing telephone triage, non-face to face consultations and face to face appointments, if necessary. Hot Hubs will be open for patients who may have Covid19 and we will confirm the opening times next week. 

It is anticipated that it may be slightly busier than the Good Friday Bank Holiday, so please consider the recommendations below when you are planning your staffing requirements: 

• Plan staffing based on the number of patient calls and consultations that you had on Good Friday plus 20% (as patients become more aware of practices being open).

• Necessary clinical staff and reception are required with medical secretaries or other ancillary staff not essential.

All pharmacies are open at least 2pm – 5pm, and the Coventry and Rugby and Warwickshire North Pharmacy Hub (POD service) will be open from 9am – 3pm. Dispensing practices will need to ensure that the dispensing side is open at least between 2pm and 5pm but the usual core hours is encouraged.  

The Out of Hours service will be stood down during the day and will commence at 6.30pm on Friday 8th May and Extended Access will operate as usual during the evening and over the rest of the weekend (May 9th and 10th)

Please note that reimbursement for practices will be available as per the national rates paid for the Easter Bank Holiday weekend, and the attached claim form is to be completed. 

The CCGs will once again communicate out via social media and local press that practices will be open, which will coincide with the new national “open for business” campaign being run by NHS England. Please update your website and telephone systems to reflect your opening hours.

If you have any queries please contact; 

For Coventry and Rugby CCG: PrimaryCare@coventryrugbyccg.nhs.uk 

For South Warwickshire CCG: PrimaryCareContracts@southwarwickshireccg.nhs.uk 

For Warwickshire North CCG: WarwickshireNorthPrimaryCare@warwickshirenorthccg.nhs.uk

 

Today’s topics – use the links to jump to each section

 

**Latest local picture**

**Local updates** 

**Latest updates for each PLACE (Coventry and Rugby, South Warwickshire, Warwickshire North)**

 

Latest national picture

Communications from NHS England

Actions for Primary Care

Practice Nurse Communications - updated

 

TODAY’S ATTACHMENTS 

• Primary Care Transport Request for medical appointments COVID 19 (003) (002).doc (item 5)

 

LATEST LOCAL PICTURE

Please remember: we are issuing daily (Monday to Friday) communications via: warnoccg.covid19primarycarecommunications@nhs.net. We would also ask that if you have questions or concerns relating to the current situation around coronavirus and COVID-19 you use the same address: warnoccg.covid19primarycarecommunications@nhs.net. Please keep us updated with any issues that you may be having so we can try to address them.

Coventry and Warwickshire COVID position up to 28.04.2020

• 1,683 cases now confirmed in Coventry and Warwickshire (+31 / +1.9% from yesterday)

• 177 of these are currently admitted (-2 / -1.1% from yesterday)

• 804 beds still available (-15 / -1.8% from yesterday)

• 17 ITU beds occupied by Covid patients (+1 / +6.3% from yesterday)

• 353 reported deaths in a hospital setting (+8 / +2.3% from yesterday)

Care Home current position as at 28.04.2020

The change in data source for the care home data shows only the current position – not cumulative

• 113 confirmed cases

o Confirmed care home cases broken down by Area (not CCG):

o Coventry: 48

o South Warwickshire: 22

o North Warwickshire and Rugby: 43

 

LATEST LOCAL UPDATE

2. Shielded patients

Thank you for your ongoing support to identify patients who should be advised to shield as they are at highest clinical risk from COVID-19. The updates you are providing are ensuring that the patients you identify are added to the Shielded Patient List so that they can receive shielding advice, and additional support should they need it. The NHS England and NHS Improvement Primary Care Bulletin issued yesterday indicated that the Chief Medical Officer has now confirmed that renal dialysis patients are to be added to the shielded patients list. The patients’ renal unit will get in touch with patients, send them a letter and add them to the Shielded Patient List via the regular trust submissions to NHS Digital.  

GPs are asked to note this update, but no further action is required at this point.

Please note: support is available from local authorities, NHS Volunteer Responders and charities for anyone who needs it, whether they are on the Shielded Patient List or not. 

3. COVID-19 and children

We are aware of a number of communications circulating around the impact of Covid on Children and draw your attention to the statement from the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health. Commenting on reports of a COVID-19-related condition emerging in children, Professor Russell Viner, President of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, said:

“We already know that a very small number of children can become severely ill with COVID-19 but this is very rare - evidence from throughout the world shows us that children appear to be the part of the population least affected by this infection. 

New diseases may present in ways that surprise us, and clinicians need to be made aware of any emerging evidence of particular symptoms or of underlying conditions which could make a patient more vulnerable to the virus.

However our advice remains the same: parents should be reassured that children are unlikely to be seriously ill with COVID-19 but if they are concerned about their children's health for any reason, they should seek help from a health professional.”

Also to note, Paediatric Intensive Care Society Statement: Increased number of reported cases of novel presentation of multi-system inflammatory disease.

4. RCGP e-learning resource

RCGP has produced an e-learning resource about shielding vulnerable patients from COVID-19. The module identifies the group of shielded patients and discusses the differences between shielding and social isolation, as well as the actions that GPs need to take now to identify this group, and inform those patients who have been wrongly told to shield.

5. Patient transport to medical appointments – in Warwickshire

Patients are encouraged to use/arrange their own transport to undertake hospital appointments, GP and Dental visits during COVID-19 outbreak.

 

West Midlands Ambulance Services (WMAS) continues to operate patient transport for those who qualify for transport services to essential secondary care appointments, and this can be arranged via the usual route.

If patients are not eligible for WMAS services, or require transport to primary care appointments, and are at very high risk from coronavirus ('Shielded' group), they can contact the WCC hub to arrange transport to their appointments on the following number: 0800 4081447. 

For other vulnerable patients, transport can be arranged directly via the WCC transport operations generic email: st@warwickshire.gov.uk. The attached form needs completing including the triage questions at the top of the form (attachment: Primary Care Transport Request for medical appointments COVID 19 (003) (002).doc). Alternatively If these patients live in the Stratford or Warwick districts there is also the option of contacting VASA on 01789 262889, or email transport@vasa.org.uk having completed a Transport Referral Form.

We are still finalising the Coventry specific information and will share tomorrow.

6. The impact of COVID-19 on people from BME communities

This new briefing from the NHS Confederation's BME Leadership Network considers the evidence on the impact of COVID-19 on black and minority ethnic communities and health and care staff. It explores potential underlying factors, recommends areas for improvement, and offers practical advice on how to mitigate risks.

It follows mounting concerns over the disproportionately high number of BME health and care staff among coronavirus deaths. The NHS Confederation is contributing to a number of NHSEI workstreams to address this issue. If you have any comments around this please do get in touch via office@nhscc.org. 

7. Coronavirus (COVID-19): fraud and cyber crime

Government advice and guidance on how to protect yourself and your business from fraud and cyber crime.

LATEST UPDATES FOR EACH PLACE

UPDATES FOR Coventry and Rugby – 28 April 2020 

No updates this issue.

UPDATES FOR South Warwickshire – 28 April 2020 

No updates this issue.

UPDATES FOR Warwickshire North – 28 April 2020 

No updates this issue. 

LATEST NATIONAL PICTURE 

 

• As of 9am on 27 April 2020, 719,910 people have been tested in the UK and 157,149 were confirmed as positive. As of 5pm on 26 April 2020, of those hospitalised in the UK, 21,092 have died. (Please note: the figures for test results and for deaths are compiled from different sources. This is why the figures for deaths are reported from an earlier point in time than the figures for test results.)  

• The latest government advice on coronavirus is available online.

• The full Coronavirus press conference 27 April 2020 delivered by Health Secretary Matt Hancock on the government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic can be viewed on YouTube.

• The press conference slides and datasets used by Professor Chris Whitty, Chief Medical Officer on 27 April are available to read. 

• The Chancellor’s statement to Parliament on 27 April 2020 is available here 

• New guarantee on death in service benefits for frontline health and care staff during pandemic is available here.

COMMUNICATIONS FROM NHS ENGLAND

 

8. NHS England Primary Care Bulletin – new edition – 28 April

COVID-19: latest guidance for general practice is issued in the NHS England Primary Care Bulletin (28 April) and includes total triage and remote consultations. This regular COVID-19 Primary Care Bulletin is from Dr Nikki Kanani and Ed Waller and you are encouraged to sign up here: https://www.england.nhs.uk/email-bulletins/general-practice-bulletin/.

9. NHS England Primary Care Bulletin – issued– 27 April

COVID-19: latest guidance for general practice is issued in the NHS England Primary Care Bulletin (27 April) and includes details on the new NHS campaign - Help us to help you and patients advised to shield, more of which is in a separate section in this update.  

10. Primary Care Webinar

The next primary care webinar is on 30 April between 5pm and 6pm with a focus on an extended question and answer session. The link to join, via Microsoft Teams, is here.

 

11. Media enquiries 

Our communications team is here to support you if needed. If you are approached by the media, please forward on to your local communications team: agem.communications@nhs.net. Outside of working hours the communications team can be reached via 01522 537887.   

ACTIONS FOR PRIMARY CARE

Review the update around the May Day Bank Holiday.

Review the new shielded patients update.

Review the advice from the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health.

Note the date of the next primary care webinar to your diaries.

PRACTICE NURSE COMMUNICATIONS

12. The Digital Nurse Network will discuss the role of remote working at Health at Home during COVID-19 

The next Digital Nurse Network webinar will take place on 30 April 2020 from 1-2pm. Our Clinical Nurse Advisors Helen Crowther and Ann Gregory will be discussing #remoteworking and the role of the network during #COVID19. Nicola Fulton will also give an overview of the Health at Home campaign and how it can positively impact nurses and their patients. Register here.

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Please note: This is the designated inbox for all Primary Care enquiries for practices across Coventry and Warwickshire, set up to help support practices and provide a single point of contact to send and receive information about the rapidly developing COVID-19 situation. Please be aware that guidance is changing regularly and we are endeavouring to keep you as up to date as possible.

 

Please note: the CCG has made the decision to use every email distribution list at its disposal in order to ensure as many people as possible receive these important updates. If you no longer wish to receive these updates, please reply to this email and we will remove you from the distribution list.

 

The inbox is monitored regularly, and we will respond to you as soon as we can. 

 

In the meantime, the latest guidance for primary care can be found here: https://www.england.nhs.uk/coronavirus/primary-care/