Coventry & Warwickshire COVID-19 Portal

**Please find below the latest 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 local information for primary care, visit our dedicated Coventry and Warwickshire COVID-19 support portal: https://www.cwcovid.support/  

You can also find the latest national information on the NHS England Primary Care site: https://www.england.nhs.uk/coronavirus/primary-care

In today's briefing we include the latest news stories falling into the following categories:

• Latest Local Picture

• Local Updates

• Latest National Picture

• Education

• Communications from NHS England

• Actions For Primary Care

Please click on the relevant section to view specific information

Please remember: we are issuing the briefing twice a week (Tuesday and Thursday) 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 30.06.2020

• 2,442 cases now confirmed in Coventry and Warwickshire (+11 / +0.5% from Thursday)

• 29 of these are currently admitted (-17 / -37.0% from Thursday)

o Admissions by Trust:

o GEH: 24

o UHCW: 4

o SWFT: 1

o CWPT: 0

• 528 beds still available (-5 / -0.9% from Thursday)

• 2 ITU beds occupied by Covid patients (-1 / -33.3% from Thursday)

• 519 reported deaths in a hospital setting (+13 / +2.6% from Thursday)

 Care Home current position as at 29.06.2020 as reported in yesterday’s Silver call update

• 252 Covid related deaths in care homes (+0 / +0.0% from Thursday, note some of these deaths may have occurred outside of the home and so may be counted in the figure above)

• 611 Care home deaths in total (+0 / +0.0% from Thursday)

• 781 confirmed cases (+0 / +0.0% from Thursday)

• Confirmed care home cases broken down by CCG:

o Coventry & Rugby: 420

o South Warwickshire: 241

o Warwickshire North: 120

Download the weekly data pack.

1. Standard Operating Procedure update to v3.3

There is a new Standard Operating Procedure for General practice in the context of coronavirus v3.3 which is out now. Practices should be aware that this update was made on 24/6/20 and is available to download from the NHS Primary Care website, updates within the document are highlighted in yellow and include outbreak management in context of Covid-19.

2. Antibody testing for GP practice staff

The final checks for antibody testing for GP practices are currently being carried and we expect the service to go live this week. As we know there is demand for the roll out to happen, we will issue a separate communication to practices with full details of how to access the service as soon as it is available. We thank you for your continued patience.

3. Increased restrictions for Leicester and parts of Leicestershire announced

Residents in Leicester and its outlying areas are to be asked to continue to follow stricter lockdown restrictions for at least two weeks, and non-essential shops will be closed. This means the city’s bars, restaurants and hairdressers will not open on 4 July as planned, and shops that were allowed to open on 15 June will have to close again from 30 June. Schools will close from 2 July but will stay open for children of key workers and vulnerable children. The relaxation of shielding planned for 6 July will not happen. Visit the County Council website for the full briefing and details of areas affected.

4. Clinical guidance for healthcare professionals on maintaining immunisation programmes during COVID-19

GP practices will continue to ensure vaccinations are offered to all eligible individuals. Despite COVID-19, the routine childhood immunisation programme will continue to play an important role in preventing ill-health through causes other than coronavirus infection. Download the full guidance.

5. UHCW and ultrasound guided steroid joint injections and Covid-19

After further careful consideration and research by the MSK Consultant Body around guidelines for steroid injections in the Covid era the Radiology Department will only perform steroid joint or tendon injections under strict directives. The reason for this is risk of severe Covid if patients have a steroid injection and then contract the disease (patients can experience adrenal suppression following a steroid injection for up to 28 days post injection). Download the update.   

6. Health Visiting - Revised 0-5 years offer due to the Covid19 Pandemic 

South Warwickshire NHS Trust would like to inform General Practitioners of the revised Health Visiting 0-5 years offer, due to the Covid19 Pandemic and in line with current NHSE Guidance. The Warwickshire Health Visiting Service will continue to operate making contact with all women and families for mandated contacts and to support those on a Universal Plus or Partnership Plus pathway of the service. The service delivery model remains predominantly telephone / video calling and text / email. Face to face contacts remain minimal and based on a clinical need identified by parent or Health professional. Predominantly these are between when the New Birth visit and 6-week contact is due offered between 10-28 days, and also based on the midwifery offer for the family too to avoid too many practitioners having face to face contact with the family in the same period.

The Health Visiting Teams can be contacted on 07520 615293. Each area also has a face book page which can be found online under contacts. Download the full update.

7. SnoMed Coding for Antibodies from EMIS

COVID-19 - latest tools and resources to help your organisation deal with the coronavirus pandemic -

https://www.emisnow.com/csm?id=kb_article_view&sysparm_article=KB0064137&sys_kb_id=3fde45461b611c101f18b8c2cd4bcb4c&spa=1

 

Clinical SNOMED CT coding information in relation to COVID-19

https://www.emisnow.com/csm?id=kb_article_view&sysparm_article=KB0064477&sys_kb_id=3fde45461b611c101f18b8c2cd4bcb4c&spa=1

 

If you search for the virus' name SARS-CoV2-2 and "detection" you get the codes. Currently we have IgG and IgM, later there should also be IgA and generic antibody concepts added.

8. #ThankYouTogether clap – 5 July

On Sunday 5 July at 5pm there will be the biggest, loudest and final clap for carers and key workers. Afterwards, people will be encouraged to stay outside to show their thanks/appreciation to their neighbours or reach out to someone who is lonely, isolated or shielding, to let them know they are supported (while maintaining social distance). Please share this with your channels (both internal and external).

UPDATES FOR Coventry and Rugby – 30 June 2020

No updates this issue.

UPDATES FOR South Warwickshire – 30 June 2020 

No update this issue.

UPDATES FOR Warwickshire North – 30 June 2020

9. Warwickshire North Flu Delivery Planning Survey

As mentioned in the last Members Engagement meeting we are looking at potential scenarios for flu delivery, but we need your help in understanding what problems practices would have if they were to deliver these and to enable this can you please complete the following short survey. You may find it helpful to imagine what you would need to do if you had to deliver this in two weeks’ time and with shielded patients consideration.

 

This survey is for all staff including Practice Managers, Nurses, GPs and any other clinical staff to complete as we would like to receive as much engagement from practice staff as possible, Practice Managers please circulate to all staff- thank you: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/8J93KSC

 

Please download the NHSE Primary Care SOP Guidance v 3.3, plus please find government latest infection control guidance here- https://www.england.nhs.uk/coronavirus/primary-care/ to help with making your comments.

 

If you are unable to provide service delivery at a practice level, then an at scale option may be considered or a hybrid of the two.

 

Deadline for submissions is by 3.00pm Friday 10th July 2020.

Please note all sessions are open to all localities

10. Lunchtime webinar: Treatment and support for non-dependent and dependent drinkers in Coventry on 3 July 2020 from 1pm to 1.30pm

The session will aid front line staff supporting adults in Coventry. It will be in the form of a 30 minute lunchtime webinar briefing to outline treatment options and harm reduction advice covering the spectrum of alcohol misuse. The webinar will be presented by Karen Wagstaff from HLS Coventry and Steve Bliss from CGL Coventry and will be followed by a Q&A session. The briefing will include an overview of the spectrum of alcohol use and assessing the level of alcohol use. Access is via Microsoft Teams.

11. Medical education sessions for all

Medical education sessions available to all to watch, including a session on IT and AccuRx on 3 June on www.mededcoventry.com. Go to the GP section and then to Presentations, (log in using covgp for both GMC and password). The AccuRx information on 3 June starts about 30 mins in. Any queries, please contact gpteachingadmin@uhcw.nhs.uk.

• As of 9am on 29 June, there have been 9,290,215 tests, with 93,881 tests on 28 June.

• 311,965 people have tested positive.

• As of 5pm on 28 June, of those tested positive for coronavirus in the UK, across all settings, 43,575 have died.

• Latest advice is here

• Coronavirus (COVID-19): guidance for local government

• Latest local figures published by GOV.uk and PHE are as of Monday 29 June 2020 at 4:02pm, there are a total of 17,068 cases in the West Midlands.

12. COVID-19: Easing of lockdown restrictions 

The Prime Minister has announced changes to lockdown measures in England to enable people to see more of their friends and family, help businesses get back on their feet and get people back in their jobs.

 

From Saturday 4th July, the Prime Minister has announced that:

1. Pubs, restaurants and hairdressers will be able to reopen, providing they adhere to COVID Secure guidelines - updated guidance for all workplace settings can be found here: https://bit.ly/sectorsocialdist

2. Two households will be able to meet up in any setting with social distancing measures - updated guidance on social distancing can be found here: https://bit.ly/SDUpdated

3. People can now enjoy staycations in England with the reopening of accommodation sites - guidance on opening up the visitor economy can also be found here: https://bit.ly/sectorsocialdist

4. In order to begin restoring the arts and cultural sector, some leisure facilities and tourist attractions may also reopen, if they can do so safely – this includes outdoor gyms and playgrounds, cinemas, museums, galleries, theme parks and arcades, as well as libraries, social clubs, places of worship and community centres - guidance on opening up the visitor economy can also be found here: https://bit.ly/sectorsocialdist

 Following a review, the Prime Minister has also set out that where it is not possible to stay two metres apart, guidance will allow people to keep a social distance of ‘one metre plus’. This means staying one metre apart, plus mitigations which reduce the risk of transmission. The full press release here: https://bit.ly/PMPressNotice

 

13. NHS England Primary Care Bulletin – 26 June and 30 June

COVID-19: latest guidance for general practice is issued in the NHS England Primary Care Bulletin from 26 June and 30 June. The issues have an update on social distancing guidelines, advice on the completion of staff risk assessments, an update on the GP Standard Operating Procedure, a reminder to practices of the importance of providing all women with a postnatal GP check at 6-8 weeks and on 30 June, the new to partnership payment schemes. The 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/. 

14. COVID-19 General Practice Webinar Recordings and slides

An archive of the national primary care webinars and slides are available online from the NHS Future NHS site: https://future.nhs.uk/P_C_N/view?objectID=19549104 (a login is required).

15. Media enquiries

A reminder that 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.   

 

16. Please review the guidance for healthcare professionals on maintaining immunisation programmes.