12 November 2013
- Sowerby Innovation Fellows Notification v0.1 17.10.13
21 August 2013
The future of General Practice
The two documents below describe national thinking by NHS England and the Kings Fund about the likely future direction for general practice.
- NHS England sets out a case for change in GP services F2
- Securing the future of general practice – Kings Fund
17 July 2013
Vaccination of Healthcare Workers Against Measles
There has been some information issued by the Chief Medical Officer regarding measles vaccination of healthcare workers.
Please see following document – Vaccination of healthcare workers against measles
Call for Expressions of Interest for Senate Chair – Greater Manchester, Lancashire, South Cumbria
The Strategic Clinical Networks and Senate are seeking a high calibre candidate to lead the development of the Clinical Senate Council and Assembly for Greater Manchester, Lancashire and South Cumbria. The Clinical Senate will play a key strategic role in providing advice and recommendations to commissioners in relation to health and care services across the region.
The closing date for expressions of interest is 16th August 2013 with interviews set for the afternoon of the 5th September 2013.
If you would like to discuss this more fully please contact Janet Ratcliffe, Associate Director of Greater Manchester, Lancashire and South Cumbria SCN and Senate on
See attached documents – Senate Chair Expressions of Interest 160713 -SenateChair GMLSC
20 June 2013
NHS 111
Please see attached update – NHS 111 Update June 13
Summer Parks Roadshow
Over the Summer Life Leisure will be running a series of events across Stockport to promote healthy living.
Trainers will be on hand to support people in free sports activities across a wide range of Stockport’s parks.
Please see attached poster advertising dates of events near you -Summer Parks Roadshow Poster 2013
22 May 2013
Continuation of temporary programme of pertussis (whooping cough) vaccination of pregnant women
- Pertussis continuation letter May 13
24 April 2013
The Troubled Families Programme
The Troubled Families programme was launched by the Prime Minister in 2011; troubled families are those that have problems and cause problems to the community around them, putting high costs on the public sector. The government is committed to working with local authorities and their partners to help 120,000 troubled families in England turn their lives around by 2015. They want to ensure the children in these families have the chance of a better life, and at the same time bring down the cost to the taxpayer.
Colleagues at the Stockport Council have been working to identify troubled families in the area, and have found 1,694 individuals in 342 households that think may be appropriately targeted by the Troubled Families Programme. Before beginning interventions to ensure that these families get access to the right services (such as education, work etc.) the Council have asked partners to help establish whether these people are significant users of local services, including health care services.
The Public Health team have approached Stockport GP practices for their assistance in this analysis, so that the pressures these individuals place on primary care resources can be assessed. To date 16 practices have responded with an offer to help trace their patients and 10 have returned the information requested. This means we are able to identify the activity of 592 individuals; initial analysis shows that these 592 individuals made 2,166 appointments in the year 2012 and a total of 474 appointments that were not attended.
Many thanks to the GP practices that have confirmed they are willing to help and those that have already provided the information requested.
03 April 2013
Government reforms of the NHS in England have come into force and now GP-led clinical commissioning groups have taken control of local budgets. NHS Stockport CCG Clinical Director Dr Cath Briggs was interviewed by the BBC’s Health Correspondent on the eve of the change. Click here to read the news article. For those with Flash Player you can watch the news item at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-21992427
19 March 2013
Infant male circumcision quality assurance process
GM have established a process to quality assure providers of male circumcision and the details are below if this is of interest to you. Contact details are included so please make direct contact.
- GM infant male circumcision 2013 process brief
- Infant male circumcision QA form Final 2013-14[1]
- Letter with QA 2013-2014
New Stockport Watchdog to launch in April
A new watchdog will be launched in April to look into the views of patients and social care users in Stockport. Healthwatch Stockport will cover all publicly-funded health services including hospitals, GPs and dentists as well as adult and children’s social care services.
The new organisation will commence on 1st April 2013, following a transition from Stockport LINk and a launch event will be held soon afterwards.
John Leach, current Chair of the LINk and Shadow Healthwatch Director said, “The launch of Healthwatch is an exciting opportunity not only for current LINk members but for the local community at large. Healthwatch Stockport will give local people more powers to influence local services and be more involved when local decisions are made.”
He continued, “I would encourage all local residents to join the new Healthwatch organisation and help us to improve health & social care services in Stockport.”
Part of a national network, Healthwatch will have a wider remit than the LINks they replace as well as occupying a seat on Stockport’s Health and Wellbeing Board – a forum of health and social care leaders helping to shape policies and improvements.
They will work alongside other local voluntary organisations to play a full part in influencing policies, based on patient and user experience.
Councillor John Pantall, Executive Councillor on Health & Wellbeing said, “The Council is developing Local Healthwatch in Stockport as a genuinely lay member-led organisation, governed by a Board, which is elected by its members. This is enabled by and builds on a sound local LINk legacy and we have been actively working with the Stockport LINk towards this outcome.”
Healthwatch Stockport will also have statutory powers to enter providers’ premises to see firsthand how services are delivered and make recommendations for change.
You can contact Healthwatch Stockport on .
20 February 2013
NATIONAL SHORTAGE OF ISOSORBIDE MONONITRATE
Isosorbide mononitrate tablets 10mg, 20mg and 40mg tablets are all in short supply; the Teva factory in South Wales that produces most of the UK supply has been temporarily closed down.
The Department of Health have issued the following guidance:
‘In the absence of normal release isosorbide mononitrate tablets being available, clinicians are advised to consider substitution with a slow release mononitrate preparation (which are not affected by this supply problem). Limited data exists regarding switching from normal release to modified release tablets but initially a mg per mg substitution would be appropriate (i.e. same daily dose overall) in most patients, and where available formulations allow.’
Recommended brands of the MR preparation in Stockport include Monomil XL, Chemydur XL, (both are 60mg tablets that can be halved) and Elantan LA capsules (25mg and 50mg).
There is likely to be high demand for MR products and they may become in short supply themselves. Switching between brands might be necessary and is acceptable, using the same daily dose.
The Drug Tariff price (Jan 2013) for isosorbide mononitrate MR in Primary Care is based on Imdur, (£10.50 for 28 x 60mg), therefore generically prescribed isosorbide mononitrate MR is likely to be one of the most expensive options and should be avoided.
Dose equivalence
There are no published comparative studies of asymmetric dosing of plain isosorbide mononitrate with the slow-release form that inform dose equivalence. The Department of Health recommend a mg per mg substitution.
| Suggested dose conversion (endorsed by local specialists in cardiology) Current dose of plain | Suggested dose of MR |
| 10mg bd | 30mg daily (usually morning) |
| 20mg bd | 60mg |
| 30mg bd | 60mg |
| 40mg bd | 90mg |
In some cases where the formulations do not allow for dose for dose conversion the patient will require a dose increase, the reason for this is to prevent deterioration in angina control. Patients may experience a nitrate headache for a few days after conversion and should be warned.
In patients taking isosorbide mononitrate and nicorandil please take this opportunity to review the need for continued nitrate treatment.
Please find attached an example of a letter or information slip that can be adapted for your patients and also the letter from the DoH regarding this matter.
- Possible letter or information slip – Ismo
- 14022013_Shortage_of_Isosorbide_Mononitrate_tablets_2
If you have any queries please contact the Medicines Management Team on or email .
19 February 2013
Any Qualified Provider (AQP) – Audiology
Several practices have recently raised queries after receiving requests from David Ormerods and secondary care audiology departments for a new referral for existing patients. This is usually because they have not been formally seen and assessed by an audiologist for 3 years or more. These patients need to be seen in primary care prior to a new referral being made to ensure that their ears are healthy and wax free.
Any Qualified Provider (AQP) has now been introduced in audiology and patients need to be offered a choice of providers for their care. Audiology services now appear on Choose & Book and are provided by NHS and independent sector providers. The AQP audiology contract has been set up as a 3 year pathway. If after this time there are no changes to your patients hearing they will continue to have annual reviews and any ad hoc appointments that they require. If there are any changes to their hearing they will be referred back to you and a new referral will be required. These patients should be offered choice and an appointment booked via Choose and Book.
Stockport NHS Foundation trust (SNHSFT) although AQP accredited do not yet appear on Choose and Book. Please continue to refer to them via a paper referral. Once they are available on Choose and Book we will provide practices with an update. Practices also need to be aware that they will be unable to offer David Ormerods as a choice for any patients including those who have previously been under their care.
If you have any further queries please contact Cath Briggs on
22 January 2013
Measles Bulletin - Greater Manchester Health Protection Unit – GMHPU Measles Bulletin Nov 12
BHA HEPATITIS C Support & Information Greater Manchester
The BHA Hepatitis C Support Project are commissioned by the Greater Manchester Hepatitis C Strategy to support those affected by Hepatitis C in Greater Manchester. The project are currently working in partnership with ISB (Islamic Society of Britian) to deliver a series of information and awareness workshops on Hepatitis C in mosques across Greater Manchester.
Evidence shows that the prevalence of Hepatitis C is higher in people originating from Pakistan than would be expected in the indigenous UK population.
HPA (2011) Hepatitis C in the UK 2011, London : Health Promotion Agency, Colindale July 2011.
http://www.hpa.org.uk/webw/HPAweb&HPAwebStandard/HPAweb_c/1309969907625
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