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

• Place 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 15.07.2020

• 3,843 cases now confirmed in Coventry and Warwickshire (+2 / +0.1% from Tuesday)

• 9 of these are currently admitted (-2 / -18.2% from Tuesday)

Admissions by Trust:

o GEH: 7

o UHCW: 2

o SWFT: 0

o CWPT: 0

• 504 beds still available (+0 / +0.0% from Tuesday)

• 0 ITU beds occupied by Covid patients (+0 / from Tuesday)

• 530 reported deaths in a hospital setting (+1 / +0.2% from Tuesday)

 

It has been decided to take the care home data out of the daily comms as the data is not updated frequently enough to provide a robust current position. This is being reviewed.

Download the weekly data pack.

  1. State of Readiness – update

As part of the NHS Covid-19 Phase 1 response, and in line with many areas across the country, a number of General Practice services were either fully or partially stopped in order to prioritise resources appropriately to respond to the national Level 4 Incident. With the downgrade to Level 3, we can now use this as an opportunity to realign our focus to the restoration of services across Coventry and Warwickshire. This will take place at practice level, PCN level or Place level.

 

As our services begin to resume, it is vitally important to recognise the positive innovations that have been made to the core General Practice operating model as part of the Covid response. This includes the introduction of ‘total triage’, ‘virtual first’, and extended use of ‘remote management/non face to face’. Our suggestion is that where possible this delivery model should be sustained and become the default approach for all practice level services wherever possible. This is in order to support Primary Care manage patient demand, maintain access and protect the Primary Care workforce.

 

Local Forums

Each ‘Place’ has established a local forum or is utilising existing mechanisms to maintain proactive dialogue with member practices throughout the COVID-19 response. They will continue to provide assistance, and support to Practices with their restoration programmes. We would ask that you please refer to your local CCG contacts (details below) for any support or clarification that you may require.

 

The four local ‘Place’ forums will follow core restoration principles that have been agreed by the Coventry and Warwickshire General Practice Clinical Advisory Group (CAG), which includes the CCG Clinical Chairs / Vice Chairs and the LMC's. These can be found on the attached State of Readiness spreadsheet (link to download spreadsheet)

We believe that the local ‘Place’ forums are key to supporting the operational restoration of services. They will sit in a wider governance structure to ensure that as services are restored, they are done so ensuring the impact across the Coventry and Warwickshire health and care system is considered and aligned.

 

We would like to reiterate our thanks for all your hard work and support during the Covid-19 emergency response, for each of us these have been unprecedented times for our local health service. We look forward to working and supporting you all as we bring about the restoration of services to our local population.

 

If you have any questions you can speak with your local primary care lead:

 

Coventry and Rugby: Nikkie Temperley: Nicola.TemperleySmith@coventryrugbyccg.nhs.uk

South Warwickshire: Sue Phillips: Sue.Phillips@southwarwickshireccg.nhs.uk

Warwickshire North: Roma Holland: Roma.Holland@coventryrugbyccg.nhs.uk

2. Updated Cervical Screening Programme Restoration Guidance (Version 4)

NHS England and Improvement has issued further national guidance on the restoration of cervical screening Section 6 of the guidance includes specific advice for cervical sample takers. The updated guidance is here

3. An update on Primary Care COVID-19 antibody testing

Although over 80% of the antibody tests undertaken via this new process are being resulted within 72 hours, there are some tests that are taking longer to result than anticipated. Your result should be with you within a week of your sample being taken. If it has not arrived after eight days please email covidstafftesting@uhcw.nhs.uk stating the name and DOB of the individual tested.

Please do not chase your result by calling your registered GP or the lab.

Remember that consent forms printed off when you book your test need to be given to your employing organisation to be kept in your HR Record, see further detail in the table below: 

Staff Group Consent form to be kept by:

Staff and GPs employed by Practice GP Practice employee HR record

SWGP Fed and GP Alliance Locums Employing organisation

Self employed GP Locums Retain own copy and leave copy with practice where Ab test ordered

Blood samples need to be on a transport to the lab on the same day they are taken to ensure integrity of the sample. When registering, it is really important to include your accurate details, including full name – these are being matched to the lab records to ensure that right result is being sent to the right person and to the correct registered GP. If these details are not correct your test result may be delayed or void.

To date, up to and including 8 July, 677 antibody tests have processed – 15.8% have the antibody detected.

 

Finally, for full details on how to request an antibody test follow this link www.cwcovid.support

 

If you have any problems with the booking system please contact covidstafftesting@uhcw.nhs.uk 

Thank you for your patience and your support is appreciated.

4. Step-by-step for patients to take a good quality photograph of their throat

A helpful video that shows in step by step detail how patients can take a high quality photograph of their throat to help you understand their symptoms can be found here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xZjv45eh2k The copyright owner, an NHS GP, has given their permission for the video to be shared. 

 

UPDATES FOR Coventry and Rugby and Warwickshire North CCGs – 16 July 2020

5. Summer Holiday Breakfast Club (revised leaflet) - Coventry only

The leaflet provided in Tuesday's bulletin link to a leaflet promoting the Summer Holiday Breakfast Club. There was an error within the leaflet so please do not use copies. The new updated leaflet is available to download.

Coronavirus pandemic has demonstrated the power of community. In Coventry, community centres have taken an active lead in the distribution of essential food supplies to people who have been shielding and who are vulnerable. Coventry City Council has helped to draw the city together, working in partnership with voluntary, community and other organisations to create an emergency food network. Within this network food hubs were set up throughout the city to ensure that food was provided to those who were in greatest need. The Food Hubs offer a range of community-based support. Including: Summer activities for children, Grub hubs and Foodbank. 

6. Supporting the LGBTQ+ community with videos during Pride

Due to Coronavirus this year’s Warwickshire Pride event has been cancelled but we haven’t given up on celebrating the beauty of diversity and inclusion! On Saturday 22 August a Warwickshire Pride online event will take place. The day will be filled with Pride performances, entertainment, talks and education streamed across different platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

 

The CCGs want to show solidarity with the local LGBTQ+ community and promote the Rainbow Badge Initiative. To do this, we’d like to create a quick video with messages of support from our staff.

 

The idea for the video is very simple, based on two viral TikTok games: the “wipe it down challenge” and the “don’t rush challenge”. The change in the video would be from our “normal look” to a pride look – colourful, creative and/or crazy!

 

Examples of both challenges can be found here:

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3rJvhricCow

• https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=231141241436488

 

The challenges are just an example, all variations on the theme are welcome! Essentially we want to show our support for the local LGBTQ+ Community.

 

If you’d like participate in the CCGs' message, please send your video to communications@coventryrugbyccg.nhs.uk using wetransfer.com or via WhatsApp to 07717786585. The deadline for submissions is 26 July.

UPDATES FOR South Warwickshire – 16 July 2020 

No updates this issue.

 

Please note all sessions are open to all localities

7. Risk Assessment Webinar 

Hosted by North London Partners in Health and care, this helpful webinar explores how risk are assessed during COVID-19 and considers what GP Partner/Practice Managers can do to mitigate the risk for their workforce. Both a recording of the event and the slides are available:

Watch Recording of Live Event

Webinar Slides 1

Webinar Slides 2

8. The adult breathless patient and how to manage them webinar provided by Boehringer Ingelheim Ltd

An online webinars take place on:

Saturday 18 July 10.00am to 11.30am

 

Mrs Beverley Bostock, Advanced Nurse Practitioner and clinical lecturer, has expressed a desire to make contact with Heath Care Professionals during this time through a live Microsoft Teams Speaker Meeting. The objective is to discuss the adult breathless patient and how to manage them. Online and Telephone Consultations have become important for managing patients, the presentation will focus on this type of consultation as Health Care Professionals learn to make the most of this medium. If you would like to be part of this meeting please respond to laina.tebbutt@boehringer-ingelheim.com. We will be limiting attendees so a prompt response would be appreciated. On receipt of your email request we will send out a formal invite and agenda along with the MS Teams link in order for you to join on the day.

9. Warwickshire North GP & Clinician Virtual PLT

 

Details of next week's PLT around Safeguarding including an update of any changes during COVID and a presentation from Refuge on Domestic Abuse below:

PLEASE NOTE This session will be split for Virtual AND In-house working- please check Agenda for Timings.

 

Date: Wednesday 22nd July 2020

Time: 1.30 -5.00pm

Location: Microsoft Teams- joining details below:

Join Microsoft Teams Meeting

 

The session is open to all Clinicians as well as Practice Managers and any other staff, the agenda is available here. Please be aware that Out of Hours cover HAS been arranged as with previous PLTs.

 

If you are unable to join the session at the scheduled time, it will be recorded and available to view on the Care for Your Career website- https://careforyourcareer.co.uk/support/medical-education/ purposes. There are already 6 previous session recordings on the website including: Cancer Pathways, COVID Hot Topics and Impact on BAME people, Mental Health & Using Technology during COVID, Managing the breathless patient- Heart Failure & Haematology Update, AccuRx Demonstration & EOL, Managing breathless patient- COPD update and Elderly medicines Review.

 

The next WN Virtual Education Programme Session will be on Tuesday 28th July 2020 , 1:00 – 2:00pm– Perils of Social Media- BMA.

10. Domestic Violence and Abuse training and referral programme

IRIS (Identification and Referral to Improve Safety) is a general-practice based domestic violence and abuse training, support and referral programme for primary care staff. The Warwickshire IRIS team has set up some more mop-up sessions for those who were unable to attend the previous sessions. If you are unable to make these set dates, please email your IRIS AE with dates of your availability and we can book in a session for your surgery.

 

Clinician Refresher (19/08/2020 @ 12:30pm) - This is a refresher of Clinician 1 and 2 and 2 hours, which is open to all clinicians that have previously completed Clinician 1 and 2.

Reception/Admin (23/07/2020 @ 12:30pm) - This is a 1 hour session for reception and admin staff.

The sessions will be run via Zoom, you do not need a zoom account for this, a link will be sent via a calendar invite.

The team can be reached via email: South Warwickshire- Farah_Hameed@refuge.org.uk, North Warwickshire- rebekah_read@refuge.org.uk; Rugby & Leamington- laura_ruff@refuge.org.uk

11. Medical education sessions for all

CCG supported medical education sessions available to all primary care clinicians to watch on a Wednesday lunchtime, the programme can be found on https://www.mededcoventry.com/General-practitioners. Links to the Zoom talk will be published on the site under flyers 48 hours before the session. If you want to rewatch any episode go to the GP section and then to Presentations, (log in using covgp for both GMC and password). Any queries, please contact gpteachingadmin@uhcw.nhs.uk

12. Warwickshire North Virtual education sessions

A number of virtual education sessions that have taken place in Warwickshire North are now available to view. Subjects including heart failure and lower GI and breast cancers are amongst areas discussed. If you are interested in finding out more click here.

 

• As of 5pm on 14 July, of those tested positive for coronavirus in the UK, 45,053 have died across all settings.

• As of 9am on 15 July, 291,911 people have tested positive for coronavirus in the UK.

• Latest advice is here

• COVID-19: guidance on shielding and protecting people defined on medical grounds as extremely vulnerable.

• COVID-19: Home Office extraordinary funding for domestic abuse support services.

• COVID-19: guidance for commissioners and providers of services for people who use drugs or alcohol

• Types and uses of coronavirus (COVID-19) tests.

• Latest local figures published by GOV.uk and PHE are as of Tuesday 14 July 2020 at 4:47pm, there are a total of 25,852 cases in the West Midlands.

 

13. NHS England Primary Care Bulletin – 15 July

COVID-19: latest guidance for general practice is issued in the NHS England Primary Care Bulletin from 15 July. This issue has the latest advice and guidance toolkit for the NHS e-referral service and a new animated video to support total triage in general practice. 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. Second phase of General Practice response to COVID-19

Updated guidance and publications to GP contracts and income protection arrangements are available to view here.

15. 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).

16. 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. 

17. Please review the updated shielding guidance.

 

 

 

 

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