12.5.20 Guidance – Direct booking into general practice from NHS 111 and CCAS via GP Connect
News
NHSx have now issued the National Guidance (SOP) NHS D have kindly detailed the key points below. There is one action for practices this is detailed toward the end of this email
The Key points
The Preferred Recommendation is 1 Combined Worklist for BOTH 111 and CCAS (extract below)
Each GP practice needs to select the most appropriate solution for them from the two options below and implement it.
5.1.1.1 Option 1 – Create a separate COVID-19 nominal prioritisation list
Create a new and separate NHS 111/CCAS nominal prioritisation list. This list will contain slots for all NHS 111 and CCAS bookings.
This option enables a practice to clearly see the new NHS 111 and CCAS direct bookings. It can be implemented providing the GP practice can allocate a clinician to oversee this list and ensure that all referrals are picked up and processed.
5.1.1.2 Option 2 – Add additional slots for COVID-19 prioritisation into the routine appointments list
Add dedicated slots which both NHS 111 and CCAS direct bookings into your routine appointment list. These will be for all referrals.
These slots should be available until the end of each clinical session to ensure that they remain bookable for NHS 111 and CCAS. These appointments should be checked regularly, ideally between each patient to ensure that new referrals are not missed.
This solution may be preferable for small or single-hander practices, for whom it would be difficult to maintain and access two appointment schedules. Flagging or colour coding can be used to make these appointments stand-out.
1 in 500 Clarification (extract below)
Increasing the number of appointment slots available at each GP practice for NHS 111/CCAS referrals to 1 in 500, replaces and is not in addition to 1 in 3000 appointments currently made available for NHS 111 referrals. GP practices are asked to make sufficient slots available for the CCAS team and NHS 111 providers to refer into. Whilst demand remains low this could be fewer than 1/500.
PRACTICES to ACTION
While I appreciate you have now completed the setup of the CCAS and 111 appointments. You need to amend what organisations you share the worklist with. Both TPP and EMIS will need to add the entire list of 111 Providers (attached – 111 ODS for Primary Care Action 110220.) this includes the instructions on how to add the organisations to your Workgroups.
Finally!
Also available is the CCAS training video and aide memoir on how to make bookings into in-hours, this is being given to all the CCAS Clinicians. Key point to note is the instruction to tell patients to call the practice if no slots are available, it will be beneficial to practices and patients if slots are available. https://future.nhs.uk/NHSEIcovid19/view?objectId=20055504 (You will need to sign up).
