Dear patients,

We have recently had to reject several new requests for ADHD medication prescribing in adults. This letter is aimed at explaining the reasons for it.

What should be happening?

The NHS ADHD service is commissioned to assess, diagnose, start medication, titrate medication and provide post-diagnostic reviews.

Once a patient is stable, the ADHD specialist enters a ‘shared care agreement’ (SCA) with the GP for ongoing prescribing to take place whilst still leading the care of the patient.

SCA is a carefully crafted, well-established and pre-arranged agreement with defined responsibilities for both specialist and GP

What is the problem?

National guidance expects long term involvement of specialists in reviewing ADHD patients and their medical treatment, but this does not currently happen in Oxfordshire. This then leaves GPs in a difficult position if we agreed to prescribe medications that we are not trained or funded to monitor. It is for this reason the practice has taken the decision not to accept any new requests from specialists, be it NHS or private, to prescribe ADHD medications to adult patients. This is in keeping with our Local Medical Committee’s recommendation.

Please be advised we will not be able to make any exceptions to this decision.

Care of adults already receiving ADHD treatments remains under careful review.

What then?

Patients may be able to access the care they need outside of the NHS, for instance by seeking a referral to a private provider.

Oxford Health that provides the NHS Adult ADHD service in Oxfordshire is not taking new referrals.  The only NHS option for adult ADHD assessment is through the” right to choose” provision. Should you choose to go down either of these routes though, any prescriptions for medication will have to be provided by the specialist themselves.

We recognise the distress this might cause ADHD sufferers but sadly GPs cannot be expected to take on additional medico-legal risk because of a lack of NHS specialist provision. If you wish to raise this issue, then you may want to contact the “planned care team” at BOB ICB, bobicb.plannedcare@nhs.net , and/or your MP

Yours sincerely

Dr.T.Hurst

Dr.S.Ramani

Dr.C.Rose

Dr.K.Kommu

Dr.J.McGillvray

Tell us about your experience of leaving hospital

First Contact Physio

You can now speak to specialist Physiotherapist Nicki instead of a GP. Booking an initial telephone consultation with First Contact Physio gives you faster access to expert diagnosis along with advice and exercises you need to start tackling the problem. Nicki can also refer you on to hospital services where necessary, order tests and recommend a GP to prescribe pain relief etc.

First Contact Physio will:

• Assess you and diagnose what’s happening.
• Give expert advice on how best to manage your condition.
• Refer you on to specialist services if necessary.
• First Contact Physiotherapists can deal with any of the following problems:

• Soft tissue, muscle and joint pain.
• Strains or sports injuries.
• Arthritis – any joint.
• Possible problems with muscles, ligaments, tendons or bone,eg tennis elbow, carpal tunnel syndrome, ankle sprains.
• Spinal pain including lower back pain, mid-back pain and neck pain.
• Spinal-related pain in arms or legs, including nerve symptoms, eg pins and needles or numbness.
• Please speak to the Reception Team to book a telephone triage appointment with our specialist physiotherapist.

The current NHS Digital (NHSD) extract of GP data for Research purposes (known as the GPDPR) has been delayed due to NHSD wishing to review the way in which this data will be collected, to conduct more public involvement and information about the plans and change the way in which patients can opt out of the extract of their GP data.

Currently the only way to opt out is to complete a Type 1 opt out form and return this to the practice by the 1^st September.  However, this extract will not be taken until the NHSD have changed the way it will take the data and respect the patient’s choice for using their data.  NHSD are introducing the following changes to the opt out process which will mean that patients will be able to change their opt-out status at any time::-

• Patients do not need to register a Type 1 opt-out by 1st September to ensure their GP data will not be uploaded.

• NHS Digital will create the technical means to allow GP data that has previously been uploaded to the system via the GPDPR collection to be deleted when someone registers a Type 1 opt-out.

• The plan to retire Type 1 opt-outs will be deferred for at least 12 months while we get the new arrangements up and running and will not be implemented without consultation with the RCGP, the BMA and the National Data Guardian. 

This means that you can opt out at any time in the future and NHSD will delete data that they already have taken for research purposes, the deadline of the 01/09/2020 has been delayed until a new system of opt out is developed.  Hopefully, this will be a simple centralised approach via the NHS app or NHS website to avoid paper form and administration work for your GP.

We will update you when we know more about the NHSD plans to change how you can control who has access to your data.

Banburyshire Advice Centre supports many patients at other surgeries in the Banbury area who need help applying for Blue Badges, benefits and general advice working closely with Social Prescribers. We are also able to issue Food vouchers to those in need.

We are able to provide general advice and Career Advice. However, we cannot provide debt or legal or Tax advice but can refer or signpost onto other agencies. 

The charity is very fortunate in that we can arrange free initial advice for Wills and Power of Attorney for our clients.

We are very happy to support your patients who may need our expertise. A referral is quick and easy.

 You can send an email to this address: helpdeskbancp@yahoo.com with the outline of the problem or contact details and we can do the rest

or you can phone us up and leave a message on 01295 279988

We are conscious that some patients registered at Bloxham and Hook Norton Surgeries may be affected by current events in Afghanistan. Bloxham and Hook Norton Surgeries are accredited by the Royal College of General Practitioners as one which specialises in the care of military veterans and their families. All the team have been trained in the care of military veterans and their families. If recent events have affected you and you wish to seek help, please come forward.

Age UK Oxfordshire has launched a new scams prevention and support programme for older people in Oxfordshire area.

We are able to offer group talks to raise awareness of scams and also 1 to 1 sessions for those who have been affected by scams.

The programme, funded by Lloyds Banking Group, will help to prevent older people from falling for scams by increasing their knowledge and confidence to recognise and deal with attempted scams. It will also provide support to older fraud victims recovering after an incident.  

Older people can be particularly vulnerable to fraud and scams, which can have a serious emotional and financial impact, and can damage quality of life and wellbeing for many. 

Sophisticated scams have been on the rise during the pandemic with criminals devising even more ways to target those they believe to be vulnerable. This means it’s even more vital to support those that may be at greater risk.   

We’re really pleased to be launching the Age UK Scams Prevention and Support Programme in the Oxfordshire area. Scams can have a devastating effect on older victims - in England and Wales an older person becomes a victim of fraud every 40 seconds, which is over 800,000 older people every year. This shows us just how important this programme is to try and keep the older people in Oxfordshire as safe as possible when it comes to financial crime.

Contact Us

To find out more about Age UK Oxfordshire’s Scams Prevention and Support Programme, please contact: 0345 450 1276. 

https://www.ageuk.org.uk/globalassets/age-uk/documents/information-guides/ageukig05_avoiding_scams_inf.pdf

https://www.ageuk.org.uk/globalassets/age-uk/documents/information-guides/ageukig01_staying_safe.inf.pdf

The GP Practices and Health Centres of the North Oxfordshire Rural Alliance Primary Care Network partners with some third parties to provide specific healthcare and social prescribing services.  These third parties are signed up to Data Sharing Contracts with the North Oxfordshire Rural Alliance and the information they are supplied with is limited only to that of the patients that they have appointments with.  The third party companies do not retain, share, store or use personally identifiable information for any secondary purposes.

If you would like further information on the third parties we work with, please contact the Practice Manager