Service updates

27th April 2020 

Updated and additional protocols on temporary consolidation of under-16 paediatric emergency surgery at SCH - for ED and surgical teams 

Please share the updated protocols with clinical colleagues and replace any older versions.

23rd April 2020

Teledermatology Service 

For information

  1. Extension of the Teledermatology Pilot to August 2020

The teledermatology pilot has been extended until August 2020 so that more practices can take part and provide further time to robustly evaluate it.  

Clinical Partnership has recently developed a platform that provides GP practices with the facility to ask patients to provide secure images straight to the provider, from within their own home. This will allow practices to continue making referrals to the service, without the requirement for the patient to attend the practice. It will also allow GP’s to continue to provide this service remotely and thereby stay within the COVID 19 GP Consultation guidance.    

The amended process can be:

  1. The patient has a video consultation with the practice in the first instance to decide whether a referral would be appropriate.
  2. If it is decided that a referral is the most appropriate course of action then the practice to register the patient on the World Health Net platform.
  3. The practice then sends a link to the patient by email/SMS from the World Net platform. 
  4. Practice sends referrals as per usual process.
  5. The patient adds their symptoms and images themselves (or a relative) using a PC/desktop computer or a  mobile phone. (see attached CP protocol patient tip guidance that can be sent to patients about taking clear images).
  6. The patient sends images to the provider  (Clinical partnership)
  7. The GP will then receive the outcome and/or treatment plan in the same way as before.

You can still make a referral using the dermascope, if you deem it appropriate to see a patient face to face whilst adhering to COVID guidelines.

Please see attached guides for more information about the new patient initiated image provision and photography tips for practices and patients.  

a) CP Telederm Photography Tips for Patients

b) CP Telederm Photography Tips for Practices

Please note that the aim of this service is to reduce OPD referrals to BHNFT and to try to avoid increasing referrals from practices straight to secondary care. It can also support practices to manage demand during COVID via remote / virtual primary care consultations.

Thank you for your continued support with the pilot. For any queries please contact Janine Quate, Programme Officer, janine.quate@nhs.net

  1. Emerging skin manifestations of COVID-19

The attached poster has been produced by Dermatologists across the EU and is issued to support diagnosis in patients with Covid-19 who develop rashes. If there is diagnostic uncertainty or if you need any support, please contact the Telederm service on: 01482 908208 / admin@clinicalpartnership.co.uk 

22nd April 2020

Launch of the Integrated Community Stroke Rehabilitation Team - Monday 20th April 

For information

The new Integrated Community Stroke Rehabilitation Team launched on Monday 20 April.  Please find a poster attached. The ESD and inpatient referral forms are available here.

The service is working in a limited capacity of therapy only due to COVID-19 and will expand to it's full capacity when possible. 

To enquire further please contact barnsleycommunitystroketeam@nhs.net or 01226 645434 / 01226 645430 

 

17th April 2020

Referrals to Secondary Care 

For information

In the current context it is important that clear, consistent processes exist to ensure safe handling of emergent, urgent and routine referrals from primary care. At present this requires agreement between partners at a local level.

NHS guidance will be published shortly advising secondary care to accept and hold clinical responsibility for GP referrals. Therefore, GPs should continue to refer patients to secondary care using the usual pathways and to base judgments around urgency of need on usual clinical thresholds (taking into consideration need for non face to face consultations, likely delays in recommencement of routine elective activity, and communicating likely delays to patients at point of referral).

GPs should continue to use specialist advice and guidance where available to inform management of patients whose care remains within primary care including those who are awaiting review in secondary care when appropriate. Colleagues should work collaboratively across primary and secondary care to ensure this advice and guidance is provided in a timely fashion to ensure safe care is delivered, taking into account the exceptional pressures which exist across the whole system.

 

Service Moving: Barnsley Phlebotomy Outpatients Relocation 

For information 

From Monday 20 April, the phlebotomy outpatients department at Barnsley Hospital will be closed, and this service will relocate to the Roundhouse Centre, Wakefield Road, Athersley, S71 1TH.

This move supports social distancing guidance and is to protect vulnerable patients who require vital blood tests. The service will be open Monday to Friday from 8:15 until 16:30 and will operate an appointment system for Adult patients only.

We are advising people that if they already have an appointment for a blood test at phlebotomy outpatients, they should attend the Roundhouse Centre at their appointment date and time.

If people need to make an appointment for a blood test please contact the department on (01226) 433963.

Patients under the age of 16 who require a blood test are to continue to contact the Paediatric Outpatient Department on (01226) 434966 or (01226) 435205.

 

16th April 2020

Information for GPs regarding transfer of Paediatric Surgery to Sheffield Children’s Hospital (SCH)  - please see further update 27th April 2020 which supersedes this

For information

From Thursday 16th April urgent surgery on children (under the age of 16 years) in the South Yorkshire and Bassetlaw area will take place at Sheffield Children’s Hospital rather than the local District General Hospitals including Barnsley, Doncaster, Chesterfield and Rotherham. 

This is with the exception of time-critical surgery that will remain at local District General Hospitals e.g. testicular torsion and blocked airway.

This is part of the COVID-19 response, due to the expectation that DGH anesthetists who provide care for unwell children will be actively involved with treatment of severely unwell patients suffering from COVID-19.

Anybody from within the primary care team who may need to admit a child with a probable (non-time critical) surgical condition (including appendicitis and bone fracture) is instructed to telephone Sheffield Children’s switchboard on 0114 2717000 and ask for the relevant specialty registrar.

Please read all attached documents:

New Bereavement Services goes live on Monday 20 April 

For information

new bereavement service will go live on Monday 20 April. The service is to support anyone who is bereaved at this time and has a Freephone number or website to access.  It is open to everyone who has been bereaved and not just those that have died from Covid-19.

You can refer people to the service and there will also be promotional materials available, provided by the council.