GP Round Up Introduction by Alistair Flowerdew Medical Director - How can we reduce acute kidney injury?

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1 GP Round Up Issue August 2014 Contents GP Round Up Introduction by Alistair Flowerdew Medical Director - How can we reduce acute kidney injury?... 1 Home Oxygen Assessment Service day X-ray Appointments at Royal Berkshire Bracknell Healthspace... 2 New Eye Casualty E-Referral System... 2 ICE and Electronic Letters Technical Support Changes... 4 How to Raise a Query or Concern... 5 Coming Soon New Outpatient Directory of Services... 5 Consultant Directory & Telephone List... 5 Previous Issues... 5 GP Round Up Introduction by Alistair Flowerdew Medical Director - How can we reduce acute kidney injury? Dear Colleagues You may have received a letter recently from my colleague Emma Vaux, Consultant Nephrologist and Programme Director for Quality Improvement, about the increase in the incidence of acute kidney injury (AKI). The Trust would very much like a GP to join our working group whose aim is to help GPs identify high risk patients sooner (we know that 20 per cent of AKI cases are preventable and two thirds of cases are community acquired). Please consider helping in this valuable work if you are able to contribute two sessions a month! In addition, you might wish to know of the vacancy of the clinical lead for renal as part of Thames valley SCN. This commitment is 4 sessions per month and a GP would be the ideal person for such an important role. If you would like to know more please Dr Emma Vaux emma.vaux@royalberkshirehospital.nhs.uk 1

2 Home Oxygen Assessment Service Are you aware of our Home Oxygen Assessment Service in the Respiratory Medicine Department at the Royal Berkshire Hospital? Please consider all patients with chronic respiratory disease with SaO2 less then 92% for referral for Long Term Oxygen Therapy. We also assess patient for Ambulatory Oxygen Therapy if their oxygen saturations drop on exertion. Oxygen is not beneficial for breathlessness in patients who are not hypoxic at rest or on exertion. You can still order emergency oxygen for end of life or interim supply pending assessment on a HOOF Part A available from the link below, if patients have symptomatic hypoxia. Dolby Vivisol Home Oxygen provider for our region can be contacted 24/7 on Further information regarding oxygen can be found on For any queries please do not hesitate to contact Cristina Brookes Home Oxygen Nurse or Amanda Smalley Respiratory CNS: direct dial , page via switchboard or or alternatively referrals may be faxed to day X-ray Appointments at Royal Berkshire Bracknell Healthspace Non urgent x-ray appointments are now available 7 days a week for patients who can walk unaided and do not require hospital transport. The timings of the available slots will vary each week so please ask patients to phone for an appointment on or (switchboard). Patients with suspected fractures should continue to be referred to the main x-ray facility at the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading. A poster with further details and directions may be downloaded for your waiting room as a separate attachment. New Eye Casualty E-Referral System Last year Eye Casualty invited a few GP practices to take part in a pilot project for the use of system (Eye Casualty e-referral system). The e-referral system project was run for a total period of 10 months and we are now ready to roll out this process to all GP practices. How to use the Eye Casualty e-referral 1. All GP practices would have to set up an nhs.net account (secure system). 2. referrals should be sent to Eye Casualty at: rbbtr.eyecasreferralsreading@nhs.net In response we will send the E-referral attachment back to you. 2

3 Every time a patient is referred the GP will be kept informed about the outcome of their referral. A poster for your surgery may be found here. For further information, please contact: Ganesh Naik (Eye Casualty Charge Nurse): ganesh.naik@royalberkshire.nhs.uk or ganesh.naik@nhs.net Postal address: Eye Casualty, Royal Berkshire Hospital, London Road, Reading, Berkshire RG1 5AN Tel: Fax: The aims and objectives for the change are as follows: 1. Better communication channel between Eye Casualty and GPs. 2. To Increased referral efficiency 3. Timely treatment, avoiding unnecessary delays 4. Greater medical security and patient confidentiality 5. Referral acknowledgement, confirming receipt by our team The e-referral system can be used for the following eye conditions: Chemical liquids splashed into the eye Cuts or lacerations to the eye lids Penetrating eye injury Sudden, painful eye causing sickness and feeling unwell A red, painful eye after surgery Rapid loss of vision following corneal graft surgery Shadow/curtain across vision, increase in flashing lights/floaters Red, painful eye associated with contact lens wear Sudden painless loss of vision 3

4 ICE and Electronic Letters Technical Support Changes The support for ICE / electronic test requests and electronic letters has been passed over to the Royal Berkshire Hospital IT Support Team. The change affects: ICE Issues Requesting new ICE Accounts Requesting new Pathology Results Mailboxes Electronic Letter queries All related queries now need to be directed through the Royal Berkshire Hospital IT Helpdesk. IT Helpdesk Contact Number: IT Helpdesk Address: RBFT_IT_HELPDESK@CSC.COM A request for a NEW ICE Account or a NEW Pathology Result Mailbox should be submitted on the official ICE Account Request Form. The form can be found on the Pathology Handbook which is accessible via ICE or by clicking on the following link: Then select: User Services Followed by: New Clinician Process. Once completed the form needs to be ed to the IT Helpdesk: RBFT_IT_HELPDESK@CSC.COM We hope the change will not cause too much inconvenience and we aim to continue to offer a high standard of support to you. 4

5 How to Raise a Query or Concern We welcome feedback from GPs and Practice Managers, so please let us know if you experience any problems with our services. You can get in touch via to gphelp@royalberkshire.nhs.uk or by using our simple web form that can be found on the Trust website: Alternatively you can contact our GP Liaison Manager directly by to: caroline.hillman@royalberkshire.nhs.uk. or telephone If you wish to send us patient identifiable information with your concern please to: gpliaison.rbft@nhs.net. Our Patient Advice and Liaison Team (PALS) focus on providing support and on the spot help to patients, relatives and carers and can be contacted via talktous@royalberkshire.nhs.uk The PALS Team also investigate serious patient complaints. Coming Soon New Outpatient Directory of Services We are currently updating the Directory of Outpatient Services for each of our locations on our website and hope to be able to share the new link with you next month. Consultant Directory & Telephone List To download the latest Consultant telephone list updated July 2014 please download the separate attachment. Previous Issues Please send an to gphelp@royalberkshire.nhs.uk if you d like a copy of any previous issue. They have been produced monthly since March They are also available on the GP section of the Trust website. 5