General Practice Data For Planning & Research Notice

NHS Digital has been collecting data from GPs through its trusted General Practice Extraction Service. This system is now being replaced with their new General Practice Data for Planning and Research (GPDPR) service, a broader general-purpose collection which will enable faster access to pseudonymised patient data for planners and researchers.

More detailed information can be found via NHS Digital,(please click on the link) including the process of how you can opt out.

Data collection will start on 1 July 2021, if you do not want your data extracted and shared with NHS Digital this should be done by returning this form (please click on the link) to your GP practice by 23 June 2021 to allow time for processing it. You can send the form by post or email to your GP practice or call 0300 3035678 for a form to be sent out to you.

Instruction is also attached to inform patients how they can have choice of a National Opt-Out, via the NHS App.

If you have the NHS App you are able to view and change your preference in the NHS App:

1. Go to Your health
2. Select Choose if data from your health and care records is shared for planning and research.
3. Select Make your choice.
4. Review the information on the page, then select Start now.
5. View your preference, then select Change if you want to change it.
6. Update your choice, then select 

 You can also visit www.nhs.uk/your-nhs-data-matters to make your choice.

Medicus Has Listened to you!

Thank you for all your support and feedback during this difficult time. Although we are in the midst of COVID Vaccination, the most challenging programme that General Practice has ever delivered, we wanted to update you on our actions around the concerns you have expressed on our use of Online Consultation.

As you may know, all practices were encouraged by our commissioners to use the eConsult online consultation software during the pandemic, and we fully embraced the change by seeing the greatest uptake in London. Although we have seen some benefits for patients, the feedback has been largely negative, flagging the difficulty in completing the online forms, lack of language support and the difficulties around digital exclusion. At Medicus, we have learned a lot from this experience and the significant impact it has had on an organisation already stretched during the pandemic, forcing us to restrict access during the day so we could better manage proactive care for our vulnerable patients. The is not a satisfactory position, neither for us nor our patients, and we have explored ways to improve the status quo.

It is quite clear that there is no ideal technological solution out there yet, but we believe that we have found a software that addresses the problems we have both identified. We are also excited that the team behind this new product will be working more closely with us to evolve their offer, shaping it further with your feedback. To this end, we will be implementing PATCHS on the 15th of February and you will be able to register and access this through the branch site weblinks within our main website. Here is a link to a guide on how to use this new tool. eConsult will be decommissioned from 11am Friday the 12th of February, and you will no longer be able to submit any requests after this time.

Once again, we appreciate your patience and support in trialling this new product and look forward to your feedback once we have had a chance to embed it properly.

Keep safe and keep well!

Welcome to Medicus Health Partners

Medicus Health Partners is the largest GP Partnership in Enfield, delivering services to over 92,000 patients from its 14 locations.  All locations work on the same systems and our patients can access services, attend appointments and get help wherever they see the Medicus Logo. In January 2021 all 15 GP contracts merged and Medicus Health Partners is now fully integrated and operates as a single contract.

Background

Creative planning by a small group of GPs in Enfield who wanted to make a difference, a desire to work together for the benefit of their patients and staff. All having different skills, their surgeries offering different services, looking at innovative ways of bringing care closer to home, offering patients new ways of accessing healthcare to suit their needs and lifestyles was the vision.

In April 2018 their vision came together, and Medicus Health Partners was formed and launched with 11 practices within the Super Partnership, the strength and forward thinking of the partnership attracted other surgeries and in November 2020 there are now 15 surgeries and 36 GP Partners within Medicus Health Partners. The success of the Partnership did not stop there, winning a contract to deliver support services into care homes and work closely with the CCG and Federation in Enfield to maximise what can be achieved by working together to improve healthcare provision across the borough. In 2019 the contract to deliver SAS services across NCL was awarded to Medicus Health Partners.

Support for COVID-19 has also been a focus, running the GP Assessment Centre at Chase Farm Hospital and opening one of the 3 Vaccine Hubs  in Enfield at the Carlton House location has given the Partnership a wealth of learning to share with colleagues.

The Partners are proud of the progress so far, but they are not finished yet, they want to make things even better for patients and will be launching new services and adopting technology so patients can choose how they request and receive healthcare in the future. Our vision is to work with other services to bring even more options closer to our patients.

Medicus Health Partners is also part of  Enfield Unity Primary Care Network, working with other practices in the area to share resources and support our patients.