On 1 September the following services went paper-free and are now only bookable via e-RS:

•           Diabetes

•           Dermatology

•           Gynaecology

•           Ophthalmology

•           Neurology

•           Cancer 2 week wait

•           Antenatal (Assessment Service)

•           MCATTS (Lambeth).

 
The response from GPs has generally been very positive and we have seen an increase in referrals for the above areas via e-RS. 

As we move towards receiving 100% of our GP referrals via e-RS, from 1 December a second tranche of services will accept referrals via e-RS only:

• Endocrinology
• Allergy (adults and paediatrics)
• Rheumatology
• Breast (non 2 week wait)
• Haematology
• Nephrology.

Over the next two months we will be promoting the use of e-RS  for these services. From 1 December we will no longer accept GP referrals by email or paper for the above.

We welcome your feedback on our Directory of Services for the above areas.  Please contact Arti Trivedi (e-RS Manager)  arti.trivedi@gstt.nhs.uk for issues related to e-RS only. 

In line with the Pan London Cancer Referral guidance,  GPs and referrers should ensure that:

• The patient is aware that the referral is urgent and why it is urgent. It is also important that the patient is available to attend. If a patient is not available the referral must be deferred until the patient can attend.
• The patient has been given a hard copy of the specific 2ww referral patient leaflet which is embedded in each 2ww referral form. This is specific to the 2ww clinic type and explains what the patient should expect at the appointment (e.g. the likely investigations, how much time it will take, etc).
• Contact details for the patient are correct including telephone numbers  -  pro-formas need to be attached within 24 hours of the referral being made. 
• The appointment on e-RS is made and agreed with the patient before they leave the practice.
• An appointment is not booked without the patient's agreement as this leads to DNAs and rescheduled appointments.
• Should the patient wish to book their own appointment (this is not recommended), please explain to the patient how to make the appointment using web or national telephone appointment line (TAL). If the patient is making the appointment, the practice will need to monitor that the appointment has been made and contact the patient if this has not been done.

On  1 September, our gynaecology service went paper-free and now only accepts GP referrals via the NHS e-Referral Service (e-RS – formerly Choose and Book).

When referring a patient to gynaecology, if the scan has not been taken at Guy's and St Thomas’, please ensure that the scan report is attached on e-RS or a copy is given to the patient to bring at the appointment.

Failure to attach scans leads to delays, duplication of scans and repeat visits for many patients. 

Evelina London phlebotomy services for children and young people have moved to a larger, purpose-build space allowing for increased capacity and reduced queues. Service have relocated from the ground floor within Evelina London Children’s Hospital to the ground floor, South Wing of St Thomas’ Hospital, next to the adult blood test centre. The new blood test centre is open for walk-in patients Monday-Friday, 8am-5.30pm.

Directions, opening hours and a map can be found on the Evelina London website.

The Rapid Access Diagnostic Clinic at Guy’s and St Thomas’ has now seen more than 250 patients. Our staff have diagnosed 24 cancers from numerous tumour groups and at varying stages from T1-T4. The patients are seen within seven days and the average time from referral to treatment is 42 days. The clinic also assists in diagnosing benign but serious conditions which have so far included multiple sclerosis, vasculitis, heart failure, liver cirrhosis and Crohn’s disease. 

Our children’s ear, nose and throat (ENT) service has updated its referral guidelines for five of the commonest paediatric ENT conditions.

Please see attached guidance document.

Following GP feedback we have updated the directory of services on Guy’s and St Thomas’ website with new pages about our gastroenterology and hepatology services.

Click here for full information on referrals.

The Guy’s and St Thomas’ Headache Centre cares for patients with complex headache disorders. Our service has a unique multi-disciplinary structure which means we work with a broad range of other health professionals and clinical services.

Our team includes consultants, clinical psychologists, a neurosurgeon, clinical nurse specialists, research fellows and research nurses.

As well as serving our local populations of Southwark and Lambeth, we also accept referrals from consultants and other specialists for patients with complex head and facial pain disorders.

Following feedback from colleagues at Southwark and Lambeth CCGs, including GP leads, the following changes were made to the TQuest ordering screen:

• Pop-up removed for Hep B surface Ag  (HepB)
• Pop-up removed for Hep C IgG Ab (Hep C)
• Question added for Gonadotrophins - “NICE Guidance NG23 11/2015 suggests there is no need to use this test to diagnose menopause in women >45 years. Would you still like to order this test?" Save or cancel”.

For any queries or concerns about Viapath, please contact the customer service team by emailing customersupport@viapath.co.uk or phoning 020 7188 9684.

 A new study for patients suffering from new-onset moderate to severe plaque psoriasis has opened at Guy’s Hospital, and is looking to recruit patients from the community.

We would be grateful if you would display the poster in your patient waiting area(s).  The research team can also send laminated copies of the poster if this would be useful.  The research team can be contacted on the following telephone number Monday to Friday,8.30am-5pm: 07717 697 435. 

Eligibility criteria:

Any patients with new-onset, moderate to severe plaque psoriasis who you have seen recently, or will be seen in your practice, and referred to us for specialised treatment as per standard routine care may now be eligible for this trial.

Attached is a letter detailing information about the trial, in addition to the poster to advertise it. 

King’s Health Partners has published the first outcomes book from our Mood, Anxiety and Personality Clinical Academic Group (CAG). Included in the book are outcomes for a large range of services for people with mood, anxiety, personality and trauma related disorders, including depression and self-harm.

Read more on the King’s Health Partners website.

The title of the next Schwartz centre round is “Making decisions in best interests of the patient, a journey from the Court of Protection to the Coroners Court” and will be taking place on Friday 20 October, in the Sherman Lecture Theatre, 4^th Floor, Southwark Wing, Guy’s Hospital, from 1-2pm.

Lunch will be provided for attendees from 12.30pm.
 

A two-day multidisciplinary course for hospital and community staff for GPs, nurses, healtcare workers and anyone who cares for people in their last year or so of life.

The London Headache and Facial Pain Symposium is unique in its comprehensive approach to facial pain. This topic will be addressed by international experts with differing perspectives. These include the general practitioner, the pain specialist, the neurologist, the radiotherapist and the neurosurgeon.

The course will provide delegates with extensive teaching on the diagnosis, pathogenesis and treatment of facial pain and trigeminal neuralgia. On completion attendees will be equipped with the skills required to diagnose and treat patients with facial pain.

For the full programme including speakers and costs please click here.

The course is aimed at GPs with a range of interests and experience, including trainees fulfilling dermatology requirements of the RCGP curriculum, trainees approaching MRCGP examinations, established salaried GPs and partners looking to update their dermatology knowledge, dermatology clinical assistants, dermatology GPSIs or those with potential roles in commissioning dermatology services. The course is also suitable for physicians with an interest in dermatology (specifically medical and genito-urinary trainees).

Whether you choose to attend for one, two or three days, this course will provide you with a comprehensive, practical and enjoyable overview of dermatology, backed-up by the latest evidence and up-to-the-minute clinical guidelines.