1 Lower Marsh London SE1 7NT Email: [email protected] Telephone: 0203 049 4481 April 14th 2014 Dear GP Practice Re: Important information regarding the InHealth Diagnostic Contract. You will have received a letter on 31st March highlighting that the InHealth diagnostic contract was being discontinued with the exception of Audiology tests which are commissioned through a separate contract. I would like to apologise for the late notice given regarding the change in contract. We were unable to inform practices sooner due to clarification being sought on some financially sensitive information and the potential implications for InHealth staff from the proposed change. This letter gives further information on the management of patients who require diagnostics and how InHealth will manage patients recently referred into the service. Rationale for service change As of 1st April 2014, the InHealth contract moved from a London wide contract to one managed by the individual CCGs. Lambeth CCG had conducted a review of the InHealth service which identified that - InHealth activity had been falling and within 2013/14 was at half the level contracted for Lambeth - The largest area of activity hearing tests will remain as this was commissioned through Any Qualified Provider (AQP) and this contract is continuing - There had been reports from some GPs that some secondary care clinicians were requesting a repeat of the diagnostics tests completed by InHealth and this was leading to a duplication of tests and a waste of resources - The second largest area of activity is MRIs. Our developed model is that Musculoskeletal (MSK) MRI should be commissioned via our musculoskeletal pathway. This involves clinical assessment via a multidisciplinary team. This service is currently being tendered and has recently been advertised on Supply2Health. In the meantime patients could be referred to acute trusts for MSK MRI until this pathway is up and running - The other main area of activity within the contract was ultrasound tests. This is available through direct access from acute trusts and Clapham community ultrasound service (for gynaecology ultrasounds). Our commissioning approach going forward is to commission against pathways of care rather than diagnostics as a single intervention. The decision to discontinue diagnostics from InHealth was agreed by the Governing Body in July 2013 following a detailed discussion due to the rationale outlined above. Audiology Tests Please continue to refer to In Health for Audiology tests CCG Chair: Dr Adrian McLachlan Chief Officer: Andrew Eyres Management of New Patients Requiring Diagnostics The direct access diagnostics tests previously provided by InHealth are listed below. We have advised where patients can now be sent for these tests Ultrasound - GSTT, KCH, St Georges and Clapham Community Ultrasound service MRI – GSTT, St Georges (spine, knees and middle ear) 24 hour ECG – KCH, GSTT, St Georges Echo – KCH, St Georges, GSTT 24 hour BP monitoring – KCH, GSTT, St Georges and locality schemes DEXA scans – KCH, GSTT - within metabolic bone pathway ECG – KCH, GSTT, St Georges, Gracefield Gardens Referral forms to the majority of the above services are available on the GP practice portal on the Lambeth CCG website. As part of our work on improving appropriate referrals and supporting practices with the referral process, we will be working with acute trust colleagues to move referral forms from paper to electronic formats. In health management of patients currently within referral pathway 1) Patients referred into the service awaiting a diagnostic test will be appointed within the next 2 weeks 2) Appointments will occur over the next 4 weeks with all reports being completed and sent to referrers by 30th April If you have any further queries regarding this, please contact Bisi Aiyeleso on 0203 049 4322. Please ensure that this important message is copied to all practice staff, including locums. Yours faithfully, Moira McGrath Director of Care Pathway Commissioning Lambeth Clinical Commissioning Group Cc Dr Adrian McLachlan Dr John Balazs Dr Hasnain Abbasi CCG Chair: Dr Adrian McLachlan Chief Officer: Andrew Eyres
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