1. Switching hub appointments 
2. Request for expressions of interest from Clinicians and Admins
3. Access to guidance SH Sheffield
4. Swabbing for patients 
5. PLI Dates Updated 
6. Training event: Watch Now
7. Training for PCN staff: New dates added
8. PCS 'drop-in' sessions
9. Booking COVID tests for your team 

Switching hub appointments between EMIS and S1

Hub appointments are generally made available proportionately to SystmOne and EMIS practices (70/30 respectively). It’s important appointments are utilised whenever possible, especially now it’s really busy.

This is a reminder that if all EMIS or SystmOne appointments are filled, it is possible to request a spare slot be converted, e.g. if there are no EMIS appointments available, a spare SystmOne appointment may be converted if available, or vice versa.

Please call our service coordination team to request a conversion on 0114 322 3110. If you have any issues, please contact Lindsay.andrews-barber@nhs.net

Request for expressions of interest from clinicians and administrators
 
The Primary Care at Scale team has been asked by the CCG to look at what it might be able to offer in relation to a primary care led at scale Covid-19 vaccination site. We are in the early stages of planning this to support cohorts 10-12. If commissioned, it could run in the evenings and at weekends.
 
If you or other clinicians and administrators are interested in forming part of a potential vaccination team, please contact cara.brazier@nhs.net to express your interest.

Accessing sexual health guidance through Sexual Health Sheffield

Following feedback we have been asked to provide some clarity around the ways in which practices can obtain sexual health guidance and advice through the Sexual Health Sheffield service. 

Urgent guidance on STI’s and complex contraception queries
Please contact STH switchboard on 0114 271 1900 and ask to bleep the GUM doctor.

Non-urgent guidance on STI’s and complex contraception queries
GPs should call the Single Point of Access (SPA) 0114 226 8888 who will take their details and arrange for a STH clinician to call them back. 

Response from STH is normally within 24-48 hours. 

Non-urgent clinical guidance for LARC (coils and implants) and general contraception advice 
Email pcs.sexualhealth@nhs.net providing 
•    Clinician name & contact number
•    Details of query (including patient age/ sex/ any historic problems which may need to be considered by our clinician upon response)

Note that we are not able to offer urgent clinical guidance for LARC as availability of our sexual health clinicians is unpredictable due to their clinical commitments.

Response to queries from PCS is normally within 24-48 hours. 

If you require any further information please do not hesitate to contact the team on pcs.sexualhealth@nhs.net.

Swabbing for patients who attend hot hub appointments

Following feedback and to help protect capacity for those who need to be seen face-to-face for symptoms (not just for testing), we are asking that patients requiring a COVID test are encouraged to book one by either calling 119 or booking an appointment online, rather than being booked into a hot hub appointment. 

The hot hubs will continue to offer COVID swabs to patients attending who meet the referral criteria and where there is clinical benefit. This is done to minimise journeys for patients who should be self-isolating with symptoms of COVID and also to assist in swabbing of those patients who would otherwise have difficulty accessing a Tier 2 centre.

• Tuesday 11th  May
• Friday 11th June