New Drug Drive Laws: What GPs Need to Know

Our roads are now a safer place thanks to the introduction of new drug driving laws.

Since March 2015 it has become illegal to drive with more than a specified amount of some controlled drugs in the blood.  

As the law allows for a medical defence for those taking prescribed medications, GPs need to ensure they understand the new laws so that they can communicate clearly with patients about the impact of taking certain drugs when driving.

At Locum Select we like to keep our doctors up to date with the latest news so here’s our brief rundown of everything GPs need to know about the new laws:

1. Medication Evidence – the first thing GPs need to be aware of is that patients may ask for written confirmation of the drugs they are prescribed, in case they should be stopped by police.  They may also want to know the impact of the medication on their ability to drive.  This shouldn’t change the way medication is prescribed but you will have to ensure that patients have the appropriate information, such as the side effects of the drugs they are taking.
2. Which medication? – there are two groups of medications covered by the new drug drive offence – recreational drugs, which have been set at a low level and licensed medications, for which higher levels are acceptable in the blood stream. Commonly used recreational drugs may include:
   
   • Cannabis
   • Heroin
   • Cocaine
   • Ketamine
   • LSD
   
   Licensed medications covered by the new laws include:
   
   • Benzodiazepines (e.g. clonazepam, oxazepam and diazepam)
   • Methadone
   • Morphine
    
3. Medical Defence – if the police suspect a driver is unfit to drive they can stop them at the roadside to screen saliva for the presence of drugs.  A positive result will most likely lead to blood tests to determine whether drug levels are above the new legal limits.  If the individual is taking medication for therapeutic purposes they can raise a medical defence.  As a GP you should be clear on your duty and disclose only the necessary information.
4. Document advice – The MDU advises that GPs document advice given to patients about their medication, in particular advice about driving while taking medication.
5. Communicate with patients – it is important to understand whether patients are taking more drugs than they are being prescribed.  If you suspect this, or they are ordering repeat prescriptions too frequently it would be prudent to discuss their fitness to drive and ensure everything is documented.

If you need further information on the drug drive offence you can contact the MDU.

A 10-point checklist of what you will need when applying for a Locum GP position

Being a medical professional you hold the responsibility of taking good care of your patients, through being able to provide them with medical advice, to caring for their health and general wellbeing. As a Locum GP your position is important to provide the relevant care to all your patients, and ensure that they are well looked after when in your temporary care.  

If you are applying for a position as a Locum GP, it is advisable to have all the right qualifications in place, and ensure that you have the appropriate documents to support your application; which will reassure your employers that you have the right knowledge and qualifications to give your patients the best care safely and legally.

Here is a basic checklist of things you will need to ensure you have in place when applying for a Locum GP job:

• Certificate Proof of entry on the General Practitioners Medical Register with Licence to practice 
• CCT certificate from GMC 
• Medical Indemnity Insurance Certificate 
• Evidence of inclusion on the GP Performers list 
• CRB Enhanced Disclosure certificate 
• Basic Life Support (BLS) or Advanced Life support (ALS) certificate 
• Safeguarding vulnerable adults certificate 
• Safeguarding child protection certificate
•  Photographic I.D. (i.e. passport & evidence of current address e.g. utility bill or driving licence with address

Ensuring that you meet this checklist criteria will give you a better chance of being well organised when you apply for a locum GP position.  It will also show your employer that you have the relevant checks in place and experience to work as a locum GP.  

Having the right qualifications and certificates in place will reduce the amount of time it takes for you to potentially become employed, so it is important to have the relevant identification documents and all qualifications in place ready to hand over to your locum agency.  Locum Select carry out thorough checks on all locum GPs, to give clients peace of mind and to ensure all future patients will be in safe hands. To find out more about registering with a reputable locum agency, please visit the Locum Select website.  

Are Part Time Women Doctors to Blame for the GP Shortage?

This week a government immigration advisor opened a can of worms by suggesting that the number of women doctors working part time is directly contributing to the current GP shortage.  

To make matters worse, rather than resolving the crisis by putting GPs on the shortage list which would allow more to be recruited from outside the EU, the health department has been told to recruit from inside the EU.  

The reasoning behind the Migration Advisory Committee’s decision is that there is not a lack of students coming through medical schools and therefore shortages can be addressed by changing the incentive structure so that more doctors choose the GP route rather than the hospital one.

So where does this leave us?

Apart from no doubt angering female GPs, many of whom are presumably working part time to bring up their children and avoid costly childcare draining their income, we can’t help thinking that this step gets us no further forward.

At the end of the day those suffering as a result of the GP crisis are patients who are forced to wait longer to see a GP or who take the alternative of going to A&E, thus putting a further strain on the already stretched NHS.   

Of course, one solution would be the hiring of locums, particularly in the short term whilst practices carry out recruitment for long term GP posts.  Locum doctors can fill the gaps both for temporary vacancies and those of a semi-permanent nature.  At least this gives the patients the reassurance they need that a fully qualified doctor is available to see them when they need an appointment.

Perhaps you have your own views on the GP crisis and how to solve it?  Why not tweet us at @LocumSelect to share your views.

Cold Weather Causes Increased Patient Demand Across England

The recent cold snap has caused a large increase in patient demand within GP surgeries and other health services.  Public Health England has even advised GPs to prioritise patients who may be particularly vulnerable to the cold, in order to prevent weather related health conditions from escalating.  Patients at risk include the elderly and infirm, infants and asthma patients.

Severe Asthma Patient Numbers Double

Figures from Public Health England have revealed that the rates of lower respiratory tract infection are at an all-time high; and the number of patients experiencing severe asthma has doubled since this time last year.  These cold weather related issues are putting a strain on a number of GP surgeries, as more and more patients are seeking prompt medical advice.  One way of dealing with the increased demand from patients during the cold spell is to hire the services of locum GPs; who can be booked at relatively short notice in order to ease the pressure from permanent GPs. 

Catch it. Kill it. Bin it

But what other methods can be used to try to combat health issues which are related to cold weather?  It has also been revealed that confirmed cases of flu are at their highest levels in three years - which understandably not only puts added pressure on GP surgeries, but also A&E departments.  Public health officials have created a campaign which informs the public to ‘Catch it.  Bin it.  Kill it,’ as a method of reminding the general public to dispose of tissues once they have been used, and to wash their hands thoroughly to help to kill the flu virus.  The campaign message is simple yet effective and aims to reduce the flu virus spreading during the winter months.

Booking Locum GPs

Whilst most Practice Managers will be aware that winter will understandably lead to a greater demand in patients needing to see their GP, as the weather is particularly cold this year they may find that their usual strategy is not coping with the sudden increased demand.  Booking one or more locum GPs can certainly help to provide a more efficient service to patients, and will also help to ease the strain on the permanent GPs.

To find out more about booking a locum GP or perhaps registering as a locum GP, feel free to visit the Locum Select website http://www.locumselect.com/locum-gp.php in order to find out more.

GP Workforce Crisis is Great News for the Locum GP

If you work in the healthcare industry then you will be only too aware of the difficulties arising from the recent NHS reforms.  As a knock-on effect of this, a wave of early retirements and increased pressure on the general practice workforce has led to vacancies at GP surgeries across the country.  

This rise in vacancies has unsurprisingly led to a surge in demand for locum GPs.  In a recent survey by Medeconomics.co.uk, 53% of the locums questioned said demand for their services had increased, despite the fact that over 60% of them said they were aware that practices in their area were trying to reduce costs.

Whilst some practices may view the custom of hiring a locum GP to be an additional squeeze on budgets, at a time when things are already stretched, the more forward-thinking surgeries are realising that this is the best way forward.  Hiring locums enables the GP practice to deliver a constantly high level of care and service to patients and can help to fill those temporary gaps caused by holidays, sick leave or recent departures.

GP practices may be desperate to balance the books and make their resources stretch as far as possible but it seems many will have little choice but to turn to the services of a Locum GP.  Yes, practices have had their budgets cut but they will continue to put the patient first, even if this does mean incurring higher costs in the short term.  After all, hiring locums is a great way to ease pressure on the workload of other practice GPs whilst actively recruiting for permanent GPs to join the workforce in place of those who have retired or departed.

Despite the cost element, there are many reasons why practices will benefit from hiring locums, these may include:

• Quick and short term solution when there is no time to recruit for permanent positions
• The locum agency will work with the client to find the most suitable candidate for vacancy
• All applicants are screened by the agency which delivers peace of mind to practice managers
• Locum GPs can offer a fresh and sometimes more thorough approach to patients as they have had no prior contact with them and will therefore need to get more background information on their condition.

The versatility of the locum doctor makes them an ideal candidate to fill temporary roles within general practice.  If you would like to find out more about the advantages of hiring a locum GP please visit the Locum Select website.