NILMC Advice on Hospital & Trust MED3s
Northern Ireland Local Medical Committees are sending a directive to the Chief Executives and Medical Directors of all Trusts that as of 1 November 2023 their Trusts will need to ensure that inpatient discharges, emergency department and relevant outpatient attendances (such as fracture clinics) get offered a Med3. This is to remove the need for these patients phoning or attending their GP as happens currently.
LMCs do not set out to inconvenience patients with this action.
Trusts have not comprehensively or consistently implemented the 2010 Department of Work and Pensions nor the 2018 Department of Health guidance about this issue.
We remind practices and their teams of the Department of Health Complaints Procedure 2019 to enable them to pass on any complaints received about this by their practices to Trusts complaints offices.
Northern Ireland Local Medical Committees have reminded Trusts of the BSO supply routes for Med3s
Northern Ireland Local Medical Committees have pointed out to Trust colleagues that the existing guidance does allow for trained nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and pharmacists to complete Med3s.
Resources
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Letter to HSC Trusts
This letter asking HSC Trusts to ensure their organisation has appropriate arrangements in place to ensure Med3s are issued where necessary, to avoid patients having to make separate appointments with their GPs.
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Guidance For Hospital Doctors
Statement of Fitness for Work guide for hospital doctors by the Department for work and pensions.
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Guidance For Patients
NILMC template FAQ and Myth buster for patients. Includes references to professional guidance and explains why important.
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Range of Professionals
From 1 July 2022 new legislation facilitates nurses, occupational therapists, pharmacists and physiotherapists to all legally certify fit notes.
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Letter to Practices
Copy of letter from LMC Chairs to constituent GP Practices
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Letter to Trusts
Copy of letter from LMC Chairs to Chief Executives HSC Trusts & Trust Medical Directors
LMCs consider the Med3 issue a barometer for other matters. This is an issue where both the law and policy-makers recognise that this is work that belongs to Trusts which is currently foisted on GPs.
Actions going forward
1. Consistency across Northern Ireland General Practice is important here. Nothing will change unless GPs collectively decline to undertake work that should have been and must now return to its rightful owner within Trusts.
2. We have created a patient information sheet for practices to store and share with patients summarising the important issues and signposting them within the NI Trusts and largest independent healthcare providers. This includes these providers complaint departments should patients encounter resistance. A copy is attached to this letter and available for download from NILMC website
3. It should be noted that GPs will still have a large role in provision of Med3s to those patients who have not attended hospital and are chronically unwell. This action is to repatriate Trust work is around those patients where Trust inaction is creating work for GPs - eg post acute admission, post-major surgery or fracture clinic.
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The 4 LMCs - Northern, Eastern, Western and Southern are part of Northern Ireland LMCs Limited, Registration no: NI611771. NILMC is incorporated as a limited company.
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Northern Ireland Local Medical Committee Limited does not provide legal or financial advice and thereby excludes all liability howsoever arising in circumstances where any individual, person or entity has suffered any loss or damage arising from the use of information provided by Northern Ireland Local Medical Committee Limited in circumstances where professional legal or financial advice ought reasonably to have been obtained.
Northern Ireland Local Medical Committee Limited provides representation, guidance and support to GPs and practices. Northern Ireland Local Medical Committee Limited strongly advises individuals or practices to obtain independent legal/financial advice.