GPs asked to prescribe antivirals to 'well' patients in care homes to prevent flu
GPs in the south east of England are being asked to prescribe Tamiflu to ‘well’ patients in nursing homes, with local GP leaders saying the task is ‘taking them away from more important work’ this winter.
GPs in Oxford, Maidenhead and Newbury have been asked by commissioners to prescribe the antivirals to patients in nursing homes who are not yet displaying symptoms but have potentially come in contact with an infected person following a flu outbreak.
Rates of GP consultations for flu continued to rise last week with the entire UK now affected by several influenza strains.
However Dr Paul Roblin, chief executive of Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire LMC, said the antivirals prescribing process is ‘enormously work intensive’.
He said: ‘If you are to check their kidney function can cope with the drug and it’s appropriate to give it and they’re consenting to give it, informed consent because these are well patients - actually it takes 10-15 minutes per patient.
‘If you have to do this for 80 patients at short notice, there are going to be a lot of things you’re going to have to stop doing.’
He added that the work ‘has not been adequately commissioned and resourced’, with demands on GP time ‘not being prioritised and we’re being asked by the authorities to do less important work, taking us away from more important stuff’.
This winter has seen GPs 'horrendously pressured' in an attempt to care for a barrage of patients hit by winter illnesses, whilst being discouraged to pass them over to emergency services.
Dr Andrew Green, prescribing lead for the BMA's GP committee, said: 'CCGs were notified some time ago by NHS England that they had a responsibility to set up a service for prophylactic prescribing of antivirals in these circumstances, and most have done so.
'Where CCGs have failed to make proper arrangements that does not mean that the responsibility rests with GPs. Where GPs chose to do this work for their CCGs they should ensure that they are provided with the resources that they need to do so.'
A spokesperson for Berkshire West CCGs, which covers the Newbury area, said that the local GP out-of-hours provider has been commissioned to prescribe the medicine.
Dr Cathy Winfield, chief officer of Berkshire West CCGs, told Pulse that the CCG discussed with PHE ‘about the possible requirement for prophylactic antivirals’ in a local nursing home after a flu outbreak, which saw GPs ‘provide care for the small number of symptomatic patients which is in line with their GMS contract’.
A spokesperson for NHS Windsor, Ascot and Maidenhead CCG added that CCGs ‘would only request the prescribing of Tamiflu under the direction of Public Health England’.
Pulse has approached PHE about the issue but a spokesperson declined to comment.
Should GPs prescribe Tamiflu to care home residents?
The prescribing of Tamiflu has been an ongoing issue since 2015, when GPs were bullied into prescribing bulk prescriptions at very short notice and without time to carry out necessary checks, leading to a ‘significant untoward incident’ being recorded at one care home.
Last year the GPC advised GPs to ignore requests from NHS England to issue bulk prescriptions to care homes experiencing outbreaks of flu as local health commissioners had not set up a contract.
Following this, health bosses warned GPs they could face medical negligence claims and threatened them with referral to the GMC if they refused to deliver preventive flu treatment to care home residents as part of their usual contractual work.
Public Health England then issued guidance telling GPs to continue prescribing Tamiflu even though it was downgraded by the World Health Organisation, which advised that the medicine’s use should be ‘restricted to severe illness due to confirmed or suspected influenza virus infection in critically ill hospitalized patients’.
Readers' comments (13)
RLE GP | GP Partner/Principal11 Jan 2018 9:55am
Nope
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Angus Podgorny | GP Partner/Principal11 Jan 2018 9:55am
Public health job.
They still exist don't they?
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Turn out the lights | GP Partner/Principal11 Jan 2018 9:59am
NO NO NO
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Ed the 'Ed | GP Partner/Principal11 Jan 2018 10:25am
We have infinite time to do everything, not like those poor A&E bods and consultants who are sitting at home because their lists and clinics are cancelled...... (certainly happening where I am working, couldn't expect them to clear the A&E depts.)
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DrDr | GP Partner/Principal11 Jan 2018 10:50am
Supposed to be CCGs to commision therefore if not commisioned dont do
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another last man standing | GP Partner/Principal11 Jan 2018 12:04pm
Well that is really going to help the NHS budget! What will we have to cut back on to pay for the anti virals? Perhaps refuse to treat the really ill patients? That’ll increase the death rate but will reduce the population to be treated so an overall reduction in costs!! Am I a cynic or what?!
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Just Your Average Joe | GP Partner/Principal11 Jan 2018 12:23pm
1 - This is not a core service, so Don't do it as it is unfunded, and even if they offer funding see 3.
2 - There is no proof the Tamiflu even works with the current outbreak.
3 - Do no harm - there is potential harm from Tamiflu in well patients, as the side effects are unpleasant, sometimes can manifest as bad as the flu itself.
4 - There is no capacity in Primary care to offer this without harm to usual patients who may not get the care they need.
5 - Public health has doctors and nurses sitting in their ivory towers - free to go to care homes and do this work if they wish it to be done.
6 - Simple - Problem solved.
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The cavalry isn't coming | Hospital Doctor11 Jan 2018 1:00pm
The lunatics have finally taken over the asylum.
Any evidencethis works? Does society really want it to work????
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semiretired | Locum GP11 Jan 2018 1:32pm
not gp's job. let mr hunt distribute it as x-mas present all care home patient.
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Sinnick | GP Partner/Principal11 Jan 2018 2:58pm
This is a toxic medicine whose efficacy is in doubt to say the least. I wouldn’t take it or prescribe it and I think persuading well patients to take it would be ethically unsound.
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