OCCG Weekly Bulletin
Wednesday 15 July 2015
Included in this bulletin:



June Prescribing Updates
Proactive Medical Support for Care
Homes
Changes to Dementia Support
Service

Parkinson’s UK – First Steps
Programme
Clinical Policies & Procedures
June Prescribing Updates:
Please click on the link here to download June’s Prescribing Points. It includes information about
management of overactive bladder and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) management in
Primary Care plus how to switch patients from warfarin to novel oral anticoagulants (NOAC) .
Risk of diabetic ketoacidosis during treatment with sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors:
Serious, sometimes life-threatening cases of diabetic ketoacidosis have been reported in patients on SGLT2
inhibitor treatment (canagliflozin, dapagliflozin or empagliflozin) for type 2 diabetes.
The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA have issued a drug safety alert and a
letter for health care professionals is now available.
Oxford Centre for Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism (OCDEM have made the decision to make the
SGLT2 inhibitors consultant initiation only medicines pending further review. It is recommended that
patients taking SGLT2 inhibitors should be assessed for ketoacidosis when they present with signs or
symptoms of metabolic acidosis in order to prevent delayed diagnosis. If ketone levels are greater than
1.0mmol/l then seek help. Further advice may be sought from the on-call diabetes registrar at the Churchill
Hospital on 01865 741841. Further information will be given in the coming months once a more detailed
review has been completed.
Proactive Medical Support for Care Homes:
This is an OCCG scheme to pair care homes with a local GP practice, so that a single named GP visits the
home on a weekly basis. Residents who are signed up to the practice (subject to their right to choose their
GP) will receive proactive medical care, with the aim of reducing the number of emergency and nonelective admissions they might have. Feedback so far has been positive, and practices who have signed up
to the scheme have said that, after some initial work, it saves GP time and improves patient care. Currently
there are 32 GP practices signed up to the scheme, covering 44 care homes.
Please click here to view the Care Home Scheme newsletter.
Practices already signed up to the scheme received a recent communication about modifications to the
scheme and this information can be found here
Changes to Dementia Support Service:
Oxfordshire County Council is currently working with Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group to replace
the range of dementia support services we have with one single service for all. This will help ensure that
people have access to and receive the same level of support and advice no matter where they live in the
county. The new dementia support service will start in November 2015 and a number of current contracts
will come to an end as the new service begins. For more information please click here
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Learning and Development
Parkinson’s UK – First Steps Programme:
A pilot programme to enable people newly diagnosed with Parkinson’s to come to terms with the condition
and feel more in control is now available locally.
The one day sessions are run in small groups and are being offered on Tuesdays and Saturdays at Witney
Lakes Resort, Oxfordshire over the next three months.
The programme will cover getting the right information and support, taking steps to manage the condition
and facing the future positively. For more information please click here
For further details or to book a place contact Kathryn McLoughlin on 020 7963 9381 or email:
kmcloughlin@parkinsons.org.uk
To give us your feedback please email: OCCG.GPbulletin@nhs.net
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