Manager Practice


ACTION URGED TO IMPROVE VACCINATION


UPTAKE ONE in seven five year olds in England may not be fully up-to-date with routine immunisations, according to Public Health England (PHE). That figure could be as high as one in four


children in London. These estimates were released as part


of the PHE campaign – Value of Vaccines – to highlight that many children are starting school at unnecessary risk of serious diseases. The intention is to prompt a call for parents to check their child’s Red Book to ensure they are up-to-date with scheduled immunisations. There has been a small but steady decline


in vaccination coverage in recent years, which means that the UK has now lost its ‘measles-free’ status with the World Health Organisation (WHO) three years after the virus was eliminated in the country.


BIG CHANGES


FOR 2020 THERE are some big employment law changes planned from April 2020 under the government’s new Good Work Plan. Under the legislation, every new employee


and worker will have the right to receive a statement of written particulars from day one of their employment. The penalty for failing to provide the statement will be two weeks’ pay. Agency workers will need to be provided with a key information document that includes details about pay, costs, benefits, deductions and fees. The reference period to take an average for


Dr Mary Ramsay, Head of Immunisation


at PHE, said: “We’re particularly concerned about children being at greater risk of measles. We’re continuing to see outbreaks of the disease occurring in communities across the country, many linked to visiting European countries over the summer holidays.”


holiday pay for those with varied hours will increase to 52 weeks from 12 weeks. Other changes include: • The Swedish derogation law regarding agency workers is to be scrapped in a bid to encourage employers to take on permanent employees.


• The threshold required for a valid request to set up information and consultation arrangements will be reduced from 10 per cent to two per cent of employees. The requirement for the request to be made by a minimum of 15 employees remains.


MDDUS RISK WEBINARS LEARN how to manage key risks in general practice by accessing a range of webinars from the MDDUS Training & CPD team. Exclusively for members, our webinars are available to access both as live events and pre-recorded resources that can be watched at a time and place to suit you. Hot topics for 2020 include:


• Reflective practice for dentists • Confidentiality in GP practice • Managing data security breaches. Check out the Training & CPD > Training > Webinars section of www.mddus.com


to find other pre-recorded and future webinars, or email risk@mddus.com for more announcements on topics such as complaints handling, confidentiality and managing social media risks.


• Confidentiality clauses in contracts or settlement agreements preventing disclosure to the police, regulated health or care or legal professions is to be prohibited.


We are still waiting for confirmation on the following proposed changes: •


Right for workers with varying hours and shift patterns to request a more predictable and stable contract after 26 weeks employment.


• Redundancy protection for new parents to be extended.


•


Extension of shared parental leave to grandparents.


SCOTT OBRZUD IT is with great sadness that we have to inform you of the death of our dear colleague Scott Obrzud, who passed away in October. Many of you will know Scott or will have


spoken to him on the advice line. He had a tremendous passion for his job and viewed himself very much as a champion for the members. He always approached his work with professionalism and diligence and took great pride in what he did. Scott began working at MDDUS as a practice adviser in 2013 and helped to pioneer the development of the role. He graduated from Napier University as an RN in 1997 and worked as a surgical nurse in the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh for five years. He then spent seven years working as a practice nurse in general practice. In 2010 he successfully completed the NES PMVTS for Practice Managers before


becoming a practice manager. Scott chaired his local managers’ group for two years prior to joining the MDDUS. For his colleagues and friends, the office is a much quieter place. Scott had a sharp wit and a real sense of fun (mischief!) and his laughter could be heard across the corridors. He was also very caring, looking out for his colleagues and for members. He was always ready to listen to members’ concerns and do all that he could to assist them. Scott paid attention to all the small details, from the advice he gave, always checking legislation and guidance was clear, to the layout of the office, where he would rearrange the stickers on the year planner and line up his shoes perfectly! It was an honour and privilege to work with him and he is greatly missed. Helen Ormiston, practice adviser


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