Hazardous Waste Regulations
Stockport Drs
Co-operative
226 - 230 Wellington Rd Sth
Stockport
SK2 6NW
Telephone: 0161 429 6498
26 September 2006
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Stockport
Local Medical
Committee
Hazardous Waste Regulations |
Stockport Drs
Co-operative Telephone: 0161 429 6498 26 September 2006 |
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New Hazardous Waste Regulations July 2005 (added 15th July 2005) New hazardous waste regulations will be introduced on 16 July 2005. Most practices will need to register with the Environment Agency before hazardous waste is treated, disposed of or removed from the premises. Hazardous waste is defined as waste with one or more properties that are hazardous to health or the environment. A list of hazardous waste that is likely to be applicable to GP practices can be found by following this link. A full List of Wastes Regulations can be found from this link Generally, prescription only medicines will not be classified as hazardous waste, and will be governed by the Environmental Protection Act (Duty of Care) Regulations 1990. Practices will have a duty of care to ensure that such waste is disposed of properly. Only cytotoxic and cytostatic medicines will be hazardous waste. Only practices producing more than 200kg of hazardous waste per year, including clinical waste will need to register. 200kg is the equivalent of 200 filled four litre sharps bins (approx 4 per week) .It is estimated that a practice with a list size of 10,000 patients will fill 5, four litre sharp bins a week. Stockport practices will be automatically signed up with their relevant provider and each practice will receive an individual invoice for the cost of registration, £28. A further charge of £10 per collection will aslo be levied. Section 46 b (ii) of the NHS GMS Premises Cost (England) Directions 2004 states that costs, which relate to the collection and disposal of clinical waste should be refunded by the PCO. Practices should therefore submit any invoices received to the PCT for reimbursement. Treating Overseas Patients (added 9th May 2005) Follow this link to recently issued GPC guidance on this issue.
Flu Monitoring Requests (added 8th November 2004) Your LMC has received a number of complaints from practices in respect of the Flu Monitoring Data requested by Dr David Baxter and his team. The data which will enable Dr Baxter's team to complete a DoH return is not easily obtainable from practice computer systems, serves no clinical purpose and only imposes an additional workload on practices at such a busy time of year. Apparently concerns have been raised across the country in respect of the request and revised guidance should be forthcoming in the very near future. In the meantime your LMC advises practices not to comply with the current request for data and concentrate on vaccinating those patients who have not as yet been vaccinated! Patient Questionnaire Update GPC have released the guidance available by following this link reminding practices that they are not to photocopy the IPQ patient survey as it is subject to copyright. The other approved questionnaire available from GPAQ, whilst subject to copyright can be copied in certain circumstances. Please see www.gpaq.info for further information in this respect. recent open LMC meeting Stockport GPs expressed their frustration that Stockport PCT has decided not to commission and therefore resource many of the enhanced services negotiated by the Genera
Unfunded Enhanced Services By now all practices will be aware
from their new contract meeting with the PCT of the enhanced
services the PCT intends to commission from General Practice from
1st April 2004. At a recent open LMC meeting Stockport
GPs expressed their frustration that Stockport PCT has decided not
to commission and therefore resource many of the enhanced services
negotiated by the General Practitioners Committee (GPC) of the BMA,
which are currently being provided in general practice. It was the
opinion of GPs present that Stockport PCT should no longer rely upon
the goodwill of GPs to continue to provide services which clearly do
not form part of either essential or additional services as defined
within the new GMS contract. Specifically these include minor
injury, alcohol and drug services. In addition the PCT’s proposals
for commissioning Near Patient Testing do not extend to “amber”
list drugs (see attached), their proposals for anti-coagulant
monitoring do not address the prescribing of warfarin and the
enhanced service provision of minor surgery is to be limited by
quota. Should your practice feel similarly
frustrated your LMC believes it is essential that you formally
advise the PCT at the same time as signing your contract, of the
enhanced services you are no longer prepared to undertake until they
are appropriately resourced. Your LMC has therefore prepared a
template letter along with patient advisory leaflets, which could be
used by practices to advise the PCT and their patients of the
transfer of service provision to the PCTs chosen provider. These are
available by following the links below: Your LMC is suggesting a 3-month
notice period, as detailed within the attached letter, although we
are aware that some practices intend to transfer the provision of
these services from 1st April 2004 on the basis that the PCT have
already had sufficient time to organise the provision of these
services. Practices can therefore amend the letter as appropriate. To ensure your LMC is aware of action
being taken by practices, I would be grateful if practices could
keep the LMC advised of their intentions and appraised of any
developments, perhaps by way of copy letters.
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