Scottish GPs aim for 90% e-referral in 2006

Scottish GPs should be sending 90% of referrals electronically by the end of March next year, according to new guidance on preparation for a single record.

The target is just one of the areas covered in the letter from the Scottish Executive which is designed to mitigate the risks of planning blight before a new single record is established by setting out policy and guidance for the IM&T community. The Executive is committed to acquiring and delivering a single record by 2008.

Other interim targets included in the guidance for NHS Boards include ensuring that all GP practices are able to receive haematology and biochemistry results electronically by the end of March and expanding the types of clinical information held within its information repository SCI Store, in particular clinical letters.

The guidance says there is no need to “wind down or even coast” on the national ‘cornerstone’ products such as SCI Store and SCI Gateway.

It says: “The perception may be that the single record implies no future for the current national cornerstone products. This conclusion is wrong for several reasons. Firstly the strategy is not ‘big bang’ implementation of single record but rather is one of incremental steps. Secondly the cornerstone products will have an important role in the migration to single record. Finally it may be that the successful supplier will wish to include one or more cornerstones in their overall permanent architecture.”

The guidance also sets out the objectives for the emergency care summary (ECS) which allows out of hours services access to demographics, medication and allergies information from GPs’ records. It says rollout of the ECS to all out of hours services is to be completed and at the same time options will be considered for enhancing the content of the ECS, such as the addition of Quality and Outcomes Framework data. The guidance says there will also be a trial of patient access to the ECS.

NHS Boards are advised that in preparation for the single record local planning should focus on implementation of key national initiatives such as national PACS system roll out by the end of 2007 and the setting up of standard desktops.

The guidance sets out criteria which any new “significant developments” must meet before they are allowed to go ahead to ensure they fit in with the single record. Boards are advised that contracts for new developments must include early termination dates or no cost ‘early walk away’ clauses to allow a cost neutral switch to single record contracts.

Significant developments are defined as those costing more than £100,000 or crossing traditional organisation boundaries or involving replacement of existing core systems. These will be subject to a formal review by the e-health section of the Scottish Executive Health department.

The Scottish Executive is also setting up a register of e-health applications to improve planning for migration to the single record.

Links

Letter from Scottish Executive