GP2GP record transfer is NPfIT’s ‘most wanted’

GP2GP patient record transfer is the service that GPs would most like to see delivered by the National Programme for IT, according to a survey carried out this month.

A total of 390 GPs took part in the online survey conducted by GP system supplier In Practice Systems which asked GPs to rate which NPfIT service would be most likely to benefit their practice’s work.

Fifty per cent of GPs put GP2GP at the top of their list of priorities, the electronic prescription service (EPS) was ranked second with 12.9% of the votes with Choose and Book identified as a priority by just 4.3%. Nearly 23% of those who took part did not wish to state a priority. On EPS nearly 73% of GPs thought that it could help to reduce incidences of medication misuse and prescription fraud.

The survey also asked GPs about practice based commissioning (PBC) and found that 31.5% are concerned about the impact PBC might have on practice finances and 50% have questions or feel they need more information about PBC.

Steve Marriott, marketing manager for InPS, said: "We wanted to take a snapshot of GPs’ attitudes to the issues and changes they are facing in their day-to-day work – both IT-related and non-IT related. It is interesting to note what GPs state as their own priorities for NPfIT, and how they see joined-up communications within their local communities benefiting patients.”

Other results from the survey showed that 42% of GPs welcome pharmacists taking over non-critical consultations and 69% disagree than community polyclinics would improve patient care.

The majority of GPs who took part in the survey were from English practices (80.3%), with 7.1% based in Scotland, 10% Wales and 2.9% Northern Ireland.

Asked about their work/life balance over the last two years, 25.7% reported an improvement, 22.9% felt there was no difference, but 51.5% felt it had worsened to some degree.