PCT IM&T plans for the next financial year must include the roll-out of the Summary Care Record and the full implementation of Directly Bookable Services (DBS) for Choose and Book, according to latest guidance from the Department of Health.
The guidance sets out the DH’s key expectations on IM&T for 2008/9 and the roles of local NHS organisations.
PCTs will be responsible for the production of local health community IM&T plans with PCT chief executives providing overall leadership.
Key tasks for PCTs will include the roll-out of the SCR, implementation of Directly Bookable Services (DBS) for Choose and Book, use of the NHS number in all patient communications and the introduction of Local Service Provider (LSP) products.
On the SCR the guidance states that rollout will begin in early 2008/9 and all NHS providers need to have plans in place by 31 March 2008 for implementing the SCR including local Healthspace registration processes, public information programmes and operational readiness including staff training and data quality accreditation.
The guidance underlines the DH’s commitment to ensure all trusts offer directly bookable services for Choose and Book.
The guidance adds: “It is vital to increase the benefits offered through this service by extending its availability to patients.”
PCTs will be expected to ensure that NHS providers and PCTs have plans in place by 31 March 2008 to implement DBS.
IM&T plans will also be expected to outline PCT plans to introduce and use LSP strategic solutions including a ‘slot plan’ for 2008/9 plus an indicative roadmap and timeline up to 2011. On GP Systems of Choice (GPSoC) the guidance says that PCTs need to implement existing plans for the take up of GP IT systems from either LSPs or GPSoC framework suppliers.
It adds: “By 31 March 2008 PCTs will ensure the Local Health Community IM&T plan includes the local implementation of GPSoC.”
The guidance states that all NHS providers will be expected to plan for the complete adoption of the NHS Number as the mandated unique patient identifier in all administrative and clinical systems and that it should be used in all patient communications.
NHS providers are also expected to produce information governance policies that deliver on the obligations in the Care Record Guarantee plus protocols for sharing patient data with other NHS organisations and non- NHS organisations.
Strategic health authorities (SHAs) will be required to produce evidence of the benefits from the National Programme for IT for inclusion in a national summary report.
The guidance says local IM&T plans should be in place early in 2008 and be completed and quality assured by SHAs by 31 March 2008.
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