CAF demonstrator details unveiled

The Department of Health has published an overview of the work being undertaken by the nine sites chosen as demonstrators for the Common Assessment Framework.

The nine successful sites were announced in February. Each partnership is led by local adult social services and involves a range of acute and community health services and IT suppliers.

The phase one sites for the demonstrator programme will develop and test improved information sharing across health, social care and wider community support services.

The overview provides information on what each site intends to address and the organisations involved. The nine successful sites were Barnsley, Camden, Hampshire, Lincolnshire, Rochdale, Shropshire, Stockport, Warwickshire and Westminster.

The report says the London Programme for IT will be working with the Camden and Westminster demonstrator sites to deliver and test solutions on a London-wide basis.

LPfIT plans to develop a solution that will enable point to point messaging between mental health and community systems provided by RiO, the e-SAP application and social care and GP systems.

Camden is also to investigate allowing GPs to message an electronic referral to Camden’s mental health teams via the EMIS GP system.

In Barnsley, social services is working with TPP and Liquid Logic to develop the concept of a virtual support team with a portal to enable all agencies and individuals involved in a person’s care to share assessment and support planning information and communicate securely.

In Hampshire, patient held records and the use of mobile technology including digital pens and web forms are central to the bid, which aims to build upon existing processes such as self-assessment and client held records to help people take control of their own care. This is to be achieved through access to HealthSpace, through the Hampshire Health Record.

The report says public consultation on the CAF proposals closed on 17 April and topics covered included the principles of how assessment and care planning should be undertaken, what information should be commonly shared and who that information should be shared with.

The DH said a further call for interest for a second phase of demonstrator sites is expected in the summer and will be informed by the outcome of the consultation.

Link: Common Assessment Framework for Adults Demonstrator Programme: overview of phase one sites.