National rate NHS phone numbers to be banned by April
The Department of Health has today confirmed that they will prevent GPs, local surgeries and dentists from using national (0870 or 0871) or premium rate lines and they will expect these to be replaced by ‘lo-call’ rate numbers by April, with payments of £500 per practice on offer to cover lost revenue. According to DH […]
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BMA queries commissioning and e-booking link
The BMA has criticised technical guidance from the Department of Health (DH) which it says explicitly links the uptake of the Choose and Book, the national electronic booking service, to the new system of practice based commissioning. The association says: “The technical guidance explicitly links the controversial Choose and Book electronic referral system with practice […]
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Integrated IT system installed in central health lab
The Central Public Health Laboratory (CPHL), Colindale, has completed the installation of a new Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) which enables automated results to be sent online and real-time statistical analysis. The software brings nine laboratories, including those which monitor bacterial infection, respiratory and neurological viruses and sexual health, each of which had a separately-developed […]
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Privacy key for US electronic health records
US health information technology interests have expressed great concern about guarding the privacy of patient data in building a National Health Information Network (NHIN) in America, Neil Versel reports from Dallas. At the annual Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) annual meeting in Dallas last week, US national health information technology co-ordinator Dr David […]
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Call for conference to debate privacy issues in e-NHS
Eleven senior BMA committee members have written to the association’s chair of council, Dr Jim Johnson, proposing a special conference to debate issues surrounding privacy, confidentiality and the NHS IT modernisation programme. The letter says: “There is a distinct lack of policy in this area, particularly in relation to the NHS Care Record [NHS CRS] […]
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Patients use GePmail for self-monitoring
Patients have begun to use a secure internet link to submit their blood pressure and blood sugar results to GPs in a move which could help practices hit their Quality and Outcomes Framework targets. Almost 500 patients have so far registered for the service provided by GePmail, an electronic clinical messaging system which has been […]
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InPractice Systems set to sign for the South
Fujitsu Alliance, Local Service Provider for the Southern cluster, looks set to finalise contract negotiations with InPractice Systems to supply a version of its Vision 3 system as the ‘alternative’ GP software solution, E-Health Insider has learned. A communication from a Strategic Health Authority chief information officer in the South received by EHI last week […]
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Interoperability centre stage in Dallas
Interoperability was the operative word among the nearly 22,000 health IT professionals at the 2005 Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society conference here last week, Neil Versel reports from Dallas. "Interoperability is the key to achieving the ultimate goal," which is a full electronic health record, explained Dr Carolyn Clancy, director of the US government’s Agency […]
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Irish GP software providers merge systems
The two largest primary healthcare software suppliers in Ireland have merged their systems, meaning that 60% of GPs – a total of 4000 – will be using software from the same company. Medicom Medical Solutions, the largest primary care software supplier in Ireland, has purchased the GP Clinical from Quantum Healthcare Informatics, who will now […]
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Electronic medical records top priority for US
US healthcare IT executives have named implementing a paperless electronic medical record (EMR) their top priority in the annual Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMMS) leadership poll. Nearly two-thirds of healthcare IT executives said their organisation planned to implement an EMR in the next two years, according to the 16th annual HIMMS leadership survey. […]
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