Electronic referrals lack detail, study warns
A study comparing the quality of data content and clinical value of electronic and paper referrals in dermatology has found that electronic patient referrals contain less detailed information about a patient’s condition than paper referrals. Writing for the British Journal of General Practice, Dr Lindsay Shaw, a dermatology specialist registrar and Dr David Berker, a […]
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500th practice goes live with SystmOne GP system
StowHealth Centre has become the 500th practice to go live with the SystmOne integrated GP record system provided by TPP (The Phoenix Partnership) and delivered by the CSC Alliance for NHS Connecting for Health. The new GP system, which provides a shared GP clinical record, will support the delivery of care for the 15,500 […]
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GPC says patients should call C+B when no slots available
GP representatives are recommending that practices tell patients to ring the Choose and Book appointments line if they are no slots available at their chosen hospital. The advice from the British Medical Association’s General Practitioner Committee is designed to take advantage of a Department of Health instruction that The Appointments Line (TAL) must forward appointment […]
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Information problems highlighted in complaints review
A quarter of second-stage complaints in the English NHS related to information, according to the Healthcare Commission’s report on 16,000 complaints between July 2004 and July 2006. The report identified ten common themes that came up regularly from second-stage complaints. Information problems were cited as a cause for complaint with regards to safety, care surrounding […]
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Milton Keynes PCT mandates Choose and Book use
A primary care trust has told its GPs that referral letters sent direct to a local hospital will be returned to be re-sent using Choose and Book. Milton Keynes PCT has said that, with the exception of referrals which cannot currently be made using Choose and Book, all referrals must be done through the e-booking […]
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Most PCTs to miss 90% Choose and Book target
Only one primary care trust in the country appears to have hit the government’s target for Choose and Book to be used for 90% of referalls by the end of December 2006, a target that his a £100,000 incentive payment tied to it. Investigations by EHI Primary Care indicate that with the notable exception of […]
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Choice surveys to be given to referred patients
GPs taking part in the choice and booking incentive scheme are expected to hand out surveys from the beginning of this week to measure the percentage of patients offered choice at referral. Practices must hand the questionnaire to all patients where an eligible referral is made between 16 January and 30 March 2007 and patients […]
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Choose and Book system fails nationally
Unspecified technical problems led to Choose and Book, the NHS’s new national appointment booking service, being unavailable to users for much of yesterday. According to service bulletins issued yesterday NHS Connecting for Health, the agency responsible for the electronic booking system: “The Choose and Book system is currently experiencing degraded service. Users of the system […]
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Ealing PCT uses text message technology
Ealing Primary Care Trust has launched a mobile phone text message appointment reminder service for 130,000 patients attending 22 of its surgeries. The technology behind the service is being provided using the Patient Care Messaging (PCM) application supplied by mobile healthcare applications specialist iPlato. The company already provides a range of text appointment reminder services […]
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Choice questions dropped in survey dispute
Questions for patients on the choice element of the Choose and Book incentive scheme have been dropped from a national survey because of technical difficulties. The decision means the Department of Health and GP representatives are now having further talks on how the offer of choice of hospital on referral will be measured for the […]
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