INPS surgeries to use iPlato text messaging
Primary care software supplier INPS has announced that surgeries across England that use its software will also have the opportunity to use iPlato’s patient alert text messaging system, thanks to a strategic alliance between the two companies. The Vision SMS system, which incorporates iPlato’s patient care text messaging system into INPS’s general practice software, is to be used by a number […]
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Half of PCT IT staff left in the dark over mergers
A telephone poll of newly merged primary care trusts by EHI Primary Care has revealed that almost half of the 40 PCTs contacted do not yet have plans in place for their individual IT departments. EHI Primary Care contacted trusts prior to them merging on Sunday and found that most had not got past appointing new […]
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SHA sets up data warehouse for PBC
A strategic health authority has set up online access to patient data for its 15 primary care trusts and 330 GP practices to support practice-based commissioning. NHS South Central SHA’s new service, the Thames Valley Data Warehouse, will hold data on more than 2.2 million patients taken from the SHA’s existing databases and from September […]
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Lend a hand
What is being doing to improve the technological links between health and social care? EHI Primary Care talks to David Johnstone, chair of the ESCR and e-SAP working groups.
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Four new areas for IT policy named by DH
Four significant new areas for NHS information and IT policy are identified in the Department of Health’s new plans for commissioning services in England. The newly-published plan for the NHS commissioning framework says consultations with 150 stakeholders indicate that the patient-centred approach of the current information strategy is right – but four new areas for […]
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Unwinding the cord
NHS Direct aims to develop its core health advice service to offer a range of remote care additional services to the NHS. Fiona Barr talks to chief operating officer Dr Mike Sadler.
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Dr Foster Intelligence free trial offered to GPs
Health information firm Dr Foster Intelligence is making hospital referral data in its practice based commissioning tool available free to GPs for a 30 day trial period. The company’s online practice based commissioning software provides GPs with activity data and financial statements for their practices plus benchmarking data for other practices in the same primary […]
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Hants and IOW share records for 1.5 million patients
Hospital and GP records for 1.5 million patients are to be available for the NHS to share in a ground-breaking project launched ahead of the national NHS Care Records Service. The Clinical Data Repository (CDR) set up by Hampshire and Isle of Wight Strategic Health Authority has gone live this month with GP records for […]
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NHS Direct announces cutbacks consultation
NHS Direct has launched a three month consultation with staff on proposals that will cut around 1,000 existing jobs. Reasons for the cutbacks include lower volumes of calls than expected on the Choose and Book Appointments Line and a smaller volume of GP out-of-hours services than forecast. A statement from the 24-hour health advice and […]
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New version of C+B supports ‘extended’ choice
GPs are expected to offer patients the option to choose from a national menu of NHS hospitals and private providers from this week either manually or via Choose and Book software, according to latest Department of Health (DH) guidance. A new version of the Choose and Book software has been issued alongside guidance from the DH spelling […]
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