Time changes consultations
The proportion of primary care consultations conducted by telephone has trebled over the past 14 years, according to the largest ever study of trends in consultation rates. In 1995, 3% of GP practice consultations were conducted over the telephone; but by the end of 2008 the figure had risen to 12%. At the same time, consultations […]
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Digital maps show flu pick-up gaps
NHS emergency planners in Bristol and Avon are using advanced digital mapping to develop their swine flu pandemic response strategy. The mapping has been used to identify the appropriate number and location of antiviral collection points needed for patients in the area. The mapping took into account population statistics and travel times to community pharmacies and […]
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Data added to clinical indicators
The Department of Health and The NHS Information Centre have published the data for more than 200 indicators against which NHS clinical teams can compare their performance. By typing keywords into a section marked Indicators for Quality Improvement on the IC website, individuals can now assess their performance against the indicators that are most relevant […]
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NHS IC does deal with SAS
The NHS Information Centre has done a partnership deal with SAS for a standardised data management system and unique business analytics platform. The NHS IC says the deal will allow it to integrate, clean, manage and analyse information held on disparate systems more efficiently. It should also enable it to automate the way information is […]
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First day of the PROMs
The Department of Health has issued instructions to the NHS on the action that needs to be taken to deliver Patient Reported Outcome Measures from April. The use of PROMs in the health service was first outlined by Lord Darzi in the NHS Next Stage Review. Now commissioners and service providers have been given detailed […]
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PRIMIS+ moves to NHS Information Centre
Responsibility for the data quality organisation PRIMIS+ is to move from NHS Connecting for Health to the NHS Information Centre from the beginning of next year. PRIMIS+ has a four year contract with CfH to provide data quality and information management training and support to NHS staff, but the contract will be transferred to the […]
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Information Centre checks GP Choices details
The NHS Information Centre is contacting every GP practice in England to check the accuracy of data held about them on NHS Choices. The website’s own research has revealed that some of the information is wrong. The massive data checking exercise has been initiated because primary care trusts are planning to distribute literature to English […]
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GP practices score highly on QoF
GP practices have increased their achievements on the Quality and Outcomes Framework, with an average score of 96.8% in England and 98.2% in Scotland in 2007/8. The figures published in England and Scotland today show that practices in England achieved an average of 968 points, 96.8% of the 1000 points available, compared with an average […]
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NHS Choices £80m contract award imminent
The Department of Health is this week expected to announce the winner of the three-year, £80m contract to run NHS Choices, the patient portal for health service. Gordon Hextall, acting head of NHS Connecting for Health, said at a news conference last Thursday, 10 July, that an announcement of the NHS Choices contract was “due […]
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IC chooses Dotted Eyes for digital mapping
The NHS Information Centre has awarded a four year contract to Geographical information specialist Dotted Eyes to provide digital mapping data to the NHS. The contract provides NHS organisations with a range of digital mapping data products available through a fixed schedule of prices. Ben Allan, managing director of Dotted Eyes, said: “Around 500 NHS […]
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