Agenda item
North East London Sustainability and Transformation Plan; Digital Enablement (IT)
Minutes:
Luke Readman Chief Information Officer, WELC CCG and NEL STP Lead Officer presented his paper on the Digital Enablement.
He stated the NEL STP was looking to make better use of Information Technology to help support health, social and community care providers, in order to meet the needs of local people.
Digital technology would enable the development of new, sustainable models of care to achieve better outcomes for patients, with a focus on prevention and out of hospital care.
The Presentation attached to the agenda gave a detailed account of how the Local Digital Roadmap’s (LDR) become the footprint for the STP and what steps had been taken to bring together the three LDR into one LDR.
Three key themes had emerged
(a) To have a single systems approach
(b) Connectivity – Hospital’s being able to see GP records and vice versa
(c) How to drive improvements once data is available.
Four work streams have been developed
· Addressing server problems at Barts Health Trust
· How data is shared across the pathways
· How data is pooled together, with real time data
· How patients can access their own information.
Dr Osman Bhatti, GP in Tower Hamlets, Phil Koczan of Waltham Forest CCG, Dr Charles Gutteridge of Bart’s Health Trust, Dr Bhupinder Kohli Newham Hospital proceeded to give examples of how technology had enabled them to provide better, safer care to patients and how this had led to improved outcomes for their patients.
Members of the Committee raised the following questions to which the NHS representatives responded.
Cllr S Akhtar – How easy is it for patients to access their own records?
Mobile phone and desktop access is available and patients can register ‘online’ with their GP practice. Information available is limited at the moment however with the STP initiative, over time we hope to scale up the data available.
Cllr C Harrisson – One GP registration would be welcomed. It is fragmented at present.
We seek consent of the patient every time they move GP surgery however we are looking to create a ‘single citizen’ ID, which would apply nationally. Roll out is expected in September/October time.
Councilman W Mead – Are there plans to include hospitals in Central London and not just the providers in the NEL STP footprint?
Our plans are to create a single system across our footprint, before taking steps to network with others. Much depends on hospitals in Central London as to if they want to share information in this way.
Cllr S Masters – It’s great to hear the good news stories. What would be the one thing you’d like to resolve as part of the digital offer?
To increase the number of patients accessing their own records. Presently 10% do however it would be good to achieve 90%. We acknowledge a publicity and engagement campaign is required to change human behaviour and get them to use the digital platform. The ELHCP STP is aiming to help organisations within the partnership achieve this.
Cllr S Masters – Would giving patients access to their own records create further work for clinicians especially as patients will have limited medical knowledge and may interpret data incorrectly?
Warnings are given to patients before they access their data. Where technology has been piloted – e.g. an ‘abnormal’ test result, an explanation is given as to why this might be. Patients can message their consultant/doctor if they are concerned. Renal Patients – pre and post dialysis have the ability to network with other patients as well as clinicians.
Cllr A Munn – page 59 refers to the sharing of the GP system with Homerton Hospital. How much data can Doctors and nurses see?
The clinicians can view a summary of the patient’s data but do not have access to everything. It’s a third party view and data cannot be viewed without the patients consent. It’s in a webpage format with a ‘view on demand’ assimilated summary.
Cllr A Munn – Will there be a standardisation of the systems used?
That is the intention – to have a single systems approach.
Cllr A Munn – Will pharmacies be included in viewing patient data?
A system is being piloted – called EMIS. Pharmacists can view limited GP data with the consent of the patient. The Pharmacist can also add to notes stating what advice has been given and/or what has been prescribed or if a test has been done – e.g. blood test etc.
Cllr A McAlmont – Have concerns from practitioners been addressed and what communications strategy do you have in place to encourage patients to access their records.
Addressing concerns from practitioners has been key. Concerns about sharing patient data safely have been raised and an agreed set of protocols has been signed off by the ELHCP STP Board. We are making the first tentative steps of sharing data and we need to monitor and learn from this. Demand for access to patient data is increasing not only from clinicians but also patients.
There are plans for a London wide and National communication campaign to promote online GP services and to make patients more aware of it.
The Chair thanked the NHS representatives for their presentation and their responses to the questions raised.
Supporting documents:
- item 6 cover sheet STP, item 7. PDF 52 KB
- Item 6_Digital Deep Dive INEL Scrutiny committee April 2017, item 7. PDF 2 MB