GP Connect is a national service provided by NHS England to facilitate seamless data sharing with GP Practice systems (EMIS and SystmOne) for the purpose of providing direct patient care.
At 6B, we work to support organisations in developing and implementing GP Connect efficiently and effectively. If you are looking to integrate with GP Connect at your organisation, here’s a guide to help to introduce your team to the integration process.
GP Connect is an innovative service provided by NHS England allowing health and social care professionals to share, view, and act on patient information across different IT systems. This system ensures that patient care remains continuous and informed, even when providers use different platforms. It is essential to note that GP Connect is strictly for direct patient care and cannot be used for planning or research purposes.
To get started with understanding GP Connect, check out the NHS England website here: https://digital.nhs.uk/services/gp-connect.
To gain access to GP Connect, your organisation must comply with several requirements:
The GP Connect team at NHS England plays a crucial role in the integration process. They manage the GP Connect products, publish API specifications, provide clinical and technical assurance, and define onboarding processes. They also offer some local implementation support to help guide your GP Connect integration project to success.
Provider Organisations: Typically, GP practices act as provider organisations. They hold GP patient records and control the data shared via GP Connect. Provider functionalities include sharing appointment books and access records. At the time of writing this post, the two main GP systems in England are SystmOne and EMIS.
Consumer Organisations: Consumer organisations, such as NHS 111 services or other GP practices, or digital health innovators, view the shared patient records or make bookings on behalf of patients. It’s possible for an organisation to function both as a provider and a consumer, especially in extended access models.
Consumer systems must undergo rigorous testing to comply with GP Connect specifications. The Supplier Conformance Activities List (SCAL) facilitates this process. Upon successful testing and compliance, a Technical Conformance Certificate is issued, confirming that the system is ready for deployment.
A crucial aspect of consumer system assurance and integrating GP Connect is maintaining compliance with the Clinical Risk Management Standard DCB0160. This ensures the clinical safety of the system. Each consumer organisation must appoint a Clinical Safety Officer to review and accept the clinical safety case report and hazard log.
Integrating with GP Connect can significantly enhance the quality and continuity of patient care by ensuring seamless data sharing across different IT systems.
At 6B, we are committed to supporting your organisation through this integration journey, providing the technical expertise and guidance necessary to meet NHS England’s stringent standards. By partnering with us, you can ensure a smooth and successful implementation of GP Connect in your digital health product.
For more detailed information or to start your GP Connect integration implementation, please contact us.
