Spine ServicesThe Spine connects clinicians, patients and local service providers through a collection of national applications, essential services and directories that underpin the NHS in England, including the Electronic Prescription Service, Summary Care Record and Choose and Book.  It also holds the demographic information of 80 million people.

In August 2014, we replaced the original Spine infrastructure which was over ten years old with a new Spine system. The new platform has been built using agile development and open source technology; it will improve overall performance and reduce the costs of operation and future changes in functionality.

For more details on Spine Services visit www.hscic.gov.uk/spine

Health and Social Care NetworkWe manage the current N3 service supplier, BT, in providing network connectivity, infrastructure and service management for the health and social care sector.  Following a recent strategic review, the Health and Social Care Network programme has been commissioned to develop the options for the future service when the N3 contract comes to an end (as the former PSNH programme had intended to do), and also examine wider options for providing connectivity to the NHS and care organisations into a longer term digital future.

Delivering national technology servicesWe are commissioned by NHS England and the Department of Health to manage informatics projects and programmes that support clinical decision making, NHS working practice and improved patient outcomes.

CSC Local Service Provider Exit and Delivery ProgrammeLocal Service Provider (LSP) contracts deliver critical systems and services to the NHS. They are used by 490,000 NHS staff in 256 NHS trusts across England.

Our LSP delivery team works closely with suppliers and NHS trusts to ensure the remaining life of these contracts are delivered successfully. Work is also underway to support a smooth transition once the existing contracts come to an end.

The CSC LSP Delivery Programme manages the contract to introduce IT products and services across to NHS organisations in the North, Midlands and East of England. As this contract approaches its end in July 2016 (for the majority of its delivered services), we’ll be supporting trusts to plan for successful exit and transition.

Contact the CSC LSP exit team CSCexit@hscic.gov.uk

NHSmailNHSmail provides a secure email service, calendar, directory, fax and SMS service to organisations commissioned to deliver healthcare in England and Scotland. It is a business critical service used by more than 500,000 staff on a daily basis in England. NHSmail is scheduled to be refreshed and significantly upgraded during 2014-15, and is centrally funded to continue as a national service until at least 2019.

For more about NHSmail and future developments: www.hscic.gov.uk/nhsmail

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Summary Care Record Summary Care Records (SCRs) are secure, electronic patient records that contain key information about a patient’s medication, allergies and any previous adverse reactions to medicines. Other important information, such as significant medical history, can be added with the patient’s consent.

SCRs provide fast access to key clinical information in emergency and unplanned care scenarios, where a patient’s information would otherwise be unavailable. They are invaluable when somebody cannot give information for themselves (e.g. if they are unconscious) or if they are taken ill away from home and are unable to see their own GP. Healthcare staff report that they are able to make more informed, confident diagnostic or treatment recommendations when viewing a patient’s SCR.

Find out more about the benefits of SCRs www.hscic.gov.uk/scr

GP2GP This service allows patients’ electronic health records to be transferred directly and securely between GP practices. It improves patient care by providing GPs with full and detailed medical records for a new patient’s first consultation. The future version of GP2GP will also support ceasing the printing of patient record summaries.

A GP2GP survey found that 92 per cent of clinicians agreed that the electronic health record (EHR) helps to inform and support the clinical decision-making process as to what medication to prescribe to the patient. 89 per cent also agreed that having access to the EHR at a first consultation improved the patient experience when they join a new practice.

For more information on GP2GP go to www.hscic.gov.uk/gp2gp

GP Systems of ChoiceGP Systems of Choice (GPSoC) is a contractual framework which supplies IT systems and services to GP practices and associated organisations in England.

We are currently expanding the range of products available on the framework and working to facilitate interoperability between applications. The new GPSoC framework will also offer patients access to a range of online services, including:

• access to their own record or, as a carer, access to someone else’s record with their permission.

• booking and cancelling appointments online, using their computer or an application on their mobile phone.

• ordering repeat prescriptions online.

Find out more about the new GPSoC framework: www.hscic.gov.uk/gpsoc

Electronic Prescription Service The Electronic Prescription Service (EPS) enables prescribers to send prescriptions electronically to a dispenser (such as a pharmacy) of the patient’s choice. This makes the prescribing and dispensing process much more efficient and convenient for patients and staff. If EPS was adopted by all GP practices it has the potential to save the NHS £179 million per year. That equates to £11,000 per year for an average sized GP practice.

Find out more about how EPS can help your organisation: www.hscic.gov.uk/eps

Delivering national technology services

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