Business change
Introduction
NHS Trusts are currently implementing Summary Care Records in both primary and secondary care. This implementation will involve changes to current working practices and the introduction of new protocols to support the introduction of the SCR.
It is imperative in embracing SCRs as part of a care setting’s business as usual activities that the appropriate level of resource is employed to ensure the changes become embedded and that viewing the records produces benefits for the patients and the users.
In driving business change, the engagement of the senior clinicians as well as the local Information Governance team is essential to both set the direction and support its initial implementation.
It is also essential to ensure that the lines of communication between the local primary care, acute and mental health trusts are open and meetings are regularly scheduled. This ensures that the end to end implementation of SCRs (from record creation to their eventual viewing by users in urgent and emergency care settings) is transitioned smoothly and the dependencies between the care settings can be documented. If this type of communication is ignored, the process may get stalled and delays will occur.
For more information on the lessons learned from sites viewing SCRs and to access templates to manage business change within trusts viewing SCRs, see SCR Viewing pages.
For more information on the processes involved in the creation of records, see the Informing the Public and Creating and Maintaining Records pages.
Protocols and Process Maps
The SCR Protocols have been developed to provide assistance to NHS staff to understand the business processes which either support the SCR or are affected by the introduction of SCRs. Two different styles have been produced; business process maps and a set of user friendly protocols, both representing the same processes. Groups that may benefit from the guidance provided could include:
- SHA SCR Project staff
- PCT SCR Project Staff
- GP Practice Managers
- GPs & other Health Care Professionals
- SCR Clinical Leads
- Clinicians and Administrators within non-GP Care Settings
- Patient facing NHS personnel
Listed below are the processes that have been identified during early implementations as the most frequently impacted. Each process has a protocol and a process map, and a key for the protocols (PDF, 200Kb) is provided.
1. Patient requests to see their GP Summary prior to SCR creation
2. Assisting patients with their choices around the Summary Care Record
3. Manage content of the GP Summary for inaccuracies
4. New patient registration after the Public Information Programme
5. Parent(s) managing their child's Summary Care Record
6. Parent(s) viewing their child's Summary Care Record
7. Child under 16 managing their own Summary Care Record
8. Child under 16 viewing their own Summary Care Record
9. Assisting patients who may lack capacity
10. Procedure for a patient transfer between GP Practices
11. Answering a patient's Summary Care Record question
12. Escalation process for a patient's question