Internal messaging in an NHS general practice

©Kathie Applebee

Tamar Valley Health 16,500 patients

2 main sites, both dispensing

Extended hours: evenings and Saturdays

12 partners, 55 employed staff, 12 attached staff

Majority work at either site

Paperlight, with Vision, DocMan, INR*

www.tamarvalley.org.uk

The Tamar Valley

photo by Stephen Fryer

Our messaging needs Urgent messages e.g. cancellation of a surgery

Communications to and from clinicians about patients

Communications amongst team members across both sites

Further messaging needs Confidential messages

Messages amongst groups e.g. partners, managers, nurses, dispensers, etc.

Low-key messages e.g. sandwich van

Distributing documents not suitable for the Intranet

Types of messages Medication queries to the pharmacist

Prescription queries to the dispensary

Referral queries to the secretaries

GP actions to the reception pools

Types of messages Nursing queries to GPs

Data entry requests to the data pool

Patient queries to the GPs and nurses

Rota changes to and from the reception manager

EnCompass Runs on a separate Linux server so independent of

Vision

Secure – password protected, and messages can also be sent as Private

Full audit trail – with a comprehensive search function

System set-up Universally accessible to network users at both sites

and via remote access

Users categorised by formal groups e.g. nurses, and by pick lists e.g. the lottery group

Vision integration All messages about patients are linked (not

attached) to their records

Also have separate website prescription ordering links to prescribing records

Could have check-in and scanning…

My favourites Messages can be forward dated as reminders

You can see who is in and where they are

When users not logged in, message tells you where they are and when back

Three types of messages Standard messages, optionally linked to patients’

Vision records

Pop-ups, used for quickies such as “Are you free?” or “Cake in the common room”

On-line chat, to share ideas

Keeping track Urgent messages are red, rest are green

Any sent message can advise when not opened, or be checked to see if opened

Messages can be stored in folders as action reminders

NHS e-mail Partnership and management issues because

remote access easier

Issues relating to external e-mail addresses e.g. PCT, suppliers, etc.

Vision ‘messages’ Appointments’ system used for:

Telephone consultations

Patients needing urgent consultations

Patients needing forward bookings

Visits (plus personal checks after certain times)

Advantages Robust – Linux server

Being separate from Vision enables us to use it for all data entry when Visionless

Easy to use so full compliance

Disadvantages Reliance! Couldn’t function without it

A bit clunky in places e.g. have to pick users off lists

Advice boxes appearing on screen

Cost, because it is runs on a separate server (we have on at each site)