Issue - meetings

Report attached.

Whilst electronic patient records were available in hospitals, there had also been problems with the NHS IT infrastructure. The digital strategy covered four levels including infrastructure, clinician access to patient records, the combining of data from all health and care settings and patient access to records.

In North East London, repeat prescriptions could be accessed on line via the NHS app and on-line GP registrations were also available. On-line patient consultations were also available but it was emphasised that these were offered in addition to face to face appointments. The use of video consultations was also growing. Officers were also conscious of digital exclusion and traditional contact routes with a GP would not be disrupted by digital transformation.

The patient health portal in North East London would interact with the NHS app, allowing a two-way conversation between partners and clinicians. This was based on existing work with mental health service users who had used the app.

IT infrastructure had been upgraded for GP practices and Trust sites and this had facilitated the use of electronic prescribing. Laptops had also been rolled out to GPs as part of the Covid-19 response. The East London patient record had been successful across the sector and three local social services departments were also using this system.

Information from GPs could now be shared from GPs to hospital departments, pharmacies etc. The data could be used for example to prompt a GP to issue blood tests for their patient.

Officers agreed with a representative of Healthwatch Havering that traditional methods of contacting a GP should be retained as well as digital systems. It was also accepted that many GP websites were inadequate. Guidance on websites was being sent to surgeries and consultation would be carried out with Healthwatch on this area. Other Healthwatch representatives shared the same concerns and NHS officers agreed that the risk of digital exclusion would be considered further. The best on-line tools would need to be found for each practice. As regards GP phone systems, local best practice would need to be looked at.

Whilst some conditions could not be assessed remotely, officers felt it was also important to reduce numbers of patients in waiting rooms in order to lower infection levels. It was emphasised that it was wished for there to be patient involvement in this process.

Data sharing was raised as a concern and patients were able to opt out of sharing their data on a national basis if they wished.   

It was a agreed that a written report on the digital transformation process should supplied to the Committee for information.