Patient records to get quality checks

GP practices are to be paid to bring patient records up to national data accreditation standards as part of the NHS national IT programme.

According to a report in Doctor magazine practices will have to gain accreditation of their records before they can upload coded information onto the NHS data spine, being built as part of the NHS Care Records Service.

The report states that achieving records accreditation is likely to be a ‘directed enhanced service’ in the newly negotiated 2006-2007 deal.

Connecting for Health GP clinical lead Dr Gillian Braunold said accreditation would be based on the good practice guidelines agreed by the RCGP and GPC.

According to Doctor Dr Braunold said the DH wants to create incentives for GPs which would accelerate the adoption of key elements of the NHS IT programme, including the Care Records Service, Choose and Book and electronic prescription transfer.

Initially these summary records will only contain codes for major diagnosis and procedures, current and regular prescriptions and drug allergies, adverse reactions and interactions, generated from GP summary records.

More detailed care records will be held locally, although plans are still being developed by the Care Records Development Board.

The first limited summary shared patent records are currently due to be piloted in August 2006.