Quicksilva releases data spine access software

Public sector integration software specialists Quicksilva Software Solutions have released Spinal Tap, a package designed to allow accredited healthcare organisations access to the central electronic health record system, the data spine, independent of the software they use.

The system, which is aimed at pharmacists, dentists and opticians as well as NHS trusts, will act as an intermediary hub between the existing installed system and the spine, converting electronic record data from HL7 format.

Gayna Hart, managing director of Quicksilva, said: "Spinal Tap was developed to take the compliance stresses away from system suppliers in the healthcare industry. New compliance guidelines are released for each aspect of the programme presenting technical challenges that can take months to comply with."

While NHS trusts are expecting to receive new software systems that talk to the spine through their local service providers (LSPs), there was a growing market for healthcare providers not receiving software from Connecting for Health but still needing access to the spine, explained Hart.

The principal market for Spinal Tap will be organisations that are not already in line to receive spine-compliant software, but it will also be available to NHS trusts.

The company has already signed contracts to supply the software to pharmacy chains and one major private healthcare company that provides services to the NHS through referrals, although Hart declined to say who as yet.

"There are lots of systems out there, such as GP systems, pharmacists’ systems, that have been sitting around for quite a long time," Hart told E-Health Insider. Private hospitals that need access to the data spine will also require the use of an intermediary system, she added.

There is a degree of flexibility in installing the Spinal Tap system. It can either be operated as a managed service, hosted externally in a data centre, or it can be integrated directly into existing software, depending on the needs of the healthcare organisation.

Hart explained that Spinal Tap had gone through compliance testing (otherwise known as the sandpit) and had the blessing of CfH. "We are already working on release two," she said.

Quicksilva’s previous experience in government data integration includes the Department for Work and Pensions and some contracts in Northern Ireland.