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Practice-newsletter-Autumn-2009

Practice-newsletter-spring-2009

Practice-Newsletter-Autumn-2008

Extended Hours - New Service

If you have trouble fitting in appointments to see your Doctor or Practice Nurse between 8am and 6:30pm, you are now able to ring a central telephone number (01244364700) to book an appointment with the Extended Hours Appointment Service.

This service allows you to see a GP or a Practice Nurse at St Martin’s Clinic, Chester, and Ellesmere Port Hospital between 6:30pm to 8pm from Monday to Friday and 10am to 12noon on Saturdays. Clinics are also held at Tattenhall (Wednesday to Saturday),Helsby Health Centre (Monday andTuesday),

The appointment must be made in advance - it is not an emergency service.

Graphnet and the Local Electronic Health Record

Graphnet is the computer software that is used by Western Cheshire Primary Care Trust (PCT) to extract coded data from our patients’ clinical records at the practice. The clinical data is matched with the patient demographic data (name, address and postcode) which is already held by the PCT on their Patient Registration computer system. The combined data is then stored on the Graphnet computer file server which is held in a secure, locked room at the PCT in the 1829 Building on the Countess of Chester Health Park.

Patient data is extracted from the practice system on a daily basis. Only coded data is taken from the patients’ records. This includes information about current and past significant problems, current medication, allergies, the patient’s health status including their last blood pressure reading, smoking status, height, weight and alcohol intake, the last blood test results and any x-ray, scans or other investigations which are recorded on the patient’s practice record (this will not include investigations done in hospital if the practice has not received a copy of the results). No sensitive codes or information which has been entered as free text by the practice doctors or staff are extracted from the practice computer system.

This information is held on a master data index called the Journal Table. The journal table is managed by the PCT Graphnet Administrator who is responsible for ensuring that the data transfer is working correctly. The Graphnet Administrator will report any problems back to the practice and to the PCT ICT Helpdesk so that they can be resolved straight away.

The practice is in the process of signing an agreement with the PCT which clearly outlines the PCT responsibilities; complying with the NHS Confidentiality Code of Practice.

Western Cheshire PCT make the coded information available in the form of a shared electronic health record via a secure web link to the local Out-of-Hours Service. The patient’s permission is obtained before the Out-of-Hours Clinician is able to look at the patient data. This can then inform the Out-of-Hours Service clinical staff of important information when dealing with the patient’s call.

Access to the data is only allowed under a strict Data Sharing Agreement which is signed by all users. All accesses are password protected and there is an entry in the audit log every time a patients’ record is accessed. The log is monitored by the Graphnet Administrator.

The shared electronic health record is also used by the Diabetic Department at the Countess of Chester Hospital. The Diabetic Consultants and the Diabetic Specialist Nurses can see coded information about patients who attend the Diabetic clinic. This will be information which the practice has recorded during their care of diabetic patients in the practice. The information assists the hospital Doctors and staff when reviewing and treating the patients. After the patients have been seen in hospital the GPs and practice staff can see the data which has been collected in the hospital clinic – this contributes to the shared care of diabetic patients.

The data can also be used for research, surveys and in the planning of local health care provision. In these cases the records used are anonymised and cannot be attributed to individual patients.

The practice has made a decision to take part in this database. If you do not want to have your medical records treated in this way you can “opt out”. To opt out please write to Mrs Lynn Suckley, Practice Manager at Laurel Bank Surgery, Malpas, Cheshire SY14 8PS.