Connecting for Health IT Programme

Connecting for Health (CfH)

As enhanced services develop over the next few years, it will become increasingly necessary for optometric practices to transfer confidential patient identifiable data (sometimes referred to as PID) electronically to other parts of the NHS. This will vary from simply sending/receiving reports to direct access to NHS databases or hospital based PAS systems. There is no realistic chance of large scale direct access to NHSNet/N3 for optometric practices in the next few years.  

Optical Site Codes - Connecting for Health 

The Organisation Data Service (ODS) is part of NHS Connecting for Health and an agency responsible for the publication of unique identifier codes for all organisations and practitioners. They want to capture all sites which deliver ophthalmic treatment in England and Wales in order to allow the ophthalmic 'industry' to participate in certain new systems and services being rolled out by the NHS, such as NHSmail. ODS undertook a data collection exercise in October 2008 in order to collate the information required and all practitioners will have received a letter asking them to register with the ODS for this purpose.

These codes are used in numerous NHS administrative functions such as processing central returns, patient administration, commissioning and message handling. They enable the effective routing of electronic messaging throughout the NHS by providing a reliable method of identifying message source and destination locations.

The codes are also used in many of the new systems and services being introduced as part of the ongoing program to introduce upgraded IT systems into the NHS. Click here for further information.  

General Background

As the NHS moves towards electronic booking/referrals, it will become more necessary for optometrists to transfer patient-identifiable confidential data to GPs or hospitals by paperless means.

• It is generally held that e-mail (even if encrypted) over the open internet is not sufficiently secure for patient identifiable data. Paradoxically, normal post and faxes continue to be considered acceptable and, totally illogically, one or two areas consider that sending a CD by post is less secure than posting a letter….
• The National Programme for IT is a private intranet run by the NHS for its staff and contractors. It is sufficiently secure for patient-identifiable data to be e-mailed between sites.
• As it is a private intranet, you must be part of an approved group to join.
• Ministers have confirmed that optometry should be included within national IT programme, though no funds have been made available for its implementation.
• Optometric practices should be able to join national programme via their PCT (or equivalent body). One would expect this initially to be as part of a shared care scheme package for participating practices. In theory, any GOS contractor practice could ask their PCT for IT access but it seems unlikely that the PCT would fund it without a good reason.
• Over the medium/long term, as systems such as Electronic bookings and referrals become the norm, it seems likely that most, if not all, practices will join the national IT programme, though as yet there is no obvious source of funding for this.
• LOCs negotiating enhanced services should seriously consider including the cost of IT connection for participating practices within the business plan to PCTs. GPs in particular will often be delighted to receive data electronically as it reduces their workload and storage problems.

 The “Code of Connection”

 This is a set of rules set by the NHS to ensure an adequate level of security is maintained. It determines the types of computers and networks which they will allow to be connected to the national programme.

• All practices connecting to the NHS will have to have their computer set-up and/or network approved before connection. (This is usually checked by the IT dept of your PCT)
• Practices will also have to agree to maintain the code of connection whilst connected.
• The main issue in the code of connection which will affect optometrists is that there can be no other outside connections into a network running your NHS programme. In particular, you can’t have another internet connection as well. It may also affect dial-in connections from practice software suppliers. These problems are surmountable but may involve some effort. Most PCT IT departments are very helpful in this regard.
• Larger groups of practices may well find it best to connect their own network to the NHS through a single central point with a leased line and firewall and deal with individual practice connections themselves

If you want further information on the government's initiative 'Connecting for Health' please click here.

NHS Mail Addresses

Whilst progress on getting community optometrists integrated into the NHS IT systems remains  tediously slow,  it is now possible for community optometrists to get a secure NHS email address. An NHSmail account can be used to email letters, referrals, photographs etc to GPs, consultants, or other optometrists, as long as the recipient also has an NHSmail address. For further details, please click here 

Also, to view an article on this subject, entitled 'Now OOs can get NHS email addresses', please click  on the pdf document below.

Any queries, please contact Lyndon Taylor, AOP Director at  lydnon@taylors-optometrists.co.uk