Background
In 2007, the Department of Health introduced a new initiative called GP Systems of Choice (GPSoC) into the National Programme for IT (NPfIT) which includes all the leading GP clinical IT systems in use in England. NHS Connecting for Health (CFH) works with the suppliers, GPs and primary care trusts to improve the IT systems and services which support practices in the delivery of patient care. To date, more than 7,000 practices are receiving services under the GPSoC arrangements.
Under GPSoC, NHS CFH provides central funding for the annual software licence charges and National Programme for IT (NPfIT) upgrades for existing GP clinical IT systems. The GPSoC Framework suppliers will deliver NPfIT functionality in line with a common set of standards and performance measures to which all suppliers must adhere.
Approach
Defining the strategy and architecture
ASE was fundamental in the creation of the strategic framework and has been instrumental in defining both the technical standards and GP systems delivery strategy, which brought about new ways of working with GP suppliers across over 7,000 organisations.
ASE also created the technical strategy and roadmap with which suppliers have been required to align. ASE understood and worked with Suppliers’ architectures and shaped the release approach for each of the GP systems ensuring that local GP primary care strategy is sound and in alignment with the overall NHS strategic aims.
ASE Consulting has been instrumental in leading and driving the technical architecture and strategy stream while also being an integral part of the release management stream within the GPSoC program.
Requirements Management
A key area that ASE has been directly responsible for has been the creation of a strategy to deal with the large number of new requirements that come from the wider NHS and the Department of Health in the GP care setting. This work ties directly into driving the strategic direction of primary care IT in the NHS. By ensuring that there is a structured, yet flexible process to keep a track of the wide range of requirements across the NHS, the strategic roadmap can now be enforced or re-aligned as necessary.
Building effective win win partnerships
The range of GP Systems suppliers and products managed under GPSoC are diverse and in order to achieve success a clear understanding of suppliers capabilities and direction is essential. Only with this knowledge can effective working relationships be be built that result in practical and achievable programme of delivery to meet the diverse needs of the NHS and it’s GP community. ASE consultants work hard to develop win win relationships thorough understanding an effective engagement with key stakeholders.
Outcome
- Provided PCTs and GP practices access to existing GP solutions previously unavailable under the NPFIT contracts;
- Provided a roadmap and framework to encourage GP System Suppliers to introduce national functionality, including Choose & Book and the Summary Care Record;
- Provided a central contractual owner for the GP System Suppliers and the NHS, allowing much more effective supplier management, better value for money, and the opportunity to ensure that both GP and NHS requirements were incorporated into the leading GP System solutions.