Working Smarter with NHSmail SCIMP Conference November 2009.

Working Smarter with NHSmail

SCIMP Conference November 2009

NHSmail – Enabling Clinical & Business Communications

• Provides information governance assurance• Provides security assurance• Reduces the risk to clinical & business communications• Opens up collaborative working across the NHS and beyond• Provides access from any connected location and media

(e.g. home PC, mobile etc.)• Provides value-added service to support the service locally

and nationally

NHSmail Service

Shared Resources

NHSmail provides staff with the ability to use shared functional services. These include:

• Shared calendars• Shared generic mailboxes• Shared contact lists• Shared Distribution Lists

NHSmail Service – Shared Resources

Calendars

Shared calendars can be used for:

• Appointment bookings• Room bookings• Leave management• Training management• Equipment management

NHSmail Service – Shared Resources

Generic Mailboxes (GMs)

GMs can be used to support operational clinical/business functions:

• Acute/Primary care referrals• Managed clinical consultation points• Functional GMs e.g. Helpdesk• Multidisciplinary Team GMs• National collaboration points e.g. eHealth clinical leads• Interagency collaboration points e.g. Social services and

Child Health

NHSmail Service – Shared Resources

Contacts

• Share access to main contact lists within a GM• Contacts can be split into functional areas by folders e.g.

Social Services contacts

NHSmail Service – Shared Resources

Mobile Working

Can access the service from:

• Work• Home• Mobile phone• Other work places• Internet

NHSmail Service – Mobile Working

Mobile Working 2

Particularly good for mobile staff:

• Community Nurses• Allied Health Professionals• Consultants• Trainee Doctors

NHSmail Service – Mobile Working

Working Smarter with NHSmail

Value-Added Services

Value Added Services

SMS & Fax

• Enables sending of patient reminders• Enables the sending of system alerts• Fax – Sending drug alerts to GP Practice

Value Added Services

Collaborative Working

• Enables working outside as well as within the Board boundary:• Enables CHP working• Working with local government• Enables working within Managed Clinical Networks• Enables working with non-NHS partners

Value Added Services

Distribution Lists (DLs)

DLs determined by directory data:

• Organisation – ‘All NHS Forth Valley’• Site – ‘All staff Raigmore Hospital’• GP Practice – ‘All Gilmour Street GP Practice’• Role – ‘All GP Practice Managers’• Specialty – ‘All Paediatrics’• Department – ‘All staff in Community Nursing’

Value Added Services

Distribution List Uses

• Faxing drug alerts to GP and Pharmacy practices• Avoid manual time consuming processes• 2 email sent only

• Intensive Care – available shifts, notifications sent to mobiles• H1N1 National Communications• Targeted communications – GPs, all Practice Managers

Value Added Services

Strategic Benefits

• “Access to right info,….right place,…right time” (eHealth Strategy)• Increased clinical assurance• Improved clinical/business efficiency• Communications with health partners• Increased speed of communications• Facilitates collaborative working• Facilitates email coverage to sectors previously under-

represented

NHSmail Service

Impact of Direct Electronic Referrals to a Hospital Eye Service

Value Added Services

NHS Fife – Case Study

Case Study – Aims and Methods

Aim:• A study to assess the feasibility, safety and clinical

effectiveness of electronic referral of patients directly from optometrists in primary care to the hospital eye service (HES) in contrast to the paper-based referral through the GP.

Method:• 3 Practices sent electronic referrals• Same 3 practices compared for paper referrals• Supported by ECCI and funded• Clinical processes redesigned

Added Value Example - Impact of Direct Electronic Referrals to a Hospital Eye Service

Case Study – Referral Pathway

Old Pathway (2 – 32 weeks)

• Optometrist appointment• Letter to GP• GP’s letter to hospital• Hospital records• Consultant referral file• Await further info

(e.g. case notes)• HES appointment

New Pathway (1 – 6 weeks)

• Optometrist appointment• Electronic referral to HES• Consultant review• HES appointment

Added Value Example - Impact of Direct Electronic Referrals to a Hospital Eye Service

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

May 2006 Original May 2007 Best traditional May 2008 Electronicreferrals

Waiting List & Waiting Times

>12 wks

5-12 wks

0-4 wks

Added Value Example - Impact of Direct Electronic Referrals to a Hospital Eye Service

Case Study – Benefits

• Speedier clinical decision making for patients• Avoidance of unnecessary hospital appointments• Higher level of interpersonal communication and feedback to

optometrists• Patient satisfaction with the process• Saving:

• 37% of patients not requiring appointment, sending images reduces a further 22%

• O/P costs between £108 - £307 per appointment, savings could run into £100Ks per Board

• Majority of referrals now sent electronically within Fife

Added Value Example - Impact of Direct Electronic Referrals to a Hospital Eye Service

Contacts

Ziggy Iwaniec, Programme Manager: [email protected] Young, Senior Project Manager: [email protected] Crawford, Programme Officer: [email protected]

Programme Mailbox: [email protected]

Programme Website: www.directory.scot.nhs.ukUsing Information Improving Healthcare: www.usinginfo.org

NHSmail Service