NHS England has outlined what online consultations and video consultations must be available in general practice, along with key points for commissioners and practices on procurement of solutions. Pratices are urged to have a solution in place by 3 April. Read the details below.
A letter from NHS England sent out to commissioners and practices on 27 March includes the following details on setting up online and video consultations.
The letter reiterates previous communications that support is available for GP practices to establish a remote ‘total triage’ model using online consultations.
In addition, it points practices to a blueprint guide in a separate accompanying document (Remote Total Triage Blueprint).
There has also been a rapid procurement exercise via the ‘dynamic purchasing system’ (DPS) framework so commissioners who do not have a contract for an online consultation system that enables total triage can immediately procure this. These systems will be centrally funded.
Practices are advised to contact their regional NHS England and NHS Improvement team to take this forward, ensuring they have a solution by 3 April 2020 at the latest.
Practices must also have a video consultation system to support remote management of patients. Advice from NHSX on using free solutions has been published; all relevant products on the Digital Care Services Framework (GPIT Futures) have now been assured, and the rapid procurement via the DPS has also created an approved video consultation supplier list. Video consultation systems from the DCSF or DPS will be centrally funded.
Further details are outlined below.
Online consultation and digital triage
- All general practices need to be able to triage all patient contacts, supported by an online consultation/digital triage system. A range of systems are available – some support patients to send information to the practice online so that practice staff can triage the request, while others provide automated triage and send the outcome of this to the practice.
- Many practices are using these systems already and should now use them to handle all patient contacts, with non-digital users supported to go through the same system by practice staff. A blueprint guide has been developed to support practices in moving to a total triage way of working.
- For commissioners that do not have a contract for an online consultation system, a bundled national procurement has been taken through the Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) Framework to provide an approved supplier list for online consultation products that commissioners can call off. This will be available from 24 March. It will be centrally funded.
- As of 19 March, NHS Digital has assured all video consultation products and some online consultation products on the Digital Care Services Framework (GPIT Futures) for the solutions submitted for compliance assurance. The full list of products can be found here.
What to do – commissioners:
- Find out if your practices have an online consultation solution that
they can use to triage patient contacts. If they do, encourage them to use it
to manage all incoming patient contacts.
- If practices do not have an online consultation solution and you do not
have an existing contract to provide them with one, contact your NHS England
and NHS Improvement regional digital team so that a product can be provided to
you through the DPS bundled procurement. You can also contact the DPS team at
[email protected]
What to do – practices:
- If you have an online consultation tool available that you can use to
triage all patient contacts, please use it to manage all incoming patient
contacts.
- If you do not have an online solution, contact your commissioner so that
one can be provided to you. You can also contact the DPS team at [email protected]
Video consultation
- All general practices need to be able to carry out video consultations
between patients and clinicians.
- Advice from NHSX information governance team is that it is fine to use
video conferencing tools such as Skype, WhatsApp and Facetime, as well as commercial
products designed specifically for this purpose, particularly as a short-term
measure.
- As of 19 March, NHS Digital has assured all video consultation products
and some online consultation products on the Digital Care Services Framework
(GPIT Futures) for the solutions submitted for compliance assurance. The full
list of products can be found here.
- Those commissioners/practices that are in contract for these products
via the Digital Care Services Framework (GPIT Futures) can therefore be
confident that these products are appropriate for use in general practice.
These products will be centrally funded.
- The bundled national procurement through the Dynamic Purchasing System
(DPS) Framework will also provide an approved supplier list for video
consultation that commissioners can call off. This will be available from 24
March. It will be centrally funded.
What to do – commissioners:
- Find out if your practices have a video solution that they can use
effectively with most patients. If they do, encourage them to use it as much as
possible.If practices do not have a video solution, contact your NHS England
and NHS Improvement regional digital team so that a video product can be
provided to you through the Digital Care Services Framework or DPS bundled
procurement.
- If practices have a video solution but there are concerns about its
appropriateness or compliance, please let your NHS England and NHS Improvement
regional digital team know so that a video product can be provided to you
through the Digital Care Services Framework or DPS bundled procurement.
- You can also contact the DCSF team via [email protected] or the DPS
team at [email protected]
What to do – practices:
- If you have a video conferencing tool available that you can use
effectively for most patients, please use it as much as possible to manage
patient contacts remotely.
- If you do not have a video solution, contact your commissioner so that
one can be provided to you.
- If you have a video solution but you have concerns about its
appropriateness or compliance, please let your commissioner know so that a video
product can be provided to you.
- You can also contact the DCSF team via [email protected] or the DPS
team at [email protected]
Source: NHS England, Preparedness update letter for general practice: 27 March
2020 [published 27 March]
