Digital Primary Care: The Good Practice Guidelines for GP electronic patient records – (GPGv5)
These guidelines are intended to be an easy to access reference source for all those working with digital services in General Practice in England. The topics in Digital Primary Care: The Good Practice Guidelines for GP electronic patient records – version 5 (GPGv5) aim to give readers the information required to use digital tools and services effectively, safely and in accordance with the law and other national standards.
They also provide guidance on how to meet specific General Practice Contract requirements aligned to the Primary Care (GP) Digital Services Operating Model.
Foreword
Digital systems are the foundation upon which we will build a modern, efficient and responsive health service. Enabling information to flow between care providers within and beyond organisational boundaries, and between care providers and patients, is a key means by which we will achieve a safe, convenient and personalised health and care service. General Practice is at the forefront of modernising and improving healthcare, leading the way in embracing digital transformation and innovation. This is demonstrated through an advanced level of digital record keeping and the adoption of digital tools, meeting growing demand from patients for choice of digital channels, with wide ranging benefits. In a challenging environment, safe, secure and resilient digital services support improved care and access for patients and enable Practices to realise efficiency benefits, such as reduced administrative burden. While technology may make it possible, it is people that make it happen.
These guidelines aim to provide General Practice and wider primary care providers with easy access to practical information about digital tools, approaches and services. Each topic is based on the knowledge, expertise, and experience of teams of primary care clinicians and managers who have written and reviewed the content.
We are grateful for the support of NHS colleagues, the British Medical Association, the Royal College of General Practitioners, and the General Practice professionals who have contributed to the development and review of these guidelines.
Dr Matt Hoghton, Interim Clinical Director, Digital Primary Care, NHS Transformation Directorate, NHS England.
Guidelines contents
- The purpose of health records
- Patient record and information systems’ functionality
- Clinical safety
- Information governance and data protection
- Data sharing and interoperability
- Online patient facing services
- Education and training
- Working in a digitally transformed NHS
- NHS organisations with an impact on digital general practice
If you wish to provide feedback on these guidelines, please email england.dpc.goodpracticeguidelines@nhs.net
This email address is not intended for use by members of the public, patients and their representatives who should instead contact the NHS England Customer Contact Centre – england.contactus@nhs.net
NHS colleagues and contractors should use this mailbox for queries relating to the management of the GPGv5 and should contact the relevant NHS England team or programme for further information on topic content.