Background

Patient Facing Services (PFS) ensure that Citizens (Patients and their Proxies) have the tools to access information and services digitally, so they can more actively participate in managing their own health and care. GP Connect PFS APIs allow all Patients and their Proxies to view a Patient’s detailed Electronic Patient Record (EPR), order their repeat Prescriptions, and book/manage their health and care Appointments.  

There is no single Standard across all GP systems for extracting the Electronic Patient Record (EPR) for PFS. Interface Mechanism 1 (IM1) is the current option for providing PFS APIs from Foundation Solutions. IM1 PFS interfaces, created by the Foundation Suppliers, are based on high level functional specifications rather than technical Standards aligned to interoperability Standards. PFS Consumers cannot integrate in a standardised way with Foundation Suppliers so undertake a separate development with each Supplier. Consumers must apply significant development time and effort to integrate with each differing bespoke API, which introduces technical complexity and inconsistency and negatively impacts New Market Entrants (NMEs) and innovation.

Outline Plan

A number of new GP Connect PFS APIs are being developed:

• Prescriptions Management

• User Management

• Get Record

Based on current GP Connect PFS API specifications, Prescription Management is the specification that meets the latest requirement and Standard. This is therefore the API that Suppliers are being asked to develop first.

The other GP Connect PFS API specifications will continue to be uplifted so that they all adhere to the future specifications that are deemed appropriate and fit for purpose. The requirements for these APIs will be added via separate Roadmap Items, to be delivered by Suppliers at a later date.

This Roadmap Item will establish that:

• Incumbent Provider Solutions MUST deliver GP Connect (Patient Facing) Prescriptions - FHIR API and continue to support IM1 (Patient Interface)

• Incumbent Consumer Solutions may deliver either IM1 or GP Connect (Patient Facing) Prescriptions - FHIR API, this will be driven by what is supported by the Provider Solution

• NME Consumer Solutions MUST only deliver GP Connect (Patient Facing) Prescriptions - FHIR API

Summary of Change

• New requirements to be added to Patient Information Maintenance - GP

  • E00170 - manage Prescription Ordering Citizen Service access for a Patient and the Practice

    • Incumbent Provider Solutions to deliver BOTH IM1 interfaces (Provider requirements) AND GP Connect (Patient Facing) Prescriptions - FHIR API (Provider requirements)

    • NME Provider Solutions to deliver GP Connect (Patient Facing) Prescriptions - FHIR API (Provider requirements)

• New requirements to be added to Prescription Ordering - Citizen

  • E00327 - Patient viewing Repeat medications

    • Incumbent Consumer Solutions to deliver EITHER IM1 interfaces (Consumer requirements) OR GP Connect (Patient Facing) Prescriptions - FHIR API (Consumer requirements)

    • NME Consumer Solutions to deliver GP Connect (Patient Facing) Prescriptions - FHIR API (Consumer requirements)

  • E00328 - Patient managing requests for a Repeat medication to be issued

    • Incumbent Consumer Solutions to deliver EITHER IM1 interfaces (Consumer requirements) OR GP Connect (Patient Facing) Prescriptions - FHIR API (Consumer requirements)

    • NME Consumer Solutions to deliver GP Connect (Patient Facing) Prescriptions - FHIR API (Consumer requirements)

• The Applicability section in the IM1 - Interface Mechanism Standard will be updated to confirm the conditions for delivering IM1 and GP Connect.

• The IM1 - Interface Mechanism Standard section in the Interoperability Standard will be updated to confirm the conditions for delivering IM1 and GP Connect.

Full Specification

The updated Patient Information Maintenance - GP, Prescription Ordering - Citizen, GP Connect (Patient Facing APIs) Prescriptions Standard, IM1 - Interface Mechanism and Interoperability Standard will be added at a later date. Proposed changes can be viewed in the Summary of Change above.

Assurance Approach

The Assurance Approach for Providers and Consumers will be provided at a later date.