King’s College Hospital, a leading NHS Foundation Trust with a world-class reputation for excellence, has been supporting the Open Source movement in the NHS for many years.
Their latest offer back to the NHS is a re-usable solution to address three core principles of the NHS information strategy;
- NHS number compliance,
- Improved patient demographics data quality and
- National Child Protection Information Sharing.
Working with experts at Answer Digital, an Open Source Solution has been designed and implemented, passing the rigorous HSCIC assurance process. The Spine holds information about a patient that can be used to improve services. Spine Mini Services were introduced as a method for almost immediate access to this information, allowing data from the Spine to be traced and integrated into clinical workflows much more rapidly than previously available.
A subset of Spine data is made available, and much of the responsibility for access control is federated to the organisation accessing the Spine. It becomes their responsibility to ensure that appropriate access controls are in place.
The Child Protection – Information Sharing (CP-IS) project is an NHS England sponsored work programme dedicated to delivering a higher level of protection to children who have been identified as affected by abuse or neglect when they visit NHS unscheduled care settings. Nearly 120,000 young people in England have been assessed as being vulnerable or at risk and are looked after or have a child protection plan.
Key information about these children has been made available using Spine Mini Services. This is a nationally accessible service to identify in real time whether a child is particularly vulnerable. This will enable clinicians to act more appropriately. King’s are using this functionality when children and expectant mothers present at Maternity, A&E or other unscheduled care settings.
“By getting rapid access to validated NHS Numbers, this application helps us to offer our patients safer, more efficient and joined up care.”Jack Barker, Chief Clinical Information Officer, King’s College Hospital NHS Trust.
