Defining the wider PCN service specification(s)

Each PCN service delivered within the wider hub may require its own specific configuration for access by practices. There will be elements of the setup that will be common to all services – such as naming conventions associated with the setup of usernames and appointment book and slot type configuration.
However, there will also be a level of configuration that is unique to the service itself, depending on type of referral methods, whether it is a prescribing service, and what cross organisational tasking is required, for example. Here are some of the key considerations:

How will a patient be referred from hub to practice?
For each service, you will need to consider whether the most appropriate referral method will involve Practice-to-hub appointment booking, workflow-to-workflow document sending, or a managed referral into the Patient Administration service (this is an additional EMIS Module). Will the completion of a referral form be required, and who will be responsible for informing the patient of their booking?

What are the prescribing requirements for the service?
Depending on the scope of the service, you will need to decide whether clinicians will need the ability to prescribe new medication through the clinical system and/or administer repeat prescription. It’s also important to consider how or whether the service will need to manage existing medications information on the patient’s GP record. Once these requirements have been gathered, an overall assessment of the capability of the new system to support this way of working will be required.

Does the service require access to the test requests system?
Similarly, it is important to understand requirements regarding ordering and viewing tests. Will the service need to be able to raise test requests, or does the clinical team just need to be able to view the status of a test result?

What are the cross organisational tasking requirements?
The technical specification supporting a service will also need to take account of how tasks will be assigned and shared between the PCN hub and practice. Will you require single directional tasking (typically hub-to-practice), or will you need the ability to pass tasks in both directions? What task groups will need to be set up and how should they be organised?

Does the service need to utilise any third-party products?
Finally, it’s worth thinking about how the service may use different product available within the PCN hub, such as patient messaging functionality or online consultation tools. These elements also need to be understood and factored into the technical solution. Check whether the third-party products are accredited for use within an EMIS Clinical Service.