GP Connect – 111 Appointment Configuration

Introduction

This guide covers what practices need to complete in readiness for them to go live for direct bookings from their 111 provider (example below is the West Midlands Ambulance Service (WMAS)). The pre-requisites each practice must complete are;

• Sign Data Sharing Agreement
• Enable GP Connect for Appointments (10 working days after submitting a signed DSA)
• Set up a new Organisation Group between the Practice and WMAS
• Configure Appointment Slots for 111 Direct Booking
• Understand the new mechanism for receiving 111 case notes into practice

Enable GP Connect services

Access GP Connect Configuration

• Click on the Emis Bubble, select Configuration, click Organisation Configuration, and then select Organisation from the left navigation pane.
• Click Edit on the ribbon and then select GP Connect Configuration.
• The GP Connect Configuration screen is displayed.
• Select the box beside GP Connect.
• Select the Foundation box and then the Appointments box to enable Appointment booking.  Do not check HTML Views or Structured Record check boxes.

Add Organisation Group

An organisation Group is a group that can share appointment slots – in this case it is the GP Practice and the 111 provider (WMAS). In other cases, there could be a separate group for sharing appointments for other services for example a group of GP Practices/Improved Access Hub (on different GP Systems).

• Click on the Emis Bubble, select Configuration, click Organisation Configuration.
• Select Organisation Groups from the left navigation pane. The Organisation Configuration screen is displayed.
• On the ribbon, click Add. The Add Organisation Group window is displayed:

• On the Add Organisation Group window, type the Organisation group name and Description in the appropriate fields. For Herefordshire and Worcestershire Practices use the naming format – 111 Direct Booking – <Practice Name> (<Practice ODS Code>)
• Click on the search glass next to the Organisations field to search for an Organisation. The Find Organisation window is displayed.
• On the Find Organisations screen, type the practice ODS code, and then click on the search glass. Double click to add to the group.
• Click on the search glass again in the Find Organisations screen, type the ODS Code RYA06 for the West Midlands Ambulance Service, and then click on the search glass. Double click to add to the group. You should have two organisations listed:

• Click on OK to create the group. The group will now be listed within the Organisation Groups:

Note – The organisation that creates the Organisation Group will automatically be subscribed to it.

Creating Appointment Sessions and/or Slots

Note – there are two approaches a Practice may wish to take when creating appointment slots for 111 Direct Booking. Creating a session with filters that reserve or limit which slots can be booked by 111 or just share individual slots within existing appointment books.

The EMIS appointment session that will contain appointment slots for 111 Direct Booking must be assigned (as a session holder) to a practitioner who has one of the following Job Categories in their Emis user role profile:

Creating a session and applying a filter

Session filters allow you to restrict your GP Connect 111 appointments to ensure they are only offered to the organisation you want – in this case West Midlands Ambulance Service. This allows you to filter out slots by either reserving or limiting an organisation group, organisation type or organisation in specific appointment sessions. So for example a practice may have a session with slots opened up to both 111 Direct Booking and Improved Access booking. The practice can then use this to fulfill requests and reserve some GP Connect slots for 111 or limit the number of slots an Improved Access service can book in an appointment session.

• To create a session and apply filters click on the Emis Bubble and select Appointments then Appointment Book. The Appointment Book is displayed.
• On the ribbon click Create Session.
• By default, the ‘All slots GP Connect Bookable’ option are greyed out and are only applicable when the session name, type, category and date are completed:

• Add a Session Name, Session Type, Session Category and complete the dates and times. The All slots GP Connect Bookable option is now available and a drop down box appears.
• Click on the drop down box under All slots GP Connect Bookable and select Yes. The Apply Filter option is now also available. In the Session Preview pane, the appointment slots are displayed.
• Click on Apply Filter. The Apply Filter screen is displayed:

• Complete the Apply Filter screen:
  – Filter Type: Organisational Group
  – Name: Select the Organisation Group created above ( 111 Direct Booking – <Practice Name> (<Practice ODS Code>))
  – Number of slots: how many slots do you wish to either limit or reserve for 111 Direct Booking?
  – Kind: – Reserve or Limit – Do you wish to reserve a number of slots for 111 or limit the number of slots for 111?
• Click on OK. Upon completion your filter will look something similar to this:

Select all the created slots on the right, right click and select Slot Properties.  Add a Slot Note if you wish but make sure only the GPConnect Bookable option is checked.  You may wish to create a Slot Type for 111 and select this instead of Default. Do not select an Embargo or select Patient Facing Services Bookable or Urgent:

• Click on Apply and Close
• In the Create Session window click on Create.

Note – Appointment slots cannot be merged and session times cannot be updated when filters are applied to them. You must remove the filters to make these changes.

Edit Filters

If you wish to edit the filters after you have created a session.

• Click on the Emis Bubble and select Appointments then Appointment Book. The Appointment Book is displayed.
• Use the calendar to select the required date. Find the session whose filter(s) you wish to edit
• Right-click the session and then on the ribbon click Session Properties. The Session Properties screen is displayed.
• Click Edit Filter:

• Amend the details as required.
• Click OK. The changes are saved.

Note – You cannot Edit Filters once the Appointment Session has been used.

Mark Individual Appointment Slots as GP Connect 111 Bookable

• In the Session Preview pane, select the required appointment slot or slots to be GP Connect bookable, right-click and then select Slot Properties:

• On the Slot Properties screen, if required, click  and select a slot type 111 Bookable. Do not add an Embargo or check the Urgent box.
• If required, in the Slot Notes field, type any additional slot notes.
• Tick the GP Connect Bookable Box

Click on OK

Note – for both approaches above remember to make sure that the appointment sessions is assigned to a session holder who has the correct job category listed at the top of this page.

A 111 Direct Booking will show the reason – Appointment booked by WMAS – Navigation Point Call Centre:

111 Direct Booking Messages

When a patient has been booked into your practice directly from 111 the practice will receive a referral message almost immediately via ITK endpoint into Emis Workflow Manager. For more information click here.