Future-Proofing Social Care with GP Connect: What You Need to Know

At OneTouch, we know the importance of transparency and communication between different health and social care providers as part of the care delivery circle for all service users. We also know that it may not always be possible to immediately or easily contact a client or service user’s GP when you really need to.

This is why we’re delighted to announce that OneTouch Health is now fully integrated with GP Connect. This blog dives into some of the details you need to know about this integration, GP Connect in general and how you can start using it in your OneTouch system today.

What is GP Connect?

GP Connect is a service that has been developed by NHS England, which enables authorised health and social care professionals to seamlessly access and share service user information between different health and social care systems.

As the name suggests, GP Connect links care records and GP records electronically. It is integrated with all major GP software providers and provides a communications channel between a service user’s care and GP teams. For example, prescription data can be updated in the GP system, and these updates can be automatically reflected in OneTouch via the GP Connect integration.

Who Can Use This Feature?

Firstly, please note that this feature is currently only available for health and social care workers in England via NHS England. Secondly, GP Connect is only available for service users who are registered with a GP in England, and this service can only be used for direct care purposes.

GP Connect can be used in a variety of care settings; however, some functionalities have restricted use depending on the setting, for example, the update record is currently only for use by community pharmacies.

For the service users’ electronic health record to be available within GP Connect, their registered GP’s software must also support and have gone live with GP Connect functionality, and the service user must not have opted out of GP Connect.

How it Works:

Once enabled in your OneTouch system, a GP Connect button will become available within your service user records. You can nominate your specific staff members who will be allowed to access a service user’s GP Connect record.

When opened, the carer will be prompted to enter the service user’s unique ID (their NHS number and their date of birth). Once entered, the system will request their data from GP Connect.

When the data has been received, it will be displayed within the service user’s record.

Please note that GP Connect data is not permanently stored within OneTouch; rather, it is accessed via an online link to GP Connect each time you request it (like when you refresh a webpage for updates). This is to ensure that all data is up to date and any changes made by the GP are immediately updated on GP Connect.

Benefits of this Service:

Some of the benefits of GP Connect include:

• Enhanced Decision Making & Continuity of Care: GP Connect enables providers to access the most up-to-date client health information, allowing the provider to make more informed decisions when planning and delivering person-centred care. By having access to the most up-to-date information, providers are also empowered to seamlessly continue providing care when a client is transitioning between different care settings, ultimately improving the quality of care delivered.
• Reduced Administrative Burden: By sharing care records between relevant care providers and GPs, providers minimise the requirement for paper-based communication and manual data entry/duplicate data entry.
• Higher Standard of Care: GP Connect enables providers to communicate with GPs, hospital staff, and other care providers. Care Plans can also be shared directly between providers via GP Connect. This integrated approach ensures that all aspects of the service user’s care are coordinated effectively, resulting in enhanced care outcomes.
• Enhanced Safety Measures: With up-to-date medication management, providers no longer have to manually count and re-count medication after administering medication; rather, they can simply dispense the medication and mark the event as complete with the peace of mind that the information is accurate and up to date. Providers are also able to view a record of medication that has previously been prescribed and administered, reducing the likelihood of medication administration being duplicated.

Want to learn more about GP Connect? Click here to download our step-by-step guide to accessing GP Connect in your OneTouch platform.