Lack of digital compatibility leads to poor results

Primary health care has always been the front door to the National Health Service, but low financial estimates and growing demand left the need to do more with less. The rise in waiting lists since the pandemic, in addition to the aging population, also means that practices are often treating patients with more complex or multiple conditions.

On top of all this, GPs and their teams are faced with growing bureaucracy, which often takes time away from vital tasks. patient care. This frustrates them because they want to provide the best care for their patients, not fill out paperwork.

So it was great to hear Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting announce last month that the government would launch Calling out the red tape cut bureaucracy as part of a push to free up more time for GPs to spend with patients.

We support this challenge and believe it is right that NHS England works with stakeholders across the country to tackle the problem of excessive bureaucracy. But we know that this is not just a problem for general practice. Other parts of the system, such as secondary health care, should not be overlooked.

While we look forward to working with NHS England on this issue, we already know some key measures that can reduce the bureaucratic burden on systems.

Our members tell us that a lack of digital interoperability between different service providers is increasing the bureaucratic burden on GPs. In extreme cases, this can result in patients taking days or weeks to travel between hospitals and primary care settings.

Lack of funding and diversity in digital infrastructure also means doctors often use outdated software on poorly functioning hardware. This leads to poor outcomes for patients and staff. We need to make it easier for hospitals and GPs to communicate, communicate and share patient information, which should reduce bureaucracy for staff in both sectors.

Digital interactions between the NHS and pharmacies can also be problematic at times. Lack of communication can result in patients being prescribed medications that are not available. This risks reducing patient satisfaction in the NHS if people feel they are being pushed from point to point, between surgery and pharmacy, to get the prescription they need. This could be avoided with better digital integration, especially if GPs could see what products are available in pharmacies.

Improving communication and inter-system access to relevant IT systems should be a priority.

GPs need to be supported to embrace the digital age. According to research conducted by a team at the Oxford Internet Institute and funded by the Health Foundation, almost half of administrative tasks in GP surgeries can be automated. This could be a huge shift that frees up countless hours needed to treat patients without losing a full-time job.

Another area that can be addressed is the current GP contract, which can force our members to focus on performance to achieve key national goals. Eliminating these indicators can reduce the bureaucracy faced by primary health care teams and allow them to more effectively prioritize their resources based on the specific needs of local communities.

Professor Aruna Garcea, Chairman of the National Health Service Confederation Primary Health Care Network