Background

The objective of PCRM is to migrate primary care registration management functionality onto Spine in order to support the transformed primary care support services in England and enable the decommissioning of the National Health Application and Infrastructure Services (NHAIS).

This change is being delivered in two phases:

1. Update the NHAIS specifications through the introduction of some changed GP Links messaging requirements, in order to support Patient registration on PDS. Phase 1 of the work will also introduce Postcode Access File (PAF) validation at source to ensure that address updates are consistently applied to Spine and will enable the delivery of Phase 2.
2. Phase 2 of the work will replace the GP Links Messaging with Extended PDS Messaging and thus enable GPs to register Patients directly onto the Spine and switch off National Health Application and Infrastructure Services (NHAIS) registrations functionality.

Only Phase 1 requires GP System Supplier changes.

NOTE: Requirement CCN005 will be managed via a separate Roadmap Item PCRM - Implement address integrity checking against PAF (RM94)

Phase 2 will be delivered via PCRM and whilst PCRM doesn’t have an agreed go-live date at present (due in part to dependencies on other programmes like Cervical Screening), ensuring that these Phase 1 changes are implemented early as possible will aid with a smooth transition and help improve data quality before the switch.

Outline Plan

• Link to the outline plan for RM37: PCRM GP Links Converter

Summary of Change

To support Phase 1 General Practice System Suppliers will be required to deliver 8 changes to their GP-LINKS messaging in order to future proof and support patient registration when it moves to Spine/PDS. No new messages or message type are being introduced. These changes are aimed to improve data quality prior to entry into Spine/PDS.

Full Specification

• Link to the full specification for RM37: PCRM GP Links Converter

Assurance Approach

• Supplier Delivery Plan – to include timescales for development, test and deployment.
• Test Report / Evidence – Standard report with evidence from recordings, screen grabs or code to show changes have past the Suppliers own Testing.

Following approval of the above Test Report by NHSD the Supplier is then expected to follow the standard RfC route to implement these changes keeping the PCRM Project Manager informed as to when said RfC has been submitted.

The Programme would also ask that the changes be rolled out across the GPSS entire estate ASAP once the RfC is approved with the PM again being kept up to date.