General Practice Appointments Data Reporting
- Michael France
- Victoria Bussey
- Claire McCready (Unlicensed)
ID | S62 |
Version | 4.0.0 |
Type | Standard |
Status | Effective |
Effective Date | May 31, 2023 |
Contracting Vehicle(s) |
Introduction
Supports the collection and submission to the Authority of Appointment data to support capacity planning and management.
NHS services come under significant additional pressure over winter and holiday periods. There is already data available to aid understanding of these pressures for secondary care, but currently there are no routine measures of activity levels in General Practice. Therefore, this specification sets out the requirements for a weekly collection of data on all General Practice Appointments. Currently, this is a Practice specification but the plan is to collect this information from Primary Care Network Hubs in the future.
This Appointments data will help to improve understanding of Appointments capacity and utilisation in General Practice and inform more effective planning and management of capacity at local and regional level. It will also aid the understanding of seasonal pressures at national level to inform the wider strategy on the provision of services across primary and secondary care and allow tracking of improvements in Patient access to General Practice (e.g. increases in availability of extended hours and weekend Appointments). In addition to this, whilst the data submitted as part of the Management Information (MI) Reporting Standard should indicate broad trends, it is understood that the quality and consistency of some of the data regarding Appointments is poor. Therefore, access to this transaction level data will highlight particular areas of concern and contribute to any potential move towards greater standardisation of GP systems and Practice business processes, thus helping to ensure a reliable flow of data for a future GP Data Set.
The is a weekly collection of transactional Appointments data. It is anticipated that this will be replaced by the GP Data for Planning and Research in due course. The Authority has been directed by NHS England to collect these Appointment data as per the signed Direction and the Data Provision Notice (DPN)
Requirements
Requirement ID | Data Item | Requirement Text | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
Message Wrapper | |||
WPAD-MW-001 | Submission Date | The date on which the data is submitted Format: yyyy-mm-dd | MUST |
WPAD-MW-002 | Report period start date | The start date of the reporting period for which data is being returned Format: yyyy-mm-dd | MUST |
WPAD-MW-003 | Report period end date | The end date of the reporting period for which data is being returned Format: yyyy-mm-dd This date will be a minimum of two calendar months in advance of the submission date (WPAD-MW-001) as per WPAD-TS1-005 | MUST |
WPAD-MW-004 | Supplier name | The name of the supplier submitting the data | MUST |
WPAD-MW-005 | Supplier system name | The name of the supplier system from which the data has been extracted | MAY |
WPAD-MW-006 | Supplier system version | The version of the supplier system from which the data has been extracted | MAY |
Appointments Data | |||
WPAD-DI-001 | GP Practice ODS code | The ODS code of the Practice for which the data is being submitted | MUST |
WPAD-DI-002 | Session/Rota ID* | The unique ID/reference number associated with each Appointment's rota/session A rota/session is defined as a block of time, often associated with a particular clinician, within which a number of Appointment Slots will be available. NB. This data item may not apply to all suppliers depending on how Appointments are set up and managed in their system. | SHOULD |
WPAD-DI-003 | Appointment ID* | The unique ID/reference number associated with each Appointment Slot An Appointment is defined as an individual Slot which a Patient is able to book NB. This data item may not apply to all suppliers depending on how Appointments are set up and managed in their system. | SHOULD |
WPAD-DI-004 | Booking ID* | The unique ID/reference number associated with each Booking of an Appointment Slot A Booking is defined as each time an Appointment moves from status of ‘available’ to ‘booked’ NB. This data item may not apply to all suppliers depending on how Appointments are set up and managed in their system. | SHOULD |
WPAD-DI-005 | Appointment Date | The date on which the Appointment Slot is due to take place Format: yyyy-mm-dd | MUST |
WPAD-DI-006 | Appointment Start Time | The time at which the Appointment Slot is due to start Format: hh:mm:ss (use 24 hour clock) | MUST |
WPAD-DI-007 | HCP Type | The Healthcare Professional (HCP) type associated with the Appointment Slot as at the point the data is to be extracted i.e. the type of healthcare professional who has responsibility for carrying out this Appointment
 NB. If necessary, suppliers will also return reference data to explain the meaning of the data returned i.e. where particular codes, phrases or colours etc. are used in their system. Where the HCP type associated with the Appointment changes prior to the Appointment being carried out, then this change will be reflected in the delta of data to be returned. If this changes multiple times, it is not necessary to return the full history unless this is available. Suppliers will engage with the Authority if there are any queries regarding how to complete this mapping with the values in their system. | MUST |
WPAD-DI-008 | Non-bookable identifier | The flag, marker or field which identifies an Appointment Slot as non-bookable. Format: GP Practices routinely set aside Appointment Slots for admin activities, team meetings or breaks etc. which are NOT available for Patients to book or be booked into. These Slots can be marked as such in GP IT Appointments systems, but the method by which this is denoted differs between system suppliers. Suppliers will return:
Whether a Slot was ‘embargoed’ i.e. delayed/deferred from being made available for Booking, is not applicable to this data item. This information will be covered by WPAD-DI-017 and WPAD-DI-018. NB: Suppliers can engage with the Authority to ensure that the correct information is returned for this data item. Where the non-bookable identifier associated with the Appointment changes prior to the Appointment being carried out, then this change will be reflected in the delta of data to be returned. If this changes multiple times, it is not necessary to return the full history unless this is available. | MUST |
WPAD-DI-009 | Appointment Type | The Appointment type details of the Appointment Slot as at the point the data is to be extracted. This defines at a high level the activity expected to take place in the Appointment e.g. “Walk-in treatment”, “Phlebotomy clinic”, “Blood home visits”, “Coffee Break”, “Same Day Appointment”, “Minor Operation”, “Flu vaccination”, “Routine GP”, “Phone calls” etc. Format: This is understood to be a free text and/or user definable field in some GP IT systems. It will be returned as displayed on the Appointments system. There are no requirements for grouping or mapping into defined categories. It may also be necessary to return multiple fields to cover this data item. Suppliers can engage with the Authority to ensure that the correct field is returned for this data item and to confirm the format of the data recorded and to be submitted. It may be necessary to return data from multiple fields in order to meet this requirement. If necessary, suppliers will also return reference data to explain the meaning of the data returned i.e. where particular codes, phrases, flags or colours etc. are used in their system to denote this information. Where the Appointment type associated with the Appointment changes prior to the Appointment being carried out, then this change will be reflected in the delta of data to be returned. If this changes multiple times, it is not necessary to return the full history unless this is available. | MUST |
WPAD-DI-010 | Appointment Status | The full history of the status associated with each Appointment Slot i.e. the status will be returned for every Booking or cancellation transaction Format: To be mapped to the following categories:
NB: If necessary, suppliers will also return reference data to explain the meaning of the data returned i.e. where particular codes, phrases or colours etc. are used in their system. Where the Appointment status changes between data submissions, then this change will be reflected in the delta of data to be returned. Subject to agreement with the Authority, it may be acceptable to return the status as at the point the data is to be submitted only without the full history. Suppliers will engage with the Authority if there are any queries regarding how to complete this mapping with the values in their system | MUST |
WPAD-DI-011 | Appointment Booked Date | The date on which the Appointment Slot was booked, whether by a Practice User or a Patient via an Appointments Management - Citizen Service. If an Appointment Slot is booked on multiple occasions, the date of ALL Bookings will be returned i.e. if an Appointment Slot is booked-cancelled-booked, the date of BOTH Bookings will be returned. Format: yyyy-mm-dd NB. Where there are multiple booked dates to be returned for an Appointment, it will be clearly indicated that they relate to the same Appointment Slot | MUST |
WPAD-DI-012 | Appointment Booked Time | The time at which the Appointment Slot was booked, whether by a Practice User or a Patient via an Appointments Management - Citizen Service. If an Appointment Slot is booked on multiple occasions, the time of ALL Bookings will be returned i.e. if an Appointment Slot is booked-cancelled-booked, the time of BOTH Bookings will be returned. Format: hh:mm:ss (use 24 hour clock) NB. Where there are multiple booked times to be returned for an Appointment, it will be clearly indicated that they relate to the same Appointment Slot | MUST |
WPAD-DI-013 | Booking method | The method by which the Appointment was booked i.e. in surgery, telephone, online via an Appointments Management - Citizen Service etc. If an Appointment is booked on multiple occasions, the booking method of ALL Bookings will be returned i.e. if an Appointment Slot is booked-cancelled-booked, the method of BOTH Bookings will be returned. Format: To be returned as per the format of the ‘booking method’ field (or equivalent) in the GP IT system. NB: If necessary, suppliers will also return reference data to explain the meaning of the data returned i.e. where particular codes, phrases, flags or colours etc. are used in their system. Where an Appointment has been booked on multiple occasions, it will be clear as to which Booking method relates to each Booking event. | MUST |
WPAD-DI-014 | Cancelled Date | The date on which the Appointment Slot was cancelled, whether by a Practice User or a Patient via an Appointments Management - Citizen Service. If an Appointment Slot is cancelled on multiple occasions, the date of ALL cancellations will be returned i.e. if an Appointment Slot is booked-cancelled-booked-cancelled, the date of BOTH cancellations will be returned. Format: yyyy-mm-dd NB. Where there are multiple cancelled dates to be returned for an Appointment, it needs to be clearly shown that they relate to the same Appointment Slot | MUST |
WPAD-DI-015 | Cancelled Time | The time at which the Appointment Slot was cancelled, whether by a Practice User or a Patient via an Appointments Management - Citizen Service. If an Appointment Slot is cancelled on multiple occasions, the time of ALL cancellations will be returned i.e. if an Appointment Slot is booked-cancelled-booked-cancelled, the time of BOTH cancellations will be returned. Format: hh:mm:ss (use 24 hour clock) NB. Where there are multiple cancelled times to be returned for an Appointment, it needs to be clearly shown that these relate to the same Appointment Slot | MUST |
WPAD-DI-016 | Mode of Appointment | The mode by which the Appointment is due to be carried out, as at the point the data is to be extracted. Mode of Appointment is mandatory and to be returned for every Appointment. Format: Mode of Appointment to be returned as one of the following options:
Suppliers are to mitigate the risk of data quality issues relating to this data item (For example, this could be achieved by not defaulting the value of this field). Suppliers can engage with the Authority to ensure that the correct data is returned for this data item and to confirm the format of the data recorded and to be submitted. If necessary, Suppliers will also return reference data to explain the meaning of the data returned i.e. where particular codes, phrases, flags or colours etc. are used in their system. Where the mode of Appointment associated with the Appointment changes prior to the Appointment being carried out, then this change will be reflected in the delta of data to be returned. If this changes multiple times, it is not necessary to return the full history unless this is available. | MUST |
WPAD-DI-017 | Appointment Release Date | The date on which the Appointment Slot was released and made available for Patients to book Format: yyyy-mm-dd NB: This is different concept to the ‘creation date’ (WPAD-DI-022) of the Slot which is the date on which the Appointment Slot was actually set up on the system, although in some instances this may be the same as the release date. It is recognised that some systems have the functionality to ‘embargo’ a Slot until a certain date/time in the future. It is the date on which the Appointment became or will become available for a Patient to book which will be returned for this data item. | SHOULD |
WPAD-DI-018 | Appointment Release Time | The time at which the Appointment Slot was released and made available for Patients to book Format: hh:mm:ss (use 24 hour clock) NB: This is different concept to the ‘creation time’ (WPAD-DI-023) of the Slot which is the time at which the Appointment Slot was actually set up on the system, although in some instances this may be the same as the release time. It is recognised that some systems have the functionality to ‘embargo’ a Slot until a certain date/time in the future. It is the time at which the Appointment became or will become available for a Patient to book which will be returned for this data item. | SHOULD |
WPAD-DI-019 | Actual Duration | The actual duration of the consultation which took place Format: hh:mm:ss NB. This is not the scheduled duration of the Appointment Slot (WPAD-DI-025) e.g. if a Slot is made available as a 10 minute Appointment but the actual consultation lasts 7 minutes then 00:07:00 will be returned for this field. | MAY |
WPAD-DI-020 | Patient registered at different practice | An indicator of whether the Patient who booked or has attended the Appointment is registered at the Practice for which the data is being returned (i.e. WPAD-DI-001) Format: ‘Yes’ if Patient is registered at a different Practice; ‘No’ if Patient is registered at the same Practice OR ODS code of the Practice where the Patient who attended the Appointment is registered | MUST |
WPAD-DI-021 | Source of Appointment booking | The source of the Appointment Booking as at the point the data is to be submitted i.e. another GP Practice, another healthcare setting, 111 referral etc. Format: To be returned as per the format of the relevant field within the GP IT system. Where applicable, the relevant organisation code (i.e. ODS code) or other identifier will be provided. NB. Where an Appointment Slot has been booked multiple times (i.e. booked-cancelled-booked etc.) this will be shown in the delta of data submitted each week, therefore it is only necessary to return the latest instance of Appointment Booking source. Suppliers can engage with the Authority to ensure that the correct field is returned for this data item and to confirm the format of the data recorded and to be submitted. If necessary, suppliers will also return reference data to explain the meaning of the data returned i.e. where particular codes, phrases, flags or colours etc. are used in their system. | MAY |
WPAD-DI-022 | Appointment/Session/Rota creation date | The date on which the Appointment/Rota/Session was set up on the system Format: yyyy-mm-dd NB. This is a different concept to the ‘Appointment Release Date’ (WPAD-DI-017) which is the date at which the Appointment will become or became available for a Patient to book | SHOULD |
WPAD-DI-023 | Appointment/Session/Rota creation time | The time which the Appointment/Rota/Session was set up on the system Format: hh:mm:ss (use 24 hour clock) NB. This is a different concept to the ‘Appointment Release Time’ (WPAD-DI-018) which is the time at which the Appointment will become or became available for a Patient to book | SHOULD |
WPAD-DI-024 | Appointment End Time | The time at which the Appointment Slot is scheduled to end i.e. not the time the consultation actually finished e.g. if an Appointment Slot is scheduled from 15:00:00 to 15:10:00, but the consultation actually ends at 15:12:00, then 15:10:00 will be returned for this field. Format: hh:mm:ss (use 24 hour clock) NB: It is understood that some GP IT systems record an Appointment End Time and others record an Appointment Duration (WPAD-DI-025). It is not necessary to return both of these fields as one can be inferred from the other. Suppliers can engage with the Authority if any clarification is required. | SHOULD |
WPAD-DI-025 | Appointment Duration | The duration of the Appointment Slot which is due to take place i.e. not the duration of the actual consultation (WPAD-DI-019) e.g. if an Appointment Slot is due to take place from 14:00:00 to 14:10:00, but the consultation actually finishes at 14:08:00, then 00:10:00 will be returned for this field Format: hh:mm:ss NB: It is understood that some GP IT systems record an Appointment End Time (WPAD-DI-024) and others just record an Appointment Duration. It is not necessary to return both of these fields as one can be inferred from the other. Suppliers can engage with the Authority if any clarification is required. | SHOULD |
WPAD-DI-026 | National Slot Type Category | The National Slot Type Category of the Appointment Slot (see E00222 in the Appointments Management - GP Capability) as at the point the data is to be extracted. Where National Slot Type Category mapping for the Slot Type associated with the Appointment changes, then this change will not be reflected in the delta of data to be returned. | MUST |
WPAD-DI-027 | SDS Role Profile ID | The role profile ID managed by the NHS Spine Directory Service that is stored against an individual in the source Solution (see 'Associated Smartcard as per Information Governance Standard). Suppliers to return the SDS Role Profile ID associated with the Appointment Slot as at the point the data is to be extracted. | MUST |
WPAD-DI-028 | Local Job Role | This is the locally defined job role as recorded in the source Solution (see 'Role(s) (for/within the Practice)') This is the raw data as recorded via the Resource Management Solution and associated with the Appointment Slot as at the point the data is to be extracted. This does not require any mapping to any value list. | MUST |
WPAD-DI-029 | Appointment Offered Method | The most recent method by which the Appointment Slot was offered before being booked as at the point the data is to be extracted. As a minimum this must indicate whether the Appointment Slot was offered online or not. Where available, Suppliers should also return any other values applicable to this field that indicate the Appointment Offered Method (e.g. 111, Telephone). Data to be returned as per the format in the Appointments Management - GP Solution. Any necessary reference data should also be made available to the Authority for analytical purposes. (i.e. 1 = Online). | MUST |
WPAD-DI-030 | Exception Reason | The Exception Reason(s) why an Appointment Slot was booked more than 14 calendar days after the booked date where an Exception Reason applies. Exception Reason(s) will only be provided for applicable Appointments, not all Appointments. These are applicable if the National Slot Type Category is either 2, 8, 9, or 17, and the time between the Appointment booked date and Appointment Date is over 14 calendar days. Group 3 National Slot Type Categories are;
Selection of Exception Reasons is optional and Practice Users may update their selection at any time. One or more Exception Reasons may be selected by Practice Users. Exception Reasons are to be ordered in the character string as: 1. Patient preferred an Appointment on a future date or at a specific time Suppliers are to report a character string to indicate Exception Reasons selected by a Practice User. Suppliers may return a 'N' to denote that no Exception Reason has been chosen, whilst 'Y' would denote the opposite. This would form a string of four characters; 'NNNN' would indicate no selection, 'YNNN' would indicate selection of the first Exception Reason, 'YNYN' would indicate multiple reasons selected and 'YYYY' would indicate that all Exception Reasons have been selected. Where there are multiple Exception Reasons to be returned for an Appointment, it will be clearly indicated that they relate to the same Appointment Slot. NB: Suppliers can engage with NHS Digital to ensure that the correct information is returned for this data item. Where the Exception Reason associated with the Appointment changes prior to the Appointment being carried out, then this change will be reflected in the delta of data to be returned. If this changes multiple times, it is not necessary to return the full history unless this is available. | MUST |
WPAD-DI-031 | Self-booking identifier | The flag which identifies an Appointment Slot as Patient-booked (e.g., via the NHS app). Format: Suppliers will return: NB: Suppliers can engage with NHS Digital to ensure that the correct information is returned for this data item. Where the Self-booking identifier associated with the Appointment changes prior to the Appointment being carried out, then this change will be reflected in the delta of data to be returned. If this changes multiple times, it is not necessary to return the full history unless this is available. | MUST |
Data Collection | |||
WPAD-TS1-002 | Suppliers will engage with the Authority during development to ensure that the correct information is returned to meet the needs of each data item specified in the Message Wrapper and Appointments Data Sections of this standard. | MUST | |
WPAD-TS1-003 | Suppliers will supply any necessary reference data to allow for interpretation of the data submitted. This information will be supplied along with the data submission any time it is updated For example, if numbers or other coding have been used to represent system ‘flags’, categories or text etc. a file will be supplied detailing the definition and meaning of these. | MUST | |
WPAD-TS1-005 | The data submission will include data for a minimum of 2 calendar months subsequent to the Submission Date (WPAD-MW-001) e.g. if the data is to be extracted on Tuesday 21st November 2017 then the last day of the reporting period would be no earlier than Saturday 20th January 2018. | MUST | |
WPAD-TS1-006 | The data submission will include a delta showing all changes to the data since the previous submission | MUST | |
WPAD-TS1-007 | Suppliers will only return data for Practices which have approved the collection using the CQRS system. A csv file of ODS codes showing all the Practices which have approved the collection will be made available via Secure Electronic File Transfer (SEFT) by close of play every Monday. Suppliers will apply this list to the data submission which is due to take place in the following week i.e. if the CQRS participation list is uploaded to SEFT on Monday 20th November 2017 then this will be applied to the extraction and submission due to take place on Monday 27th November 2017. | MUST | |
Data Submission | |||
WPAD-TS2-001 | Suppliers will submit data on a weekly basis | MUST | |
WPAD-TS2-002 | The data will be extracted from the system between 20:00:00 on a Monday and 07:00:00 on a Tuesday i.e. outside of working hours on a Monday night | MUST | |
WPAD-TS2-003 | Data will be submitted to the Authority within 24 hours of extraction from the system. Therefore, data will have been received by 07:00:00 each Wednesday. | MUST | |
WPAD-TS2-004 | Data will be submitted to the Authority outside of normal working hours NB: Working hours defined as 09:00 to 17:30, Monday to Friday Although it is possible to automate the upload of data to SEFT, if it is a manual process for suppliers to do this, then suppliers can engage with the Authority to confirm the most suitable time to do this to minimise load on the system. | MAY | |
WPAD-TS3-001 | Suppliers will submit the data to the Authority in a single or multiple csv file(s) It is recognised that supplier systems work in different ways and therefore that compiling all the necessary data into a single csv file may not be possible, although is preferable where this can be achieved. Where multiple files are to be submitted, these needs to be clearly identified and data clearly linked across the files. | MUST | |
WPAD-TS3-002 | Suppliers will agree with NHS Digital the exact format and structure of the csv file(s) to be submitted ahead of the first submission of data and provide copies of these as file templates. NHS Digital will make these templates available via SEFT each week. The initial format is shown in the linked Excel file below. This is to ensure consistency in the way the data is returned. | MUST | |
WPAD-TS3-003 | The file name of every file submitted will include the following as a minimum separated by an underscore (_)
e.g. WPAD_Supplier_2017-11-06_filename This will be agreed with the Authority. Any changes to the agreed file naming convention will need to be communicated and agreed with the Authority prior to making the change | MUST | |
WPAD-TS3-005 | Suppliers will submit the data to the Authority using Secure Electronic File Transfer (SEFT) or Messaging Exchange for Social Care and Health (MESH) | MUST | |
Data Quality Validation | |||
WPAD-TS4-001 | Suppliers will ensure that no Patient identifiable information is included in Submissions. This may include, but is not limited to, checking for names, ‘titles’, phone numbers etc. | MUST | |
WPAD-TS4-002 | Suppliers will provide a sample data return along with evidence of any testing, validation and quality checking activities they have completed in the development of this data collection ahead of the first formal data submission. This only applies to the initial collection and does not need to be provided each week. | MUST | |
No Patient identifiable data will be collected as part of this request. The data item ‘Appointment Type’ is a free text, user definable field in some systems. In the event that this field has been populated with Patient identifiable data, then the Authority is required to remove and delete that identifiable data as soon as possible and prior to any analysis being undertaken. If identifiable data is inadvertently received within the ‘Appointment Type’ data field (or otherwise), the Authority will take all reasonable actions to ensure this is removed.
This data collection has been accepted by the the Authority public board and a Direction has been signed and published. The collection and data items have been agreed by the the Authority lead IG specialist and Caldicott Guardian on this basis and the principal data processor will be NHS England.
Once the Authority has collected the data, it will be passed to NHS England who will carry out the majority of the processing, analysis and further use of the data. However, the information collected will also be published by the Authority in a manner and format to be determined, as the Authority have a duty to do this. Any publication would clearly highlight any caveats and data quality issues associated with the information.
Applicable Capabilities
All Supplier Solutions will need to meet this Standard if they are delivering the Appointments Management - GP Capability.
Dependencies
Creating a compliant implementation requires implementing the following dependent interface Standards:
Roadmap
Items on the Roadmap which impact or relate to this Standard |