Background

GEN2 changes outlined below are part of the evolution of the existing relevant Digital Care Services (DCS) Capabilities and Standards Model into a new format. The intention of the new format is to provide a more flexible requirements model that reduces barriers to innovation as Suppliers can build iteratively to meet user needs. 

NHS Digital's goal is to have restructured the relevant DCS Capabilities and Standards so they conform to the the below principles:

1. A more permissible model with a minimum number of MUST Epics in each Capability to cover:

   1. Scope of Capability generally (may be more than 1, but keeping to a minimum)

   2. Serious Clinical Safety implications if not a MUST and there isn’t a safe alternative

   3. Covers Legal Requirements for Practices

   4. Supports the Practice meeting their obligations under the GP Contract

   5. Any mandated national Interoperability Standards mapped to that Capability

   6. To cover any other Standards that map specifically to that Capability e.g. Management Information Reporting Standard or eMED3 Standard (this does not include Overarching Standards)

2. Majority of existing MUST Epics will change to be MAYs and new MAY Epics will be added in some cases to replace requirements from within Capability Specific Standards

   1. This allows the Supplier to choose which MAY EPICs to implement and evidence. We expect the Suppliers to recognise the need to provide a comprehensive product based on their user feedback and their desire to be competitive against other solutions

3. Mandatory Overarching Standards will remain

4. A number of Standards are planned to be removed as part of the GEN2 transition, including Capability Specific Standards (e.g. Appointments Management - Citizen - Standard) once the requirements within have been reviewed and one of the following actions taken: 

   1. Requirement is removed and re-written as part of the Epics and Acceptance Criteria within the associated Capability (i.e. as a completely new Epic or as amendments to an existing Epic)

   2. Requirement is removed and the important details added as Additional Implementation Details against an Epic within the associated Capability

   3. Requirement is removed and the important details added as Supporting Information against an Epic within the associated Capability (this could be directly against the Epic or on a Reference Page referenced from the Supporting Information against the Epic)

   4. Requirement is removed entirely (i.e. because it is a duplicate requirement and doesn’t specify anything that isn’t already covered by an Epic or it is deemed non-essential and too low level for the Epics)

   5. Requirement is moved into another Standard

Outline Plan

N/A

Summary of Change

Workflow

• Update Workflow Capability to version 1.0.2

• Retire Workflow - Standard 

• 'Task' Epics moved from Workflow Capability version 1.0.1 to new Capability 'Task Management' 

Task Management

• New Capability ‘Task Management’ added to the model version 1.0.0

• Incorporated the ‘Task’ Epics from Workflow Capability version 1.0.1 and Task related requirements from Workflow - Standard 

Communication Management

• Update Communication Management Capability to version 1.0.2

• Retire Communication Management - Standard

Digital Diagnostics

• Update Digital Diagnostics Capability to version 1.0.2

• Retire Digital Diagnostics - Standard

Document Management

• Incorporate Unstructured Data Extraction Epics/ACs into Document Management Capability 

• Update Document Management Capability to version 1.0.2

• Retire Document Management - Standard

GP Extracts Verification

• Update GP Extracts Verification Capability to version 1.0.2

• Retire GP Extracts Verification - Standard

Unstructured Data Extraction

• Existing Epics/AC from Unstructured Data Extraction Capability merged into Document Management Capability version 1.0.2

• Appropriate existing requirements from Unstructured Data Extraction - Standard merged into Document Management Capability version 1.0.2 as Epics/AC

• Retire Unstructured Data Extraction Capability

• Retire Unstructured Data Extraction - Standard 

Scanning

• Update Scanning Capability to version 1.0.2

Cross-organisation Appointment Booking

• Update Cross-organisation Appointment Booking Capability to version 1.0.2

• Epic ‘C23E2’ has been removed

• Epic ‘C23E5’ has been removed

• Epic ‘C23E7’ has been removed

• Epic ‘C23E9’ has been removed

Full Specification

Uplift to New GEN2 Capabilities: 

• Workflow

• Communication Management

• Digital Diagnostics

• Document Management

• GP Extracts Verification

• Scanning

• Cross-organisation Appointment Booking

Please note, the scope of the Capabilities have not increased as a result of the changes made. 

New Capabilities to be added:

• Task Management
  
  

Capabilities to be retired:

• Unstructured Data Extraction
  
  

Standards to be retired: 

• Workflow - Standard

• Communication Management - Standard

• Digital Diagnostics - Standard

• Document Management - Standard

• GP Extracts Verification - Standard

• Unstructured Data Extraction - Standard

Assurance Approach

New GEN2 Capabilities 

For existing GPITF Suppliers: 

• The results of previous Capability Assessments will be carried over from GEN1 to GEN2 for Epics and Acceptance Criteria that have not changed 

• For new Epics or Epics that have been amended as a result of the Capability Specific Standard being retired, the results of previous assurance will be carried over and no further evidence or assurance will be required

For New Suppliers: 

• These Epics will be assessed as part of the Capability Assessment phase and this will be a high level assessment based on the Acceptance Criteria defined

• These Epics are not intended to replace the full assurance process for any related Standards (e.g. assessing the Epic does not negate the need for the Interoperability Standard to be fully assured by the appropriate team)

Retired Standards 

For existing GPITF Suppliers: 

• No further assurance is required, the results from requirements contained in the Capability Specific Standards will be carried over to the relevant GEN2 Capability 

For New Suppliers: 

• No assurance is required