NHS e-Referral Service (e-RS)

Programme Overview:

The NHS e-Referral Service (e-RS) replaces the previous Choose and Book service. It has been developed using feedback from patients and NHS professionals, and uses enhanced technology to deliver even greater benefits. Some of the new features are:

A refreshed user interface which will improve the look and feel of the application
Comprehensive user help files
Management Information and reporting tools, which will make the wealth of information within the service more readily available
Additional referrers will be enabled to use the service, a concept known as ‘any to any’
A simpler integration mechanism for existing integrated supplier systems, such as GP systems and patient administration systems

NHS e-Referral is just one of the steps towards achieving a paper free NHS by 2020

Keep It Simple Concept. Person Click Keyboard Button.

The Benefits

e-RS will improve the quality of the referral experience for patients and better support current and future business processes for clinicians and administrative staff. In so doing, it helps create a more patient-centered, people-powered service, making the NHS much easier to do business with, and supporting the drive towards paperless referrals and a paperless NHS by 2020.

Benefits for the Patient

Empowers patients and improves patient choice
Decreased Anxiety
Patients less likely to DNA for appointments booked via the NHS e-Referral Service.
A patient referred via the NHS e-Referral Service will likely begin their treatment two weeks before a non NHS e-Referral Service referral
Increased Referral Security
Reliable and comprehensive clinical information

Benefits for GP Practice

Flexibility – referral can be made after consultation
More cost effective & less staff time
Training & support resource is available
Less staff time processing
Reduced inconsistencies/errors in processes (audit trail)
Ability to mange worklists
Enhanced Reporting
Referrers and practice staff can track the progress of a patient’s referral through the NHS e-Referral Service
Defer to provider, hospitals responsibility
Referrers are able to seek advice and guidance from specialist prior to referral
Directory of Service

What is the element of the 2016/2017 Quality Premium attached to e-RS?

For 2016/17 there is a payment available to CCGs equivalent to £1 per head of population for increasing the proportion of GP referrals made by the NHS e-Referral Service.

To earn this portion of the quality premium, CCGs will need to, either:

Meet a level of 80% by March 2017 (March 2017 performance only) and demonstrate a year on year increase in the percentage of referrals made by e-referrals (or achieve 100% e-referrals), or;
March 2017 performance to exceed March 2016 performance by 20 percentage points

Click here to see more about the Quality Premium on the NHS England website.

Why would GP practices want to do this?

The NHS ambition is to embrace technology as part of its drive to offer modern, convenient and responsive services to patients, their families and carers. GP practices are leading the way. Today, the majority of GP practices already offer these services.

By when?

2016/17 GMS Contract Requirement:

Building on the 2015/16 agreement, practices will be encouraged to make referrals electronically using the NHS e-Referral Service. It has been agreed to aim for at least 80% of elective referrals to be made electronically using the NHS e-Referral Service by 31 March 2017, unless the secondary provider has not made slots available on the system, there is a clinical need to refer to a provider who does not publish services on the system or patients have indicated their choice to be referred to a provider that does not publish services on the system.

Visit the NHS Digital e-RS library

The button below will take you the NHS Digital e-Referral Service library where you will find information and resources to support your practice with the e-Referral Service (e-RS).

View Page

What help can I get with the e-Referral Service?

Our team are working with CCGs and GP practices.

We can help by providing support and training for e-RS. We can also, by developing your business processes, increase the utilisation of e-RS for your practice.

Questions & Answers

Error e-Referral Stuck on Outstanding Referral Letters Screen - Duplicate

These are normally found in the Outstanding Referral Worklist – a UBRN is sitting in this list and awaiting a referral to be added.
1. Click on the UBRN
2. Choose – Actions,
3. Choose -View History, from this screen highlight the NHS number and copy Click Ok.
4. Go to the Patient Tab, Paste in the NHS Number and search for the patient, please ensure that you have ticked Show archived referrals.
5. If two referrals are show, check on the GP clinical system to ensure that the correct UBRN that has gone through are the same details as are on the patient record – if not add the information about which UBRN is now being used and save the record within the Clinical System.
6. Go back to e-Referral Patient Screen Click on the duplicate UBRN,
7. Choose – Actions and
8. Choose – Cancel Request.
9. Choose Reason from Drop down list – Other
10. Add comments: Duplicate Referral,
11. Click Cancel Request,
12. Click Yes
13. Click Close.
The duplicate will be archived.

The practice are recieving SystmOneTasks regarding unactioned referrals

If the practice are receiving daily tasks regarding unactioned referrals, a number of things needs to be checked:

1. Go to Set up
2. Click User and Policies
3. Click Organisational Preferences
4. Click Clinical
5. Within Referrals Out Section
6. ensure that there is a number of weeks rather than the default 0, suggest a 2 week before task sent to ensure none are missed.

The reason the tasks are sent is because the full process of referring out has not been completed.

Refer to Training Guide : 04 Referral Letters, in particular steps on the last 2 pages, this will ensure no tasks are sent and the SystmOne side of the e-referral process is completed.

Error e-Referral Stuck on Outstanding Referral Letters Screen (Not a Duplicate)

1. Checking on Patients Record in the Referral Out Node that all the attachments are there. If so save all the attachments to the desktop
2. In the Outstanding Referrals Letters Worklist within e-Referral, Click on UBRN and Click Add referral letter, Click add attachment from the desktop adding any additional description as required Repeat adding documents until all relating documents are attached.
3. Click submit
4. Click close.

The referral will go and move to the awating acceptance / booking worklist.

NOTE: Remember to delete all attachments from desktop and empty the recycling bin.

How to Guide is Available

Unable to find Two Week Wait appointments

A common problem is not searching correctly for 2 Week Wait appointments, as with normal appointments you search for speciality with 2 Week Wait you need to search for 2 Week Wait

The search in e-Referral should be as follows :-
1. Priority = 2 Week Wait
2. Specialty = 2WW
3. Clinic Type = 2WW Type e.g. 2WW Breast, 2WW Gynaecology, 2WW Skin etc

How to Guide Available

How do I request changes or report errors for e-Referral

NHS Digital have a feedback form that can be completed and screen shots, doc added to support information.
http://www.digital.nhs.uk/referrals/feedback

In SystmOne, how do I attach additional information requested by the Provider

1. Within the Patients Record locate the e-Referral (listed as Choose and Book in SystmOne)
2. Right Click on Referral and Choose – Update Choose & Book
3. Amend Referral Window pops up – amend as necessary and Click Continue Writing
4. The Choose and Book Referral window opens, add information or attachments as required
5. Send Final Version and Save Patient