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4 Where we are now
We are not starting from scratch. Both in NHS Boards and nationally there has been investment in modern eHealth systems that have made a difference to how we work. Much of what this strategy calls for is already happening, but not systemically.
Some case studies illustrate the point:
The Emergency Care Summary now contains key clinical information for over 5.1 million patients and is currently used in around 25,000 care occasions per week, if the patient explicitly consents to its access. Having access to key details such as current medication and allergies makes care safer.
NHS Lothian and NHS Fife are rolling out modern patient record systems which support the clinical process, not just administrative functions.
We have a secure electronic messaging system, primarily used at present for outpatient referrals by GPs at a rate of some 17,000 per month. A key added benefit is that referrals can be based on specialty or condition specific protocols.
The roll-out of the NHS Scotland PACS services - digital X-rays - has reached the point of 21 sites live and over two million images stored. Among the benefits are fewer unnecessary X-rays being taken due to lost films.
Our ePharmacy programme is going well. Following completion of the Minor Ailment Service the second phase - prescriptions sent electronically from GP to community pharmacist then onwards for payment - is now live with around a million prescriptions a month being transmitted.
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