Online and video consultation data collection
A data provision notice (DPN) for a data collection on Online and Video Consultation in General Practices was issued to general practices in England on 10 January 2022. NHS England has directed NHS Digital to collect and analyse data in connection with online and video consultations in general practice. This data collection is to replace the summary collection that was implemented as part of the national response to Covid-19 and collected under a special covid arrangement under COPI.
Practices will need to legally comply with the DPN and provide permission for the extract via the Calculating Quality Reporting Service (CQRS). The legal basis is established in the DPN.
It is a “participation only” service, all practices need to do is give permission through CQRS to enable the extraction of data specified in the DPN and then the data will be provided directly to NHS Digital by the online consultation and video consultation suppliers on behalf of practices. The first data collection is due to be taken in February 2022 and then weekly ongoing. There is no end date specified in the DPN.
The Registered Manager at the practice should have received an email notification from NHS Digital for this DPN and also have received an email from the London Immunisation team asking them to give permission for this data extraction through CQRS.
Appendix A provides a link to the data specification where details of each data item to be extracted can be found. The National Data Opt-Out will not apply to the extraction of data and the information to be collected does not include patient identifiers such as name, address or NHS Number. The data will not be shared publicly but will be shared with practices, commissioners, and national NHS organisations to help understand the use of these systems and how they can be improved.
As required under section 258 of the 2012 Act, the Joint General Practitioners Committee (GPC) and Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) IT subcommittee (also referred to as the Joint GP IT Committee), which is part of the British Medical Association (BMA) were consulted with on this data collection.
The DPN states that the direction from NHSE is to formalise the collection beyond the national COVID-19 response and to:
- Improve the collection of online consultation and video consultation activity in GP practices to provide a fuller picture of workload and activity.
- Provide meaningful metrics to support implementation of online and video consultations.
- Be used to inform incentive schemes including the Investment and Impact Fund (IIF). This is being issued by NHS England and NHS Improvement (NHSE/I) to all GP practices and Primary Care Networks (PCNs) as part of delivering high quality care to their populations as well as delivering objectives in the NHS Long Term Plan .
- Enable informed and value-based commissioning of online and video consultation products.
- Help General Practices focus on the delivery of good outcomes for patients, staff and the wider system.
- Be used to monitor and drive product development to deliver the right outcomes for General Practice.
- Help standardise reporting from online consultation system suppliers for consistency Direction Requirements Specification for OC/VC extended dataset v 1.1.
- Be used to distribute implementation resources and share learning more effectively within a system based on outcomes.
- Extract data items that would not otherwise be available from other national data collections or General Practice clinical systems.
- Enable OC/VC data to be combined with General Practice Appointment Data (GPAD) for use in the GPAD publication. The data used will be a count of clinical OC/VC appointments to combine with similar non-OC/VC appointments at the General Practice level found in GPAD to allow a more holistic view of appointment activity.
New CQC guidance section for practices (20 Aug 2019)
In the past 12 months CQC have visited nearly 400 practices in London and found that: 3 were considered outstanding, 300 were considered ‘good’, 57 required improvement, and 23...Bowel screening update – August 2019 (20 Aug 2019)
NHS England have provided an information sheet to explain the introduction of the faecal immunochemical test (FIT). This replaced the guaiac faecal occult blood test (gFOBt) at the start of...Tackling social isolation and loneliness to improve health (20 Aug 2019)
Colin Brown, UK Director for Independent Living & Crisis Response at British Red Cross looks at how their expertise will be of use to social prescribing link workers, as they...Primary care buddying system (20 Aug 2019)
The NHS London Leadership Academy is working with primary care providers to support development in the sector, and to facilitate wider working across the health and social care system. They...Vaccination update August 2019 (20 Aug 2019)
Hepatitis B in at risk babies Babies born to mothers infected with hepatitis B require a course of hep B vaccination. The first dose is given within 24 hours in...Londonwide LMCs’ support for Primary Care Network Clinical Directors (20 Aug 2019)
The introduction of the PCN DES means significant changes in the way practices deliver some existing services, and the rolling out of a new range of services. Londonwide LMCs is...Safeguarding payments and collaborative arrangements (15 Aug 2019)
On 11 July 2019 Dr David Geddes, NHSE/I Director of Primary Care Commissioning, wrote to CCGs and STPs advising that payment for safeguarding activity is not covered by core NHS...Tips of the month August 2019 (15 Aug 2019)
We provide weekly tips based on common queries which come through to us from London GPs and practice teams. These are shared via social media and collated for...Congratulations to Dr Katie Bramall-Stainer on becoming CEO of Cambridgeshire LMCs (15 Aug 2019)
At the start of August Dr Katie Bramall-Stainer took over from Dr Guy Watkins as Chief Executive of Cambridgeshire LMC. Katie trained as a GP in London and was previously a medical...CNSGP confirmed to cover safeguarding reports (13 Aug 2019)
NHS England and NHS Resolution have confirmed that the Clinical Negligence Scheme for General Practice (CNSGP) does cover GPs for claims relating to reports produced in response to safeguarding requests, for...Guidance
We provide expert guidance for practices in our guidance section, as well as an archive of other materials you may find useful.
GP Support
Contact our GP Support team if you need help or advice.
The team provide professional and pastoral support to GPs and practice teams on a broad range of issues.
follow us on...
