Transfer of Medical records is not yet part of RFA process.  The development
work, involving a number of GP suppliers, under the auspices of the Sowerby
Centre for Health Informatics in Newcastle (SCHIN), is progressing apace,
with plans to get "laboratory" testing early next year.

No product yet available, so a bit premature to include in RFA process.

The agenda for the RFA5 Prescribing and Dispensing subgroup meeting is due
to cover:

Background and Overview of Working Groups on RFA5
Terms of Reference
Existing change proposals to RFA
Other changes needed to update RFA
External consultation
Future meetings.

The TOR state that "Members of the group are invited because of their
technical expertise or knowledge, not as representatives of particular
groups."

As Ewan has said, Ian Purves is now chairing the RFA process, and there is
significant input from GPs with an interest in IT.  Ahmad asked "why have
the RFA process?" - Well at present it is one of the only ways to encourage
GP systems to meet requirements of the NHS with items that are in Ewan's
words:

1)	fundamental to the successful implementation of the strategy
2)	safety critical (this include security and confidentiality)
3)	Necessary to support data sharing and EDI

Topics for change requests on prescribing include

Update references to Read Codes
Drug legal category display
Rewrite "course lengths" section
Clarify "review dates" section
DoB and age on all scripts - "probably no change needed to RFA", but
CSSA/PPA plans
Review of prescription forms ( eg single sheet forms for laser type
printers) - "probably no change needed to RFA"
Storing "authority" in the audit trail
Drug database issues - content, side effects etc, and generic prescribing

I would be happy to feedback comments on these or any other aspects of RFA
and prescribing.

Jon

-----Original Message-----
From: [log in to unmask]
[mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of Adrian Midgley
Sent: 12 November 1998 20:07
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: RE: RFA & scripts


[log in to unmask],Net wrote at 08:51 on 12/11/98
about "RE: RFA & scripts":
-----------------------------
Applause for the estimable Jon, this is the level of disclosure that
the NHS should achieve as a start.

Jon, who are the RFA5 members responsible for whatver bit of RFA
deals with portability of records, IE the ability to take the GP
notes of John Smith99 and move them from your practice to mine?
I really do want to see their names in public.




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