The Rotherham Hospital is at the forefront of patient data sharing with the integration of GP Connect

A trailblazer in interoperability, The Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust is one of the first NHS Trusts in the UK to successfully integrate the national GP Connect Access Record: Structured - FHIR API, enabling authorised health and social care workers in a variety of settings to access their patients’ GP records. 

Spearheaded by the Trust’s pharmacy technician team and MEDITECH UK, the effort aims to tackle the persistent challenge of manually maintaining accurate patient medication and allergy records by using a FHIR-based connection to integrate with the Trust’s Electronic Patient Record (EPR). 

Prior to GP Connect, patient information was available in view-only formats. GP Connect revolutionises the landscape by offering healthcare professionals a streamlined experience with a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’ response to incorporate the latest patient data from GP records, eliminating the cumbersome task of gathering the right data while reducing transcription errors. 

Rotherham’s Director of Health Informatics James Rawlinson emphasised the system's significance in improving patient safety. “GP Connect plays a crucial role in clinical processes such as medicines reconciliation, enabling our clinical teams to pull in an accurate medication list in near real time,” he said.

These real-time benefits of using GP Connect extend to all parts of the organisation. Rotherham’s system enables an always up-to-date medication list as well as patient allergy information, reducing the risk of misinterpretation of GP records, and allowing for quicker treatment and shorter queue lines. 

“We are thrilled to witness the successful integration of GP Connect at Rotherham Hospital,” said MEDITECH UK’s Interoperability and Integration Executive Mike Hooton. “This achievement reflects not only the cutting-edge capabilities of MEDITECH’s technology but also the dedication and expertise of the healthcare professionals at Rotherham.” 

Staying at the forefront of the latest innovations in interoperability ensures that health and care workers everywhere share the same source of truth to help keep patients on the right path.

“We are excited to watch the positive impact GP Connect will have on patient care in the region,” Hooton added.