The NHS eReferrals initiative, part of broader Government ambitions for a paperless health service, is designed to streamline patient handovers from primary to secondary care, while providing clearer traceability of progress along the clinical pathway.

Yet for many Trusts, there has remained a weak link: electronic referrals from GPs have not been connected to hospital or community clinic systems. For referrals information to flow through secondary care, staff have had to re-input information manually into their bookings and patient records systems. This process risks undermining many of the intended benefits of eReferrals.

Deliver fully integrated eReferrals with SynApps

SynApps eReferrals Gateway solution provides easy integration of electronic patient referrals into Trust’s existing booking and records systems using the NHS’s native NHS e-Referral Service (e-RS) application interface (API). It does this irrespective of the brand of target system – Alfresco, Documentum, EPR or PAS etc – or the kinds of records it holds.

This means that, with very little disruption, Trusts can make electronic referrals an integral, joined-up part of their wider patient management, scheduling and post-treatment payment settlement activities, ensuring greater efficiency, accuracy and continuity of referrals management.

As well as smoothing the flow of patient intake, and keeping a tighter rein on consultation and treatment targets, this integrated end-to-end digital care pathway capability presents the opportunity for clinicians and healthcare administrators to securely view the latest status of eReferrals and related notes concurrently, whatever their location.

We have developed our eReferrals Gateway solution hand in hand with Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust, ensuring that it fulfils the everyday needs of acute as well as nonemergency hospitals.

Download our eReferrals Gateway datasheet for more information here