| If you haven't been to hospital or seen your | | | | reduce the risk of prescriptions getting lost, and |
| doctor recently, then perhaps you're not aware | | | | needing to be duplicated. This is much safer, and |
| of the Connecting For Health Programme that is | | | | will help to ensure that prescriptions don't end up |
| making a huge difference to the effectiveness of | | | | in the wrong hands. |
| the NHS, to make patient care even better and | | | | 7. Thanks to technology, it's now possible to |
| more effective. | | | | quickly transfer records when they move. What |
| Here's what you need to know. | | | | used to take several days to arrive in the post, |
| 1. Electronic health records are being introduced, | | | | or via courier, can be sent and received in |
| which will put an end to paper based notes. As | | | | minutes. This helps to ensure that all the records |
| well as taking up less storage space, they will | | | | are correct, and that they are not seen by |
| always be up to date, and there will be no more | | | | unauthorised people. |
| having to decipher the doctor's handwriting! | | | | 8. Digital images are making X rays and |
| 2. Patients now have more choice in the care that | | | | Ultrasounds much easier to store. It's also |
| they receive. It's now possible to choose the | | | | beneficial if a second opinion is needed, or the |
| hospital, as well as the day and date of your | | | | patient has been treated away from their normal |
| operation, in order to make having treatment a | | | | hospital. |
| less traumatic experience. | | | | 9. Sharing healthcare records between different |
| 3. Better organised patient appointments mean | | | | areas of the NHS. Your dentist will be able to see |
| that there is less likelihood of patients failing to | | | | if you're taking medication, and your surgeon will |
| attend. This means that the NHS reduces the | | | | know whether you've recently had any work |
| amount of time and other resources it wastes as | | | | done on your teeth. Sharing information will also |
| a result of people not showing up for their | | | | mean that allergies and other important |
| appointments. | | | | information can be highlighted, so that it can be |
| 4. Connecting for Health is part of the Directorate | | | | seen by those that need to know. |
| of Department for Health, and affects over 300 | | | | 10. NHS staff are now more effective and |
| hospitals and 8500 doctors surgeries. | | | | efficient, and have the right tools they need to do |
| 5. Connecting for Health was Introduced April | | | | their job. As technology has made a big |
| 2005, and is still ongoing today. Everyday, patients | | | | difference to the daily running of many |
| are able to benefit from the advanced in | | | | businesses, the NHS is no different. |
| technology and organisation and administration, | | | | Now you know more about the NHS Connecting |
| and medical staff can treat more patients, and | | | | For Health Programme, the next time you need |
| spend less time on paperwork. | | | | medical treatment, you'll find that it's better for |
| 6. Electronic prescriptions allow for the prescription | | | | you as a patient, and for the medical staff too. |
| to be printed out at any pharmacy, and so will | | | | |