NHS Systems Integration
NHS Connecting for Health is responsible for a £1bn per year programme to provide centralised patient records and booking systems across the NHS. It provides national data systems that are connected to more than 50 suppliers and secure access control to around three quarters of a million NHS staff.
Klarient consultants formed a team responsible for supporting the integration of clinical systems with the national infrastructure. This included:
- Developing relationships between clinical system suppliers and CFH, and advising NHS Trusts and suppliers on the use and design of the national Spine Directory Service.
- Technical reviews of supplier applications and infrastructure across all sectors (primary care, secondary care and pharmacies) and advising on deployment and integration issues.
- Production of guidance material relating to XML interfaces between systems, including HL7 messaging.
- Coordinating supplier testing, and managing the resolution of technical and project issues.
- Managing the deployment of NHS smart card infrastructures.
- Working with thin client hardware and smart card reader vendors to validate their products for use with the National Programme.
- Improving national data quality including the development of standard reference data.