The new Elective Care Framework for Northern Ireland
The Health Minister, Robin Swann’s recent statement was an exciting read for the MedicComs team as Minister Swann highlighted the importance of digital innovation.
The Health Minister detailed the new Framework in an Assembly statement, but what does it really mean…
The key points included:
Immediate actions
From next month, enhanced rates of pay will be introduced for staff working in targeted shifts and delivering priority elective activity to fully maximise internal-HSC capacity.
The establishment of a new cross-border healthcare scheme to allow patients to receive treatment in the Republic’s established private sector and then to seek reimbursement up to the cost of the equivalent treatment to the HSC in Northern Ireland.
This scheme will be operating within weeks.
Megaclinics for orthopaedic outpatients, for cataract assessments and for a range of pre-operative assessments will be developed and in place by September.
These clinics may entail some patients being asked to travel slightly further than the otherwise would have, they will improve the numbers of patients seen and very importantly – the speed at which they are seen.
Medium-term actions
Proposals of a rapid diagnostic centre, or centres, for Northern Ireland by March.
A redesign of endoscopy services, including the likely possibility of a new regional endoscopy centre to deliver high volume scopes.
There will be a specific focus on reducing missed appointments – or the so called DNA. A new policy will be introduced in which the Trust booking teams will begin contacting all patients prior to surgery to ensure all slots are fully utilised.
Longer-term actions
There will be a clear movement towards a 7-day working week for hospital theatres.
Northern Ireland will move to the new, much more transparent, referral to treatment waiting times measurement. This mirrors the waiting times process already in place across the rest of the United Kingdom.
Digital innovations, such as electronic prescribing in primary care, will be rolled out in order to deliver maximum benefits to elective care services.
The MedicComs app, developed for healthcare professionals, represents a digital innovation that supports the safe management of the prescribing and dispensing of medications.
For more information about how to demo our simple to use, secure, auditable and time saving technology click here.