We are moving to a new clinical
computer System on 3rd & 4th
November 2015
This is a major piece of work for the practice team and we ask for your help, support and
patience over the coming weeks. There may be some disruption to services leading up to
and during the ‘Go-Live’ week.
Our medical records and appointments system is being upgraded to a new system called
SystmOne. This is a more modern and powerful system that should be easier to use and
help us to provide you with a better service.
Why are we changing?
Our current clinical system is very dated although the programme has been upgraded
and enhanced over the years; it really has reached the end of its useful life.
In the coming weeks there will be some unavoidable changes and disruptions to our
services which you need be aware of:
Staff training: As you can imagine, with an entirely new system we need to ensure all
the doctors, nurses and support staff are fully trained and ‘ready to go’ come 3rd & 4th
November. In the main we will try to avoid closing the practice for staff training but it may
be necessary to close the practice or phone lines for short periods to allow all staff to
attend training.
No Advanced Appointments Tuesday 3rd November to Monday 9th November
2015: There will be a reduced service with no advanced appointments being made
available during this period. There will be same day ‘urgent’ appointments only during this
time. We apologize for this reduced appointment availability but we need learn to adapt
and become comfortable with our new clinical system and despite the training
undertaken, we need to anticipate that we will not be able to operate at our usual speed.
Repeat Prescription Requests Thursday 29th October to Wednesday 4th November
2015: We will continue to process repeat requests during this time but with the change
over to the new system there may be a substantial delay in the time taken to process
your request. We need to avoid repeat prescription requests as much as possible during
the above period. If you are likely to need a prescription during the period Thursday 29th
October to Wednesday 4th November, please ask for this earlier.
Online Services: Our Online services including online appointment making and online
repeat ordering will temporarily be disabled from 6pm on Wednesday 28th October until
sometime on Wednesday 4th November 2015.
Despite training and preparation, there is no doubt that for the first few weeks we
are going to be slower and we ask that you please be patient with all our staff as
they get to grips with the new system.
Frequently Asked Question
What if I run out of medication during the period Tuesday 3rd November to
Wednesday 4th November 2015?
Please try to avoid running out of your medication by contacting us to request your
prescription early. If you do run out of medication, this will be referred to a GP who will
determine the urgency of your request
What if I feel I need to see a GP during the period you have said you can only see
‘urgent’ same day appointments?
As mentioned, we are reducing appointments during this time, in order to reduce the
amount of ‘routine’ work, whilst we go through this migration process and final training
sessions (some training cannot take place until we switch off the old system and/or ‘go
live’). We need to allow staff to adapt and become familiar with the new system and
processes to ensure they can help you better. Although, training has taken place, clearly
until all staff become competent in the use of this new system, it is better to allow
sufficient time for each appointment. As soon as we are certain that staff feel comfortable
with the new system appointments will be made available at their usual level. However, if
you feel that your need to see a GP is urgent during this period the receptionist will refer
this to a GP who will then determine the urgency.
I still don’t understand why you have to change?
Our existing clinical software is ‘old’, is no longer supported and will become redundant in
the not too distant future. We took some considerable time reviewing which system to
move to and feel that we have made the right decision with our new system, SystmOne.
The local and national primary care community already regards SystmOne very highly, in
fact throughout the country SystmOne is the most prevalent provider of clinical systems
in Primary Care.
Some of the Advantages of the new System:
•Greatly enhanced functionality for the clinical team.
•Greatly enhanced functionality for the admin team.
•More flexibility with our appointments scheduling
•The possibility for greater integrated working with other healthcare agencies reducing
duplication and improving patient safety.
How much will this move cost?
Many of the costs of moving to a new system include project planning, preparation and
staff training, and these costs are being absorbed by the Practice. The actual cost of the
system itself is the responsibility of the Strategic Health Authority, who had mandated
that all practices should move to the systems specified.
Will I need to re-register at the Practice?
No, all your clinical records will be transferred to the new system.
We hope that we have answered the most important questions you may have but if you
have any further questions please don’t hesitate to contact our Practice Manager Gill
Wilcox.
Thank you for your patience during this time there are bound to be some teething
problems and we appreciate your understanding.