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36% (97 locations) have full access to GP services for someone they care for (against 20% target)
Proxy Access case studies and media releases:
- Proxy Access helps local care homes safely manage medications
- Proxy Access improves care and safety for local care home residents
- Burlington Hall shares their experience of a range of digitising social care projects including Proxy Access
Online ordering increases safety in care homes
Ordering repeat medicines for people living in care homes is now safer, easier and quicker in homes that have a direct link to their residents’ GP records.
Instead of working with paper prescriptions, care homes can log in to a GP’s online system on a resident’s behalf, ordering repeat prescriptions in the same way patients more generally can do themselves.
We have developed Proxy Access to help our residents who might be struggling with ordering medication or being able to look at useful information on their records they would normally be able to see. Proxy Access is secure and can only be used with the correct approval.
It means, for example, care homes can order medications at any time of day or night, leaving them free to concentrate on residents when most needed. They can also leave notes for the GP on the system, improving communication about the resident’s healthcare needs.
Importantly, as online ordering is based on the up-to-date details in the GP record, it’s more accurate. Medicines that are no longer needed can be avoided, making it safer for residents.
GPs and their practice staff, meanwhile, save time and effort as they no longer have to deal with paper prescriptions. And care homes using the online system are able to show health and care regulator the CQC how they’ve increased resident safety and information security – important in helping them meet legal and ratings requirements.
Care homes setting up Proxy Access must first have a secure email system – preferably NHSmail.
What our care services say:
Anda Marin, General Manager of Burlington Hall Care Home has praised Proxy Access for being easy to use. It has increased communication with GPs regarding repeat prescriptions, allows staff to see if there has been a medication review – ensuring repeat ordering is safer, more efficient and cost effective. Staff can now also access the digital records and order medications at any time of the day. Read Burlington Hall case study.
“Proxy Access makes the process of ordering repeat medication on behalf of the resident hassle-free. There are fewer risks and issues associated with the re-ordering of medication, and it’s given us more flexibility because we can order medication at any time or day.” – Kamal Benipal, Registered Manager of Belle Vue Care Home
What GP practice staff say:
“It’s helped to cut down the time that we’re having to contact each other, because you can see what you’ve ordered and when it has been dispensed.” – Laura Warner, Senior Care Coordinator at the De Parys Group
“If there are any issues we are made aware, but on the whole our care coordinators tell us it’s been a great experience so far for them, and we’ve had very good feedback from the people directly involved. I do feel it makes a lot of things more seamless and trouble-free – especially reducing the time the GP has to get involved in day-to-day issues.” – Dr Harsh Kak, GP Partner at the De Parys Group
“It opens the conversation about your ordering processes – things that you could do better, things the care home could do better… So just by having that conversation, it naturally helps to improve things.” – Kirsten Frost, Practice Manager and Pharmacy Technician at London Road Surgery
Contact us at:
blmkicb.digital.socialcare@nhs.net