GP OrderComms

The new computerised system will allow pathology and Radiology requests made by a GP, with results received. Currently there is no system to ensure all requests made by a surgery are processed by the relevant directorate, and to deal with any errors. This will be a massive clinical governance step forward, and has been a desire of primary care for many years. 

Any non-medical healthcare professionals who want to request x-rays must have had radiation protection training and work to an agreed protocol in line with IRMER regulations. Any nurse specialists or other professionals that require training or have any queries should contact Ann Pinder Superintendent Radiographer – ann.pinder@nhs.net.

BENEFITS 

The major benefits that are anticipated are:

GP Practices will benefit from:

• help to inform the practice about the appropriateness of tests or examinations and the correct specimens to take; 
• avoid handwriting requests and enable more results to be received and filed electronically; 
• remove most paper based results; 
• integrate electronic requesting with reporting and provide additional structure to some results; 
• printing of specimen labels 
• access to test and examination results for samples or Imaging investigations taken in secondary care

Patients will benefit from:

• improved reliability of service – through fewer inappropriate tests, fewer lost results, fewer duplicated tests and less chance of the wrong samples being taken; 
• reduce the need for repeat tests. 

 
Pathology Laboratory Services and Radiology will benefit from:

• improved data quality through the use of legible requests and provision of mandatory request information; 
• reduction in the repetitive data entry of patient demographics and sample details; 
• faster and more efficient specimen reception as a result of improved workload planning and receipt of complete and accurate information; 
• improved resource and manpower management as a result of better workload planning; 
• overall reduction in sample turnaround times with faster results reporting; 
• fewer enquiries and phone calls to the laboratory from GP practices; 
• Reduction in sample labelling errors.