Please be advised we do not accept tasks via SystmOne from external organisations.

Our internal local policy regarding communications enables us to maintain strict clinical governance procedures.  All communications need to be sent in a way agreed with us in order to ensure that information is correctly and timely dealt with by the most appropriate member of staff.  There are implications with regards to clinical and information governance.

Currently by sending messages direct to Watlington Medical Centre as tasks the following issues occur:

•              That member of staff may be on leave or about to go on leave. Our GPs can be on sabbatical for several months at a time.

•              The message may be sent to the wrong person. Some staff are sending messages to the “Registered GP” rather than the GP who is actually caring for the patient.

•              As messages are able to be sent without Smart Card authentication, we have no way of knowing who is actually sending the message, in what capacity and there are no other contact details provided (as opposed to a letter) in order to raise clinical questions. This is one of the most concerning aspects.

If the patient registers elsewhere on a temporary basis before the message is read, the message will not be transferred to the new GP Surgery as the task is not part of the clinical record for the patient.

•              If the patient registers with an EMIS or Vision practice all of the task trails going back will not be seen by the new GP Practice.

•              If a request for patient notes is made by an external organisation for example The Coroner, Police, or Solicitors Tasks are not included as part of the clinical record. By organisations sending patient information or clinical details in tasks there is a possibility of legal implications for your organisation since they appear to be hidden.

•              SystmOne is set so that Communications are stored in the Communications section and not in tasks. This is the place that staff expect to see it and by us all using the system in the correct way we can get the most for our patients.

Other surgeries may be willing to accept tasks being sent by external organisations as communication however we feel that from a Clinical Governance and legal point of view this is unacceptable for our patients.

Please send all correspondence in a letter format or via email to [email protected] or if your query requires a more urgent response, please call the surgery on 01553 810253

Please be aware: We will take any action on tasks sent directly to the practice.  Once the documentation is received through our correct pathway then any action will be taken.

Thank you.