Rumours suggest the NHS commissioning board intends to offer a second round of the Information Sharing Challenge Fund in the next financial year.
This scheme gives Trusts the opportunity to use some of the available funding to integrate data systems with surrounding clinics, GPs and Trusts.
Last year, the scheme saw a number of Trusts struggling to meet the deadline and so not receiving the full funding for the project. EHealth Insider reported in March 2013 ‘more than ten’ Trusts were not set to meet the April deadline, and so lost out on funding for the incomplete sections of the task.
Now is the time to start thinking about the second round and ensure that you have an ITK compliant business case in place to avoid missing out on the funding.
That’s where we can help. Last year we successfully helped Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust and Northgate Information Services implement their ITK standard projects.
The project for Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust saw the automation of discharge letters that were previously emailed or sent by post to GPs. The work completed in May has dramatically improved the efficiency of the Trusts process within this area adhering to the Government’s plans to reduce the levels of admin within the NHS.
It has been suggested that the next round of funding may be available late this year, it is an ideal time to start thinking about whether you can get funding for round two. Through our projects last year, we have learned some valuable lessons about how to win this funding and implement ITK compliant projects in the future. If you have something in mind that you think might be suitable, Integrella would be happy to help.
Our team of Business Analysts, project managers and general integration experts can help you to put forward your business case as well as design and implement the solution. If you think this is something you would be interested in, do get in touch with us at info@integrella.com