Practice Name Practice Address
Title
Protocol for reviewing and acting on correspondence, reports and results The purpose of the protocol is to set out the procedure for reviewing and acting on correspondence, reports and investigation results that are received at the practice. Importance of having a clear procedure for reviewing and acting on correspondence, reports and results
Purpose
For the welfare and safety of our patients it is crucial to process and act on correspondence, reports and results from outside of the practice in a timely but safe manner. The information that the practice receives can be from a variety of locations including hospitals, out of hours care providers and community health teams. Correspondence, reports and investigation results from outside of the practice may be received by fax, post, or electronically. To be read in conjunction with The Scanning and Summarising Protocol which details the movement of correspondence around the practice.
Scope
This protocol is relevant to anyone who works at the practice. 1) Any paper correspondence/reports/results received by fax or post must be given to a member of the practice reception staff who will scan the document onto the computer system which will automatically stamp the date received onto the document;
Paper correspondenc e/reports/results
2) The member of the practice reception staff will match to the correct patient, code as appropriate and then assign the correspondence/report/results to the healthcare professional responsible for reviewing that days correspondence; 3) The healthcare professional that receives the correspondence/report/results will decide what action to take and send a task to ‘reception group’; 4) The correspondence/report/results will be forwarded to ‘reception group’ for final checks, filing into the record and to allow the paper copy to be shredded now we are assured it is fully filed into the patient’s record. 1) Electronic reports/results must go to the inbox of the healthcare professional responsible for taking action on those results;
Electronic reports/results
2) Any unmatched patient’s results will be reviewed daily by the Practice Manager to attempt a patient match and an appropriate investigation performed should no match be possible; 3) The healthcare professional that receives the report/results will decide what action to take in accordance with practice procedures and file the report with appropriate comments and a task sent to the ‘reception group’ for any urgent follow-up actions required.
Telephone
The local Lab may telephone through an urgent test result. The member of staff talking the call should send and urgent task to the duty Doctor detailing the details of the results who will take appropriate action. Messages from patients or third parties should be sent to the duty Doctor as a task and acted on appropriately by the clinician. There will always be a member of staff within the practice to handle the incoming correspondence/reports/results. When the patient’s registered GP is on leave the duty doctor will review the correspondence/report/results and decide what action to take.
Absence
The Practice Manager will open any correspondence marked Private and Confidential during the GPs absence. The Practice Manager will monitor the absent GPs inbox during their absence and forward on any tasks (from outside sources or those sent in error) to the duty Doctor for appropriate action.
Responsibility for Review Responsibility
Monitoring Review date
The Practice Manager is responsible for reviewing the process. It is the responsibility of each individual to be familiar with this Protocol. It is also the responsibility of the Practice Manager to ensure staff are familiar with the contents. The Practice Manager is responsible for monitoring the process. This protocol will be reviewed annually to ensure that it remains effective and relevant. Original written Apr 2012 Due for review April 2013