Technical assessment

A technical assessment should evaluate all systems and hardware that will be impacted by the new GP clinical system. The purpose of this checklist is to:

• identify all impacted third party systems
• ensure everyone involved is clear on the impact
• identify any mitigations necessary to allow for a seamless transition

This should be a living document, updated on a regular basis.

The people, teams or organisations who might be required in this stage of the migration are:

• GP practice stakeholders
  • practice manager
  • practice staff
  • lead GP
• new GP system supplier
• IT delivery partner (this could be a third party supplier or a team within the ICB)
• integrated care board (ICB)
• secondary care

Make sure you know who will complete this activity as it might be carried out onsite or remotely.

Ensure all hardware and network infrastructure is:

• up to date
• compatible with the new GP clinical system
• meets the minimum requirements

It may be useful to review and update the GP practice hardware asset register as part of this exercise. There is a downloadable checklist that you can use. It is not exhaustive but will serve as an initial review that you can add to.

GP practices often use many applications within the practice. They are used for a variety of functions including:

• direct healthcare
• finance
• human resources

The list below shows some of the most common applications used in GP practices. There are many different companies that make these apps, so it’s important to make a full list of all the ones you use. You also need to check if each application will work with the new GP clinical System. If an application isn't going to work, you must plan what to do about it.

You should do this together with the team supplying your new GP clinical system. They can advise you on whether an application is compatible or if the new system already has the same features.

Remember you should consider applications that other providers may use with your GP practice such as:

• primary care networks
• out of hours applications

The list below is not exhaustive but should be used as a starting point:

• appointment system
• automated lab results
• social prescribing
• templates
• search and reporting
• diagnostic test requests
• QOF tools
• bulk mailing
• document handling
• digital dictation
• patient auto recall
• decision support
• panic button

An Excel document, template for reviewing third-party applications, is provided here for you to use.

You should also consider the impact of the new GP clinical system on other care providers' applications, such as:

• primary care networks
• community systems
• out of hours applications
• secondary care provider systems

For dispensing practices, it may be the practice's responsibility to cover the cost of new:

• barcode scanners
• label printers

If you have dispensary stock, you may need to manually re-enter it onto the new system. You will need to include the following levels:

• minimum
• maximum
• re-order
• pre-migration stock take
• post migration stock take

If your practice has a prescribing formulary, it will not migrate automatically. You will need to set it up on the new system at go live.