What this service does

This service enables systems to share and access information across organisational boundaries. It works with different types of data, such as patient information, event data and structured records, depending on the use case.

The service provides a consistent way to request, retrieve and exchange data between systems, helping services work together without relying on manual processes or duplicated data.

By connecting systems in this way, the service supports workflows that span multiple organisations while allowing each system to remain responsible for the data it holds.

Accessing information

• retrieve patient, event or record data from another system at the point of need
• access up-to-date information held by other organisations without storing local copies

Sharing information

• send updates or notifications between systems
• make structured data available to other systems in a consistent format

Supporting cross‑organisation workflows

• enable processes that require multiple systems to work together
• allow data to move between organisations as part of a broader workflow

These capabilities can be combined to support different use cases.

These capabilities may be delivered through a set of services, features or use cases, depending on how the service is used. For example, a service may group these capabilities into features or use cases that are::

• focused on accessing information
• focused on updating or sharing information
• supporting specific workflows or care scenarios

These capabilities are often grouped into specific features or use cases that support different scenarios, depending on how the service is implemented.

• When to use this service
  Scenarios and care settings

These capabilities are applied in workflows that require information to be accessed, shared or updated across systems.

This may include:

• accessing information held in another system at the point of care
• sharing updates between systems as part of an ongoing process
• supporting workflows that depend on multiple systems interacting

Traditionally, systems may rely on:

• manual processes to share information
• duplicated data stored in multiple systems
• custom integrations between specific systems

This service replaces those approaches with:

• a consistent method for requesting and exchanging data
• access to information directly from the source system
• reusable interfaces that reduce the need for bespoke integrations

This provides a consistent way to connect systems and exchange information.

• How this service works
• When to use this service
• Service availability
• Implementation and integration
• How this service works with other services