25 September 2020
Patients’ health and care records in Coventry and Warwickshire will soon be available electronically to authorised health and social care practitioners.
It will mean a doctor in a hospital, or a paramedic who attends a 999 call will be able to access the same crucial information as a GP, such as details of allergies and current medications, bringing potentially life-saving benefits.
“Our patients have consistently told us that they want their health and care records to be available to the professionals who care for them, wherever they are seen. This means they only need to share their story once, so that the right information is available to enable well informed care decisions to be made, based on their individual needs,” said Dr Alec Price-Forbes, Chief Clinical Information Officer (CCIO) for Coventry and Warwickshire Health and Care Partnership.
“By connecting the information which is held by different providers of health and care services, we will be able to improve the quality, and outcomes for those being cared for across Coventry and Warwickshire. This is the first exciting step towards delivering the technology to enable more integrated care across our region, with the long-term aim of improving the health and well-being of our whole community.”
Currently, local health and care services hold separate pieces of information about patients which isn’t easily accessible between different organisations. With appropriate permissions and consent, this information will be available 24/7 to everyone who needs it to treat a patient.
Practitioners will have access to a comprehensive and up-to-date record for their patients’ medical and care needs, making care safer and reducing duplication. It will prevent patients being asked for information repeatedly and ensure their care preferences are shared and understood by all those caring for them.
Dr Deepika Yadav, Clinical Director for Integrated Care at Coventry and Rugby Clinical Commissioning Group and University Hospital Coventry and Warwickshire, said: “This is about patient safety first-and-foremost. In an emergency it is important that the clinician knows as much about you as possible to make the right decisions about how to treat you.
“But we also hear many times of patients who are frustrated because they need to repeatedly give the same information to people from different parts of the NHS and social care, and delays caused by records not being easily accessible.
“We have worked hard to create care which is better co-ordinated across Coventry and Warwickshire. This shared care record will support new models of care which form part of the delivery of integrated health and social care services that are central to the NHS Long Term Plan.”
To inform local people a public engagement campaign has been launched which will run throughout September and October 2020. The campaign is an opportunity for people to share their views on an Integrated Care Record and get involved in the onward development of the initiative.
The Coventry and Warwickshire Integrated Care Record programme will be rolled out across the local health and care economy during Autumn 2020.
For more information, please visit the website: www.happyhealthylives.uk/our-priorities/digital-transformation/integrated-care-record/
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IMPORTANT INFORMATION ON BLOOD TESTING DUE TO COVID-19
Shielding Patients in very high risk for COVID Group
All people who have been identified as very high risk (requiring shielding) for COVID are in the process of being contacted by their clinician regarding their ongoing care. If you require a blood test whilst shielding as part of your care, appointment details including when and where your blood test will be carried out will be sent to you via a text message from SwiftQueue who manage our blood test bookings.
If you have regular blood tests and have been asked to have these, please ensure you have blood forms at home available; if you haven’t please contact your specialty to have some sent to you in advance of your blood tests.
Older People and Vulnerable Adults
People who are in the groups identified by the government as higher risk e.g are over 70 or receive a yearly flu jab, but are not in the very high risk (requiring shielding) group, can attend our normal blood test clinics. The blood test clinics and waiting areas have been adapted so that social distancing can be maintained.
Please check the locations on the map below.
Click on the map for information about phlebotomy clinics in Coventry. You can book an appointment online at the locations in red.
Please book an appointment before attending for a blood test. Click on the ‘Book Online’ button above. Booking an appointment helps patients, their carers and family members to plan their hospital visit better, helping to reduce clinic waiting times and enabling patients to be seen much more quickly.
Location: Outpatients Department, on the ground floor. Opening hours: 8am-4.45pm, Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays).
Children under 16 years old will need to book online here.
Please book an appointment before attending for a blood test, click on the ‘Book Online’ button above. Patients from Rugby and the surrounding areas are able to access the Friends Blood Taking Unit at the Hospital of St Cross.
Referrals for blood tests can be from GP's, practice nurses or from hospital consultants. Patients are also able to leave other samples, such as urine, which have been collected at home, at the hospital's Pathology Reception.
Location: Near Brookfield House, just off North Road - map here. Opening hours: The blood taking clinic sessions for adults and children are listed below:
Monday -Friday 7am-4:45pm Appointment only
Wednesday Evening 5pm-7pm Suspended due to COVID
Saturday Morning 7am-10pm Suspended due to COVID
April 2020 NEW - This Clinic is now by appointment. Please book an appointment before attending for a blood test. Click on the ‘Book Online’ button above.
Address: Stoney Stanton Road, Coventry CV1 4FS Location: Access is via the main doors, the Phlebotomy team are in Area A. Opening hours: Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays). 8am–4.45pm
Glucose Tolerance Test (GTT)
Specialist Tests - There are a small number of specialist tests where blood needs to be taken on a hospital site as the sample must be transferred to the laboratory rapidly for the test to be undertaken. Click here for a list of these specialist tests and to find out more.