When up and running, GPES (the General Practice Extraction Service) will be able to extract data from GP practice systems across England for specific purposes that will support better patient care.

Its launch means that, for the first time ever, it will be possible for the NHS to harness the full potential that primary care data offers for reducing inequalities, tackling inefficiencies and delivering best-quality local care.

GPES will also play a key role in the proposed new process for providing payments to GPs and clinical commissioning groups. Its first major deliverable will be to provide data for the Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) to the Calculating Quality Reporting Service (CQRS) - which will replace the Quality Management and Analysis System (QMAS) - from April 2013.

The vital milestones passed by GPES include:

• Funding

After completing a procurement exercise and a robust evaluation of the value for money of GPES, the Department of Health has agreed to fund the NHS IC to procure, implement and manage GPES up to 2015/16, at a cost of less than £40 million.

This funding from the Department of Health will pay for GPES to deliver a number of central requirements, including the general practice data needed to support the Quality and Outcomes Framework and the proposed Commissioning Outcomes Framework.

• Contract signings

Today, the NHS IC is also pleased to announce that it has signed contracts with two major information technology services companies to supply the technical components needed to implement GPES.

The first contract is with Atos who have been appointed to supply the software system that will produce the queries required to extract specified data from the range of GP practice systems across England.

A contract has also been signed with the GP clinical system supplier EMIS to develop the software needed to safely extract and communicate data from the practices that have their systems to the NHS IC.

EMIS is the first GP clinical system supplier to sign up to GPES and the NHS Information Centre expects all the main system suppliers to have signed contracts in January 2012.

Chief executive of the NHS Information Centre Tim Straughan said:

“GPES will offer an unprecedented, standardised picture of primary care information across England, while protecting patient confidentiality through robust information governance principles and minimising administrative burdens for GPs and practice staff.

“Despite nine out of ten contacts with the NHS taking place in primary care, only a relatively small amount of information exists centrally about it. GPES will remedy this by providing a data extraction service that can bring together some of the rich data that exists in different GP practice systems and present it in a single and consistent format.

“The potential this offers for supporting the improved prevention, diagnosis and treatment of illness is huge and we are pleased this has been recognised by the Department of Health, who have reaffirmed their backing following a cross-Government review of all ICT projects.

“We are also delighted to announce that we have signed contracts with information technology services company Atos as well as with GP system supplier EMIS. We expect to enter into further contracts shortly so that the service can gear up to begin delivering data for QOF to CQRS in April 2013.”

ENDS

Notes to editors

1. The NHS Information Centre is England's authoritative, independent source of health and social care information. It works with a wide range of health and social care providers nationwide to provide the facts and figures that help the NHS and social services run effectively. Its role is to collect data, analyse it and convert it into useful information which helps providers improve their services and supports academics, researchers, regulators and policymakers in their work. The NHS Information Centre also produces a wide range of statistical publications each year across a number of areas including: primary care, health and lifestyles, screening, hospital care, population and geography, social care and workforce and pay statistics.
2. The NHS Information Centre's General Practice Extraction Service (GPES) will provide a standardised picture of primary care information across England, while protecting patient confidentiality and minimising administrative burdens for practice staff. The service will be operational from September 2012 and its first major deliverable will be to extract data from GP systems for QOF to CQRS in April 2013. All requests for data extractions will need the approval of an independent advisory group which will include GP and patient representatives. Data extractions will only take place if they adhere to strict information governance rules that have been approved by the National Information Governance Board, the medical ethics committee of the British Medical Association and the Royal College of General Practitioners. More information about GPES is at: www.ic.nhs.uk/gpes
3. For media enquiries call 0845 257 6990 or contact mediaenquiries@ic.nhs.uk