Updates to VMP ‘<Drug Form>’ coded attribute in dm+d

Phase 1 drug form changes have been done and now appear in the dm+d data.

We are updating NHS dm+d ‘<DRUG_FORM>’ coded attribute within the Virtual Medicinal Product concept class to contain more detail and more closely align with international standards.

From 20 November, the following drug form changes (Phase 1) are due to take place:

  • capsule

  • cream 

  • foam

  • gel

  • granules

  • paste 

  • tablet

The remaining drug form changes (Phase 2) are expected to take place in early 2024.

We’ve published information for developers on how to run technical queries to identify VMP Drug Form changes from either the TRUD  or NHS England Terminology Server.

If you have any questions you can contact our UKMEDS team.

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New Service catalogue

We’re developing a new way to search for information about the national digital products and services we provide, such as the API platform, Cloud Centre of Excellence and the Terminology Server.

We are keen to hear from you about how you use the service catalogue and what you need from it.

We have started by adding filters and an in-page search to the new Service catalogue, to help you quickly find what is relevant to you and your needs.

Take a look at the Service catalogue and please let us know if you have any comments or suggestions at who.doeswhat@nhs.net.

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Additional information for digital leaders – November 2023

Prepare for the change to the new Cervical Screening Management System

We are developing a new Cervical Screening Management System (CSMS) to replace the current NHAIS-based service (which is accessed through Open Exeter).

The new service will go live by the end of March 2024, and there are some actions that need to be taken now. Please ensure your organisation is prepared for the changes by following the guidance for ICT teams, guidance for Registration Authorities and guidance for system users.

More information can be found on the Cervical Screening Management System webpage. If you have any questions or cannot complete the actions in the guidance, please get in touch with our Screening Implementation team who will be happy to help

Health and care staff who access e-RS in a web browser will need to change the browser address (URL) to https://ers.nhs.uk. The system itself is not changing, simply the URL used to access it.

Your ICT team can use our online guidance to implement the changes in your organisation. This should be done by the end of November 2023.

If you have any questions you can contact our e-RS team.

New self-service smartcard unlock tool

If your smartcard is locked, you can now use an online unlock tool instead of unlocking in person. All you need a is valid email address on the Care Identity Service.

To use the tool, make sure your smartcard is inserted into the smartcard reader, visit https://digital.nhs.uk/unlock and get an email with a security code.

Find out more about the tool and view a step-by-step guide on how to use it.

If your organisation uses the central @nhs.net tenant, you can join the NHSmail FastTrack Partnership programme. You will be paired with a dedicated partner team to help you fully utilise and benefit from Microsoft 365 products such as Intune, Phone Systems and Microsoft Defender for Endpoint.

The programme is free to access until June 2026. Register your interest.

You can also use a FastTrack migration service, which offers support for organisations to migrate File Share data onto the NHSmail platform. This is offered on a first-come basis and runs until June 2024.

Find out more about the service and register your interest.

Cyber security threats are increasing in the NHS. To help you manage the risk of an attack on your organisation, we have published lots of free resources on our website as part of cyber awareness month. These include:

  • board-level training on cyber leadership and board accountability
  • cyber incident response exercises
  • Keep I.T. Confidential promotional materials to run your own cyber security campaign
  • Immersive Labs cyber security e-learning for all health and care staff

You can now access the first batch of topics for the Digital Primary Care: The Good Practice Guidelines for electronic patient records (version 5). These guidelines give you the latest information about how to use digital tools and services effectively, safely and in accordance with the law and other national standards.

You can listen to the latest podcast, where workforce leaders talk about the huge value of apprentices and graduates to NHS providers, why it’s more important than ever to grasp opportunities in the digital space, and why workforce plans are essential to the success of the NHS.

We’re developing a new way to search for information about the national digital products and services we provide, such as the NHS App, Data Security and Protection Toolkit and the National Care Record service.

We are keen to hear from you about how you use the service catalogue and what you need from it.

We have started by adding filters and an in-page search to the new Service catalogue, to help you quickly find what is relevant to you and your needs.

Take a look at the Service catalogue and please let us know if you have any comments or suggestions at who.doeswhat@nhs.net.

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For action: Changes on how to log into to the NHS e-Referral Service (e-RS)

Health and care staff who access e-RS in a web browser will need to change the browser address (URL) to https://ers.nhs.uk. The system itself is not changing, simply the URL used to access it.

Your ICT team can use our online guidance to implement the changes in your practice. This should be done by the end of November 2023.

Staff will still be able to access e-RS in a clinical IT system (for example, EMIS or TPP) in the usual way.

If you have any questions you can contact our e-RS team.

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Tech supplier search to help tackle 8am rush at GP surgeries

Tech specialists are being sought to help tackle the 8am rush for appointments at GP surgeries.

NHS England is inviting suppliers to tender for a new framework that will enhance GP practices' capabilities to provide online consultations, and improve their communication with patients.

The Digital Pathways Framework is part of a new suite of commercial frameworks that will allow buyers to purchase standardised and assured digital systems for primary care.

The framework has now opened for tenders and includes proposals for new, advanced digital systems that will improve the management of appointment bookings, messaging, and consultations.

Earlier this year, the government announced that general practices across England will be given £240 million to embrace the latest technology, with the funding expected to cover a four-year period from January 2024 to 2028.

The framework will include new tech systems that will cater for online consultations, administrative request reporting, online patient or service user consultation, care navigation, and online administrative requests.

In addition, there is potential for the systems to enhance prescription ordering for patients, communication management, video consultations, record viewing for patients, and cross organisational appointment booking.

NHS England’s Director of Digital Primary Care, Mark Sayers said:

“Surgeries with modern messaging, online booking, and video consultation systems find they have more capacity and less of an 8am rush, while giving patients a convenient way to get the help they need.

“I’d encourage all suppliers to come forward who are able to provide the high-quality tools and technology needed to support our vision for modern general practice.”

Health Minister Neil O’Brien said:

"As well as growing staff numbers in GPs by 30% since 2019, we are also investing £240 million to give GPs the latest technology. We are working to abolish the 8AM rush and make it easier to see your GP in a convenient way.”

The deadline for the receipt of tenders or requests to participate is 17 November.

The invitation to tender for the Digital Pathways Framework has been published on Atamis (project reference C193795), and details are also available via Contracts Finder and Find A Tender.

Further information on the Digital Pathways Framework can be found at: https://digital.nhs.uk/services/digital-services-for-integrated-care/digital-pathways-framework

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Event: Innovation Days for NHS software developers and product owners

Software developers, tech architects and product owners working for the NHS are welcome to join our ‘Innovation Days’ event on 7 and 8 November to collaborate on ideas and explore opportunities for improving NHS products, services and processes.

The event includes an Apigee Interactive Workshop on 7 November in collaboration with Google, which focuses on OpenAPI Specifications and Google Apigee Edge.

Please cascade to colleagues in your organisation who may like to attend. Find out more and register 2 November.

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Event: Innovation Days for NHS software developers and product owners

Are you a software developer, tech architect or product owner working for the NHS?

If so, please join us at our ‘Innovation Days’ event on 7 and 8 November to collaborate on ideas and explore opportunities for improving NHS products, services and processes.

The event includes an Apigee Interactive Workshop on 7 Novemberin collaboration with Google, which focuses on OpenAPI Specifications and Google Apigee Edge. This workshop is open to freelance software developers who work on NHS products.

You can attend virtually or in person in Leeds. Find out more and register your place by 2 November.

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Last chance to apply for the NHS DigiTrials Recruitment Service pilot

NHS DigiTrials is welcoming 4 new clinical trials to their Recruitment Service. The service uses patient information to identify people who may be suitable a clinical trial and contacts them to see if they would like to take part.

If you are planning a clinical trial that will benefit public and social care, you can submit an expression of interest by 31 October.

Find out more and apply.

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Care Identity Management will replace the Care Identity Service application on 12 June 2024

We have resolved the technical issue affecting the switch-off of the CIS application. The service will be switched off on 19 June 2024 after 8pm and all users will be redirected to Care Identity Management.

Care Identity Management is replacing the Care Identity Service application. From 12 June 2024 you will no longer be able to access the old service.

This means that all users of the Care Identity Service application must migrate to Care Identity Management before that date.

We had previously planned to close the legacy service on 28 March 2024. In response to user feedback, we extended the availability of the legacy service to give people more time to switch to Care Identity Management.

All users should switch to using Care Identity Management now.

All user types are able to access the service, including:

  • Registration Authority managers, agents and advanced agents
  • sponsors
  • unlockers and ID checkers
  • clinical users with no admin role

As of 9 May 2024 there remains a handful of functions that require the old Care Identity Service application, such as user reports and bulk position edit and removal. These will be available in Care Identity Management before the old application is switched off. You can keep up to date with the latest functionality via our release hub.

We have created support and guidance for all users adopting Care Identity Management. This will be expanded as new features are added to the service.

For further information about what features are being added in the coming weeks, visit our roadmap.

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Latest figures show drop in obesity rates among primary school children: statistical press release  

Statistics published today show obesity1 prevalence among four and five-year-olds in reception classes2 fell to 9.2% in 2022/23 from 10.1% in 2021/22, compared with the highest recorded figure in 2020/21 of 14.4%. The decrease signals a return to pre-pandemic levels for this age group and is one of the lowest levels since 2006/07. 

The National Child Measurement Programme, England, 2022/23 report also found the proportion of year 6 children, aged 10 and 11, living with obesity dropped to 22.7% in 2022/23. This was down from 23.4% in 2021/22 and 25.5% in 2020/21 but remained higher than the 2019/20 pre-pandemic level of 21.0%.  

In 2020/213, the first set of measurements after schools closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, obesity levels for both age groups were the highest since the National Child Measurement Programme began4.    

The NCMP5 is overseen by the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) and is analysed and reported by NHS England and OHID. Since 2006/07 the programme has measured the height and weight of children in England annually and provides data on the patterns and trends in the prevalence of underweight, healthy weight, overweight, obesity, and severe obesity6 among children in reception and year 6. 

In 2022/23, the majority of children in reception (77.5%) and year 6 (61.9%) were a healthy weight.  In reception, 77.0% of boys were a healthy weight compared with 78.1% of girls. The prevalence was lower for year 6 boys, with 59.6% showing a healthy weight compared with 64.2% of year 6 girls.  

In 2022/23, the proportion of underweight year 6 children7 rose to 1.6% - up from 1.5% in 2021/22. Underweight children in reception remained at 1.2%, the same level as in 2021/22.  

Deprivation:  

Levels of obesity in reception-aged children living in the most deprived8 areas (12.4%) were more than double those in the least deprived areas (5.8%). The prevalence of severe obesity was more than three times higher in the most deprived areas (3.8%) compared with those living in the least deprived areas (1.2%).  

Similarly, the prevalence of obesity among year 6 children was 30.2% in the most deprived areas, compared with 13.1% in the least deprived areas. The prevalence of severe obesity was more than four times higher among year 6 children in the most deprived areas (9.2%) compared with those living in the least deprived areas (2.1%).   

Geography9:     

The proportion of reception-aged children living with obesity in 2022/23 was highest in the North East (11.3%). It was lowest in the South East (8.0%), East of England (8.1%) and South West (8.2%).  

For year 6, the proportion of children living with obesity was highest in the North East (25.8%), the West Midlands (25.2%) and London (24.8%). It was lowest for year 6 children in the South West (19.4%) and the South East (19.4%).  

The prevalence of obesity varied by local authority10. For reception, this ranged from 4.9% in Wokingham to 14.1% in Knowsley. In year 6, the range was from 12.0% in Richmond upon Thames to 31.7% in Barking and Dagenham. 

The prevalence of obesity was highest in urban areas for both age groups - 9.4% in reception and 23.6% in year 6.  

 Ethnicity:    

The proportion of children living with obesity in 2022/23 was highest for Black children in both reception (13.6%) and year 6 (31.6%). It was lowest for Chinese children in both reception (4.2%) and year 6 (15.2%).    

Underweight prevalence was highest for Asian children in both reception (4.3%) and year 6 (3.8%).   

Read the full report   

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