From October 1, 2018 onwards, only direct digital discharge summaries will be permitted under the NHS England Standard Contract or providers must have a plan in place to implement digital discharge summaries by December 2018.

This includes discharge summaries from hospitals to GPs, as well as outpatient letters. To gain the full benefit of digital transmission, it is important that discharge summaries and outpatient clinic letters are constructed using coded data and standardised information using PRSB’s standards so that data can be automatically extracted into GP records.

Featuring the chair of the Royal College of General Practitioners, Professor Helen Stokes-Lampard and NHS National CCIO, Simon Eccles, this audio recording explains the importance of using PRSB standards for discharge summaries to enable on-going safe, high quality care.