Wansford surgery has been closely involved in coordinating a major upgrade to an existing email network over the past 2 years . This has enabled 30 local practices to link up electronically to each other as well as linking to the NHSnet mail . This includes all 12 practices in our local PCG - Peterborough south. Gradually this network is being replaced by surgeries moving over to use their own NHSnet connections with Health authority funding
This network will help to support the move towards Primary care groups as outlined in the new NHS white paper by improving the efficiency of communications as we try and cope with fast moving changes. Each practice uses a Computer with modem to dial into a central server running Windows NT and Lotus Domino
| What kind of information is being shared? | 
Click to view diagram, then click on Back button to return to this page |
| Security and access to network | Other potential uses of network |
| Link to Lotus Notes website | Link to North west anglia web site |
What kind of information is being shared?
At present we are aiming to share information which helps at an organisational and strategic level rather than day to day clinical information:
Minutes and Agendas of meetings
Monitoring performance of the different funds - especially mutually held ones such as the Cardiovascular contract with Papworth hospital
Negotiating issues with providers and Health authorities
Problem- solving and acting as self-help support group
Referral protocols
Documents and discussion of best practice in different disease areas - i.e. disease management and prescribing guidelines Back to top
The Network is linked to NHSnet
We can improve connections with the wider NHS community by a link to a x400 gateway which is the adopted mail standard of NHSnet. This has improved communication links with the local health authorities and hospitals as they connect to NHS net. North West Anglia Health Authority has fully supported this project. Their website has the addressing details for all their employees
Security and access control is one of the strengths of Notes - the network administrator using the server is able to carefully control access to the databases - it is designed to ensure that groups of users are able to work together but where necessary access by a different subset of users is barred. Back to top
Other Potential uses of the network include
Links to hospital consultants by email
Sending of discharge summaries and outpatient letters
Access to information from the hospital Intranet
Share information obtained from the Internet
What exactly is Lotus Notes?
·Notes is a Windows program which has several features allowing groups of people to work better together. This includes the use of e-mail with the ability to attach computer files.
Notes is also good at storing information in a variety of data types - not just text but also complex documents, spreadsheets, graphics and if needed sound and video clips.
This kind of information is stored in "Notes databases" where information can be shared and discussions held. Notes version 4.6 integrates internet advances including the latest web browsers.
One key strength of the software is that common databases held in a number of sites can be kept synchronised.
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Only incremental changes to both data and software are exchanged.- Database (users) can act independently until telephone connection made
- Full text searching and retrieval possible across multiple databases