About Us
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NHS Connecting for Health (NHS CFH) is supporting the NHS to deliver better, safer care for patients by introducing new systems and services which improve the way information is stored and shared in the NHS.
The new information technology systems and services are together known as the National Programme for IT (NPfIT). NHS CFH is also responsible for existing business critical national NHS IT systems and legislative and digital policy advice on information systems for the NHS.
The National Programme is supporting increased choice and convenience for patients in booking outpatient appointments and obtaining their repeat prescriptions. And, by improving patients’ access to their information, they will be assisted in making more informed decisions about their care.
The core projects which make up the National Programme are:
- N3 – the secure broadband National Network for the NHS in England.
- NHS Care Records Service – enabling patient information from different parts of the NHS to be linked electronically, with detailed records held locally and a Summary Care Record available across all NHS organisations in England to support out of hours and emergency care.
- Picture Archiving Communications Systems (PACS) – digital x-rays and scans for fast, accurate diagnosis.
- Choose and Book – an electronic booking system to improve choice and convenience for patients requiring a first outpatient referral.
- Electronic Prescription Service – enabling prescriptions to be sent electronically from the prescriber to the pharmacy.
- Support for GP IT – including a choice of GP systems and GP2GP which enables a patient’s records to be transferred electronically when they change GP practice.
- NHSmail – a secure email and directory service for the NHS.
Three local programmes, the London Programme for IT (LPfIT), Southern Programme for IT (SPfIT) and North, Midlands and East Programme for IT (NMEPfIT), work with the strategic health authorities and our suppliers to support the NHS to implement the National Programme for IT in their area.
