Why NHS Advice & Guidance incentives will only work with the right tools

The NHS’s new financial incentives for Advice & Guidance are a vital step towards improving patient care, but for these incentives to lead to long-term, sustainable improvements, GPs need tools that simplify, not complicate. Incentives will drive adoption, but only smart tools will ensure Advice & Guidance becomes an integral part of everyday practice, reducing waiting lists, freeing up hospital resources, and delivering real, measurable improvements to patient care.

Cinapsis has spent years working closely with GPs to understand the challenges they face in adopting Advice & Guidance. Our recent product updates tackle these challenges head-on, offering flexible, streamlined ways to create and manage cases:

1. Case Creation in Cinapsis with Image Capture

Cinapsis integrates with GP systems enabling the seamless creation of A&G cases. This functionality allows GPs to capture diagnostic images securely at the point of care and upload them directly into the case. This streamlines the referral process and ensures specialists receive all the necessary information in one secure location.

2. Bilateral Integration with eRS

For those who prefer to use eRS, GPs can now create all Advice & Guidance cases directly within eRS. Providers can import these cases en masse into Cinapsis in order for them to be reviewed. 

When a specialist responds, eRS is updated to inform the requestor of the outcome, including cases requiring further management by the specialist or other services. This ensures seamless data transfer between existing systems and keeps all parties involved in the patient's care informed of the outcome.

Flexible Options for Diagnostic Imaging

For cases requiring diagnostic images, Cinapsis offers flexibility to match the preferences of GPs:

• On-Site Image Capture: GPs can use Cinapsis to securely upload high-quality images directly into the case.
• Medical Photography Services: Alternatively, GPs can direct patients to professional medical photography services accessible via Cinapsis or eRS. This ensures specialists receive professional-grade images without adding extra work for the GP or their team.

These options give the GP flexibility while ensuring specialists have access to the detailed information they need to make accurate, informed decisions—ultimately improving patient care.

In every scenario, Cinapsis also automates billing for their activity. The new financial incentives present a significant opportunity to drive Advice & Guidance adoption, but billing shouldn’t become an additional burden. Cinapsis eliminates this concern by automating the entire billing process, ensuring practices capture payments seamlessly without the need for manual input.

The NHS’s new financial incentives for Advice & Guidance are a crucial step forward, but for Advice & Guidance to truly be a long-term solution, GPs need tools that reduce, not add to their burdens. Cinapsis offers a platform that makes Advice & Guidance easy to adopt, maintain and report on activity.

Want to know how Cinapsis can support your organisation in streamlining patient referrals with timely advice and guidance?

Talk to us—we’d love to understand your processes and explore how we can help. Get in touch with us today.

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