Use GP Connect in your organisation

GP systems users are the organisations that hold registered patient records and are the source of the shared data. GP systems can be configured to receive appointment bookings or consultation summaries from different care settings. 

GP Connect supports greater flexibility in how primary care networks (PCNs) operate by enabling records to be viewed and updated, and for appointment booking between practices regardless of GP IT systems in use. 

This service is for authorised clinicians, health and social care workers and/or administrators, in any health or care setting based in England who need to access a patient's information to support their direct care.

GP Connect does not have a user interface - users must access it indirectly via user-facing applications, namely:

local point-of-care applications for health and care workers, such as a Patient Administration Systems including the local Shared Care Record in care settings where the patient is receiving direct care.

Who is included

The following care settings can be considered. However, not every instance under these broad headings can be granted connection.

Each submission will be reviewed by our expert team (including legal, information governance and clinical experts) and connection approved or declined after careful review of each individual submission.

• 111 and 999 paramedics in ambulances and call centres
• Accident and emergency including minor injuries/walk in centres and urgent treatment centres
• Community care
• GP out of hours
• GP (for temporary or non-registered patients)
• Hospital and practice pharmacy
• Secondary care (scheduled care)
• Mental health trusts
• Social care including care homes, hospices, domiciliary care
• Primary care and
• Community pharmacy (Pharmacy First)
• Optometry
• Nurses visiting patients including health visitors and continuing health care

Who is not included

The following care settings are not approved for further rollout:

• Patient-facing services
• Health and justice, including prisons
• Any service that is outside the scope of direct care including pre-employment medicals, risk stratification, and research and planning

Information to help clinicians with patient conversations about how data is shared through GP Connect. 

GP Connect is a service that allows information and the GP patient record to be viewed and shared between IT systems. 

This means authorised clinical staff from different healthcare settings can share and view clinical information held by a GP practice. This makes it easier and faster for patients to get healthcare services and gives them insight into how their data is being shared. 

The sharing of records is only for the purpose of direct care, where the patient is being treated or consulted in a setting away from their regular GP. 

Patients can be assured that system suppliers and GP Connect users are required to adhere to a series of compliance processes. 

Patients may also use the GP Connect transparency website to find out which organisations are using GP Connect and the reasons why they have access to the data. This may also help practices or other services supporting a patient with a subject access request. 

GP Connect respects patient consent choices and will not share data if the patient has asked their GP not to. System providers have different ways of recording this. 

Sharing for direct care can easily be conflated with sharing for secondary uses. GP Connect products are intended to be solely used for direct care purposes. Personal data is not shared for any other purpose. Patients should be aware that opting out of sharing for direct care may delay subsequent treatment in other settings. Users should be able to clearly explain the potential impact opting out of sharing for direct care purposes and should check system supplier guidance on how to accurately record a patient’s sharing preferences. Supplier’s guidance should include all patients, including children.

The use of GP Connect for indirect care or purposes beyond individual care is prohibited except in relation to the sharing of information for the medical examiners use case.