ESR and OHSC: joint statement

The Occupational Health Smart Card (OHSC) and the Electronic Staff Record (ESR) programmes are both government approved health e-initiatives designed to modernise NHS working practices by integrating data and processes on a national scale.

A one way interface, to allow data to transfer from ESR to the OHSC system, has been in place since February 2007. ESR sends data to the OHSC system for all medical doctors and dentists on a weekly basis and includes information such as assignment and employment contract details. This process occurs automatically and Trust personnel are not required to take any action. However, should there be any data discrepancies, OHSC operators within Trusts are able to enter correct data using the record update facility.

Some of the benefits of introducing the interface include saving time and money by eliminating duplication, improving risk management procedures, modernising information handling processes through harnessing secure IT connections and allowing consistent checking, recording and interpretation of key HR and occupational health data.

Both ESR and OHSC project teams continue to work closely together to address operational issues, user requirements and priorities, system enhancement, changes or modifications to database requirements and feedback from users.

Occupational Health Smart Card

(OHSC) is an award-winning initiative sponsored in England by the Department of Health and now managed through NHS Employers. It was implemented initially over a three-year rolling period (2001-2004) across the NHS in England, and has also been implemented by the NHS in Wales. A second three-year period (2004-2007) has seen OHSC extended to all grades in England and Wales plus medical students in England.

It has introduced secure smart cards for use by doctors in training, career grade doctors, and locums registered with NHS Professionals. In addition, by extending OHSC to medical students in England it is enabling them to declare their health clearance status when undertaking clinical placements and will further enable them to continue using their cards in NHS postgraduate training. At the present time card preparation and distribution is centred on the central bureau facility at TSSI, however, most Postgraduate Deaneries are also able to produce and distribute cards. In addition, doctors can apply online for a card at ohsc-uk.com. Cards applied for online will be produced by the Central Bureau at TSSI and sent to the Medical Staffing department at the doctor's current employing Trust for collection.

The General Medical Council (GMC) are working in partnership with OHSC to use the software and NHS infrastructure to modernise their own registration processes and to identify and alert the NHS to possible registration status queries through the current live link between their database and that of OHSC.

OHSC is now used in every acute Trust in England and Wales. The OHSC database contains central records for almost 56,000 NHS doctors, with over 60,000 cards in circulation to doctors in their current trusts. A further 2,500 cards have recently been issued to graduating final year medical students ready for their use when employed within the NHS.

Electronic Staff Record Solution

ESR is the World Class, national, integrated Human Resources (HR) and Payroll system, which has been successfully implemented in 586 NHS organisations throughout England and Wales. As one of the world's largest IT implementations, it has replaced the 28 core payroll and 67 legacy human resource systems previously used within the NHS. The roll out completed in April 2008 and the ESR application is now successfully delivering integrated HR and Payroll functionality to approximately 1.3 million employees, covering 7% of the working population in England and Wales.

With the core implementation complete, attention is now being focussed on the utilisation of the full functionality available within the ESR application, including Learning Management (OLM), Talent Management and Self-Service functionality, to maximise the business benefit for all users.

Part of the ESR solution is a Data Warehouse, - a database populated by data from the ESR for strategic decision-making on workforce planning and education commissioning. The Warehouse has been developed in consultation with its user base to meet central and strategic reporting requirements that are currently provided directly by Trusts. The Department of Health, Welsh Assembly, Health & Social Care Information Centre, NHS Employers, Health Solutions for Wales, Strategic Health Authorities and Deaneries will all have access to the Warehouse.

For more information on the OHSC programme, please contact Mary Newsome on mary.newsome@nhsemployers.org

For technical advice contact TSSI on support@tssi.co.uk

For more information on ESR please contact rachel.hemmings@mckesson.co.uk