How to Manage Tasks and Notifications in the GP2GP Navigation tab for Timely Patient Care
- Mohammed A Rashad
- 15 hours ago
- 6 min read
Key Takeaways:
Centralized Control: The GP2GP navigation tab is the "nerve center" for all incoming and outgoing electronic health records.
The 8-Day Rule: Records must be integrated within 8 days to avoid reverting to a cumbersome paper-based process.
Clinical Safety: Addressing "degraded" entries, especially allergies and medications is non-negotiable for prescribing safety.
The TMMT Edge: Delegating GP2GP management to remote clinical pharmacists ensures high data quality and reduces the administrative burden on GPs.
Introduction - Digitization of Health Systems
In the fast-paced environment of a UK General Practice, the transition of a patient from one surgery to another is a critical moment. For years, this meant waiting weeks for "Lloyd George" paper envelopes to arrive by post. Today, the GP2GP system in EMIS Web has revolutionized this, allowing for near instantaneous transfers of electronic health records (EHR).
However, having the technology is only half the battle. The true challenge lies in management. If the tasks and notifications within the GP2GP navigation tab are ignored, patient safety is compromised, and the administrative backlog grows. At TMMT (The Managed Medical Team), we believe that clinical record management shouldn't be a source of stress for on-site staff.
In this guide, we’ll explore how to master the GP2GP navigation tab and how a managed remote service can turn this technical hurdle into a streamlined clinical asset.
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Understanding the GP2GP Navigation Tab: The "Nerve Center"
The GP2GP navigation tab is located within the Workflow Manager of EMIS Web. It serves as your dashboard for every record currently in transit; whether it’s coming in from a new patient or being sent out to a patient’s new practice.
The Inbound and Outbound Workflow
The tab is typically divided into three primary categories:
Requests: This shows electronic requests for records. Monitoring this ensures your practice is responding promptly to other surgeries, maintaining the "8-day" service level agreement (SLA).
Records Received: This is where the magic happens. When a record arrives, it doesn’t just disappear into the patient’s file; it sits here waiting for Integration.
Errors: Perhaps the most important section. This lists transfers that have failed due to technical glitches, size limits (like the common "Mesh max size exceeded" error), or mismatched NHS numbers.
Configuration for Success: Settings That Matter
Before you can manage tasks effectively, your EMIS Web system must be configured to support your team. A common mistake practices make is leaving GP2GP management to a single individual without backup.
Global Viewers and Escalations
To ensure timely action, administrators and lead clinicians should be set up as Global Viewers. This allows them to see all GP2GP tasks regardless of whom they were originally assigned to.
TMMT Insight: We recommend setting up escalation rules. If a GP2GP task remains unactioned for more than 48 hours, it should automatically move to a secondary "Urgent" folder. This prevents the record from hitting the 8-day deadline where the system defaults back to paper.
Managing Out-of-Office Disruptions
Workflow often breaks down when a key staff member is on leave. Using the Configuration menu to set "Deputies" ensures that notifications don’t sit in an unread inbox while a patient is waiting for their first appointment at your practice.
The "Degrade" Challenge: Where Clinical Knowledge is Required
The most complex part of the GP2GP navigation tab is dealing with Degraded Records. A "degrade" happens when the clinical codes used by the previous practice (often on a different system like SystmOne or Vision) don’t perfectly match the SNOMED CT codes in EMIS Web.
Why Degrades are Dangerous
When a record is "degraded," the information is still there, but it’s often hidden as "free text" or an unrecognised code.
Prescribing Blocks: EMIS Web has a built-in safety mechanism. If an allergy record is degraded, the system will prevent anyone from issuing medication until that allergy is manually recoded.
Missing Immunisations: Degraded vaccine entries won't show up in your QOF (Quality and Outcomes Framework) reports, meaning the practice could lose out on vital funding despite the patient being fully vaccinated.
Solving the Puzzle
Managing these tasks requires more than just administrative "clicking." It requires clinical judgment to interpret the free text and select the correct clinical code. This is exactly where TMMT’s remote clinical pharmacists excel, they possess the specific SNOMED CT expertise to recode these entries accurately and safely.
Unique Perspective: The Strategic Value of the "8-Day Rule"
Most practices view the 8-day SLA as a technical deadline. At TMMT, we view it as a clinical window of opportunity.
If a record is integrated within the first 72 hours of a patient registering:
The GP has a full history for the "New Patient Consultation."
Duplicate tests are avoided because the pharmacist can see recent lab results.
Medication reconciliation happens before the patient runs out of their current supply.
When management of the navigation tab slips beyond 8 days, the electronic transfer times out. The practice is then forced to wait for paper records, which can take weeks, leaving the patient in a "clinical limbo" without a verified medical history.
Enhance your clinical services with our Clinical Pharmacists for your PCN, GP Practice, or Federation.
How TMMT Manages Your GP2GP Workflow
Managing the GP2GP navigation tab is a time consuming, high stakes task. Many practices struggle to find the hours in the day to keep the inbox clear. TMMT provides a fully managed remote clinical pharmacist service that takes this burden off your shoulders.
The TMMT Process:
Daily Monitoring: Our remote pharmacists check your GP2GP navigation tab daily. We don't wait for tasks to pile up; we integrate records as they arrive.
Clinical Reconciliation: We don't just "file" the record. We perform a full medicines reconciliation, ensuring that repeat prescriptions are set up correctly and any "degraded" allergies are fixed immediately.
Data Quality Audits: We ensure that immunisations, smears, and chronic disease codes are correctly mapped so your QOF targets are protected from day one.
Error Resolution: If a transfer fails (Error 6 or 14), our team investigates. We contact the previous practice or the clinical system support desk to resolve the issue, rather than leaving it in the "Errors" folder.
Conclusion: Turning Data into Care
The GP2GP navigation tab is more than just a list of tasks; it is the gateway to safe, effective patient care. By configuring your system for visibility, acting on notifications within the 8-day window, and accurately resolving degraded codes, you ensure that your patients are supported from the very first moment they join your practice.
However, we know that in a busy surgery, "timely action" is easier said than done. That is why TMMT is here. Our remote clinical pharmacists act as an extension of your team, managing the digital complexities of EMIS Web so you can focus on the patient sitting in front of you.
Ready to clear your GP2GP backlog? Contact TMMT today to find out how our remote clinical pharmacists can manage your EMIS Web workflow.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does EMIS Web show a "degraded record" warning?
This happens when a clinical code from another system cannot be automatically mapped to a SNOMED CT code in EMIS. It usually occurs with medications, allergies, or local consultation codes. It must be manually resolved to ensure clinical safety.
What is the "8-day rule" in GP2GP?
Practices have 8 days to integrate an incoming electronic record. If not integrated within this time, the electronic link expires, and the record transfer reverts to a paper-based process through PCSE.
Can I prescribe if there is an "Allergy Degrade" task?
No. EMIS Web will block prescribing for that patient as a safety measure. You must first resolve the degraded allergy task by recoding it to a recognised SNOMED code.
What should I do if a record is too large for GP2GP (Error 14)?
If a record exceeds size limits, parts of it (like large PDF attachments) may need to be sent via secure email or the "traditional" paper route. The core clinical data should still be integrated manually where possible.
How does TMMT handle GP2GP tasks differently than a regular admin team?
The Medicines Management Team uses Clinical Pharmacists rather than administrative staff. This means we don't just move tasks; we perform clinical medicines reconciliation and expert coding, ensuring the record is safe and "audit-ready" immediately upon integration.
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