28th September 2011 – Following the announcement of Ascribe’s GP Appraisal application earlier this year, today Ascribe has released the first of its forthcoming SharePoint cloud solution, ‘Online GP appraisal and revalidation solution’ (GPAR) which enables Trusts to automate the appraisal process through a series of online forms that captures all the relevant information regarding the appraisal process into a single accessible location.

Ascribe’s solution enables Medical Directors’ teams to pro-actively manage the end to end appraisal process, providing the ability to gather all information into a central area, helping the teams to review and make a clear recommendation on revalidation.

The current process within PCTs is manual and can be time consuming. The Ascribe Online GPAR solution automates a manual process through a series of interactive forms; this enables the Trust to have a standard technology base for the entire appraisal process rather than a combination of MS Excel, MS Access and paper filing.

In addition, Ascribe Consulting can utilise existing data from current applications, in order to pull together information regarding any complaints or incidents related to a GP. This may contain critical information about a GP such as gross misconduct, complaints or complimentary letters that can influence the outcome of the revalidation process. By integrating this data, the solution can provide critical information that may affect whether a particular GP should be recommended for revalidation by the GMC.

All of the aforementioned benefits assure that the GP Appraisal and revalidation process is visible, transparent and auditable with evidence securely stored for each appraisal each year.

The Ascribe Online GPAR solution is delivered via Microsoft’s cloud SharePoint service, Office 365. Trusts can subscribe to the Online GPAR by paying a monthly per user fee, removing capital outlay and all dependencies to install and manage software or hardware whilst taking advantage of a market leading cloud computing service.

Ascribe GPAR is currently in use by NHS Nottinghamshire County. Using electronic forms and automated workflows the PCT is now streamlining and assessing GPs against Care Quality Commission (CQC) standards annually in a drive to meet NHS standards and improve patient care.

Stephen Critchlow, CEO of Ascribe stated, “Following our announcement of the GP Appraisal solution in July, we are delighted with the Online version of this system which can deliver further operational benefits and cost savings to Trusts. Ascribe is committed to developing IT systems that help to inform care and improve health.”

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