Patient registration is a crucial process in the healthcare system, ensuring that individuals have access to necessary medical care. It is essential for general practitioners (GPs) to understand the registration guidelines and procedures to maintain accurate patient records.
This guidance aims to provide an overview of patient registration, including addressing the issue of “ghost patients.” For detailed information and specific instructions, please refer to the PCSE (Primary Care Support England) website.
- Importance of Patient Communication:
As part of the National Health Service (NHS), GPs may need to contact patients for various reasons, such as screening and recall programmes. Effective patient communication ensures that individuals receive timely and appropriate healthcare services. - Ghost Patients:
Ghost patients refer to individuals who are registered with a GP practice but may not have any actual contact with the healthcare system. This issue can lead to inaccurate patient numbers and affect resource allocation. To address this concern, the NHS has implemented procedures known as “list cleansing” or removal of ghost patients. - FP69 Regulation:
Under the NHS FP69 regulation, also known as list cleansing, patients who cannot be contacted at their registered address may be flagged for potential removal from the GP practice’s list. This flag is known as the FP69 flag. - Removal of FP69 Flag:
To remove the FP69 flag from a patient’s record, the GP practice should follow these steps:
a) Submit a ‘GP links’ amendment for a change of address or GP. This electronic submission will result in the automatic removal of the FP69 flag.
b) Advise PCSE of patients who have confirmed residency at the registered address. PCSE will manually remove the FP69 flag in such cases.
c) Return the list of patients with FP69 flags set within the advised timescale, which PCSE sends to the practice for comment. This step ensures that the list is accurate and up to date. - Impact of FP69 Flag Removal:
It is important to note that removing the FP69 flag from a patient’s record on the practice system does not cancel the flag on the Exeter system. Flagged patients will continue to be deducted from the Exeter system for six months, even if the FP69 flag is removed at the practice level. - Patient Removal and Payment:
If no address update or confirmation of treatment at the original address is received within six months of the FP69 action, the patient will be removed from the practice’s list. It is crucial to retain the patient’s medical record until their actual removal from the list. The practice remains responsible for the patient’s medical care during this six-month period. - Continued Payment Misconception:
Some practices mistakenly believe that as long as they do not accept an FP69 flag, they will continue to receive payment for the patient. However, after the six-month period elapses, the patient is removed from the database, and no payment will be made to the practice, even if the FP69 flag was not processed. - Medical Record Return:
At the end of the six-month period, PCSE will transmit a removal action to the practice via GP Links and request the return of the patient’s medical record.
It is crucial for GPs to adhere to patient registration guidelines and actively participate in maintaining accurate patient records. By following the procedures outlined by PCSE, practices can help ensure the integrity of the healthcare system and provide high-quality care to registered patients.
If you wish to request the removal of a patient from your list, you should do this via PCSE. For more details on the process, including information on what to do if there is an FP69 flag on your system, please visit the PCSE website at: PCSE Patient Removals.