Data integration: vaccinations

Overview

The vaccination data of individuals in Scotland is recorded via the Vaccination Management Tool (VMT) and GPIT systems during each appointment at vaccination centres or clinics. This data is then stored in the National Clinical Data Store and available for health boards to access via the NDP Vaccinations API.

NHS Forth Valley eHealth team worked with NES Technology Service to use this API and put patient vaccination data at the fingertips of clinical staff within their health board.

Process

Back in 2021, NHS Forth Valley identified a need to enable access to vaccination status information. Responsibility for delivering vaccines to local populations had recently moved from GPs to territorial health boards. Meaning that a wide variety of clinicians and frontline patient services now required access to this data.

The local team knew that NES Technology Service (NTS) had created an API enabling access to vaccination information via the National Clinical Data Store. Since NHS Forth Valley already use an in-house clinical portal system for patient management, integrating the API with the existing system was the logical next step.

As the Clinical Portal was a local system, we were able to move quickly. Through conversations on MS Teams, our FV Portal System Developer linked with NTS to exchange documentation and expertise.

Impact

This collaborative approach resulted in a working integration within three weeks. User testing was then completed and signed-off a week later.

Information Governance sign-off happened in parallel, and once all the proper agreements in place the new facility was available to clinical users. The whole process took three months from end to end.