Speakers
Name | Role | Organisation |
Cameron Falconer | Product Manager | Access Group |
Adina Ivanovici | Customer Success Manager | Access Group |
Alison Taylor | Senior Programme Manager, Digitising Social Care | NHS England |
Chloe Holmes | Registered Care Manager | Caremark |
What We Covered
The session was structured across four areas:
Overview of GP Connect and what it gives care teams
NHS context, why it matters, and national adoption picture
Real-world customer experience from Chloe at Caremark
Live product demonstration, including mobile
GP Connect - Summary
GP Connect gives ACP users direct, read-only access to live NHS GP patient records from inside Access Care Planning, on both web and mobile.
Care teams can view:
Current medications and prescription timelines
Allergies and adverse reactions
Immunisation history (including flu and COVID)
Last three GP encounters/appointments
Referral progress
Access is role-based. Only staff with the correct permissions in ACP can view GP records. All access is audited.
It is read-only. You cannot request medications, update records, or interact with GP systems through GP Connect.
NHS Perspective - Alison Taylor, NHS England
Alison has led the Digitising Social Care programme at NHS England for five years.
Key points she made:
GP Connect addresses a long-standing national gap. Social care providers were routinely excluded from timely access to health data they need to deliver safe care.
The data is filtered specifically for social care. You do not get the full clinical record, which is intentional. What you get is medication, allergies, immunisations, and recent encounters. That is enough to act on, and quick to read.
Current national adoption sits at 23%. There are just under 6,000 provider sites live, around 150,000 patient records being accessed, and 32,000 staff now using it.
The target is to reach 25% by end of March 2026, with Access's customer base expected to contribute significantly to that figure.
Over 80% of providers now have a digital social care record. The gap between having the system and using GP Connect is the next challenge NHS England is focused on.
All information governance and data security has been approved at national level. Providers do not need to seek separate IG approval to use it.
Customer Story - Chloe Holmes, Caremark
Chloe and her team activated GP Connect for all 130 of their customers within a single day of receiving access.
Here is what changed for them:
Time savings
Medication queries that previously took two to three days to resolve now take minutes.
A CQC PIR return that required checking GP review dates for 130 customers. Previously two weeks of phone calls. Now completed in a day through GP Connect.
Outgoing call volume has dropped significantly. Less time on hold, less chasing surgeries.
Medication management
They can now check live medication lists, prescription timelines, allergy records, and PRN protocol information without calling the GP.
They cross-referenced their existing care plan allergy data against GP records after going live and found discrepancies. Some customers were allergic to more things than the care plan stated.
Medication ordering visibility, they can see when a prescription was raised, sent to pharmacy, and when it is ready to collect.
Hospital discharge
When a customer comes out of hospital, they can check the GP record to confirm what medications should be in the property before the carer arrives for the first visit.
They can track a customer's hospital stay through GP Connect and see what interventions occurred before discharge.
Onboarding
New customer onboarding that previously took two to three days to gather medical history now happens immediately once the customer is added to the system. This has reduced delays in starting care packages and, in some cases, reduced the time customers need to stay in hospital waiting for care to begin.
Staff confidence
Carers can raise a concern with the office and get a direct, evidenced answer back quickly. GP Connect gives the team something to point to.
Product Demo - Key Steps Shown
The demo covered the end-to-end setup and usage flow:
Enabling GP Connect at organisation level via ACP settings
Adding the client's NHS number and gender to their profile
Setting up GP Connect on the client's record
Viewing live GP data on web (medications, allergies, encounters, immunisations)
Accessing the same data on the ACP mobile app (iOS and Android)
Questions and Answers
The following questions were asked during the webinar, either verbally or via the chat panel.
Setup and Access
Q: I've enabled GP Connect but it is not showing on my service user page. Why?
A: Check that the client's NHS number and gender are entered correctly on their profile. These are required fields for the GP Connect lookup to work. If both are present and it still is not showing, raise a support ticket.
Q: Can we set this up on a laptop or does it have to be a phone?
A: Both. GP Connect is available on the ACP web platform (desktop/laptop) and on the ACP mobile app (iOS and Android).
Q: When entering the NHS number and gender, it asks for an email address. If the customer does not have one, can we use the office email?
A: Yes, the office email address can be used in this field.
Q: Could you automate the config based on consent being provided in a form?
A: This is something we are aware of as a request. Chloe's team found the setup quick to do manually. Automation of the consent-to-activation flow is not currently available but the idea is noted.
Q: Is there a plan for NHS numbers and gender to be pulled in automatically from other systems, rather than entered manually?
A: This is an improvement planned for upcoming versions of Access Care Planning.
Q: We have access to GP Connect on the client profile but cannot complete the setup. What should we do?
A: Contact the ACP support team directly with the specific error or step you are stuck on. The setup process is covered in the help centre article linked below.
Consent and Data Governance
Q: Do we need to obtain consent from service users to access their GP records?
A: Yes. Consent must be recorded from the service user (or their legal representative) before GP Connect is activated for their record. This is a legal requirement under the data sharing framework. Consent is recorded within ACP.
Q: Do service users also need to give consent to their GP?
A: No. The consent process sits with the care provider. You do not need a separate consent from the GP practice.
Q: How is consent obtained for current and new clients?
A: For new clients, consent should be gathered during the onboarding or assessment process. For existing clients, providers should work through their client list and capture consent as part of a review or routine visit.
Q: What if the client lacks mental capacity or there is no LPA in place?
A: Access to GP records under GP Connect must follow the same best interests principles that apply to all decision-making for someone who lacks capacity. Consult your organisation's mental capacity policy. If there is a lasting power of attorney for health and welfare, the attorney can consent on the client's behalf.
Q: If a client's relative has access to their Visit Notes in ACP, will they also see the medical records from GP Connect?
A: No. GP Connect data is a separate, controlled section of ACP. Relative portal access to Visit Notes does not extend to GP Connect records. Access to GP Connect is managed through role-based permissions set by the care organisation.
Q: What safeguards are in place to prevent unauthorised access to employees' GP records, given GP Connect is available in the Employee section of ACP?
A: Role-based access controls prevent this. Only users with explicitly granted permissions can access GP Connect data. Administrators should review and restrict access in the user role settings within ACP.
Q: Are all GP Connect requests audited?
A: Yes. Every GP Connect record view is logged and audited.
Data and Clinical Scope
Q: Does GP Connect give access to hospital clinical records as well as GP records? A: No. GP Connect provides access to GP-held records only. Hospital records, discharge letters, and secondary care data are not included.
Q: Would we be able to see hospital discharge letters through GP Connect?
A: Not directly. If a GP has updated the patient record following a hospital discharge, that update may appear as an encounter. But discharge letters from hospitals are not accessible through GP Connect.
Q: Does GP Connect show if a DNACPR is in place or if there is an advance care plan?
A: DNACPR status and formal advance care plans are not currently surfaced through the GP Connect integration in ACP. These would need to be recorded directly in the care plan.
Q: Will GP Connect include the Reasonable Adjustment Digital Flag if one is in place?
A: The Reasonable Adjustment Digital Flag is not currently part of the GP Connect data available in ACP. This has been raised as a future consideration and NHS England are actively working on expanding the data set available to social care providers over time.
Q: Can we view homely remedy confirmations through GP Connect?
A: This type of information is not part of the current GP Connect data set surfaced in ACP.
Q: Can we access GP Connect for clients who only receive companionship care rather than regulated personal care, even if our service is CQC registered?
A: The eligibility is based on whether your organisation is registered with CQC and whether the client has a clinical need. If you are unsure whether a specific client is within scope, check with NHS England guidance or raise with your account manager.
Q: Can we access the cause of death for a deceased patient?
A: No. GP Connect in ACP is for active patient records in the context of live care delivery. Access to deceased patient records is not in scope.
Paediatrics and Geography
Q: Is there a plan to make GP Connect accessible for paediatric patients?
A: GP Connect in ACP currently covers adult social care. Paediatric use is being considered as part of the broader product roadmap. No confirmed date is available at this time.
Q: Does GP Connect apply to Wales or Scotland, or only England?
A: GP Connect is currently available in England only. It is an NHS England programme. Wales and Scotland have separate digital health programmes and are not in scope at this time.
Cost
Q: Is there a cost for GP Connect?
A: GP Connect is available to Access Care Planning customers as part of your existing contract and attracts no additional cost.
Other
Q: Is this feature only available in ACP?
A: Yes, in the context of this webinar. GP Connect through ACP is for Access Care Planning customers.
Q: Will carers have access to GP Connect, or only managers?
A: Access is controlled by role-based permissions. Your organisation decides which roles can view GP Connect data. It does not have to be restricted to managers, but it should be limited to staff with a legitimate clinical need.
Q: Can we isolate access to the management team and not care assistants?
A: Yes. Role permissions in ACP allow you to restrict GP Connect access to specific user roles.
Q: I am a Registered Nurse and Registered Manager. Will I have full access? How do we distinguish between clinical and non-clinical staff?
A: Access levels are determined by the role assigned to you in ACP, not your professional registration. Your organisation's ACP administrator sets the roles. If you need a specific level of access that is not currently configured, they can adjust your role settings.