 Electronic clinical letters pilot goes live in Aneurin Bevan Over a thousand clinical letters have been sent electronically in the first few weeks of a clinical letters pilot which sends outpatient letters from secondary care to primary care. Clinical letters are used to let the patient's GP know the outcome of an out patient appointment.
During the pilot traditional paper letters have been replaced with an electronic letter, sent directly into the GP system, saving on administration, paper and postage costs and improving patient safety.
The pilot, which is taking place in Aneurin Bevan University Health Board, uses the Welsh Clinical Communications Gateway as a two way communication tool. The Welsh Clinical Communications Gateway is an electronic 'postbox', which is currently also used for electronic referrals and discharges. In most of Wales, clinical letters are generated manually in hospitals, printed and then posted to the GP practice. Around four million letters a year are manually processed. "The electronic clinical letters service will facilitate further workflow efficiencies in both primary and secondary care settings," says Lee Price, Aneurin Bevan's Interim Head of Informatics Programme. "It has been well received at this early stage and following formal evaluation we are hopeful of a rapid rollout to all GP practices across the Health Board." Following the pilot, it is planned that the service will be extended across Wales. | 
