Deaneries Interface
Introduction
Recognising the need for improved links between ESR and local Deanery systems, the Deanery Working Party was established in 2008. Consisting of representatives from each of the Deaneries, the ESR NHS Central Team, a small number of Trusts and the Deanery System Suppliers; the group was tasked with delivering two key benefits to the Service :-
- Reduction of duplicate data entry for new trainees;
- Improved alignment of Trainee Doctors data within ESR and the Deanery systems
The Group was responsible for overseeing the design and development of new interfaces in both ESR and the two local Deanery systems :- Empower and Intrepid. The Recruitment and Update interfaces were deployed in ESR in 2008.
How does it work?
- The Recruitment Interface facilitates an exchange of information between ESR and the Deanery systems. This allows information about new trainees to flow onto ESR, which then creates an applicant record. Once the trust has completed their Employment Checks, the organisation is then able to hire the individual and maintain their record as the Employer.
- The Update Interface passes any changes captured directly in ESR back to the Deanery system.
Why should your organisation use the interfaces?
There are a number of benefits that can be realised by implementation of the two interfaces.
The Recruitment Interface:
- Reduces the administrative burden for the trust in entering new trainees data – calculated at a saving of £2.44 per application. This equates to potential average saving of £1020 per organisation per annum;
- Enables a full trainee dataset to be populated in ESR using the Inter Authority Transfer functionality;
- Enables the Deanery to provide rotation information within the minimum twelve weeks notice;
- Improves the internal transfer process, where a trainee moves post, but stays with the same employer. The assignment is simply updated in ESR with the new post details.
Once the initial set up is complete, operating the interface is low impact for NHS Trusts and Deanery organisations.
The Update Interface:
- Reduces the administrative burden for the Deanery in updating trainee information;
- Improves data consistency and the potential for improvements in data quality across the two systems;
- Supports consistent local and national reporting via the ESR Local Reporting Solution, the ESR Data Warehouse and also Deanery system reports.
Where are we now?
A number of Deaneries have completed pilots and are operating the Deanery Recruitment interface with their partner organisations. Oxford Deanery and Wessex Deanery (which is managed through their Central Information Team) has been the leading user of the interface to date. They have been using the Deanery Recruitment interface with a significant number of the partner NHS organisations since August 2010. The August 2011 intake saw an increasing number of Deaneries using the Recruitment interface. The volumes of applicants created per Deanery since Quarter 1 in 2010, are shown in the graph below.
The Deanery Working Party meets on a regular basis to discuss the operation and ongoing development of the interface. Please contact Victoria.Crowther@nhs.net for more information on the membership and Terms of Reference for this group.
How do organisations obtain support whilst using the interface?
The interfaces are Nationally enabled to transfer information to and from each of the Deaneries in England and Wales. There is an amount of local work required in ESR to set up the interface process. This includes ensuring all of Medical Trainee posts are set up individually and have a Deanery Post Number allocated to them. To date successful implementers of the interface have been those Deaneries and NHS organisations that have worked in partnership to reconcile their Medical Training Posts before proceeding to use the interfaces.
Further information on the full requirements to set up both interfaces can be found in the Guide to The Deanery Interfaces available for download below.
Support for ESR users is provided by the ESR Service Request Desk – Remedy. If you have an issue or a query with regard to the functionality ask your local ESR Lead to raise a ‘Service Request’ on your behalf.
Support for the Deanery user is provided by the relevant Deanery system supplier – Hicom or Northgate.
Further information about Hicom and the interface can be obtained by clicking on the following link: http://www.intrepidonline.co.uk/sys_Pages/Resource/ResourceDetailPublic.aspx?Article=INTREPID_ESR_INTERFACE
If you have a general question about the interface feel free to email the NHS Interfaces Team on ESR.interfaces@nhs.net
The Future
The ESR National User Group recently supported a number of enhancements to the Deanery Interfaces, which will streamline the process significantly for ESR users, as well as improve the visibility of ESR information for Deaneries. These changes will be available in ESR in March 2012 (subject to successful design, build and test). Plans to launch the changes are currently being defined. More details will be available early in 2012.
The NHS ESR Central Team are currently devising a plan to engage more closely with each of the Deaneries in a bid to boost the usage of the ESR Deanery Interfaces. Further information on these activities will be communicated in due course.