HPC IT Solution Sets New Standards for Regulation

One year into the launch of a new IT system called Lisa, built by Digital Steps Limited (DSL), the Health Professions Council (HPC) is delighted to report operational improvements that will provide added protection for health professionals and the public. Now anyone can check online whether a practitioner is bone fide, anytime, anywhere; and health professionals from twelve sectors, ranging from chiropodists to physiotherapists, can rest assured that they too are protected by law.

Two years ago new legislation dictated that common professional titles would be legally protected from July 2003. HPC's remit is to protect the public by setting, monitoring and maintaining standards amongst registered professionals. But taking over from its predecessor, the Council for Professions Supplementary to Medicine (CPSM)*, meant inheriting a paper-based structure with out-of-date procedures and disparate IT systems that needed a radical overhaul.

Paper-based procedures meant that it was possible to lose track of registrants; and renewals, updates, applications and payments were all processed manually. Administration time was extensive and, with so many procedures in place, training new staff could take up to one month. IT systems did exist, but were over-customised and inflexible.

With thirty professions waiting to be regulated, in addition to the 145,000 professionals already protected by the register, Chief Executive and Registrar, Marc Seale, decided to start fresh and create a working model for the future that put the public and registrant first.

"We recognised that we needed a 21st century IT system to improve operational efficiency and build customer confidence, " commented Seale.

HPC opted for a new approach to software development, pioneered by DSL, which would help to define new processes for operational improvements. Lisa was constructed using the .sp regulate framework to create a solution that best suited HPC's operational needs. It combined all the plus points of traditional custom and package solutions, but with added benefits and an absolute flexibility that would allow the organisation to absorb new professions in the future.

Peter Black, managing director of DSL, explains, "Because .sp regulate uses a component-based approach, it isn't built from scratch and takes less time to create a perfectly tailored solution. Downtime is reduced significantly and the potential costs are halved. It also ensures that a perfect match is made between the business' objectives and software design, both now and in the future. .sp is our general approach to a realignment of the industry around solutions rather than products, as we focus on the complete business process - not just  the delivery of technology."

With this in mind, HPC's new system also provides an example of how the transgression from paper-based structures to online/offline systems can be made smoothly with minimum disruption.

For HPC, ensuring that the system is accessible online has significantly increased operational efficiency and levels of protection. Registration, updates are now made in real-time, where amendments were made previously on a weekly basis. The public can also be kept informed of disciplinary actions, or professionals who have been removed from the register, around the clock. In addition, the system has benefited management, with reports being generated in a matter of minutes.

.sp regulate is designed for any level of PC literacy, meaning only the minimum of internal training is needed for new users in the HPC, and none for web use. This is particularly beneficial when HPC employs temporary staff, and it is also a bonus for every member of the general public.

Since Lisa went live, HPC has experienced a major increase in enquiries and web traffic. Under CPSM, web traffic reached an all-time high of just over 44,000 visits per month. When the changeover to HPC occurred in July 2003, and the new forms and publications were put online, this leapt to 84,000 visits in that month alone. There have been similarly substantial increases in the amount of correspondence, by post and by phone.

Marc Seale is delighted with an IT solution that has been moulded to HPC's vision for a model health service and is pleased to see such promising returns, "Given the common goal of building a world class health service, we would actively encourage other regulatory bodies to follow suit. This has undoubtedly improved efficiency and effectiveness.

The system has become the backbone of our operational structure. We are by no means a finished product; we intend to keep listening to make further improvements that will help protect the public and professionals in the UK ."

.SP REGULATE WILL BE ON SHOW AT MEMBERSHIP TECHNOLOGY on 16th SEPT.

Membership Management Technology: is an exhibition specifically designed

for subscription-based or membership organisations.  It will take place

at the Business Design Centre in Islington, London , on 16th September

2004. www.businessdesigncentre.co.uk/events.

(6/9/04)