The new Dental e-referral Management System allowing General Dental Practitioners (GDPs) to send referrals electronically via nationally-agreed templates has gone live in Abertawe Bro Morgannwg and Hwyel Dda health boards.
Electronic referrals will be received by clinicians quicker, ensuring patients with urgent needs can be seen much sooner. The system also allows high quality radiographs to be attached to referrals and allows patients and referring dentists to easily track referral status. Health boards can also use the data collected from electronic referrals to assess services.
The new system covers all specialties across primary and secondary care including:
- Orthodontists
- Oral Surgery
- Oral Maxillofacial Surgery
- Oral Medicine
- Restorative Dentistry
- Community Dental Services (Paeds and Special Care)
- Urgent suspected cancers
NHS Wales Informatics Service is looking to roll the system out later this spring to other health boards after initial evaluations.