The Professional Record Standards Body (PRSB) has launched the Standards Partnership Scheme to visibly recognise and support vendors across the UK that are implementing professionally endorsed record standards to improve and integrate care through interoperability.  

The scheme, which is supported by NHS and social care system leaders, enables Partners to send a strong signal to customers and stakeholders that they are at the forefront of the drive toward standards and interoperability in the NHS and social care.   

For an annual fee, the Standards Partnership Scheme offers a targeted, practical support programme for partners that includes tailored workshops, briefings, guidance and networking opportunities. Our scheme is about co-production and mutual learning. Suppliers will improve, local adoption of standards will improve and the standards themselves will improve as we learn from real experience of implementing – so that they are useful, usable and used.  

Suppliers that want to demonstrate organisational best practice and standards conformance can undergo an assessment process. For conformance assessment, we will set an achievable bar that is safe and delivers clinical value, recognising that best practice may take a little longer. The bar will move upwards over time as the system matures and we all learn. The scheme is designed to be developmental and will flex to meet the needs of different health tech organisations, no matter what their size or level of digital maturity.   

PRSB will also shortly be introducing a local provider partnership offer that includes training, support and advice for implementing standards and using them to support information sharing within their organisations and for continuity of care across settings and services. 

Partners will join one of the largest professional networks in health and care across the UK that is committed to ensuring that standards are useful, usable and used to support better and safer health and care.   

Professor Maureen Baker, Chair of the PRSB, said: “Clinical standards enable health and care professionals to swiftly access the crucial information they need to support the delivery of good quality, personalised care. “Through our new partnership community, suppliers will get the chance to work closely with clinical and professional leaders, system leaders and patient advocacy groups to make these standards work in action.”  

David Turner, Chief Technology Officer at NHSX added: “At NHSX, we work closely with the PRSB and other partners to drive the adoption of standards to support better care and improved interoperability. This new partnership scheme is an important contribution to developing a truly joined-up health and care system. Now is the time for suppliers, clinicians and social care workers to join forces and adopt standards for a future focused on better, safer and more integrated health and care.”