Appendix A - frequently asked questions

Why do I get ‘no results’ when searching for a known NHS number in e-RS?

There could be a number of reasons for this:

1. The NHS number belongs to a patient registered at a different GP Practice from the one that has been used to log into e-RS. This can be confirmed using SCR or DSA.
2. The role used to log in to e-RS does not have the B1101 or B1102 activity configured on the correct organisation code on Care ID (formerly UIM/CMS). For example, if a user has more than one referring clinician role or many roles at an organisation on the same card and selects one that doesn’t correspond to the patient being used.  
3. The NHS number being used is for a different environment. e-RS obtains Patient (PDS) information from Spine, so the NHS number must be present in the corresponding Spine environment. For example, if Patient A exists in Spine Deployment it will likely not be found (or may be different) if searching for the NHS number in e-RS TRAIN.

I have created a service in e-RS but when I try to refer one of my allocated NHS numbers to this service, the service is not appearing in the list of available services, how do I book into this service?

The services which are displayed in the available service list are based on a number of factors:

1. The service must be published by the Service Definer.
2. The patient being referred must match the criteria for the service, check the age and gender of the NHS number being referred against the restrictions on the service. For example, if the service has been restricted to females over 65 years of age, creating a referral for a 4 year old boy will not return the required service in a search. 
3. The search terms must match what is configured on the service, selecting the wrong clinical term can cause the service to be excluded. Try reducing the specificity of the search (for example entering only the speciality) and selecting the service from a longer list or use the directory of service to note the clinical terms configured on the service. 

How do I perform a manual slot poll?

Log in as a Service Definer at the Service Provider Organisation and locate the service in 'Manage Service'. Click on the service name (not ‘details’) to view the configuration. Scroll down and expand the 'Slot Management' section and click the 'poll now' button once only.

Note: clicking the 'poll now' button before the success/failure has returned on the first request will result in an error stating that there is a slot poll already in progress.

If the result returned is a failure, take a screenshot which shows the failure date and time, the organisation code and the ‘provider system’ field. Send this to the SA Service Desk to request an investigation into the failure.