National Doctors Training & Planning - Employment Record Portal

Introduction

One of the recommendations of the ‘strategic review of medical training and career structures’ (MacCraith Report) was to reduce the paperwork burden for NCHDs (Non Consultant Hospital Doctors), associated with rotating between clinical placements and employers.  

On 8^th June 2015 National Doctors Training & Planning (NDTP) launched the National Employment Record (NER) portal for NCHDs, http://www.nchder.ie/. The NER was developed by NDTP, HSE- Office of the Chief Information Officer (OoCIO) and Opensky Data Systems.

The Problem

Prior to the introduction of NER, each time an NCHD rotated to a different clinical site they would resubmit all of the required mandatory pre-employment documentation. This was a time consuming exercise for both the individual NCHD and the employer.

The Solution

The introduction of the NER eliminates the requirement for NCHDs to resubmit documents or redo certifications whilst they hold certifications that are not expired, simply because their post location is changing. 

The NER system is being piloted nationally starting with the incoming July 2015 intern cohort. The pilot has proved to be a success and it is now the intention to have a full roll out of the NER system to all 5000 + NCHDs in the autumn. 

The system is hosted in the national data centre in a virtualised environment, accessible securely via https//: NCHDs can upload documents via PC, laptop, tablet or smartphone. 

With the introduction of the NER Pilot, each Intern commencing employment in July 2015 was required to register and create a secure NER account which provides a central location to allow individual NCHDs access and upload documentation using a secure web-based portal. This documentation can be accessed by the NCHD’s current clinical site and any clinical site where they may rotate to in the future. Information which can be stored electronically in the NER include a hire form, photographic identification, Garda vetting, occupational health & EPP certification, mandatory training documents such as BLS, ACLS and Manual Handling etc.

The Benefits

NER eliminates the requirement for duplication of paperwork, making the employment process more efficient. The NCHD can upload documents when ready, at any time, from any location. Reminders are sent when certain document types are due for renewal, eliminating a ‘chasing’ exercise. This should assist in compliance levels with mandatory certifications as the system establishes itself over time. Hospital Manpower Managers can see clearly if certain details are missing and focus on getting those completed e.g. bank details for payroll. The self service nature makes it much easier for the NCHD to update address & contact details. The system is linked to Medical Council Registration number provided via the Medical Council. This acts as a ‘point of truth’ for key data, eliminating variations on simple things such as first name spelling and generally ensuring the quality of this key data. Almost 100% of interns have registered.