Archived News - 2005
2006 NCCQ dates announced
Posted November 2005
The NCCQ partnership ( IHRIM(UK) and NHS Connecting for Health ) have announced that the date of the 2006 National Clinical Coding Qualification will be the 28th March 2006. The closing date for applications will be the 14th February 2006. Click here to view the full statement. The partnership have also announced that those candidates who are fail the 2006 examination will need to resit the full examination because of syllabus changes caused by the implementation of OPCS 4.3 in April 2006.
OPCS 4.3 preview
Posted October 2005
NHS Connecting for Health have begun to publish individual chapters of the enhancement to OPCS. Click here to view. They intend to publish the individual chapters as they are authored to allow users to become familiar with the enhancements ahead of the implementation from 1 April 2006. NHS Connecting for Health indicate that the dates indicated for publication of chapters may change and that these advance materials should not be considered final until the end of December . The final version of OPCS 4.3 will be completed and published in full in January 2006.
Dataset Change Notice
Posted October 2005
NHS Connecting for Health have released DSCN 14/2005. This Dataset change notice gives notification of the enhancement to the OPCS 4.2 procedure classification. The DSCN can be found at www.connectingforhealth.nhs.uk/dscn/dscn2005/.
Audit Commission Reports on Early Lessons from Payment by Results
Posted October 2005
On the 1st April 2006, Payment by Results will be fully implemented in the NHS. The Audit Commission reports on the experience of the early implementer sites. Of particular interest is the focus on the need for data quality and in particular clinical coding. Clinical Coding is critically important as it is these diagnostic and procedural codes that generate the HRG (Healthcare Resource Group) that underpins the payment. The assignment of codes that accurately reflect a patients stay and the treatment given will enable the realisation of legitimate income. However, there is an inherent danger, as reported at a Payment by Results Conference in London in September, that clinical coders may be pressured into assigning unnecessary or even inaccurate codes thus potentially increasing complexity and income, a process called 'up-coding'.
Woodward Associates wins NHS Care Record Service Contract
Posted September 2005
Specialist software provider Woodward Associates (UK) Ltd is to play an important role in developing the new NHS integrated Care Records Service as one of a number of leading suppliers working with prime contractor BT.
BT has awarded Woodward Associates a ten year contract to deliver the core technology supporting the implementation of Paymnet by Results within the NHS Care Records Service. The NHS Care Records Services will provide an individual electronic patient record for every patient in England, securely accessible by the patient and those caring for them, that will enable the delivery of better healthcare in the NHS.
Under the contract, Woodward Associates will provide its application autoGROUPER to derive Healthcare Resource Groups for each episode of care held by the NHS Care Records Service.
"As well as supplying a very successful product that is used widely throughout the NHS, we bring extensive experience to the delivery of this core module for the NHS Care Records Service," said Woodward Associates Managing Director, Roger Woodward.
Payment by Results will provide a transparent, rules based system for paying trusts. It will reqard efficiency, support patient choice and diversity and encourage activity for sustainable waiting time reductions.
The National Application Service Provider contributes to the main thrust of the NHS Care Records Service, which is designed to improve and streamline the vast amounts of information and data flowing throughout the NHS everyday.
For further information email Woodward Associates at marketing@woodwardassoc.co.uk or call 01753 867220.
NCCQ examinations 2006
Posted August 2005
The Association has learned that there will possibly be an examination in March 2006 for those needing to resit following the November 2005 examinations. Following the demise of the National Interventions Classification it is not known if there will now be an NCCQ examination in 2006. Although it has not been formally announced the Association believes that coders will be expected to upgrade their qualifications to take into account the enhanced version of OPCS being implemented in April 2006.
News on 4
Posted August 2005
The enhancement to OPCS 4.2 has been confirmed as OPCS 4.3. This new revision will be implemented on the 1st April 2006.
This classification enhancement is required to support the Government's Payment by Results programme. The current classification (OPCS 4.2) has not been maintained and subsequently does not reflect the diversity and complexity of contemporary practice.
It is understood that the enhancement will consist of the current classification with additional procedure and intervention codes added to existing chapters and the creation of up to three new chapters (I,O,U). The DoH agency, Connecting for Health, have announced that the essential concepts that currently govern OPCS 4.2 such as its organisation, structure and the 4-step coding process will remain the same, although current-coding conventions may change.
It is expected that there will be annual reviews of OPCS 4.3, which may result in additional releases of code.
Connecting for Health will be responsible for the maintenance and licensing of the classification through the Clinical Classifications Service. Connecting for Health will also have responsibility for the delivery of support materials and also coding education programmes.
External Cause Coding
Posted July 2005.
Following the recent bombings in London we have been asked to clarify how to code the external cause.
If we are to understand that these were purposeful acts intended to cause harm to others then the appropriate ICD-10 code would be X96.
Effectively the dilemma is between:
Explosion (accidental) (with secondary fire) W40
Explosion
- caused by other person stated as
- - intentional, homicide X96
Formation of Inaugural Council
Posted January 2005.
The Association Inaugural Council has now been formed. The 1st meeting took place on the 22nd January 2005. The Association hopes to begin to admit members shortly.
Incorporation
Posted November 2004.
The Professional Association of Clinical Coders (UK) [PACC(UK) has now been incorporated.
The inaugural Council will meet in January. Thereafter the Association is expected to open to all those wishing to join the association. The latest information will be posted on here.
Dates for next Council meetings added to the site. See the 'Council' section of this site.