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10 July 2018
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Q. Has MN-CMS gone live for shared care antenatal messaging between GPs and maternity hospitals?

A. Following a pilot phase, MN-CMS went live on June 6 for antenatal shared care and discharge summary messages in Cork University Maternal Hospital (CUMH). Antenatal shared care messaging allows the electronic return of routine antenatal care information between GPs and the maternity hospital information system. It should be used in the same way as a combined antenatal card or the paper record previously held by the pregnant woman. GPs should assumed that their clinical examination and notes will not be read by the hospital maternity services until the woman next attends for her routine antenatal care. If there is anything urgent or critical that needs action before the next routine hospital visit, then GPs should communicate that in the normal fashion, by a phone call to the hospital or an urgent referral to the maternity services. The shared antenatal care messaging is not a form of instant messaging between GPs and the maternity services. Likewise, GPs are not expected to review the hospital messages until they next see the patient and the hospital will contact the GP if there are any more urgent matters.

These messages will come automatically to you if you are a Healthlink and CUMH user. In order to use the electronic antenatal care you need to have the most recent version of you GP practice software system. Roll-out to GPs in the catchment areas of University Hospital Kerry, Rotunda Hospital and the National Maternity Hospital will follow.