Electronic GP reports to go live this month

Plans to launch a service that will enable product providers to request and receive GP reports electronically are currently underway, the latest Cover Think Tank exclusively revealed.

Guests at the roundtable debate, which discussed the future role of technology in the protection market, revealed that an electronic GP report (EGPR), which is being developed by The Exchange in association with Primary Care Technologies, is due to go live this month.

The service is being fully backed by providers including Abbey and Scottish Equitable Protect. Other providers, including Friends Provident have been in talks about the project. The British Medical Association and the Association of British Insurers have also shown their support.

The aim of the service is to speed up the underwriting process allowing providers to make quicker decisions, lower cancellation rates, reduce costs and enhance the service they provide to intermediaries. The Exchange estimates that the administrative cost savings could be approximately £18m to the industry each year.

Speaking at the debate, Matt Rann, head of underwriting and claims at Scottish Equitable Protect, said he hoped the service would significantly reduce the turnaround time for applications.

"This is important for the industry. Currently, there's a 30 plus day turnaround on average for GPRs and the electronic version will bring it down to single figures."

To date, GP practices covering one million patients have enrolled to the service and further take-up is expected when official announcements have been made.

"The current sign-up rate is very encouraging in view of the minimal publicity. When the announcements are made through all the available media channels, the GPs will avalanche to sign-up and we'll hit 80% within 12 months," said Peter Joyce, corporate consultant at Abbey.

Providers are to have access to a database of all practicing UK GPs registered to the EGPR service. This will enable them to send an electronic request for the medical report to the GP, together with a patient consent form, which is completed by the customer when they apply for a policy.

&149; For the full report, see the Think Tank supplement, sponsored by Abbey for Intermediaries supplied free with this issue of Cover.