CGI supports sharing of vaccination status for service personnel

Global consultancy CGI has worked with the NHS and the Ministry of Defence to support the vaccination of service personnel in the UK. The IT services firm helped rapidly enable a secure flow of coronavirus jabs. 

Founded in 1976, CGI has been delivering secure IT systems to the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) for over 40 years. It has also provided expertise in electronic medical record services to public and private health organisations to improve clinical efficiency and effectiveness for millions of patients worldwide.

During the pandemic, two of the firm’s historic traditions combined, with CGI working to assist the MOD digitally manage its vaccination programme in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. According to Air Vice-Marshal Rich Withnall, Director Defence Healthcare, the firm helped to secure real-time, accurate vaccination data between UK Defence and the NHS – something that he called “critical” to the organisation’s role during the public health crisis. 

Withnall added, “It facilitates service personnel maintaining their key role in the national fight against Covid-19, and allows the seamless ability to conduct other key Defence tasks. This collaborative work between CGI, NHS and UK Defence is a great example of teamwork which delivered a complex technical solution at pace”.

CGI delivered a connective system between the NHS’ digital systems, and the MOD’s medical systems. The interface now in place enables real-time vaccination records of armed forces personnel and dependents to be accessed from both NHS MOD Defence Medical Services, and MOD human resources systems. 

Mike Walker, Programme Director at NHS Digital, commented, “Ensuring that this data is available was vital to ensuring that Armed Forces personnel are not disadvantaged compared to their civilian counterparts. We all adopted a one team culture across our respective programmes, organisations and sectors, which was critical to the rapid delivery of this capability.”

On the new system, the status of armed forces personnel vaccinations (received at either an NHS or a MOD Defence Medical Services location) is recorded only once, due to the integration of each organisation’s disparate systems and can be used for multiple purposes. These include patient experience, allowing personnel to access NHS Services for the NHS COVID Pass via the NHS.UK website; improved patient experience allowing for personal access; enhanced workforce planning for the MOD; and improved patient safety with MOD Defence Medical Services clinicians gaining quick and secure access to vaccination statuses.

Speaking on the project, Mark Shephard, CGI’s Senior Vice President for UK & Australia Secure Infrastructure Services, remarked, “We’re delighted to help ensure that real-time, accurate Covid-19 vaccination data for our armed forces is available via both the NHS and Defence Medical Services systems. Through collaboration with the MOD and NHS teams, we have quickly and securely integrated the systems to deliver this key capability.”

Earlier in 2021, CGI was also selected by the MOD to develop a new intelligence software application. The system will enable MOD to create a single, all-domain Intelligence Mission Management System that is fully integrated across the UK.