GP2GP

GP2GP is an approach to safe and secure electronic transfer of the full patient record between different practice management systems (PMS) when patients move between general practices.

It was developed with the overarching goal to reduce any potential loss of clinical information when patients change general practice, along with the reducing administrative burden that existed before an electronic solution existed.

GP2GP went live in 2011. Several hundred thousand records are transferred annually using GP2GP.

GP2GP was designed to transfer:

• clinical notes
• problem lists
• medications
• allergies
• lab results
• discharge letters
• recall tasks
• limited demographic information.

Accounting and appointment information is not included in the transfer.

GP2GP was not designed for the transfer of multiple patients (bulk transfers) or migration of a whole practice. Please contact your IT support provider and the appropriate PMS suppliers for support with this.

GP2GP was developed by an organisation called Patients First, in collaboration with PMS vendors and supported by secure messaging provider HealthLink. General Practice New Zealand (external link) (GPNZ) was the parent company of Patients First.

Control of GP2GP was transitioned to Manatū Hauora in 2021. During the health reforms, responsibility for GP2GP was then transferred from Manatū Hauora to Health New Zealand - Te Whatu Ora.

As part of the transition to Health NZ, management and support of the service has been incorporated into the Sector Digital Channels Integration team.

• Download the GP2GP package via Microsoft's NuGet and productionise the latest version. This ensures your customers have the latest GP2GP functionality.
  If you have any issues with this process, please contact Health NZ at DigitalPrimaryCareProgramme@TeWhatuOra.govt.nz 
• Please don’t modify the contents of the GP2GP package – send any feedback for enhancements to Health NZ at the above email.
• Download and maintain the latest version of HealthLink software (such as the HealthLink messaging client) to support confidential patient file transfers.
• Provide support and troubleshooting assistance to your customers for issues related to GP2GP transfers and ensure any problems are addressed promptly.
• Adhere to the security and privacy guidelines such as the Health Information Security Framework and the Health Information Privacy Code (external link) to ensure the integrity and safety of patient data during transfers.

There have been ongoing issues with GP2GP, leading to delays in care and increasing clinical risks. General practices are dedicating more time and resources to managing and verifying GP2GP transfers, as well as correcting errors.

GP2GP is becoming outdated and is expected to be replaced or rendered unnecessary in the coming years, as health information will be accessible through shared digital health records. Health NZ is currently investing in stabilising the service, with an operational model designed to maintain these improvements until a new solution for transferring health records is implemented.

This work aims to address the immediate short-term risks of the system and ensure that GP2GP continues to provide a safe and reliable patient records transfer service.

The Health NZ GP2GP team has been collaborating closely with stakeholders to determine the stabilisation requirements. The primary issues identified include the 20MB limit on patient file transfer size, inconsistencies in data mapping between practice management systems (PMSs), and challenges in identifying diagnostic results.

Enhancements to GP2GP

• File Size Limit: One ongoing issue with GP2GP has been the 20MB file size limit, which is insufficient for some patient files. HealthLink is currently testing an increase to 50MB for file transfers. If successful, this will be implemented.

• Version Consistency: Another issue is that PMS suppliers have different versions of GP2GP in production. The GP2GP software has been updated and will be deployed to ensure all suppliers use the same version.

• Deployment via NuGet: The updated GP2GP will be deployed using NuGet, an industry-standard method for deploying code as packages. This ensures that changes cannot be made to the source code, resulting in a stable and consistent version of GP2GP across the sector. Health NZ is working with PMS suppliers to provide access to the NuGet server.

• Support for Healthcare Providers: There is help and support available for healthcare providers experiencing issues with the transfer of patient information via GP2GP.

Timeframe

By July 2025, it is planned that:

• The updated GP2GP source code will be provided to PMS suppliers for deployment in their systems. This will support the safe and efficient transfer of patient records.
• HealthLink will support the transfer of files up to 50MB in size.

Health NZ will test the GP2GP patient file transfer process between PMS applications once the consistent version is in place to ensure error-free transfers.

Implementing these enhancements and stabilising GP2GP will reduce clinical risks from missing, incorrect, or incomplete patient data. It will also reduce administrative time for general practices, as staff will no longer need to spend time checking file transfers and fixing errors.

• View the User Guides for GP2GP for each PMS (see below under 'User Guides').
• If your issue is hardware specific, or you need help with bulk transfers, please contact your IT support provider.
• If you are experiencing issues with a GP2GP transfer, please raise a ticket with your PMS Supplier. This step must be completed before proceeding with the following step (if necessary).
• If the issue persists after trying the methods mentioned above, please contact the Health New Zealand Contact Centre. This can be done by either:
  • emailing onlinehelpdesk@health.govt.nz. Please include all relevant information and attach a screenshot of the issue if possible.
  • calling 0800 855 066. Choose option ‘2’ for systems support, and then ‘1’ to report your issue.

Information to include, or have ready when seeking support from Health New Zealand for a GP2GP transfer issue:

• Your practice name and contact details.
• The name of the PMS application that you are using.
• If you are experiencing the issue whilst importing or exporting for GP2GP.
• If relevant, the PMS application that a GP2GP transfer is coming from or going to.
• Any other information relating to the issue, including confirmation that you have raised a ticket with your PMS supplier.

If you are ever providing screenshots in email, please be careful not to include any patient information.

How to use GP2GP Export and Import | Medtech Evolution (external link) (YouTube)

User Guide - GP2GP Medtech Evolution - June2023 (PDF, 457 KB) (external link)

User Guide – Medtech32 (external link) (PDF, 2.2MB)

Access GP2GP Help Content through indici (external link) (PDF, 108KB)

Instructions for using GP2GP are here (external link) on the MyPractice website.

Profile User Manual (PDF, 675 KB) (external link)