Contacts can be patients or non-patients

Both a GP and an administrative staff can enter the carer or next of kin details because contacts can be added in one of three places:

• either directly from Consultation Manager – PatientDetails , on the Contacts tab, first selecting a patient who is either the contact, or is the patient cared for or who is the next of kin.
• or from Registration, using the Contacts button, first selecting a patient who is either the contact, or is the patient cared for.
• Or, only for entering carers that are not on your patient register, you can also add Carers in File Maintenance under an Organisation (say, McMillan Nurses, Anytown County Council), and put them in under Person of that Organisation, with the Role of Carer.

Once a contact is added, they form part of a contacts list on Vision 3 and can be selected at any time later.

The Contacts tab or button lets you enter a contact in one of two ways:

• The patient you initially select is a person cared for by someone. For example, Mrs Sweeney is frail, elderly lady and has a carer – use the (top) option Contacts of [patient name] or in this example, contacts of Mrs Sweeney. A carer looking after someone does not have to be registered with the practice. You will be able later to enter free text name and address. See Add Contacts of [name of patient]. The same applies to next of kin, for example, Mrs Sweeney's daughter is called Ellen Brown. You would start with Mrs Sweeney's record and add Ellen Brown as next of kin, with daughter in the free text of Relationship to patient
• The patient you initially select is a next of kin, or a who looks after someone, or more than one person. This is the second option Patients whose contact is [name]. Those they look after or are next of kin ust be registered on the Vision 3 database. See Patients whose contact is [name].