Beta Testing

The final stage of testing is called beta testing. The objective of beta testing is to start the roll out of the system involving a small sample of GPs and dispensing contractors from each consortium who have passed the acceptance testing, before increasing the volumes up to those agreed for the full pilot.

Beta testing will mean that payments will be made to contractors on the basis of the electronic messages. PPA will process the ETP messages and the patient declarations through the ETP system. Paper FP10s dispensed by that contractor (for prescriptions issued by GPs who are not in the ETP pilot) will be processed in the normal way and merged with the ETP messages. The PPA's IT system will calculate prices based on the full account, the Finance Directorate will sample check the payments before actually making the payment, Central Quality Assurance staff will conduct quality assurance checks on the pilot accounts and the Compliance Unit will carry out patient exemption checks on the patient declarations.

Adding more GPs and dispensing contractors to the beta test will be in agreement with the PPA and each consortium. All parties will need to agree the readiness to roll out the pilot against their acceptance criteria.

ALPHA TESTING

ACCEPTANCE TESTING