ℹ️ Introduction
This article explains how to use the LARC reports available in your local Public Health dashboard, where these have been configured by your Council. By the end of this article, you will be able to review LARC activity, identify data quality issues and understand expected payment.
Background
LARC such as intra-uterine devices and contraceptive implants are highly effective methods of preventing unintended pregnancy. In general practice, LARC services involve providing advice, fitting, and follow-up care, making these options accessible and convenient for patients within their local community.
These services are commissioned locally by Public Health teams to improve reproductive health outcomes and reduce unplanned pregnancies. Depending on local arrangements, GP Practices may be incentivised to deliver LARC procedures, supporting patient choice and access to contraception within the local community.
How Ardens Can Help
Where LARC reports are available, they can help you to:
Monitor LARC activity
Review activity by LARC type and procedure
Identify potential data quality issues
Review patients with LARC recorded as in situ
Identify patients who may require a safety review
Understand the expected payment for reported activity
Access the Dashboard
Login to Ardens Manager
Select Contracts from the left-hand panel
Select your local Council dashboard
Select the LARC tab
⚠️ Please note: The reports available in the LARC dashboard may vary depending on local service requirements. You may not see every report described in this article.
📝Record Data
Accurate recording of LARC activity is important to ensure that procedures are identified correctly in the dashboard and included in the appropriate activity and payment reports.
Use the relevant Ardens contraception template to record LARC activity. The templates provide dedicated areas for recording the procedure and associated information, including the device, reason for insertion/removal and procedure.
The following templates are available:
Contraceptive Implant
LNG - IUD (Hormonal Coil)
CU - IUD (Copper Coil)
The templates also contain additional fields to support best-practice recording. Complete the relevant information for each procedure.
To access:
Open a patient record
Press F12 on your keyboard
Open the Nursing Procedures template launcher (access this support article on how to add the launcher to your F12) and select the Contraception/Cervical Smear option.
Choose the relevant template according to the LARC type
Alternatively, open a consultation, select Run Template, and search for the template
An asterisk (*) next to a field indicates elements commonly associated with local contract reporting. These include the reason for insertion or removal, LARC device, procedure coding and other relevant information. Where asterisks are shown, these fields are the main fields to prioritise for local reporting and payment visibility, although exact requirements may vary by area.
📊Review Activity
LARC activity is grouped by Coils and Implants. Reports are available for the different procedures and reasons for activity.
LARC procedures
The reports show the different LARC procedures identified by the dashboard. Depending on the LARC type, these may include:
Failed insertion
Insertion or replacement
Removal or replacement
Depending on local commissioning arrangements, LARC activity may be grouped by Contraceptive and Non-Contraceptive activity. These categories distinguish procedures undertaken for contraception from procedures undertaken for other reasons. Non-Contraceptive activity may fall under a separate ICB Local Commissioned Service (LCS) rather than the Public Health contract, so the reports available will depend on your local arrangements.
Where these categories are available, the reason recorded for the activity during the consultation determines which report it is included in.
⚠️ Please note: The report headings show how activity is grouped within the dashboard for that local contract. These headings may not always exactly match the wording used on a local claim form. When reviewing figures, compare the activity logic and the label.
GMS and non-GMS activity
GMS and non-GMS activity may be treated differently within local LARC reporting and payment arrangements. Reviewing the separate reports can therefore help practices and commissioners understand which activity is contributing to the reported figures.
This allows users to review activity separately according to the patient's GMS status, where this distinction forms part of the local reporting and payment arrangements.
A patient’s registration status can affect which report their activity appears in. For some local contracts, this also affects expected payment. If activity is missing from the report you expected, check whether the patient has been recorded in a different registration category, or whether the encounter relates to buddying / non-regular activity.
Why figures differ
If a patient or procedure does not appear where you expect, this does not always mean the activity is missing. In many cases, the dashboard is applying local contract rules to decide which report the activity belongs in.
Common reasons for differences include:
the procedure reason was not recorded on the same day as the activity
the patient was recorded under a different registration status than expected
the activity relates to a temporary, private, buddying, or non-GMS arrangement
the activity has been grouped into a different procedure category under the local contract logic
coding changes were made after the relevant reporting period
If figures do not look right, review the Clinical Activity reports first, then check the Data Quality reports to identify records that may need investigation.
If coding is added or corrected after the relevant reporting window, the activity may not appear in historic figures unless the dashboard/report is rerun for that period.
🔎Data Quality & Safety Alerts
Use the Data Quality and Safety Alert reports to identify records that may need further investigation. These reports can help practices review the underlying patient record and ensure that activity and patient information are recorded as expected.
Data quality
Data Quality reports can highlight issues that could affect how LARC activity is identified or categorised in the dashboard.
For example, the dashboard may identify:
Activity where a reason for the procedure has not been recorded
Activity where a non-SNOMED code has been used
Other records that do not meet the expected recording criteria
To review identified patients:
Click View next to the relevant report
Select the PATIENTS tab
Click ? icon to launch check patient
Use Check Patient to investigate why a patient has been included in the Data Quality report and identify the relevant consultation date or recording criteria.
Access the Check Patient article for further guidance on using this feature.
To amend the patient's record:
Click View next to their NHS Number
Click Open in to launch the clinical record
Make any necessary changes to the record, following the recording guidance
Safety alerts
Safety Alerts can help identify patients with LARC devices recorded as in situ who may require review.
For example, coil Safety Alerts can identify patients where a coil has been recorded as in situ beyond the expected duration, and there is no corresponding removal or hysterectomy activity recorded.
Select View next to a Safety Alert report to review the patients identified and check the patient record where appropriate.
Use these reports to support the regular review of patients whose recorded LARC may require further investigation.
💰Review Expected Payment
The Payment tab provides an overview of the expected payment associated with LARC activity.
Use this to:
Review the expected payment for the relevant reporting period
Understand the activity contributing to the expected payment
Identify where reported activity and expected payment may require further investigation
If an expected payment figure does not look as expected, review the relevant Clinical Activity reports first to understand the activity contributing to the calculation. If required, use the Data Quality reports to investigate records that may need attention.
⚠️ Please note: Expected payment is based on the local contract rules and tariff currently configured for the dashboard. If your area has had recent tariff or contract changes, historic figures may not always align with older manual calculations or previous claim expectations. In some local arrangements, such as manual claims, federation delivery or split commissioner/payment models, expected payment may also need to be checked alongside local commissioner guidance rather than the dashboard alone.
❓FAQs
Why is a patient missing from the report?
Check whether the required reason was coded on the same day, whether the patient’s registration status is what you expected, and whether the record appears in a Data Quality report.
Why does the dashboard total not match our spreadsheet?
The dashboard groups activity according to local contract logic. A patient may appear in a different activity category than expected, or may be excluded because the required coding or registration context is missing.
What should I do if expected payment looks wrong?
Review the relevant Clinical Activity reports first, then check Data Quality reports, and confirm whether any recent local tariff or contract updates apply.
🏫 Additional Support
Book training for your GP Practice, PCN or ICB
Contact our Support Team for support in real time