The Service
A service designed by GPs for GPs
General Practices are required to meet DCB0160 Digital Clinical Risk Management requirements when deploying Health IT systems. This includes having a Clinical Safety Officer (CSO) in place and maintaining appropriate clinical safety documentation for each system.
Deploying and sustaining a CSO at practice level is impractical, resource‑intensive, and difficult to scale, particularly where multiple digital systems are in use and evolve over time.
Our Solution
Designed specifically for General Practice, the Howbeck Digital Clinical Safety Service is a retained annual service that supports Practice‑level DCB0160 requirements across a portfolio of commonly used Health IT systems.
The service provides:
- A named outsourced Clinical Safety Officer
- An expert Digital Clinical Safety Team
- Centralised, product‑specific clinical safety documentation
- Ongoing support across the full lifecycle of each system — from deployment through to decommissioning
What We Deliver
For every Health IT system on the Howbeck Portfolio, we provide:
- Practice‑level DCB0160 documentation, specific to the product
- Ongoing monitoring of software changes and new functionality
- Liaison with suppliers to understand safety‑relevant updates
- Regular safety bulletins explaining:
- Changes that may impact patient safety
- Required mitigations
- Updated documentation for local storage
A Portfolio Based Approach
Our retained contract covers all Health IT systems on the Howbeck Portfolio, including:
- Systems already in use
- Systems adopted part‑way through the contract period
- Any new systems added to the Portfolio during your contract
This provides predictable, cost‑effective coverage without repeated commissioning.
A one-off product support is also available. Please contact us to discuss your practice requirements.
Who is it Suitable For?
- GP Practices deploying new Health IT systems
- Practices using multiple digital suppliers
- Practices seeking affordable, ongoing CSO support
- Practices wanting confidence in DCB0160 compliance
What our clients say about our support
"The Clinical Safety Officer Service ensured the PCNs venture into AI was fully compliant and safe. The PCN has felt supported and confident in navigating the process which would have otherwise been daunting. The CSO Service has contributed hugely to a very successful product implementation which has already realised efficiencies for the PCN practices in managing their document management and coding practices". - Lee Johnson, PCN Manager
"We have engaged Howbeck Healthcare’s CSO service since 2021. We have found their advice invaluable and their approach to be refreshingly pragmatic, achieved by first-hand experience of working in a GP environment for many years. Everyone we encounter is friendly, helpful and knowledgeable. We look forward to continuing our relationship for many years to come". - Craig Hurst, General Manager, Numed Healthcare
"The Clinical Safety Officer (CSO) service has been invaluable in guiding us through the clinical safety requirements for deploying Heidi AI. The support provided during the Teams sessions helped us clearly understand and complete the mandatory DCB0160 documentation — including the Clinical Risk Management Plan, Safety Case Report, and Hazard Log. Having these reviewed and signed off by the CSO gave us real confidence that the system could be safely implemented. The process also clarified the distinct roles of our Practice Clinical Safety Lead and the CSO, strengthening our overall governance". - Ross Harrison, Managing Partner, Cedars Medical Centre
"Like many others, our practice is looking to novel digital solutions to address the current pressures in primary care, improve productivity and embrace modern primary care. Considering and prioritising clinical safety is a core aspect of leading these changes responsibly and here Howbeck Healthcare have been invaluable. The team have consistently provided timely, considered and insightful support, not only enabling us to move forward safely with projects but also building awareness and a framework for us to maintain clinical safety moving forwards. I would recommend them for any such work your practice requires". - Dr George Naylor, Shipston Practice
"As a newly formed Risk Management Board, the support offered by Howbeck was incredibly valuable. Alison led our session with excellent structure and a clear depth of knowledge about the risk assessment process to ensure that our DCB0160 is completed. Her guidance made what initially felt complex far more approachable. We now feel much more confident moving forward as a team, knowing that Howbeck’s continued support is there when needed. It’s also reassuring to know that clear guidance is in place to help ensure data is managed securely and responsibly". - Kathryn Bailey, IT Manager, Millcroft Medical Centre
