Bp Premier Oxford SP1 Release Notes

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Reporting Tool, Payment Utility, and NCSR Utility Updates

To support compatibility with the Oxford SP1 release, updates to the Bp Premier Reporting Tool, the Bp Payments Utility, and the NCSR Utility have been released.

The changes include compatibility with Oxford SP1, and backwards-compatibility with past Bp Premier versions including Oxford, Spectra SP1 Revision 3, and below.

NOTE  Workstations requiring each utility should be updated prior to the installation of Oxford SP1 via the relevant steps below.

Security Update: Best Practice Database Connector

This release includes enhanced security measures for database access. As part of the update, a new Windows service — the Best Practice Database Connector — will be installed on your server. This ensures that every instance of Bp Premier now uses a unique database access password for each Practice, with these passwords now securely stored within the Practice environment.

Why this matters

Cyber-attacks targeting healthcare providers continue to increase. Strengthening database access controls is a critical step in protecting patient information. We strongly recommend applying this update – and all future security updates – as soon as practicable.

What does this mean for your practice?

During installation, you'll see a screen referencing the Best Practice Database Connector. To keep client machines connected to your Bp Database, an inbound firewall rule needs to be added to allow communication with this service:

• If your Practice uses Windows Defender Firewall, the installer will attempt to add this rule automatically — no action needed.
• If your Practice uses a third-party firewall, this rule may need to be configured manually. If you're unsure which firewall your practice uses, or how to configure firewall rules, we recommend contacting your IT vendor before installing this update.

Manually configure firewall for Windows Defender

See the support article Manually configure firewall rule for Windows Defender for instruction on how to manually configure Windows Defender firewall to allow communication with the Best Practice Database Connector.

Troubleshooting the Bp Premier Oxford SP1 installation

See the Troubleshooting Bp Premier Oxford SP1 Installation article for a table containing errors and warnings that the user may experience on updating to Bp Premier Oxford SP1 and the action to take.

Troubleshooting medical devices after update

Due to the security enhancements made to Oxford SP1, you may experience errors with your medical devices (such as ECG, Spirometry, or Blood Pressure devices) connecting and importing data to Bp Premier after updating.

If you experience any issues:

• Contact your device manufacturer for support in the first instance.
• Follow the instructions on the Bp Premier Knowledge Base to Use a medical device without an interface.

Enhancements

Database Password Access Manager

The Database Password Access Manager is a Bp Premier desktop utility that lets a practice administrator control which computers are allowed to retrieve database credentials from the server. A workstation will not be able to connect to the Bp Premier database unless they are approved in the utility.

NOTE  This utility does not control access to the workstations ability to connect to the database.

Which computers will be pre-approved automatically after upgrading?

All workstations that have previously accessed the Bp Premier database within the last 12 months should be automatically in a pre-approved state upon upgrade to Oxford SP1. In some circumstances, workstations may need to be approved following their first login attempt after upgrading.

Computer names are recorded differently in the Database Password Access Manager depending on the circumstance. The computer name may be recorded as either the local client, or the virtual machine.

If you practice uses virtual machines, only the virtual machine requires approval. The local client that the virtual machine is launched from does not need to be approved in the Database Password Access Manager, though the computer name may still display in the list of computers. These local client computers can be safely archived or withdrawn.

How do I approve a computer?

When a new PC attempts to connect to the Bp Premier database, it will be in a Pending state. Once the user approves the PC from the utility, it will move to the Pre-approved state. When the PC attempts to connect to the Bp Premier database in the Pre-approved state, it will be granted access and updated to Approved.

NOTE  To use the Database Password Access Manager, users must have the Setup/Configuration permission set to Add/Edit/Delete and be running a supported version of Bp Premier.

To approve a new computer: 

1. Launch Bp Premier on the new computer. The computer will be moved to a Pending state.
2. From the Bp Premier main screen, go to Setup > Config > Database > Manage database password access.



3. The Database Password Access Manager will launch.



4. Locate the computer with a Pending status and click Approve. The new computer will be moved to a Pre-approved state.



5. From the new computer, launch Bp Premier again. The new computer will be moved to an Approved state and can now access the Bp Premier database.

Compliance

Assignment of Benefit

On the 18th of June it was announced that the Government has revised the Assignment of Benefit transition timeline, as published here. Key changes include:

• From 1 July, verbal consent will be available in all settings for 12 months.
• Enduring assignment of benefit will be an option for all MyMedicare registered patients, residents of aged care facilities and patients attending Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations (ACCHOs) from 1 July 2026 – brought forward from April 2027.
• Patients attending ACCHOs will be able to have enduring assignment at multiple sites.
• Compliance will not commence until regulatory changes are complete and will begin with prevention and education.
• There will be a 12-month transition period, during which there is a commitment to work with the profession on the changed approach and explore other options to further reduce the administrative burden on both GP practices and patients while ensuring the integrity of Medicare is maintained.