A new IT system is coming to a GP near you

NHS England approves new core clinical system

A new system for GPs to manage patient records has been welcomed as the first of many, though doctors have concerns over data security.

NHS England has approved a new core clinical IT system for general practice to “support the integration of primary care with other settings,” including care homes and vaccination centres.

The cloud-based electronic patient record system, created by Medicus Health, is described by Dr Amanda Noyles, NHS national director of primary care and community services, as the “first shake-up of the GP IT market in a quarter of a century.”

Already live in four sites serving more than 42,000 patients, the new system will now be available to GPs across England.

Dr Amar Ahmed, a GP partner at one of the test sites, Wilmslow Health Centre, praised the system’s smooth operation and said, “It’s the kind of efficiency that translates directly into patient care.”

Some GPs may want to wait, however; in a bid to encourage competition, systems from other suppliers are expected to be made available later this year.

They will join the current crop of just two such systems GPs can currently choose from to manage patient care.

Medicus Health is the first new supplier to be “fully assured” through NHS England’s Tech Innovation Framework, which ensures new products comply with requirements on areas including information governance, clinical safety and data protection. Products must also integrate with existing NHS infrastructure.

Although the Framework is meant to ensure compliance, Professor Kamila Hawthorne – chair of the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP), said GPs will “certainly want assurances” that the cloud-based system doesn’t carry data protection risks.

Professor Hawthorne also shared her concerns over the disruption associated with changing systems, noting it would be a challenge “for even the most tech-savvy of practices.”