The move of hundreds of GP practice IT systems from EMIS to Vision has been put on hold due to upstream financial problems.
IT provider Cegedim announced that its British subsidiary In Practice Systems Limited (INPS), a software publisher, decided to ‘voluntarily’ place itself under administration on Tuesday last week.
The software publisher was the suppler of Vision, a clinical IT system already in use in general practice. Scottish practices using the system have been ‘migrated to cloud environment’ and continue to be able to operate, LMCs have said.
However, a further 200 Scottish GP practices using EMIS had been due to be migrated to Vision over the next 18 months, as part of the GP IT reprovisioning programme. Earlier this year, NHS Scotland’s delivery plan pointed to a roll-out of Vision nationally, with the aim to fully roll it out by 2026.
This migration has now been put on hold, our sister publication Pulse has been told.
According to the RCGP, contractual agreements mean that there is ‘no immediate threat’ to service provision for GP practices, and NHS National Services Scotland (NSS) said that IT support is in place until a new solution or supplier is found.
Local GP leaders said they are seeking assurances that the support will continue to be provided to practices ‘in the longer term’ and RCGP Scotland said it is ‘closely monitoring’ the impact on practices.
Deputy chair Dr Chris Williams said: ‘RCGP Scotland was briefed about this within hours of the company’s announcement and is closely monitoring this developing situation, and it is our understanding that contractual agreements mean that there is no immediate threat to service provision.
‘Our thoughts are also with the company’s staff who have been dedicated to building a modern GP IT system for Scotland and who will also be troubled by the uncertainty.
‘Scotland has learned from previous major IT incidents. We are glad that NSS immediately stood up an incident management team to handle this situation and I am engaged with the team as part of the clinical workstream group.’
Glasgow LMC medical director Dr John Ip said that the news was concerning for GP practices in Greater Glasgow and Clyde.
He said: ‘We have 19 practices who are currently using Vision and they have been migrated to the Cloud based environment. We understand that practices using Vision will be receiving full and normal IT support in the meantime.
‘We are seeking assurances that this will continue to be provided in the longer term. GP clinical IT software is vital to the smooth and safe delivery of care in practices.
‘As part of the GP IT Reprovisioning programme, over 200 GP practices using the EMIS software are due to be migrated to Vision over the next 18 months. The LMC has been informed that this programme has been put on hold at the present time.
‘National and health board eHealth leads are working on solutions and the LMC will be involved in this process, as well as supporting our GP practices.’
BMA Scottish GP committee chair Dr Iain Morrison said that the union sought assurances that ‘contingency’ is in place, including the safeguarding of access to medical records and to have an ongoing workable IT system if the company ceases altogether.
‘Our thoughts are also with the staff affected, particularly at this time of year,’ he said.
NHS National Services Scotland’s director of digital and security Steven Flockhart said: ‘We were recently advised by Cegedim about their intentions to instruct administrators in relation to their UK business In Practice Systems Limited (INPS).
‘Administrators have now been appointed. We’re working closely with health boards and the Scottish Government to rapidly assess the situation.
‘Pre-existing contractual agreements are in place to ensure immediate service provision and to support services until a new solution or supplier is secured.
‘We recognise this has occurred at a time of ongoing winter pressures and want to reassure board practitioners and patients that there is currently no risk to services following this week’s development.’
A statement released by Cegedim earlier this week said: ‘Cegedim SA announces that its British subsidiary INPS, a software publisher for general practitioners, has decided to voluntarily place itself under administration with effect from December 10, 2024, in view of its financial difficulties.
‘Technically, this subsidiary will cease to be consolidated by the group on December 10, 2024, due to the loss of control from an accounting standpoint.’
