Almost 20 per cent of practices in Scotland have expressed an interest in switching to a different IT system with the vast majority of those wishing to change currently using the centrally funded system GPASS.
GPs in Scotland had until the end of October to express an interest in moving to a new clinical computer supplier in a deal on IT system choice agreed earlier this year between the Scottish Executive and the British Medical Association’s Scottish General Practitioner Committee.
The deal was agreed after considerable pressure from Scottish GPs. The GPASS system is currently used by 885 out of 1,070 Scottish but has been the subject of much criticism by its users.
Figures supplied by the Scottish Executive to EHI Primary Care this week show that 195 practices have submitted a business case to their health board. That figure includes 50 practices in Grampian, 53 practices in Tayside and 30 practices in Ayrshire and Arran. Interest in moving in the other NHS board areas is less with 16 practices from Borders NH S Board expressing interest in changing systems and four practices from the Highlands.
However practices will only be able to go ahead if they receive funding from their NHS Board according to the Scottish Executive.
A spokeswoman told EHI Primary Care: “Funding is a matter for the Health Boards, they will have to review business cases and consider affordability in light of the funding currently available to them.”
In Tayside the local medical committee has put together a business case from 53 practices to move to InPracticeSystems.
LMC vice-chairman Dr Andrew Cowie told EHI Primary Care that the case includes 49 of the 58 practices currently using GPASS in Tayside plus four practices who wish to move from iSoft to InPracticeSystems.
He said: “When the opportunity to change system came up we got EMIS, InPractice Systems, iSoft and GPASS to show their systems and we asked practices what they wanted to do. A large number of practices wanted to switch and the decision was between EMIS and InPractice Systems with InPracticeSystems ultimately coming out ahead.”
Dr Cowie said the view was that while the new version of GPASS, GPASS Clinical, addressed many of the current concerns on GPs with the system, there remained worries about the future.
He added: “Our worries overall were about future upgrades and the stability of the whole thing.”
Dr Cowie said the business case was due to be submitted shortly to Tayside NHS Board and practices could then only wait and see what was decided.
He added: “There are a lot of complexities involved. One of the problems is that the Scottish Executive wants us all to stay with GPASS until the single patient record comes in in three years time but noone thinks that’s going to happen and we see this as our last chance to move away from GPASS.”
Paul Ardin, director of contracts, operational planning and performance management at NHS Ayrshire and Arran , confirmed that 30 practices have expressed an interest in moving from GPASS.
He told EHI Primary Care: “The GPs’ IT representatives and NHS Ayrshire & Arran have agreed that practices should be able to choose between GPASS and one other system. This is to ensure that there is both choice and a degree of consistency in IT systems. However, practices currently using a different system from these two will not be required to move.”
Ayrshire and Arran aims to select its preferred alternative system early next year and Ardin said funding would depend on the money available in 2006/7.
He added: “For the sake of argument, if the funding required to move systems is more than that notionally allowed for IT we will engage with the GP sub committee to determine if this is a higher priority than funding other discretionary aspects of the contract.”
Ron Anderson, head of naional IM&T, told EHI Primary Care that GPASS was aware that a number of practices have expressed an interest in moving to alternative suppliers.
He added: "This is of concern to GPASS, but the operation does remain viable and committed to delivering its new Clinical Interface and clinical functionality. This is currently being rolled out, but practices have expressed a desire that this is implemented faster.
"GPASS would hope that practices will be retained as they see implementation happening in their area and realise that this offers a much better solution for their future."
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