GP body calls on next government to improve primary care IT

Improving IT for GPs must be a priority for the next Scottish Government, the membership body representing family doctors has said.

The call comes as the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) Scotland published findings of a survey which showed nearly half of GPs felt their PC or laptop was not fit for purpose.

More than half (52 per cent) also said their software was not up to date.

And over half (55 per cent) said their IT systems were not capable of exchanging information effectively with secondary care or community pharmacists.

Publishing its manifesto ahead of May’s election, RCGP Scotland has called on all political parties to commit to updating IT systems for GPs.

Vice chair Dr Chris Williams said the current state of affairs meant GPs were delivering primary care “with one hand tied behind their backs”.

He added: “The results of our GP membership survey are unequivocal: even the most basic tools such as functioning hardware and software are not consistently available in GP practices.

“When more than half of GPs tell us their IT systems are not fit for purpose, and when safe, seamless communication between primary and secondary care cannot be relied upon, patient care is put at risk and clinicians are forced to work under entirely avoidable pressures. 

“No GP should be waiting twenty minutes every morning for slow computers or outdated systems to start up. That is valuable time that should be spent on essential clinical work. This is why we are urging the next Scottish Government to make modern, fully interoperable IT infrastructure for general practice an urgent priority.

 “Investing in proper digital tools will reduce inefficiencies, ease frustration for GPs, and crucially, ensure patients receive faster, safer and more joined-up care.”

Previous research by RCGP Scotland and the BMA has found issues with the interface – where two systems meet – account for half of all medical errors, with one third occurring where primary and secondary care meet.

In the survey, 55 per cent of GPs said they moderately or strongly disagreed with the idea that their IT system could exchange information with secondary care to an acceptable standard, compared to 25 per cent who agreed.

And 55 per cent also disagreed that their system could exchange information to an acceptable standard with community pharmacy, compared to 22 per cent who agreed.

Other asks in the RCGP Scotland manifesto include increasing GPs’ share of NHS funding, growing the workforce, targeting resources in deprived areas and making preventative care a priority.