GP IT Futures systems and services

We will deliver changes in the technology landscape to support the transformation of primary care.

The objectives of the GP IT Futures programme are to:

• provide clinically safe and useful digital services and data services for patients and general practice, ensuring minimal disruption to care for citizens as new tech standards or suppliers are introduced
• move to open, modern, cloud native architectures, with consistent technical and data standards
• reform the commercial landscape of GP and primary care IT to provide an open, dynamic and competitive market
• put NHS and patient users at the centre of the design, underpinned by user research and with regular iterations

These are supported by four minimum strategic objectives for the programme to:

• achieve real-time and secure access to data for patients and NHS users
• allow interoperability between systems, enabling seamless, digitised workflows in and between care settings, in real time, underpinned by common standards and supporting new models of care and primary care networks
• enable relevant, resilient and plural ecosystem of GP and primary care IT systems, which evolve with advances in technology and the NHS
• allow data to be easily and consistently captured to enable comparison of activity and clinical outcomes.

GP IT Futures will create a new environment for the supply of clinical IT systems to general practice that will support GP federations, enable new care models and help local partnerships transform their services. 

The programme will deliver: 

• a new GP IT Futures framework to succeed the GPSoC framework that will provide the opportunity for safe and secure GP systems that are modern, resilient, interoperable, and offer more relevant product options to meet the needs of the service
• a set of common and open technology and data standards for clinical IT systems, delivered by suppliers, to meet the emerging and future demands of GPs, primary care networks and new care models - the standards will enable all parts of the NHS to become connected, enabling better information for clinicians and better care for patients
• a new digital marketplace, the NHS Digital Buying Catalogue, that will provide an online platform to search and compare approved suppliers’ solutions on the framework and procure clinical IT system capabilities
• migration of all practices from GPSoC to the GP IT Futures framework
• supplier technology platforms that meet the NHS’s needs for greater access to GP data and the flow of digital information between care settings

Suppliers

We want to work with any ambitious and innovative technology companies who want to work with the NHS and who’s systems meet the standards and capabilities set out in the new framework. 

Our new online Digital Buying Catalogue will give you a shop window for you to present your new technology tools and services to GPs, ICBs, and all buyers in primary care.

We want you to help us create brilliant, accessible and easy to use technology services and tools for our GPs.

Help us deliver a truly connected NHS, one in which GP practices across England can easily share the information required to deliver better care for patients.

1. They will continue to have central support for the provision of core clinical IT systems. The systems and services bought will be interoperable, meaning they’ll be able to ‘talk’ to each other across the NHS. That means information can be shared safely and securely and will work more effectively across care settings, regardless of which systems are chosen.
2. Access to a greater selection of modern digital tools and capabilities – such as e-consultation tools or social prescribing that will help them to be more effective and to meet the needs of patients.
3. GP systems will further develop interoperability with the NHS App and an increasing range of linked tools.
4. A new online NHS Digital Buying Catalogue to find primary care technology systems and services, making it easier to find, easier to understand, easier to choose and easier to buy. This will transform their buying experience.
5. Confidence that all services on the framework will have met stringent data and technology standards for safety, security and interoperability.

From Monday 14 December 2020, participating system providers from this assured list will be available to be selected by Primary Care Networks from our Digital Care Services Framework (GPIT Futures). Costs for selected services are covered via a central call off agreement with each participating supplier.

For more details about the GP IT Futures frameworks please visit our Digital Care Services catalogue.

Guide to migrating your clinical system

The Clinical System Migration Guide helps practices, GP IT delivery partners and ICBs plan, prepare and complete migrations from one clinical system to another. While approaches to migration may differ by region, this guide provides common strategies to help reduce the impact of system migrations on practice staff and minimise the amount of manual data re-entry. The guide has been co-created by NHS Digital and NHSx, and in consultation with GP practices, ICBs and GP IT delivery partners.

GPSoC services

GP Systems of Choice (GPSoC) was split into 3 procurement lots - Lot 1, Lot 2 and Lot 3 - each providing different IT products and services. Lot 1 services are centrally procured and funded by the continuity agreement., since 31 March 2018, Lot 2 and 3 services are no longer available through central procurement, these services may still be procured locally by the ICBs, they as they are locally funded services.

GP Connect

GP Connect is a service that will allow GP practices and authorised clinical staff to share and view GP practice clinical information and data between IT systems, quickly and efficiently.

IM1 Pairing integration

Pairing integration is the process that allows any supplier to integrate their system with any principal clinical system through an interface mechanism.

Digital Care Services  

The Digital Care Services (DCS) catalogue allows users to buy assured digital tools and systems through approved assurance frameworks. It creates an open, competitive market encouraging companies to invest in primary care.

NHS Digital Buying Catalogue

The Buying Catalogue provides a shop window to view and procure clinical information technology systems from the Digital Care Services frameworks.