By Fatma Younis
Hundreds of GP practices across England and Wales have lost access to their online services after the technology firm Silicon Practice collapsed into administration.
Scale of disruption
Silicon Practice provided digital tools, including websites, online booking and consultation systems, to around 500 practices – just under 10% of the total in England. Affected surgeries have been reported in London, Gloucestershire and Norfolk, with services in Wales also impacted. Since last year, all English practices have been required to offer online appointment booking, and more than 40% of appointments are now made that way.
NHS response
NHS England said the majority of GP websites were functioning normally, but practices using Silicon Practice would be affected. The health service has contacted affected practices with advice on maintaining business continuity and minimising the impact on patient care. Patients unable to access their practice website are advised to contact their surgery by phone or in person.
Industry warning
Prof Victoria Tzortziou Brown, president of the Royal College of GPs, warned that the outage would be "hugely disruptive" for patients and place additional pressure on already stretched practice teams. She called for prompt, practical support from NHS England and local NHS organisations to restore websites and ensure patients know how to access care in the meantime.
