Global IT issue impacting some health IT systems

NHS England has issued a communication to highlight that the global IT issue which is affecting multiple IT systems across the world is also causing disruption to some users of EMIS IT systems.

This includes GP practices using the EMIS Web GP IT system and some users of the community pharmacy EMIS ProScript EPS system are also being affected.

EMIS ProScript has advised its pharmacy users that it will issue further updates as it works to fix these issues.

Pharmacy process for reporting IT issues

If you experience IT issues, pharmacy teams should use the normal reporting routes, which start with contacting your IT supplier.

More information on the escalation process for IT problems can be found in our Reporting IT problems factsheet.

If your IT system supplier is unable to resolve a problem due to it being outside of their control (e.g. it being a GP system or national IT infrastructure related issue), they should:

• escalate the issue to the NHS National Service Desk (NSD) to co-ordinate resolution; and
• report progress to the pharmacy and provide them with the NSD national incident number (NIN).

Activating pharmacy business continuity plans

Where a pharmacy IT system is unavailable, the pharmacy owner will need to activate relevant parts of their business continuity plan.

Our IT contingency hub includes briefings on pharmacy and GP EPS contingency processes and joint working with general practices in relation to EPS.

Patients urgently requiring a prescription medicine

GP practices that cannot access their IT system will be activating their business continuity plans, which is likely to include issuing hand-written prescriptions where there is an urgent need for patients to access a medicine.

Where patients present at a pharmacy seeking a supply of a prescription medicine, where their general practice is not able to issue an urgent prescription, the patient could be directed to 111 online or the NHS 111 phone service to obtain a referral to a pharmacy under the urgent supply pathway of the Pharmacy First service.

Additional updates 

Update (Monday 22nd July 2024 9.30am): EMIS has advised its affected users that services impacted by the global IT issues are now back online (such as the EMIS Web GP IT system and EMIS ProScript Connect). EMIS is working to confirm that everything is working as expected. NHS England has also advised that “Systems are now back online”.