iSoft Synergy clears Scottish accreditation hurdle

iSoft has announced that it has achieved the Scottish Enhanced Functionality accreditation for its Synergy Enterprise application for GPs and other primary care providers.

The software was tested in six key areas of functionality including serial dispensing, emergency care summary, diabetes and nurse prescribing. iSoft says the next planned development will be to gain e-pharmacy accreditation in August along with GP2GP testing.

The company sees the accreditation is an important step towards reinforcing its commitment to the Scottish primary care market which has opened up within the past year.

Since April 2005, Scottish GPs have been able to change IT system providers from the GPASS system for primary care, under a deal announced by the Scottish Executive Health Department. The department insists that GPs must only move to accredited solutions.

GPASS covers over 80% of Scottish practices but it has attracted a lot of criticism from users. Scottish GPs put in their claim for the right to move systems after English colleagues negotiated a deal on system choice under the National Programme for IT.

The early indications are that there is an appetite for change. Earlier this year, Dr Stuart Scott, chair of the British Medical Association’s Scottish GPC IT sub-committee reported that over a quarter of GPASS’ 880 users had submitted business cases to abandon GPASS and obtain funding for new systems.

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