One in three GPs say their work computers are ‘not fit for purpose’

A third of GPs (30%) report that their work PC or laptop software is not fit for purpose, according to results of a Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) poll. 

The survey, which was responded to by 2,190 RCGP members between May and June 2024, also identified problems with GPs’ hardware, wifi, telephony systems and the ability to exchange information with other NHS services.

It revealed that 26% of GPs reported that their PC or laptop hardware was not fit for purpose and 40% said that wifi speed or quality at their practice was not adequate.

The polling also found that 56% of GPs reported that there were such fundamental inadequacies in their digital infrastructure that they could not effectively exchange information with secondary care NHS trusts.

Also 64% of respondents said that their the ability of their GP system to exchange data with mental health trusts was not of an acceptable standard and 27% said their system was not adequate for sharing information with pathology and diagnostic services.

The polling also revealed that 40% of GPs reported that their telephony systems were not fit for purpose.

In April 2024, upgraded phone technology was rolled out across England, with the aim of enabling more patients to get through to their GP surgery to book appointments.

Ina press release, published on 14 October 2024, the RCGP warned that continued shortcomings in primary care IT compromised patient care while contributing to “unrelenting pressures” on GPs.

Professor Kamila Hawthorne, chair of the RCGP, said: “General practice is already struggling to keep up with increasing patient need for our care, and inadequate infrastructure, whether that be out of date IT or practice buildings that are falling apart, only compounds these pressures.

“Our polling shows the true extent of the crisis: GPs are being held back by old IT that is unfit for purpose and working in inadequate buildings. This is a far cry from what our patients expect and deserve, and it needs to be addressed.”

She added that “if  ineffective IT hampers communication between primary and secondary care then patients may not receive the treatment they need as quickly as they need it”.

Hawthorne called on the government to “dedicate at least £2 billion in funding to improve GP infrastructure – including IT systems – so that GPs and their teams can do their jobs properly” and patients’ experience and access to care is no longer compromised.

The call for funding follows Lord Darzi’s review of the NHS, published on 12 September 2024, which identified a strong perception among NHS staff that IT created an “additional burden”.

“It always seems to add to the workload of clinicians rather than releasing more time to care by simplifying the inevitable administrative tasks that arise,” Lord Darzi writes in the report.

In June 2024, NHS England announced the cancellation of its £300m digital pathways framework, which was aimed at driving modern general practice model by connecting ICBs with approved suppliers for digital GP tools for messaging, consultations and care navigation.