The future of primary care computing lies in integration with other systems, and in new technologies to let patients contribute to their records, according to experts asked to review the GP IT scene for the 500th edition of EHI Primary Care.

The Health and Social Care Information Centre will start extended testing of the new NHS e-Referral Service at the end of the month, after its go-live was delayed last autumn.

NHS England has launched a programme for healthcare pioneers to develop and scale their innovations and new technologies across the NHS.

Advanced Business Solutions has signed a deal with Kronos to provide its workforce management software to NHS trust, while Emis has acquired Medical Imaging, and Northgate has been acquired by Cinven.

Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust is undertaking further work to assess the potential costs of implementing the Epic electronic patient record, after making a £19 million funding bid to NHS England’s technology fund.

Three commissioning support units in the South have become the latest CSUs to announce plans for a merger.

NHS England is still unable to say when the details of the trusts that won money from the second round of the technology fund will be released, so EHI is running a survey to determine the impact of the delay.