NHS update on global I.T. outage

The NHS is aware of a global IT outage and an issue with EMIS, an appointment and patient record system, which is causing disruption in the majority of GP practices.

“The NHS has long standing measures in place to manage the disruption, including using paper patient records and handwritten prescriptions, and the usual phone systems to contact your GP.

“There is currently no known impact on 999 so people should use these services as they usually would in emergency situations.

“There are also some issues with administrative systems in hospitals that mean staff are having to work manually from paper to manage certain tasks but in the majority of hospitals, care is continuing as normal.

“Patients should attend appointments unless told otherwise. You can contact your GP on the phone if it’s urgent, and otherwise please use your local pharmacy, NHS 111 online or call 111 for urgent health advice as normal”.