Silicon Practice administration disrupts GP online services

Silicon Practice’s entry into administration has disrupted websites and online services at some GP practices, prompting NHS England to advise patients to contact their surgery by phone or in person if its website is unavailable. The disruption has affected services including practice websites, online consultation forms and chatbots. NHS England said fewer than 10 of England’s approximately 6,000 GP practices were affected. That estimate covers practices in England; wider reports of disruption across England and Wales refer to websites and do not establish the same count or scope. NHS England said most GP practice websites continued to operate and that it had contacted affected practices with advice on maintaining services and limiting effects on patient care. It advised patients who cannot use their practice website to contact the surgery by telephone or in person. Rowcroft Medical Centre in Stroud said its website was down. The practice said appointments, phone calls, email, the NHS app and its Facebook page remained available. It also advised patients to call if they had submitted an online form and received no response. Swansea Bay University Health Board said it knew of...