GP
practices across Dumfries and Galloway have begun changing over to NHS
Scotland’s new Vision IT system and the rollout will continue over the course
of 2026. Six practices are already in progress, with three nearing completion
and the three going live by the end of March.
Greyfriars
Medical Practice in Dumfries became the first to change over in 2026 at the end
of January and Castle Douglas Medical Group and Annan North Surgery will go
live during February. All other GP practices in the region will follow over the
next eight months, with the project set to complete at the beginning of
October. Individual practices will contact patients, pharmacists and other
stakeholders to let them know the changeover dates, which will vary from
practice to practice.
This
major initiative, supported by NHS National Services Scotland and the Scottish
Government, will introduce a modern, secure, and flexible IT solution across all
GP practices in Scotland.
Dr
Neil Kelly, Clinical Lead for GPIT in NHS Dumfries and Galloway, said: “The
upgraded platform will enable future developments such as virtual
consultations, online appointment bookings, and easier sharing of test results.
Having a single information system across Scotland will also make it simpler to
transfer records when patients move practices and will support better planning
and development of NHS services in the future.”
Switching
over to the new system will see each practice undertake a 12-week process,
followed by a four-week settling-in period. For most of that time, practices
should continue to operate as usual. However, there will be a period of a few
days at the end of the 12-week changeover period when practice operations will
be affected, with limited access to patient records. Once a practice is using Vision,
tasks may take longer to complete as practice staff get used to the new system in
the weeks immediately after it goes live.
Dr Neil Kelly said: “As with any major IT change, there may be some disruption. We are providing as much support as possible to minimise the impact. During the transition, practices may have limited access to records for a short period and will focus on urgent and important cases. Patients will be informed through their practice when this is going to happen and about how services will be managed during this time.”
Individual
GP practices will advise their patients on how to manage during this short
period – for example, people with recurring prescriptions may be advised to get
them renewed early, and routine appointments could be rescheduled in order to
allow practices to focus on the most urgent cases.