NHS paper records win in global IT outage

By April Lara

July 25, 2024

Photo of NHS

The Great Global IT Outage of last Friday threw healthcare systems worldwide into disarray, but the UK's NHS emerged a surprising victor. Their preparedness, bolstered by the continued use of paper records, helped them weather the storm while more digital-first systems faltered.

Approximately 8.5 million computers around the world were affected by a misconfigured software update from CrowdStrike, which caused systems using Windows software to experience errors.

The outage affected the EMIS Web System, which is used by 60% of GP practices in England. Primary care doctors struggled to access patients’ electronic health records, such as imaging results, patient notes, and medication history.

The same thing happened to pharmacies in the UK, as most rely on EMIS. Pharmacies reported difficulties accessing electronic prescriptions from GP surgeries and had to revert to manual processes, such as handwritten prescriptions.

Hospitals had to defer treatments as well, including elective surgeries and radiotherapy. For instance, the Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust reported a critical incident due to the IT disruption in its radiotherapy services.

Biopharma companies were hit as well—Biogen experienced issues with around 5-10% of their computers unable to identify any business continuity concerns while Amgen is working to recover impacted systems.

The NHS’s paper advantage

The outage has made a significant impact on the UK healthcare system. NHS was quick to respond about the issue citing their preparedness for times like this through their paper patient records and handwritten records. This swift response highlighted the foresight of the NHS in keeping paper records readily available despite the emergence of digitalisation.

However, the event also sparked a debate about the NHS's approach in a digital age. In 2013, a push for a paperless NHS by 2018 was initiated. While not fully realised, a 2023 BMJ survey revealed that three-quarters of English trusts still rely on paper records. This raises questions about striking a balance between digital efficiency and analog resilience.

The NHS outage serves as a valuable lesson. While digital advancements offer undeniable benefits, a robust backup system, including paper records, remains crucial. The NHS's preparedness ensured continued patient care during a global crisis, offering a blueprint for other healthcare systems to consider in their digital journeys.

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