Guernsey and Alderney’s doctors’ surgeries have made the switch to an ‘electronic patient record system’ which was due to go live across all practices today.
They’re all working with ‘Medicus’ – which they agree will “improve the quality, safety, and efficiency of patient care”.
The ‘Medicus’ system is part of the joint commitment all practices in Guernsey and the Island Medical Centre in Alderney have made to go digital.
The States health bodies are also switching to an electronic patient record system – but that has been delayed until ‘summer 2025’ with a full roll out in 2026.
Guernsey’s Primary Care providers are Island Health, Healthcare Group, and Queens Road Medical Practice. The Island Medical Centre offers primary care services in Alderney.
Together, the practices say Medicus will bring about ‘enhanced clinical decision support’, improve ‘appointment management’, and offer ‘smoother communication between healthcare professionals’.
It will also support future developments in digital health and patient engagement said Dr Michael Long, Practice Chairman at IslandHealth.
“Switching to Medicus is a major step forward for the islands. The new system offers a more intuitive interface for clinicians, faster access to patient information, and better tools for integrated care. Ultimately, it means a better experience for our patients.
“Our team, and our colleagues across primary care have been working hard behind the scenes to prepare for the switch. We’ve all undergone training and carried out extensive testing to make sure the change is as smooth as possible. There may be some slight delays on or around the go-live date, and we appreciate our patients’ understanding as we make this important upgrade.”
Dr Ed Partridge, Practice Chairman at Healthcare Group, added: “Medicus will make a real difference to how we deliver care day to day. It will streamline how we work behind the scenes, which means more time focused on patients and less on admin. It’s a positive move for our teams and our patients.”
Dr Robert Gallagher, Chairman at Queens Road Medical Practice, said the benefits will be obvious for both patients and staff from today forwards.
“We’re excited to bring in this new IT system which is going to bring in so many positive changes for our patients and our staff.
“We thank all the teams across primary care who have worked so hard to implement this project and appreciate everyone’s understanding during the switch over to Medicus.”