Can I use NHS systems like EMIS Web or SystmOne in my private practice?
Which NHS clinical systems private GPs can buy, and why the NHS services around them mostly stay out of reach.
- England
The short answer
Yes for EMIS Web, which private GPs can buy from its supplier, usually with Hero Health for booking and billing. At the time of review TPP did not publicly offer SystmOne to private GP practices. Using an NHS clinical system does not give a private service NHS services such as EPS, e-RS referrals or GP record access, which depend on NHS contracts and eligibility rather than the software.
Key points
- EMIS Web is available to private GPs, usually with Hero Health for booking, invoicing and payments.
- TPP’s public information does not offer SystmOne to private GP practices. Ask TPP directly if you need it.
- NHS services such as EPS, e-RS referrals, GP Connect and GP2GP depend on NHS arrangements, not the software.
- Letters to NHS GPs over MESH are possible from several systems, including private-first ones.
- Do not mix private patients into your NHS practice’s system without checking the data controller, licences and contract rules.
The short answer
EMIS Web: yes. Private GPs can buy EMIS Web from the supplier, now called Enlivio Health, usually with Hero Health, a partner product that adds booking, invoicing and payments.
SystmOne: TPP’s public information presents SystmOne for NHS primary care and other NHS and care organisations. At the time of review we found nothing from TPP offering it to private GP practices. Contact TPP directly if you need it.
An older version of this page said SystmOne “will not work” with private providers and that EMIS gives you NHS record access through GP Connect. Neither statement is safe as written, and the rest of this page explains why.
The system is not the same as NHS services
Many GPs want EMIS Web because they expect it to bring the NHS services they use every day. Those services depend on NHS contracts, organisation codes, smartcards and data sharing agreements, not just the software. For a purely private service, the picture at the time of review was:
| NHS service | Available to a purely private service? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Electronic Prescription Service (EPS) | No | EPS carries NHS prescriptions only. Private prescriptions are on paper or through a private e-prescribing service. |
| e-Referral Service (e-RS) | No, for referring | Independent providers use e-RS to receive NHS-commissioned referrals, which needs a commissioner contract and sponsored smartcards. |
| GP Connect Access Record | Not in general | Access is for direct care in eligible care settings, through assured suppliers under a national data sharing arrangement. |
| GP2GP record transfer | No | It moves records between NHS practices when a patient registers. |
| MESH document transfer | Yes, with the right route | Through your own MESH mailbox, a document transfer product or a record system that sends over MESH. |
See EPS, e-RS and NHS record access for detail. The same limits apply whichever record system you choose.
What EMIS Web does bring
The clinical system itself is a real advantage for some practices: an interface NHS-trained staff know, mature SNOMED CT coding and templates, a full medication module, pathology management and strong reporting. Hero Health describes EMIS Web as the most used primary care record system in the UK and lists video appointments, digital intake, messaging, invoicing, payments and electronic prescribing through SignatureRx among the features it adds for private practice.
The costs are several products and contracts, pricing by quote and a longer setup. We set out the trade-offs in EMIS Web compared with cheaper systems.
Using your NHS practice’s system for private patients
If you are a partner or salaried GP in an NHS practice, you may wonder whether you can simply book private patients into the practice’s EMIS Web or SystmOne. Be careful.
- Who is the provider? If your private work runs through a separate business, that business is the data controller for its patients. Its records should not sit in the NHS practice’s system.
- Licences and contracts. NHS clinical systems in GP practices are provided under NHS arrangements. Check with the supplier and your commissioner before using them for private work.
- Registered patients. An NHS practice must not charge its own registered patients for treatment, with narrow exceptions. See restrictions on private patients in NHS practices.
Take advice from your data protection lead and your commissioner before mixing NHS and private records.
Alternatives built for private practice
Several record systems are built for private clinics and GPs and run in a browser. Examples include Jump EHR, Meddbase and Semble, while tools such as Cliniko, Pabau and WriteUpp start from booking and billing and add clinical notes. They vary widely in clinical depth, so compare them against clear criteria: coded notes, prescribing checks, e-prescribing, letters to NHS GPs over MESH, booking and billing, security and clinical safety. See how to choose a record system for a factual comparison.
Questions to ask any supplier
- Is the product offered to purely private providers, and on what contract?
- What else do I need to buy: billing, booking, e-prescribing, document transfer, network connection?
- Which NHS services does it connect to for a private provider, specifically, and what eligibility applies?
- Where is data hosted, and what is the supplier’s DCB0129 clinical safety status?
- How long does setup take, and how do I export my data if I leave?
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
GP clinical systems and NHS digital services are organised differently in each nation, and the services in the table above are English. If you practise outside England, ask the supplier and the local health board what a private provider can connect to.
Tools that can help
Frequently asked questions
Will EMIS Web let me see my private patients’ NHS GP records?
Not by itself. NHS record-sharing services have their own eligibility rules and data sharing agreements, and at the time of review we found no general route for purely private services.
Can I prescribe through EPS if I use EMIS Web?
No. EPS carries NHS prescriptions only. Private prescriptions go on paper or through a private e-prescribing service such as SignatureRx.
Is there a private version of EMIS Web?
Private GPs use EMIS Web under their own agreement with the supplier, usually with partner products for billing and booking. Ask the supplier which configuration applies to private-only providers.
I already use SystmOne in my NHS job. Is there anything similar for private work?
Some private record systems copy the layout of NHS systems to feel familiar. Trial two or three with your own workflows before choosing.
