UK GPs ‘performing well in health IT provision’

The UK has performed well in a survey of IT usage across the health service, the Department of Health has reported.

Data from the 2012 Commonwealth International Health Policy survey showed that more than two-thirds of GPs in the UK said their practices had multifunctional capacity, allowing them to order prescriptions or diagnostic tests online and manage patient lists.

Around 97 percent of British GPs use electronic medical records, while UK doctors topped the international rankings in terms of providing after-hours care and performed well in terms of receiving feedback.

Health secretary Jeremy Hunt said: "The NHS is one of the finest institutions in the world and we are working with health professionals to keep it that way. I am absolutely committed to its principles."

This comes after the government pledged to ensure that all patients will be able to book GP appointments, order repeat prescriptions and talk to GP practices online by 2015, as part of its new NHS Mandate.

Other key objectives featured in the document include improving standards of care, offering better dementia treatment and enhancing services for pregnant women.