Hundreds of GP websites go offline after an NHS tech supplier collapses 'without warning', pushing patients onto busy phone lines

Silicon Practice, which claims to run 1,000 GP websites and has been an NHS partner since 2005, went under after its parent company Schappit Ltd filed a notice of administration earlier this month. Surgeries across London, Hertfordshire, Gloucestershire, Norfolk, Suffolk and Wales were affected, with NHS England confirming that fewer than 10% of its 6,000-plus GP surgeries have been hit. Practices have told patients to expect disruption lasting at least two weeks while new providers are sourced.

Wimbledon Medical Practice, with a registered patient list exceeding 10,000, expects to remain offline 'at least a couple of weeks'.

GPs have warned that the outages could overwhelm already stretched phone lines, given how heavily practices now rely on online patient contacts.