The deal introduces a minimum level of system functionality for Wales that all four suppliers have agreed to, and faster maintenance support.

Under a deal signed by England’s Connecting for Health IT agency last month, GPs have a wider choice, of eight systems.

But only 20 practices in Wales use systems from suppliers other than EMIS, In Practice Systems and iSoft. This trio, along with Healthy Software, have signed up to the national agreement.

GPC Wales negotiator Dr Ian Millington said: ‘In the past, standards of support and IT systems varied across Wales. But existing contracts will now be cancelled and drawn into a single deal.’

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