e-business is short for ‘electronic business’. As an overarching term, it encompasses all forms of using digital, information, and communication technologies to support and optimise business processes – from preparation to implementation.

General practice information technology (IT) systems are an example of e-business applications, and sit at the heart of primary care, facilitating and recording millions of interactions with patients each week.  In challenging environments, IT must improve patients’ and providers’ experiences of available services, in turn enhancing the quality of care provided. IT services must also enable practices to realise efficiency benefits and reduce the administrative burden.

NHS England supports practices through current initiatives, and significant investments, to develop IT functionality and interoperability.

As well as the other topics in this Guidance, you might find the following links helpful in understanding the nature and scope of e-business activity in modern general practice:

• Modern General Practice Model
• General Practice Improvement Programme
• GP digital services – procurement of GP IT hardware, software and IT services
• Digital services for integrated care
• General practice data for planning and research
• GP IT operating model ’21 – ’23 – addressing the challenges

Other helpful resources

• RCGP, Patient online toolkit, one of a series of e-learning clinical toolkits
• GOV.UK, The future of healthcare: our vision for digital, data and technology in health and care
• GOV.UK, Build Back Better: Our Plan for Health and Social Care
• GOV.UK, A plan for digital health and social care – GOV.UK
• GOV.UK, Data saves lives: reshaping health and social care with data – GOV.UK
• SFIA, The global skills and competency framework for a digital world — English (sfia-online.org)