Thousands left without online GP portals
Thousands of patients across England, Wales and London have been unable to access their GP surgery websites and online services after Silicon Practice, a technology provider, entered administration and ceased trading. The collapse has taken down entire websites, online consultation platforms and chatbots that many practices relied on for routine patient interactions. Health authorities are now urging those affected to revert to traditional contact methods—telephone calls or in‑person visits—to ensure they receive the care they need. The disruption primarily impacts practices that used Silicon’s FootFall digital tool, which the company claimed could slash routine phone traffic by up to 30 %.
Impact on specific surgeries and health boards
One of the affected surgeries is Rowcroft Medical Centre in Stroud, Gloucestershire. The centre posted a notice on its Facebook page on Wednesday, explaining that it had learned late on Friday, 24 October 2026, that the company managing its website had gone into administration. “Please be assured that appointments, telephone calls, emails, the NHS app and our Facebook page remain unaffected and will continue as normal,” the post read. However, it warned patients who had submitted online forms in the preceding four hours without a reply to contact the practice’s advisers directly.
In Wales, Swansea Bay University Health Board confirmed knowledge of three practice websites that have stopped functioning. Meanwhile, the West and North London Integrated Care Board advised patients using Silicon’s services that they would be unable to submit online consultation requests until a replacement provider is secured. The board urged patients to use alternative contact routes for clinical support.
NHS England has reported that fewer than 10 % of the roughly 6,000 GP practices in England are affected by the outage. The health service has already contacted impacted surgeries with guidance on how to maintain continuity of care and minimise disruption. An NHS England spokesperson emphasised, “While the majority of GP practice websites are running as normal, some practices which use Silicon Practice will be affected by the company going into administration. If your GP practice website is unavailable and you need help, you should contact your practice by phone or in person as usual.”
What the collapse means for digital healthcare tools
Silicon Practice’s FootFall tool was marketed as a solution to streamline administrative tasks, claiming to “free your reception team from routine admin and manage demand more efficiently”. The company boasted that the system had been adopted by over 1,000 GP practices across the UK, helping to reduce patient phone calls by 30 %. The loss of this tool not only removes a layer of digital convenience but also places additional strain on already busy reception teams, as they must handle a higher volume of inquiries manually.
Health experts warn that the sudden loss of such technology highlights the risks of over‑reliance on third‑party digital platforms in primary care. While online booking and chatbot triage have become standard expectations for many patients, the disruption underscores the need for robust contingency plans and diversified IT suppliers within the NHS ecosystem.
Why it Matters
The collapse of Silicon Practice serves as a stark reminder of the vulnerabilities embedded in the NHS’s digital transformation. When a single technology provider fails, thousands of patients can be left without essential online services, forcing a reversion to more traditional, often slower, methods of accessing care. This incident raises urgent questions about the resilience of digital health infrastructure and the importance of safeguarding patient continuity of care through redundant systems and clear emergency protocols. For the NHS, ensuring that digital tools are both reliable and replaceable is now a critical priority to maintain public confidence and operational efficiency in an increasingly online world.
