Having recently commenced as a principal, I am embarking on a project to
upgrade our practice IT.

At present we are using about 9-10 386sx computers running MicroDoc 7.0.....

We are a non-fundholding 9 partner urban 20,000 patient practice.

It seems to me that our present system is, putting it mildly, sub-optimal.

I am looking at all options, upgrading hardware has to be essential, but what
software to use is the next question. Should I stick with Microdoc? - recently
bought out, and now "lean and hungry"? or plump for a different system, as many
colleagues have.

I'm looking for advice, specifically:

1. who best to ask for advice (apart from my colleagues on GP-UK)
2. what are the pitfalls, ie who are the sharks, cowboys etc
3. who is the present Bees-knees, or the dog's bo**o*ks
4. if I change to a different supplier, would they be able to translate the
database to their format?
5. what are *the* hot questions I should be asking suppliers
6. how do I compare costs?
7. other, as yet unknown queries

My requirements are: a multitasking network of computers running win95 or
similar, so I can run all my background applications like eBNF (joke
application of the year), bodyworks, CDRom databases, Office95 etc, also we
need a few notebooks or equivalent for the 2 branch surgeries, choice of
hardware supplier, also it would be nice for the GP software suite to resemble
something written in the late 90's, rather than something I wrote on a WANG 2K
minicomputer in my 6th form in 1978

many thanks in anticipation

John

Dr John E. Powell
[log in to unmask]
St Ann's Medical Centre
Effingham St
Rotherham



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