INPS clinical system bought by OneAdvanced to secure NHS services
OneAdvanced has bought healthcare IT provider In Practice Systems – which provides services to the NHS – out of administration. The deal was facilitated by professionals from the UK wing of Crowe.
In Practice Systems Limited (INPS) is a long-established supplier of electronic patient record (EPR) systems to GP practices. INPS’s Vision platform is used by practices throughout the UK, and notably forms a critical part of NHS Scotland’s national technology programme migration to cloud-based primary care technology.
This posed a major issue, when, amid financial difficulties, it was placed into administration in December 2024 by its French parent company, Cegedim SA. When administrators from Crowe were appointed, they moved swiftly to stabilise the business and commence an accelerated sale process that prioritised continuity of service for NHS clients.
Now, a transaction has been completed, which sees the business and assets of INPS purchased by OneAdvanced. The UK provider of healthcare IT solutions will now work to ensure uninterrupted support for GP practices across the UK and allows the critical EPR transition programme in Scotland to continue under OneAdvanced’s leadership.
Ric Thompson, senior vice president for health and care at OneAdvanced, noted, “With INPS, we are paving the way for a national health platform that empowers clinicians with smarter, AI-driven tools transforming the way care is delivered. It’s about anticipating patient needs, personalising healthcare, and enhancing accessibility – all underpinned by safety and security.”
Minimal disruption
OneAdvanced, which already supports over 40 million patients annually through its digital healthcare solutions, will now integrate INPS’s Vision solution into its broader health and care portfolio. This includes the Docman system for document management, Adastra for secondary care electronic patient management, Patchs for online GP consultation, and Odyssey clinical decision support.
Steven Edwards, partner in insolvency and restructuring at Crowe, said, “We are pleased to have secured a successful outcome that protects INPS’s customers, employees, and the wider NHS ecosystem. From day one, our focus was on ensuring business continuity and patient safety by preserving the systems GPs rely on daily. OneAdvanced is a natural home for INPS, bringing the scale, stability and innovation needed to support its next chapter. This result reflects Crowe’s commitment to delivering restructuring solutions that safeguard public interest and long-term value.”
The deal has meant that disruption has been avoided this time. However, it also highlights the risks at play with outsourcing in the NHS. Following INPS’ insolvency announcement, a spokesperson for the Scottish government confirmed to Digital Health News that National Services Scotland (NSS) had had to “urgently consider immediate steps to be taken regarding support required for current users of Vision, the rollout of the new GP IT system and work with the administrators to understand the implications and opportunities going forward.”
Dr Chris Williams, deputy chair at the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) Scotland, later confirmed that while there was “no immediate threat to service provision”, this was because Scotland had had to learn “from previous major IT incidents”. He added that the RCGP was “glad that NSS immediately stood up an incident management team to handle this situation and I am engaged with the team as part of the clinical workstream group.”
