# GPASS (General Practice Administration System for Scotland) **Category:** [wiki](https://openhealthhub.org/c/wiki/61) **Created:** 2026-02-19 21:13 UTC **Views:** 38 **Replies:** 14 **URL:** https://openhealthhub.org/t/gpass-general-practice-administration-system-for-scotland/2930 --- ## Post #1 by @ian GPASS (General Practice Administration System for Scotland) was a GP IT system developed by the Scottish Government under Crown Copyright, and made available free of charge to Scottish GPs between 1984 and 2012. ### Links **Wikipedia**: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Practice_Administration_System_for_Scotland **Scottish Government Publication - General Practice Information Technology Options**: https://www.publications.scot.nhs.uk/files_legacy/sehd/publications/General%20Practice%20Information%20Technology%20Options.pdf ### Details Originally written in MS Basic, and running on an [Apricot Xi](https://apricot-archive.co.uk/pcxi) under MS-DOS, it was significantly rewritten in C to run on Unix/Xenix, for multi-user use. ### Software **Binaries**: Possibly available **Source code**: Not available
--- ## Post #2 by @pacharanero Love the stub! Do you think anyone would still have source code or binaries for GPASS? We are keen to archive some of these things and possibly try ot get them running in some kind of webassembly virtualisation sandbox... --- ## Post #3 by @ian Somewhere ….. I have a GPASS distro CD that had the API on it c 1998? Definitely not source code but it might have had the binary for the app somewhere. I’ll try to dig it out. --- ## Post #4 by @stuartabbott > **1884** and 2012 I guess Scotland really is the home of modern technology! --- ## Post #5 by @ianmthompson Some interesting reports are available online - may be worth archiving here in case origins source goes - so have uploaded as well as providing link. [General Practice Information Technology Options.pdf|attachment](upload://kI41lmqiCJzhDPnx6vsnAe80Sd3.pdf) (1.3 MB) https://www.publications.scot.nhs.uk/files_legacy/sehd/publications/General%20Practice%20Information%20Technology%20Options.pdf --- ## Post #6 by @pacharanero Edited wiki post to develop some structure and add in additional links --- ## Post #7 by @stephen What are the expected capabilities of a GPAS in 2026? (or are they called practice management systems now?) More specifically, what is the minimum that is needed for a GP practice. Also what is desirable/'nice to have' - but you don't always get in modern GPAS ? I suppose the answers depend on the type of practice - from small to large, rural/remote to city, and other dimentions. (Please excuse my ignorance - most of my work has been acute hospital systems ) --- ## Post #8 by @ian It an interesting topic @stephen but can you ask again in a different channel, as I don’t think we want to mess up this topic which is specific to GPASS --- ## Post #9 by @stephen thanks @ian I didn't do it to a new topic because I thought GPASfS may have potential for revival as an OSS project? On that basis I felt it would be good to know the gap between GPASfS *as-is* and what is the minimum viable GP admin system in 2026. If GPASfS is only of historical interest perhaps an admin can move [my comment](https://openhealthhub.org/t/gpass-general-practice-administration-system-for-scotland/2930/7?u=stephen) to a new topic? (this is a discourse platform feature available to admins) --- ## Post #10 by @ian GPASS never was an open-source project (should have been) and is aboslutely only of historical interest. However, your question is very good one going forward “What should a GP system cover in 2026→”? --- ## Post #11 by @mayfield.g.kev If I was to start listing differences between a UK GP system now and what I'm often hearing, it might make a open source project. The main difference is what IHE calls Patient Care Coordination (PCC), GP systems tend to just be EHR records and lack this workflow element. The nice thing about PCC is it's beyond the governance from NHS England, and so free to inovate. --- ## Post #12 by @pacharanero I've started a stub that collates the 'Historical Requirements Of A GP System' information we have https://openhealthhub.org/t/history-of-gp-system-requirements-stub/2933 [quote="ian, post:10, topic:2930"] your question is very good one going forward “What should a GP system cover in 2026→”? [/quote] This is a separate wiki I guess, but definitely instructive to see what existing requirements were, and also how they have changed over time, as the market has become more driven by governmental priorities and less by clinical ones. [quote="mayfield.g.kev, post:11, topic:2930"] listing differences between a UK GP system now and what I’m often hearing, it might make a open source project. [/quote] THIS is the info we should be collating! --- ## Post #13 by @pacharanero [quote="mayfield.g.kev, post:11, topic:2930"] The nice thing about PCC is it’s beyond the governance from NHS England [/quote] What is PCC? --- ## Post #14 by @mayfield.g.kev It's complex https://www.ihe.net/ihe_domains/patient_care_coordination/ But it's joint workflow between social providers, community and social care - often working on one care pathway e.g. diabetes prevention and management. It's often simplified in GP systems, for example the social providers referral (maybe known as exercise referral or GP Referral), is really a series of two way communications (such as updates to patient weight, exercise activity, updating care plan, etc). --- ## Post #15 by @mayfield.g.kev A “fag packet” overview - mix of sources. It’s not clinically validated but know it’s roughly true as I witnessed several health providers following this on my dads falls+cancer pathways. It was a nurse practitioner that took over management of the pathway. This was mostly verbal - the NHS Trust data was absent, only one provider was electronic (and could see GP record). ![Screenshot 2026-02-24 at 11.57.13|690x274](upload://7tFhSaRcVPOXYtyH75BnzVjfc2K.jpeg) --- **Canonical:** https://openhealthhub.org/t/gpass-general-practice-administration-system-for-scotland/2930 **Original content:** https://openhealthhub.org/t/gpass-general-practice-administration-system-for-scotland/2930