Sound familiar?
- Clinicians share one login on treatment room PCs
- Patient letters and photos are saved to a laptop's desktop with no backup
- Appointment reminder emails land in patients' spam folders
- Your practice website is out of date, slow or not accessible
- You are unsure whether your clinic needs to complete the DSPT
- Staff take patient notes home on personal devices
Key facts
- Private clinics, physiotherapy, osteopathy, aesthetics and specialist practices supported end to end
- For NHS GP practices, we cover what sits outside the ICB-commissioned GP IT service, such as the website
- Technical evidence for the DSPT where your organisation processes NHS patient data
- Patient data treated as special category data under UK GDPR: MFA, encryption and tested backups
- Support for the devices and Microsoft 365 behind clinic systems such as Semble, Cliniko and WriteUpp
- Complete plan £99 a month + VAT; ad-hoc £45 an hour + VAT
Where we fit in healthcare IT
Healthcare IT in England is split. NHS GP practices receive core IT, including clinical systems such as EMIS Web and SystmOne, Smartcards, NHSmail and the HSCN connection, through services commissioned by their integrated care board under the GP IT operating model. We do not replace that, and you should not pay twice for it.
Where we help a GP practice is with what sits outside the ICB service: the practice website, non-clinical devices the practice owns, and any private services it runs. For private clinics, physiotherapy, osteopathy, chiropody, aesthetics, private GP and specialist consulting rooms, we can be your whole IT team, looking after Microsoft 365, PCs, Wi-Fi, backups, the website and security.
Patient data, GDPR and the DSPT
Health information is special category data under UK GDPR, so the ICO expects stronger protection: access limited to those who need it, encryption on portable devices, audit trails and backups that can be restored. A breach likely to risk patients' rights must be reported to the ICO within 72 hours.
If your clinic processes NHS patient data, for example through NHS-funded referrals, you may also need to complete the Data Security and Protection Toolkit, which has an annual 30 June deadline. We gather the technical evidence it asks for: device lists, patch status, MFA, encryption and backup tests. See GDPR IT compliance.
Clinic software, devices and treatment rooms
Private clinics often use cloud practice management systems such as Semble, Cliniko or WriteUpp for bookings, notes and invoicing. They are only as secure as the logins and devices used to reach them. We set up individual accounts with MFA, enrol laptops and tablets in Intune with BitLocker, and lock treatment room PCs automatically when left.
Clinical photography deserves care. Photos taken on a personal phone and left in its camera roll are a data breach waiting to happen. We set up managed apps or a dedicated device so images go straight into the patient record. See device management with Intune.
Email, reminders and websites
Appointment reminders and clinic letters must reach patients. If they go to spam, we check SPF, DKIM and DMARC on your domain and the sending settings in your clinic software. For secure email to patients and other clinicians, Microsoft 365 message encryption is often enough for private practice. See email deliverability.
Your website is often the first contact a patient has. We keep it updated, fast and secure, fix accessibility problems and make sure online booking links work on phones.
We also look at the small things that cause most of the daily friction: printers that drop off the network before morning clinics, card readers that need re-pairing, and receptionists who cannot see the shared calendar after a password change.
Starting a new clinic
Opening a new clinic or consulting room is the best time to get IT right, because nothing has to be unpicked later. We set up the domain and Microsoft 365 tenant, create individual accounts with MFA, enrol laptops and tablets before they reach clinicians, configure the Wi-Fi with a separate patient network, and connect printers, card readers and label printers. We also check your clinic software's recommended browser and device settings so the first day of appointments runs smoothly.
If you are joining an existing building or sharing rooms with other practitioners, we make sure your devices and data are kept apart from theirs, which matters for both GDPR and your own peace of mind. See new starter IT setup.
Plans and prices for clinics
Clinics with reception and clinical staff usually choose the Complete plan at £99 a month + VAT, which includes IT and Microsoft 365 helpdesk support and 3 hours of fixes or changes each month. A GP practice that only needs its website cared for can use Essential at £25 a month + VAT or Business at £50 a month + VAT.
One-off jobs are £45 an hour + VAT, with a 30-minute minimum. Fit-outs and network installs are quoted. See pricing.
What it costs
Support plans from £25 a month + VAT, or £45 an hour + VAT for one-off fixes. Pick a plan if you want it looked after every month, or pay by the hour for a one-off job.
Essential
Keep it updated, backed up and watched.
- Website software updates (core, plugins, themes) applied and checked
- Daily backups
- Uptime monitoring
- Security monitoring
Business
Updates plus an hour of fixes every month.
- Everything in Essential
- 1 hour of fixes or changes every month
- Priority support
Complete
Website and your team's IT, covered.
- Everything in Business
- 3 hours of fixes or changes every month
- IT and Microsoft 365 helpdesk for your team
No plan? The first 30 minutes are the minimum charge, then we bill in 15-minute blocks.
Frequently asked questions
Can you support our GP clinical system?
No. In England, NHS GP clinical systems such as EMIS Web and SystmOne, along with Smartcards and NHSmail, are supported through your ICB's GP IT service. dijitul helps with what sits outside that service, such as the practice website and any private services the practice runs.
Does a private clinic need to complete the DSPT?
It depends on whether you process NHS patient data or access NHS systems. Organisations that do are generally expected to complete the Data Security and Protection Toolkit each year by 30 June. dijitul can supply the technical evidence once you have confirmed your obligation with your commissioner.
How should we store clinical photos?
Not in a personal phone's camera roll. dijitul can set up a managed device or app so photos go straight into your clinic system, and stop them syncing to personal cloud accounts. That protects patients and makes subject access requests far easier.
How much does IT support for a private clinic cost?
dijitul's Complete plan is £99 a month + VAT and includes helpdesk support for the whole team plus 3 hours of fixes each month. Ad-hoc work is £45 an hour + VAT. Larger projects such as fit-outs are quoted upfront.
Do you look after medical practice websites?
Yes. dijitul keeps practice and clinic websites updated, backed up, secure and accessible, and fixes broken booking links and forms. Website care starts at £25 a month + VAT on the Essential plan.
Related
Hand it over and stop worrying
Updates, backups, monitoring and fixes from £25 a month + VAT. Real UK people on the phone.