As Commissioning Support Units continue closing and digital responsibilities transfer into new structures, many NHS organisations are beginning to take on levels of IT responsibility they’ve never had before. For ICBs and PCNs especially, this change is creating both opportunities and challenges.
The positive side is clear. Organisations will now have more control over how their systems are managed, secured, optimised, and supported day-to-day. But there’s also the risk that organisations unaccustomed to IT support may unintentionally fall into a reactive IT management model.
Reactive becomes the default
For organisations that have never needed to oversee IT environments directly, reactive support can easily become the default way of operating. Systems continue running in the background, day-to-day operations carry on as normal, and IT only becomes a priority when something stops working.
Previously, IT responsibility sat behind the scenes within CSU-led support structures. Problems were monitored, managed, escalated, and resolved externally, often without wider networks needing direct involvement. Much of the time, problems were resolved before practices even noticed them.
As those support structures evolve, there is a risk that organisations will continue operating as though someone else is still actively overseeing the environment. But without CSUs in place, small issues can develop in the background and go unnoticed until they begin causing major disruption.
In offices, reactive IT creates inefficiency. In primary care, it can create far more serious risks.
Downtime hits primary care harder
Waiting until systems fail before responding is disruptive in any organisation. Staff lose time, productivity slows, communication suffers, and daily operations become more difficult. But in primary care environments, the impact can be significantly greater – and potentially dangerous.
If clinical systems become unavailable, GPs may struggle to access patient records. Appointment systems may fail, prescription requests can be delayed, referrals may be disrupted, and communication between practices and healthcare services can become more difficult. Patients may not be able to access the care they need. Even seemingly small technical problems in systems can quickly affect patient experience, operational continuity, and the ability to deliver timely care safely.
It’s clear that a different model is needed.
Proactive IT support
Proactive IT support focuses on identifying and resolving issues before they begin affecting users, systems, or patient services. Rather than waiting for systems to fail, proactive support involves continual monitoring, maintenance, optimisation, security management, and performance oversight. These are designed to reduce the likelihood of disruption in the first place. Updates are managed properly, vulnerabilities are identified earlier, system performance is monitored continuously, and risks are addressed before they escalate into larger operational problems affecting patient health.
Proactive support to manage CSU closures
As CSU responsibilities continue shifting across the NHS, many organisations are reassessing how IT support is delivered across their networks. Here at PSTG, we’re here to help ICBs and PCNs avoid the pitfall of defaulting to reactive support models, and move towards more proactive, structured IT environments that prioritise reliability, security, and continuity. From Microsoft 365 and cybersecurity through to infrastructure management and ongoing support, we help healthcare organisations maintain stable digital environments throughout the CSU transition and beyond.