5 Unique IT Challenges NHS Trusts Face (and How to Solve Them)

NHS IT departments are unlike any other IT team. They support 24/7 clinical operations, manage life-critical systems, and work under strict regulatory constraints — all while operating on public sector budgets. Generic helpdesk software was not built for this. Here are the five most common challenges we hear from NHS IT leads, and how RelioIT addresses each one.

Challenge 1: Legacy EPR Systems That Predate Modern APIs

Many NHS Trusts still run EPR systems from the early 2000s — Cerner Millennium, System C Medway, or bespoke local builds. These systems generate IT support tickets constantly but have no native helpdesk integration. Staff raise tickets by phone or email describing cryptic error codes that only experienced engineers recognise.

RelioIT's knowledge base is pre-seeded with common EPR error patterns. When a ticket matches a known EPR issue, the AI automatically suggests the resolution from your KB — often before a human has even looked at the ticket. Engineers can also tag and categorise EPR tickets separately, giving management visibility into how much of the IT burden comes from legacy system maintenance.