VIP.net Is Sunsetting. Your Practice Deserves a Worthy Successor.
31 Dec 2026 - Maintenance mode · 30 Jun 2027 - Full end of life
VIP.net has served specialist practices for over two decades. As Best Practice winds down support, the decision isn't whether to migrate - it's choosing a platform that genuinely moves your practice forward, not just sideways. MedNext is a fully browser-native, paperless-by-design system built for the complete specialist workflow.
The Timeline
Start Evaluating Now
Migration takes 6–12 months for a specialist practice. Practices that wait until 2027 risk a rushed, high-pressure transition.
Maintenance Mode Begins
Best Practice stops all VIP.net development. Only critical security updates and fee schedule releases will continue.
Full End of Life
No support, no security patches. Hosted environments decommissioned. All Medicare, DVA, and PRODA integrations cease permanently.
What This Means
The window to migrate
is shorter than it looks.
VIP.net enters maintenance mode on 31 December 2026 no new development, no feature improvements. Six months later, on 30 June 2027, all support stops: no security patches, no Medicare integrations, no hosted access.
A proper specialist practice migration takes 6-12 months. Practices that wait until 2027 to start looking will face a rushed, high-pressure transition, the opposite of what your patients and team deserve.
Security patches stop entirely
From 1 July 2027, VIP.net receives no security updates. Running the platform after this date exposes sensitive patient data to unpatched vulnerabilities - a direct risk under the Australian Privacy Act and your practice's duty of care.
Medicare, DVA, and PRODA integrations break
All government health integrations - including ECLIPSE billing, Medicare online claiming, DVA, and PRODA - cease on 30 June 2027. Practices still on VIP.net after that date cannot process claims electronically.
Hosted environments are decommissioned
If your VIP.net is cloud-hosted by Best Practice, access terminates entirely on 30 June 2027. There is no wind-down period - the environment is switched off. Your practice must have migrated before that date.
Migration takes longer than you expect
Evaluating alternatives, extracting your data, configuring a new system, training staff, and running in parallel takes 6–12 months for a specialist practice. Practices that don't start evaluating by mid-2026 are taking a real risk.
Your Journey
Your Migration Roadmap
A structured, six-stage transition planned, configured, and signed off before you go live.
Step 01
Map Your Current Setup Easily
Document your user-defined fields, letter templates, image archives, and billing workflows. VIP.net's deep configurability means every practice is different, we start by understanding yours before a single piece of data moves.
Step 02
Request Your Data Extract
Work with your IT provider to generate a .bak SQL Server backup of your VIP.net database, plus a separate archive of any images or letters stored outside the database. Best Practice provides guidance on this process, we help you through every step.
Step 03
Configure MedNext for Your Practice
Our team maps your VIP.net workflows into MedNext clinical templates, appointment types, billing codes, referral pathways, and custom fields. Your system is configured and validated before anyone trains on it.
Step 04
Migrate and Validate Your Data
We convert your patient demographics, full clinical notes history, appointments, medications, allergies, read-only billing history, and user-defined field data. You verify completeness and accuracy before you go live, no surprises on day one.
Step 05
Train Your Team, Run in Parallel
Staff training happens inside your configured MedNext environment, not a generic demo system. Keep VIP.net accessible as a read-only reference for the first few weeks after go-live, we recommend this for every migration.
Step 06
Go Live with Dedicated Support
Your named account manager is available on go-live day and the weeks that follow. Not a support ticket queue, a person who knows your practice, your speciality, and your team by name.
Data Migration
What Migrates with MedNext
We publish a full migration scope - so you can make a confident decision without guessing what survives the transition.
Patient Records
- Patient demographics and contact details
- Private health insurance details
- Full clinical notes history
- Current medications and active prescriptions
- Allergies and adverse drug reactions
- Active patient problems and conditions
Clinical Content
- Full appointment history (including future bookings)
- RTF and DOC letters
- Scanned letters and patient images
- Active referrals and specialist letters
- Referral sources and contact records
Practice Data
- Staff tasks and internal records
- Read-only billing history (services rendered)
- User-defined field data - remapped and preserved
Images and letters stored outside the VIP.net SQL database require a separate archive from your IT provider. We walk you through this during the assessment stage so nothing is left behind.
Why MedNext
Built by people who know Australian specialist practices.
MedNext is made by Medical Wizard for over thirty years in Australian healthcare, not a startup pivot. Every practice gets a named account manager who knows your speciality and your team, not a support inbox.
in Australian healthcare
not a support ticket queue
no Citrix, no remote desktop
data never leaves Australia
The Full Platform
The only VIP.net alternative built for the full specialist workflow.
Most alternatives replace the consulting suite. MedNext extends to every step from patient pre-registration through to surgery, digital consent, and payment.
Ready to start your migration?
Book a migration review with our team. We'll assess your current VIP.net setup, map exactly what migrates, and outline your transition timeline - before you commit to anything.