Healthcare and NHS IT

IT is becoming increasingly critical for healthcare delivery. Vital initiatives such as electronic medical records, patient administration systems and telehealth are receiving growing investment in the NHS and elsewhere. Key technologies such as mobile, tablets and cloud are also essential for improving the healthcare industry with digital healthcare technology. Read the latest news about NHS IT and find resources on the broader world of healthcare IT with the news, case studies and advice in this topic section.

News 03 Jan 2024
Artificial intelligence to the front in Sweden’s National Technology Strategy

Sweden focuses in on artificial intelligence in its latest far-reaching national IT strategy Continue Reading
Feature 25 Oct 2023
Finland shows off its new 20-qubit quantum computer

Anybody who scoffs at Finland’s lofty ambitions in the field of quantum computing should remember that not only is the country home to one of Europe's most successful companies (Nokia), but it also houses Europe’s most powerful supercomputer (LUMI). Continue Reading

Feature 09 Mar 2021

NHS datacentre transformation projects continue apace during pandemic

NHS trusts have continued to invest in their datacentre estates throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, but the nature of their upgrade projects continues to evolve Continue Reading
News 08 Mar 2021

Cumbria and Nottinghamshire care homes pilot diagnostic telemedicine

Two care homes trial telemedicine system that allows GPs to carry out detailed patient assessments without leaving the surgery Continue Reading
News 08 Mar 2021

Nordic innovators change emphasis on gender equality in society

Female technology innovators in the Nordics take a different approach to trying to improve opportunities for women Continue Reading
News 05 Mar 2021

Innovation underpinned by trustworthy governance, says CDEI

Public support for greater use of digital technologies such as AI depends on how much trust people have in its governance, says report Continue Reading
News 04 Mar 2021

Parliament bill to create the UK's Advanced Research and Invention Agency

The ‘high-risk, high-reward’ UK equivalent of ARPA will be provided with powers to fund and develop projects, including exemption from freedom of information requests and 10 years to prove its own success Continue Reading
News 03 Mar 2021

Budget 2021: Tax relief for data and cloud, digital skills for SMEs, more IT firepower for HMRC

Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced a slew of tech-related measures in this year's Budget, which also included a visa review for highly-skilled IT professionals and a £375m fund for innovative businesses Continue Reading
News 02 Mar 2021

EU seeking pan-European Covid-19 passport solution

The European Union’s proposal could see the creation of a Covid-19 vaccine passport to enable travel across the EU Continue Reading
E-Zine 02 Mar 2021

The most influential people in UK technology

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we reveal our annual list of the 50 most influential people in UK IT, and talk to this year’s winner, NHS Digital CEO Sarah Wilkinson, about an unprecedented year of challenges. Also, we examine the best software patching strategies and see how the pandemic has affected women in tech. Read the issue now. Continue Reading
News 26 Feb 2021

Cyber extortionist threatened to bomb NHS targets

A German court has convicted a 33-year-old Italian man for making extortion and bomb threats against NHS hospitals at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic’s first wave last year Continue Reading
News 26 Feb 2021

Palantir once more in sights of civil libertarians over NHS Covid data store

The award of a new government contract to data analytics supplier Palantir on the back of its participation in the NHS Covid-19 data store has provoked Open Democracy into legal action, backed up by an exposure of lobbying activity that pre-dates the pandemic Continue Reading
News 25 Feb 2021

UKtech50 2021: The most influential people in UK technology

Computer Weekly has announced the 11th annual UKtech50 – our definitive list of the movers and shakers in the UK tech sector Continue Reading
News 25 Feb 2021

UKtech50 interview: Sarah Wilkinson, CEO, NHS Digital

The UKtech50’s most influential person in UK IT in 2021, NHS Digital CEO Sarah Wilkinson, talks about how the Covid-19 pandemic has impacted the speed of projects, staff pressures and key leadership lessons Continue Reading
News 24 Feb 2021

Vaccine passports prove an ethical minefield

Privacy campaigners warn that vaccine passports may turn out to be discriminatory and invasive, while technologists agree careful consideration must be given to their design Continue Reading
News 24 Feb 2021

Sadiq Khan wants innovators to support London's recovery

Mayor of London announces partners and goals for the capital’s £1m Resilience Fund, and an extra £500,000 to develop design-led solutions aimed at the challenges presented by the crisis Continue Reading
News 19 Feb 2021

UK to launch 'high-risk, high-reward' research agency, dubbed ARIA

Backed by £800m of public investment, the Advanced Research & Invention Agency (ARIA) will identify and fund groundbreaking science and technology Continue Reading
News 19 Feb 2021

European Commission proposes UK data adequacy agreement

The publication of two draft data adequacy decisions brings the UK closer to a final positive decision, which will enable the continued free flow of data between the EU and the UK if green-lit by member states Continue Reading
News 19 Feb 2021

Interview: From healthcare to healthcare IT provider

One route into IT is to take your knowledge of a certain sector to an IT firm that specialises in it. This is Katy Cain’s story Continue Reading
Opinion 17 Feb 2021

Healthcare digitisation at point financial services was in 1990s

For all the talk about digitised healthcare, the sector is only where banking was in the 1990s. How can it catch up? Can the Covid-19 pandemic crisis be a catalyst? Continue Reading
Opinion 17 Feb 2021

Vaccine passports highlight social impact of systems design

Vaccine or immunity passports are an opportunity to advance the design of trustworthy digital systems, but much more work still needs to be done Continue Reading
News 16 Feb 2021

NHSX set to become part of new NHS England 'transformation directorate'

Latest plans for the National Health Service’s central digital strategy arm are currently at the proposal stage Continue Reading
News 16 Feb 2021

Covid-19: Risk model identifies 800,000 vulnerable individuals

Research funded by the National Institute for Health Research has resulted in the development of a new coronavirus risk assessment model Continue Reading
E-Zine 16 Feb 2021

How Covid-19 has hit IT salaries and job prospects

In this week’s Computer Weekly, our salary survey reveals the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on IT professionals’ wages and job security. A potentially deadly cyber attack on a US water plant highlights the risks to critical infrastructure. And we find out how NHS Scotland is using tech to support its vaccine roll-out. Read the issue now. Continue Reading
News 15 Feb 2021

Digital investments will add £232bn to UK economy by 2040

The UK economy could grow by £232bn over the next two decades if investments in digital technologies continue Continue Reading
News 12 Feb 2021

UK border surveillance regime highly privatised, says Privacy International

Research from Privacy International raises concerns about the deep involvement of technology companies in the development and deployment of various technologies throughout the UK’s border regime, along with the lack of scrutiny they receive Continue Reading
News 11 Feb 2021

Hacked Finnish therapy business collapses

Vastaamo, the Finnish psychotherapy centre whose patients were blackmailed by a cyber criminal gang, has filed for bankruptcy Continue Reading
News 09 Feb 2021

Government launches review of use of health data for research

The review, which will be led by Ben Goldacre, will look at home-efficient and safe use of health data for research and analysis Continue Reading
News 09 Feb 2021

‘Batman Begins’ cyber attack is a warning to CNI providers

A thwarted cyber attack in a Florida town that could have resulted in the poisoning of the water supply is a timely reminder of the vulnerability of critical services Continue Reading
News 09 Feb 2021

NHS reports fewer phishing emails in 2020

The NHSmail email service saw a steady decline in suspected phishing emails during the course of 2020 Continue Reading
News 09 Feb 2021

Big data platform to speed up DNA analysis

Belgium’s Interuniversity Microelectronics Centre has developed a big data platform that can analyse DNA data up to 16 times faster than current techniques Continue Reading
E-Zine 09 Feb 2021

Audi fine-tunes its digital performance to boost online car sales

In this week’s Computer Weekly, the digital chief at Audi UK discusses how the carmaker is tackling the slump in new car sales. One of the largest global malware botnets has been taken down, but how much of a blow will it be for cyber criminals? And we hear how one county council made huge savings on its SAP installation. Read the issue now. Continue Reading
News 08 Feb 2021

NHSX backs mobile app to detect kidney disease

The app, which is being funded by the AI in Health and Care Award programme, turns a smartphone camera into a clinical-grade tool to help detect kidney disease Continue Reading
News 08 Feb 2021

Data of thousands of Dutch citizens leaked from government Covid-19 systems

Weak access controls and outdated systems blamed for leaking of the personal details of thousands of Dutch citizens tested for Covid-19 Continue Reading
News 04 Feb 2021

CCS goes live with £800m NHS IT framework

Digital Capability for Health framework covers development and IT management services for health and social care organisations Continue Reading
News 04 Feb 2021

CDEI: Local government data use must keep up Covid momentum

The Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation says momentum in local authority data use during the Covid-19 pandemic is in danger of being dissipated without central government investment and support for data skills development Continue Reading
News 03 Feb 2021

Healthcare and life sciences dominate 2021 DataIQ 100 list

NHS England’s managing director of data and analytics, Ming Tang, joins data leaders from pharmaceutical companies AstraZeneca and GSK in the top 10 of this year’s DataIQ 100 list Continue Reading
News 03 Feb 2021

Google grows cloud sales as parent’s profits top $40bn

Alphabet announces massive overall profits and increased Google cloud sales Continue Reading
News 03 Feb 2021

‘Classic’ Cerber ransomware targets health sector in high volumes

Cerber ransomware-as-a-service seems to have re-emerged as one of the most critical cyber threats facing healthcare organisations, reports VMware Carbon Black Continue Reading
News 03 Feb 2021

CIO interview: Deryck Mitchelson, director of digital, NHS Scotland

We speak to NHS Scotland’s head of digital about the IT to help ease the pressure on the health service, which has intensified during the Covid-19 pandemic Continue Reading
News 02 Feb 2021

Chelsea and Westminster NHS launches diabetes app

Together with supplier Sensyne Health, clinicians at the trust have designed a diabetes app that allows patients to manage their condition at home Continue Reading
E-Zine 02 Feb 2021

Business intelligence helps ambulance service’s pandemic response

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we find out how one ambulance service is using business intelligence tools to join up datasets to improve its response to the Covid-19 pandemic. Our latest buyer’s guide examines video conferencing and collaboration. And we look at the benefits of real-time streaming data analytics. Read the issue now. Continue Reading
News 01 Feb 2021

Serco confirms Babuk ransomware attack

Outsourcing firm was hit by the ransomware last week but insists most of its operations are running as normal Continue Reading
Opinion 01 Feb 2021

NHS Digital completes NHSmail migration to the cloud

NHS Digital’s Chris Parsons shares how the organisation managed to migrate more than 2.1 million NHSmail accounts to the cloud during a global pandemic Continue Reading
News 27 Jan 2021

NHS Scotland uses ServiceNow to power vaccination and contact-tracing

ServiceNow is at the heart of NHS Scotland’s digital response to the coronavirus, supporting the mass vaccination programme Continue Reading
News 26 Jan 2021

Chelsea and Westminster NHS Trust launches digital service for HIV patients

Klick service triages patients according to their clinical needs and allows them to review results, manage appointments and complete health assessments Continue Reading
News 26 Jan 2021

Cyber fraud a national security issue, says Rusi report

A report from the Rusi think tank calls for fresh approaches to how we think about fighting fraud Continue Reading
Feature 21 Jan 2021

How can healthcare organisations fight increased cyber crime in 2021?

As the Covid-19 pandemic enters what may be its most dangerous phase, we explore how healthcare organisations can ward off cyber threats while preserving their ability to deliver critical care Continue Reading
News 21 Jan 2021

UKtech50 2021: Vote for the most influential person in UK technology

Our judges have picked a shortlist, and now we invite readers to tell us who should be chosen as the most influential person in the UK tech scene for 2021 – submit your vote now Continue Reading
News 21 Jan 2021

NHS Business Services Authority launches digital strategy

NHS body’s digital strategy aims to change culture, practices and processes to create an environment where people can do their best Continue Reading
News 20 Jan 2021

PAC demands rejigged IT investment action plan from HMRC by end of March 2021

A report by the Public Accounts Committee confirms HMRC is spending too much money on patching legacy IT systems, and needs to prioritise investing in the modernisation of its digital estate Continue Reading
Podcast 19 Jan 2021

Parler v AWS, digital schooling, ambulance data – Computer Weekly Downtime Upload podcast

In this episode of the Computer Weekly Downtime Upload podcast, Caroline Donnelly, Clare McDonald and Brian McKenna discuss the purgation of Parler, the traumas of digital schooling and the South Central Ambulance Service’s use of data to support their operations during the Covid-19 pandemic Continue Reading
News 19 Jan 2021

Criminals fiddled stolen Covid-19 vaccine data to damage trust

Malicious actors manipulated stolen Covid-19 data in a way clearly intended to damage public trust in vaccines, says the EMA Continue Reading
Opinion 19 Jan 2021

Fixing the cracks in public sector digital infrastructure

The Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted the flaws in the UK's digital government set-up. The appointment of new IT leadership presents an ideal opportunity for the government to fix them Continue Reading
News 18 Jan 2021

UKtech50: The 2021 longlist

Each year, Computer Weekly launches its annual search for the most influential people in UK IT, where the tech industry nominates who it thinks should be in the top 50 – here is the longlist for 2021 Continue Reading
News 15 Jan 2021

Coalition proposes secure standard model for Covid-19 passports

Vaccination Credential Initiative is working to ensure that people vaccinated against Covid-19 can access their records in a secure, verifiable and privacy-preserving way Continue Reading
News 15 Jan 2021

Tech partnership to drive Finland’s quantum computing project

Organisations in Finland are developing quantum computing capabilities through a state and private sector partnership Continue Reading
News 15 Jan 2021

UK government urged to implement cloud-centric transformation plan

The approach to digital public services needs to be reinvented to catch up with global leaders, according to new research Continue Reading
News 13 Jan 2021

Covid-19 immunity passport tests to begin in UK

A Covid-19 immunity and vaccination passport developed by two UK firms and backed by Innovate UK has entered the live testing phase Continue Reading
News 13 Jan 2021

Stolen Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine data leaked

Data dump understood to include screenshots of emails, peer review information, PDFs and PowerPoint presentations Continue Reading
News 13 Jan 2021

European IT outsourcing spend up in 2020 after cloud boost

IT outsourcing sector growth is an indication that businesses are beginning to see light at the end of the tunnel amid the Covid-19 pandemic and the economic disruption it has brought Continue Reading
News 13 Jan 2021

South Central Ambulance Service drives out of Covid data fog with Qlik

Ambulance service’s business intelligence has come into its own during the coronavirus crisis, helping the managers behind the paramedics to deliver the service with fast data flows and joined-up datasets Continue Reading
News 12 Jan 2021

Bahrain hopes 5G roll-out will attract more tech firms to its shores

Bahrain has completed its 5G roll-out, which will support its IT infrastructure in creating the right environment for technology firms Continue Reading
News 12 Jan 2021

Covid-19 has led to a 25% increase in health app downloads, research shows

The pandemic has led to a huge increase in health apps downloads, particularly mental health apps, where downloads have increased 200%, as people struggle to cope during the crisis, according to Orcha Continue Reading
News 12 Jan 2021

Wales invests £4.9m in digital services improvement

Government funding aims to accelerate the design and delivery of citizen-focused offerings in Wales Continue Reading
News 11 Jan 2021

Ordnance Survey opens up direct, API access to location data for public sector

Location data made available to public sector organisations via application programming interfaces, reducing data management overheads Continue Reading
News 11 Jan 2021

Tech key to improving lives of people with rare diseases, says government report

The UK Rare Diseases Framework will build on advances in genomics and data analysis to improve testing and diagnosis Continue Reading
News 11 Jan 2021

Pennine NHS trust gets new imaging tech

Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust is the first of eight NHS trusts to go live with a Manchester-wide diagnostic imaging project Continue Reading
News 08 Jan 2021

AI Council advises government to do artificial intelligence moonshots

The AI Council has published a “roadmap” of advice to government in respect of developing a UK state strategy for artificial intelligence, encompassing skills, vendor support and public sector procurement Continue Reading
News 07 Jan 2021

Poor data flows hampered government’s Covid-19 response, says the Science and Technology Committee

House of Commons Science and Technology Committee finds poor data management to have hampered the government’s Covid-19 pandemic response Continue Reading
News 07 Jan 2021

Nordic digital innovation offers a proactive approach to mental health

Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted the need to support people suffering mental health issues – and digital technology can help Continue Reading
News 07 Jan 2021

Most British people don't trust government with personal data

The UK ranks high in a list of countries where citizens are least confident about how their private information is handled by public authorities, research shows Continue Reading
News 07 Jan 2021

Robust member administration system indispensable for Dutch Coeliac Society

Organisation had to find a dedicated member administration system to support existing members, new members and countless volunteers Continue Reading
News 06 Jan 2021

NHS trust says appointment processes robust despite criticism of role for Post Office scandal CEO

NHS trust defends its director appointment process following an external review of its recruitment of former Post Office CEO Paula Vennells Continue Reading
News 05 Jan 2021

Huawei battles for market access in Nordics

Chinese networking equipment supplier Huawei fights to retain access to potential 5G contracts across the Nordic region Continue Reading
News 31 Dec 2020

Pandemic heroes dominate New Year Honours List 2021

The New Year Honours List 2021 is remarkable for its recognition of those who have excelled during the Covid-19 public health emergency, including digital and data professionals Continue Reading
News 31 Dec 2020

Top 10 NHS IT stories of 2020

Here are Computer Weekly’s top 10 NHS IT stories of 2020 Continue Reading
News 24 Dec 2020

Top 10 Middle East stories of 2020

Here are Computer Weekly’s top 10 Middle East stories of 2020 Continue Reading
News 24 Dec 2020

Top 10 Downtime Upload podcasts of 2020

Here are Computer Weekly’s top 10 Downtime Upload podcasts of 2020 Continue Reading
Feature 21 Dec 2020

Interview: AWS’s Teresa Carlson talks about new role and cloud adoption during Covid-19

AWS executive talks about her expanded remit beyond public sector to include other industries, and driving a unified agenda to push cloud and data adoption worldwide Continue Reading
News 21 Dec 2020

Top 10 enterprise IT in the Nordics stories of 2020

Here are Computer Weekly’s top 10 Nordic enterprise IT stories of 2020 Continue Reading
News 20 Dec 2020

THKD taps SAP and Azure to improve patient experience

Malaysian healthcare group THKD is deploying new SAP systems and plans to tap Azure’s cloud infrastructure to enhance patient experience Continue Reading
News 18 Dec 2020

Government to spend more on IT consultants as skills gap remains unsolved

According to a Public Accounts Committee report, the need to fill gaps in tech expertise as a result of Covid-19 and Brexit means the public sector will resort to costly third-party support Continue Reading
Feature 18 Dec 2020

Interview: Chris Hayman, AWS UK public sector director, on cloud evolution during Covid-19

AWS executive discusses the evolution of cloud technology in government, the need for dynamic procurement, skills, and joining the oligarchy of government tech suppliers Continue Reading
News 18 Dec 2020

Prepare for bringing people back to the office with the Nordic tech startup blueprint

Business can learn lessons from Nordic tech startups to prepare employees to return to the office after Covid restrictions Continue Reading
News 17 Dec 2020

Government can’t be complacent with AI, says Lords report

Report urges coordination on policy and use of artificial intelligence, and sets out recommendations for how official bodies should respond to advances in the technology Continue Reading
News 17 Dec 2020

NHS Scotland taps Check Point to secure Covid-19 data

NHS National Services Scotland is working with security firm Check Point to safeguard its sensitive data in the cloud and support its work on the coronavirus Continue Reading
News 17 Dec 2020

Government aims to ‘unleash innovation’ with procurement overhaul

A government greenpaper sets out changes to simplify buying in the public sector and to benefit small and medium businesses Continue Reading
News 16 Dec 2020

Digital patient engagement tops NHS IT chiefs' priorities for 2021

Most leaders do not feel like they have sufficient funding to deliver new digital capabilities, despite engagement topping priorities for the NHS in 2021, finds study Continue Reading
News 15 Dec 2020

DWP completes migration to hybrid cloud

The milestone is part of a major insourcing exercise that saw the department move away from monolithic contracts Continue Reading
News 10 Dec 2020

Data on Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine stolen in cyber attack

The European Medicines Agency has launched a full investigation into an apparent security incident that has seen documents on the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine stolen Continue Reading
News 04 Dec 2020

Kent and Medway to launch shared health and social care record

The Kent and Medway Care Record (KMCR) aims to create a single view of each patient’s record, and will hold automated data feeds from acute hospitals, community providers, mental health services, GPs and social care Continue Reading
News 03 Dec 2020

Covid-19 vaccine supply chain attacked by unknown nation state

An unknown nation state actor is attempting to disrupt the supply of coronavirus vaccines Continue Reading
News 02 Dec 2020

Greater Manchester launches digital inclusion taskforce

The group including industry, community and government representatives will aim to fix the digital divide in the region Continue Reading
News 02 Dec 2020

Covid-19: Cyber criminals will target vaccine programmes

Interpol issues a global alert to law enforcement as the UK becomes one of the first countries to approve the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine for use Continue Reading
News 30 Nov 2020

$60m Middle East tech fund targets 120 startups

Venture capital fund expects rapid regional technology growth in the post-Covid-19 world Continue Reading
News 27 Nov 2020

Algorithmic transparency obligations needed in public sector

Public sector’s use of algorithms with social impacts needs to be more transparent to foster trust and hold organisations responsible for the negative outcomes their systems may produce, says report Continue Reading
News 27 Nov 2020

Government pumps £20m into AI research projects

Alan Turing Institute’s artificial intelligence (AI) research fellows will receive funding for 15 projects including using AI to detect cancer and improve the performance of virtual personal assistants Continue Reading
News 26 Nov 2020

Data safes will give users control over their data

Belgian computer scientist tells Computer Weekly how people can regain control of their online personal information Continue Reading
News 26 Nov 2020

Robots taking jobs, but creating careers

Robotic process automation developers tell Computer Weekly about the job they never expected to be doing Continue Reading
News 26 Nov 2020

Tony Blair Institute and Oracle combine to launch cloud-based vaccine management in Africa

The Tony Blair Institute (TBI) and Oracle have combined to launch a vaccine management programme in several African countries Continue Reading
News 25 Nov 2020

Rishi Sunak’s Spending Review pledges £100bn to transform the country’s infrastructure

Chancellor’s spending promise includes more than £260m for programmes such as 5G testbeds, local full-fibre networks and the Shared Rural Network Continue Reading