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

News 03 Sep 2018

NHS organisations in south-east England choose BT for HSCN

BT will provide broadband services over the Health and Social Care Network to 24 NHS trusts and clinical commissioning groups in the south-east of England Continue Reading
News 30 Aug 2018

Nearly half of NHS staff rely on instant messaging at work

43% of NHS staff use apps such as WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger for work purposes, and most NHS trusts have no policy discouraging the use of instant messaging, according to supplier CommonTime Continue Reading
News 29 Aug 2018

DCMS has £95m for full-fibre in final round of LFFN scheme

The government has announced the third and final round of the Local Full Fibre Network Challenge Fund, with £95m remaining to invest in local ultrafast broadband projects Continue Reading
News 29 Aug 2018

IT leaders at a crossroads as they grapple with digital technology

CIOs have the opportunity to influence their company strategy as digital technology reshapes business. A survey of CIOs across 70 countries charts a path for IT leaders through emerging technologies Continue Reading
News 28 Aug 2018

Hancock appoints chief technology adviser

Hadley Beeman will service as Matt Hancock’s chief technology adviser at the Department for Health and Social Care Continue Reading
News 24 Aug 2018

Dubai Health Authority launches artificial intelligence strategy

Healthcare organisation is rolling out next-generation technology in its health facilities to improve patient care Continue Reading
News 22 Aug 2018

Greater Manchester hails cloud as key to delivery of devolved health and social care in region

Having taken back control from the government for running its own health and social care budgets, The Greater Manchester Health and Social Care (GMHSC) Partnership is now in the throes of establishing what role cloud will play in its work Continue Reading
News 22 Aug 2018

European cloud adopters still lack basic security

Despite outpacing the rest of the world, the majority of organisations adopting cloud in Europe, the Middle East and Africa lack basic security, a report reveals Continue Reading
News 22 Aug 2018

Language barrier won’t hold back chatbots in the Netherlands

The use of chatbots by Dutch organisations is on the up, with KLM's chatbot a pioneering example Continue Reading
News 22 Aug 2018

Superdrug denies data breach

Superdrug has warned online customers it believes may have had personal details exposed, but claims its systems were not compromised, in what could be the first GDPR-related extortion attempt Continue Reading
News 22 Aug 2018

NHS Digital plans for £450m GP IT framework

A framework for GP IT systems and services will replace the GP Systems of Choice (GPSoC) contract and aims to make procurement easier for suppliers and primary care providers Continue Reading
News 20 Aug 2018

NHS trusts lose nearly 10,000 patient records a year

Report calls for NHS trusts to work to abolish handwritten notes in hospitals to prevent loss of personal documents and to introduce a patient identity protocol Continue Reading
News 20 Aug 2018

Job losses caused by artificial intelligence will dwarf those of Victorian revolution

The disruption to the jobs market caused by artificial intelligence will be far greater than that caused by industrialisation in Victorian times Continue Reading
News 15 Aug 2018

AI provides immediate diagnosis for serious eye conditions, research finds

Artificial intelligence could diagnose eye conditions within seconds, and with the same accuracy as human experts, research finds Continue Reading
News 14 Aug 2018

NHS Digital staff at risk of redundancy as part of restructure

More than 600 NHS Digital employees have been told they may have to reapply for their jobs, as redundancies loom in the first wave of the organisation’s restructure Continue Reading
News 14 Aug 2018

CIO interview: Richard Corbridge, CDIO, Leeds Teaching Hospitals

Leeds Teaching Hospitals’ new chief digital and information officer is putting together a plan for smarter use of information Continue Reading
News 14 Aug 2018

Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust to get full EPR

The trust is extending its partnership with Allscripts as it signs up to the supplier’s electronic patient record system Continue Reading
News 13 Aug 2018

Millions of businesses vulnerable to fax-based cyber attack

Hackers could exploit security vulnerabilities in fax machines to launch cyber attacks in millions of organisations around the world, researchers warn, underlining the need for cyber resilience Continue Reading
News 10 Aug 2018

Atos sets out vision for a digital Scotland

Scotland has the potential to create a competitive advantage in the global economy through digital technologies, and could even become a cloud datacentre hub, according to Atos Continue Reading
News 08 Aug 2018

IPSE warns government off private sector IR35 reform, as 'no deal' Brexit fears grow

As the government prepares to close its consultation on extending the IR35 reforms to the private sector, IPSE airs concerns over the economic impact the move could have, as talk of a "no deal" Brexit for the UK continues Continue Reading
News 08 Aug 2018

Dutch healthcare institutions need to think like tech sector

The healthcare industry needs to approach technological innovation in a different way if it is to maximise the benefits for staff and patients Continue Reading
News 02 Aug 2018

GDPR harmonised with local laws in Nordic EU states

Sweden provides an interesting challenge for the European Union’s data protection regulation due to its laws around freedom of press and free speech Continue Reading
News 01 Aug 2018

Northern Ireland to deploy patient portal

Health and Social Care Northern Ireland will begin piloting a patient portal later this month to support people with dementia Continue Reading
News 31 Jul 2018

Intelligent automation spending to hit $232bn by 2025

Technologies such as artificial intelligence, robotic process automation and machine learning could help traditional enterprises gain ground on digital-first giants Continue Reading
News 31 Jul 2018

SamSam ransomware reaps $5.9m and counting

In just two and a half years, SamSam campaigns are believed to have netted nearly $6m for cyber criminals, an analysis of this adaptive and evasive strain of active ransomware reveals Continue Reading
News 23 Jul 2018

Full-fibre broadband for all to cost £30bn

The government has released its Future Telecoms Infrastructure Review, setting the stage for the national roll-out of a full-fibre broadband network Continue Reading
News 20 Jul 2018

Huge Singapore data breach shows need for new approach

A major data breach in Singapore underlines the need for a new approach to protecting critical data and applications, say security experts Continue Reading
News 20 Jul 2018

Cisco and UCL to open AI research unit in $100m digital economy boost

Cisco has extended its ongoing Country Digital Acceleration programme in the UK with a further $100m investment, part of which will go towards a new AI research centre Continue Reading
News 20 Jul 2018

Cloud sales stoke Microsoft’s strong growth

Microsoft says cloud-based Office products made a huge contribution to sales growth Continue Reading
News 20 Jul 2018

Matt Hancock to promise £487m for NHS tech

In his first speech as health secretary, Matt Hancock will continue to fly the flag for digital Continue Reading
News 18 Jul 2018

NHS on the hunt for chief data officer

The NHS CDO will report directly to NHS Digital CEO Sarah Wilkinson, get paid up to £176,750 and be responsible for a budget of around £57m Continue Reading
News 17 Jul 2018

Kcom secures second aggregate HSCN contract

Network services provider Kcom will supply broadband connectivity over the Health and Social Care Network to 10 health organisations in the north-east of England Continue Reading
News 12 Jul 2018

Three-quarters of consumers have interacted with artificial intelligence

Capgemini survey finds 55% of people prefer a mix of AI and humans when they interact with organisations Continue Reading
News 11 Jul 2018

White-hat hackers find record number of vulnerabilities

White-hat hackers are finding more vulnerabilities than ever before, with crowdsourced security testing continuing to gain popularity, a report reveals Continue Reading
News 10 Jul 2018

Hidden costs of data breaches difficult to manage, study finds

The full cost of “mega breaches” can be up to £264m, with the average UK data breach costing £2.69m, a study has revealed Continue Reading
News 10 Jul 2018

Jeremy Wright appointed DCMS secretary of state in Cabinet reshuffle

Attorney general Jeremy Wright becomes DCMS secretary as Matt Hancock moves to the Department for Health and Social Care where he takes over as health secretary Continue Reading
News 09 Jul 2018

London NHS organisations pick Kcom for HSCN

Network services supplier Kcom has been named as the preferred bidder for the Once for London Health and Social Care Network contract Continue Reading
News 09 Jul 2018

Nurses held back by poor IT and lack of support, RCN report finds

Nurses think technology could improve health and care services, but are held back by barriers such as inadequate IT systems, a lack of support and digital skills Continue Reading
News 05 Jul 2018

UK labour market could be harmed by private sector roll-out of IR35 reforms, consultancy warns

As the government continues to consult on extending the IR35 reforms to the private sector, research suggests contractors will not take kindly to the move Continue Reading
News 04 Jul 2018

Annual IPA report shows state of major government IT projects

None of the 29 government IT projects are given the lowest “red” ranking, but seven projects are rated as “amber/red”, including the Home Office digital borders programme and the NHS e-referral service, meaning successful delivery is in doubt Continue Reading
News 04 Jul 2018

Software firm Clevermed enhances NHS user experience on Health and Social Care Network

Clevermed, a supplier of maternity and neonatal care record software to the NHS, reveals how users are benefiting after it switched to the new Health and Social Care Network Continue Reading
News 03 Jul 2018

NHS data breach caused details of 150,000 patients to be shared

The NHS has inadvertently shared the confidential data of 150,000 patients over a three-year period due to a coding error in one of the most common GP IT systems Continue Reading
News 02 Jul 2018

Huge potential for use of big data to improve ambulance services, report finds

King’s College London report says government should explore value of big data, and calls for London ambulance services to partner with TfL to navigate traffic ‘more intelligently’ Continue Reading
News 02 Jul 2018

Singapore’s Fullerton Health gears up for the cloud

Private healthcare service provider Fullerton Health is moving business applications to Microsoft’s cloud services before rolling out data analytics and artificial intelligence to enhance operations and patient care Continue Reading
News 29 Jun 2018

Home Office criticised over ESN review progress

In an appearance before the Public Accounts Committee, Home Office permanent secretary Philip Rutnam defended the progress of the ESN project review Continue Reading
News 29 Jun 2018

NHS Digital signs three-year cyber security partnership with IBM

Partnership with IBM aims to bolster cyber security responses and defences, including expanding NHS Digital’s Cyber Security and Operations Centre Continue Reading
News 28 Jun 2018

Two further regions join care record exemplar programme

Yorkshire and Humber and Thames Valley have been chosen by NHS England to join the three other care record exemplars, each receiving up to £7.5m to speed up delivery of integrated health and care Continue Reading
News 27 Jun 2018

Government must challenge popular smart city misconceptions

A report by the All Party Parliamentary Group on Smart Cities says many people feel alienated by the concept, and calls on the government to challenge some popular misconceptions Continue Reading
News 27 Jun 2018

Cyber criminals 'infect and collect' in cryptojacking surge

Illicit cryptocurrency mining offers cyber criminals lower risk, higher efficacy and greater ease of making money, adding passive exploitation to ransomware extortion, data breach theft and fraud, a report reveals Continue Reading
News 27 Jun 2018

Brent Council tenants to receive full-fibre broadband service

Borough-wide FTTP broadband roll-out could address up to 100,000 homes and businesses in North London Continue Reading
News 27 Jun 2018

Technology key to keeping staff happy

Giving employees access to the latest technologies will improve their satisfaction and increase productivity, survey shows Continue Reading
News 27 Jun 2018

AI and other tech key to post-Brexit success, says Matt Hancock

Digital secretary Matt Hancock highlights the importance of emerging technologies to the future of the UK at the opening of London’s cyber security innovation centre Continue Reading
News 26 Jun 2018

NHS collaborates with private health on sharing patient data

Work has begun on establishing a set of data standards to enable private healthcare patients’ data to be shared with the NHS Continue Reading
News 25 Jun 2018

Mobile spectrum sharing is vital for UK 5G roll-out, says report

A report commissioned by independent network builders’ body Inca has warned that current approaches to how spectrum is apportioned are leaving vast amounts unused, and this needs to change Continue Reading
News 25 Jun 2018

UK Space Agency offers £4m fund for using space tech in the NHS

The UK Space Agency is giving £4m to innovators working to adapt space technology to improve medical treatment and care in the NHS Continue Reading
Feature 22 Jun 2018

Assessing the hyperscale squeeze on G-Cloud's SMEs

The latest government spend data suggests public sector IT buyers are increasingly using G-Cloud to procure services from the hyperscale cloud community, prompting concerns about the impact this might have on the SME-friendly framework Continue Reading
News 22 Jun 2018

SME provider takes on Cambridgeshire public sector network contract

Managed network services provider MLL Telecom has been awarded the EastNet contract to run WAN services across Cambridgeshire, replacing a legacy Virgin Media Network Continue Reading
News 21 Jun 2018

A dozen councils get tech innovation funding

The councils will use the funding, awarded by NHS Digital and the Local Government Association, to pilot how technology can improve social care services Continue Reading
News 21 Jun 2018

How NHS visa cap exemption could help boost tech sector

The government has announced that NHS doctors and nurses will no longer be subject to Tier 2 visa caps, but what does this mean for the technology industry? Continue Reading
News 20 Jun 2018

Nine out of 10 enterprises will use robotic process automation by 2020

Robotic process automation take-up expected to reach 92% of European enterprises within two years, finds ISG survey Continue Reading
News 19 Jun 2018

Government’s broadband service obligation derided by industry

As Ofcom starts the process of finding a provider willing to step up to manage the government’s 10Mbps broadband universal service obligation, the project has been derided by network builders and stakeholders alike Continue Reading
News 19 Jun 2018

NHS trust dumps creaking EMC SAN for Nutanix hyper-converged

Derbyshire-based NHS trust had reached end-of-life with Dell servers and EMC SAN, so it took the plunge with Nutanix hyper-converged to reap space, power and reliability gains Continue Reading
News 18 Jun 2018

Theresa May gives NHS £20bn birthday gift and says tech is key

The prime minister promises to increase NHS funding by an extra £20bn a year by 2023, and highlights importance of tech in improving care and enabling earlier diagnosis Continue Reading
Feature 15 Jun 2018

IPsoft’s digital worker is part of a shift in human productivity

IPsoft used its annual user summit to allow customers to update themselves on the career of its cognitive digital agent Amelia Continue Reading
News 15 Jun 2018

DeepMind Health must be transparent to gain public trust, review finds

Independent review of DeepMind Health says the company should provide more clarity on data and business plans, while legal audit finds its controversial data-sharing deal with Royal Free is lawful Continue Reading
News 15 Jun 2018

Nordic healthcare services provider outsources IT infrastructure

Healthcare service provider Falck is planning to transform its business with a standardised and simplified IT infrastructure at the core Continue Reading
News 14 Jun 2018

Government launches £50m competition for digital pathology and imaging

The government will provide funding for up to six specialist centres focusing on digital pathology or medical imaging, as part of the drive to make the UK a world leader in the field Continue Reading
News 14 Jun 2018

Cyber attack warnings highlight need to be prepared

Fresh warnings about the vulnerability of national infrastructure to cyber attacks show the need for securing and monitoring associated control systems connected to the internet Continue Reading
News 14 Jun 2018

GP at Hand service will destabilise GP practices, says Unite

Union calls on government to scrap on-demand GP app, saying it threatens the future of NHS GP practices and is eroding the personal relationship between patients and clinicians Continue Reading
News 12 Jun 2018

Mayor Khan bids to make London the world’s smartest city

At London Tech Week, mayor Sadiq Khan launched a city-wide initiative to harness the capital’s technology talent to address London’s most pressing problems Continue Reading
News 12 Jun 2018

Wales to launch £100m transformation fund for health and social care

Welsh government promises to increase investment in digital technologies and infrastructure, improve digital leadership and establish a national data resource to share information Continue Reading
News 08 Jun 2018

Medical firm puts vTax and SAN to sleep to save £30,000 with Scale

Penlon replaces HPE servers and storage and VMware virtualisation to escape the high costs of licensing, and deploys Scale Computing hyper-converged appliances at two UK datacentres Continue Reading
News 07 Jun 2018

IT spending reaches 10-year high as CIOs struggle with digital technology strategy

IT leaders have seen their budgets and headcounts rise for the first time in 10 years, but face challenges implementing their digital strategies Continue Reading
Opinion 05 Jun 2018

Big data skills shortages – and how to work around them

Businesses are finding it hard to recruit enough people with big data and analytics skills, but for CIOs there are alternative strategies to consider Continue Reading
News 31 May 2018

Sweden and India in technology collaboration

Sweden has entered a partnership with India that will include joint work on smart city and mobility technologies Continue Reading
News 31 May 2018

Artificial intelligence identifies skin cancer in lab test more effectively than doctors

Artificial intelligence has outperformed experienced dermatologists in identifying skin cancer samples, further highlighting the potential of the technology in healthcare Continue Reading
News 30 May 2018

Ontario Institute for Cancer Research uses open source clouds to aid cancer research

OICR explains why it is backing open source software and commodity hardware to help accelerate the pace of cancer research across the globe Continue Reading
Opinion 30 May 2018

Tier 2 visas – a challenge for the tech sector

With staff shortages already being reported in the technology sector and Brexit potentially adding to the problem, tech departments need to get their Tier 2 visa applications right Continue Reading
News 29 May 2018

Firms step up spending on digital tech, but struggle with strategy

Businesses and the public sector are stepping up their spending on digital technology, but many business leaders are struggling to keep pace with what it means for their business Continue Reading
News 25 May 2018

GDPR puts people first, says ICO

The day of 25 May 2018 marks the biggest change to UK data protection law in a generation, with benefits for businesses and consumers, according to the UK privacy watchdog Continue Reading
News 25 May 2018

Commitment is the watchword on GDPR D-Day

New rules for protecting European citizens’ personal data are now enforceable by law, and organisations are being advised to focus broadly on commitment rather than narrowly on compliance Continue Reading
News 24 May 2018

NHS England chooses care record exemplars

Greater Manchester, Wessex and One London are the three areas chosen to become Local Health and Care Record Exemplars, and will receive national funding over two years Continue Reading
News 24 May 2018

NHS to launch national data opt-out tool

Patients will be able to opt out of having their health and care data shared by using an online tool developed by NHS Digital Continue Reading
Opinion 22 May 2018

Taking the quantum leap: What is quantum technology for business?

Quantum computers are many years away, but the first applications of quantum technology will arrive in only one or two years – so businesses need to be ready Continue Reading
Feature 22 May 2018

Digital identity: Is the puzzle about to be solved?

Solving the digital identity problem is key to the future of the digital economy as a whole – but how close are we? Computer Weekly looks at what is happening with Gov.uk Verify, private sector involvement, and lessons the UK could learn from other countries Continue Reading
E-Zine 22 May 2018

GDPR is here – are you ready?

The EU’s new data protection regulation, GDPR, comes into force this week. In this edition of Computer Weekly, we ask if companies are ready for it and look at what happens if you’re not yet compliant. Our latest buyer’s guide examines digital transformation and the role of the CIO. And we find out how technology is changing the traditional sport of cricket. Read the issue now. Continue Reading
News 21 May 2018

AI could transform cancer diagnosis, says prime minister

Theresa May says artificial intelligence could revolutionise diagnosis of chronic diseases and save 22,000 lives a year by 2033 Continue Reading
News 18 May 2018

IR35 reforms: Government invites feedback on plans to extend tax avoidance rules to private sector

The government is pushing ahead with its plans to explore the possibility of extending the controversial IR35 tax avoidance reforms to the private sector, much to the chagrin of stakeholders Continue Reading
News 18 May 2018

GDS seeks advice on migration from Public Services Network

The Government Digital Service has started the process of moving public sector organisations away from the Public Services Network Continue Reading
News 16 May 2018

NHS England on the cusp of launching first citizen identity pilot

The NHS will begin trialling its identity verification system with a non-clinical service shortly, with 20 other services in the pipeline, according to NHS England chief digital officer Juliet Bauer Continue Reading
News 15 May 2018

SMEs more worried about GDPR’s threat to reputation than fines

SMEs are more worried about the damage GDPR non compliance will do to their reputations than their wallets Continue Reading
News 15 May 2018

Credential theft a top priority, Rapid 7 report shows

Credential theft is still a top priority for organisations to address in terms of making it more difficult for cyber attackers to gain unauthorised access to their networks, report reveals Continue Reading
News 15 May 2018

The NHS is failing to deliver 'basic IT', says Matthew Swindells

NHS England’s national director for operations and information calls for the NHS to get to grips with data, and says it won’t be able to deliver an integrated health and care system without getting the basics right Continue Reading
News 11 May 2018

GDS wants to take 'hands off control' on digital identity, says Gov.uk Verify boss

Gov.uk Verify boss Nic Harrison says GDS wants to take its “hands off the controls” of identity, as he confirms target of 25 million Verify user accounts “won’t all be created by government” Continue Reading
Opinion 10 May 2018

Hacking the internet of things just got easier – it’s time to look at your security

Are you taking security for internet-connected devices seriously enough? Continue Reading
News 03 May 2018

Fibre network breakthrough has implications for data security

Researchers have devised a new protocol that they claim vastly extends the range of quantum key distribution over fibre networks Continue Reading
News 03 May 2018

Lewisham GP practices to get virtual health assistant app

Thirty-eight GP practices in London borough plan to launch app that includes advice, symptom checker and appointment booking Continue Reading
News 02 May 2018

Fresh blow for Facebook as court refuses stay in Max Schrems legal action

Facebook has lost a legal attempt to delay the Irish High Court from seeking answers from the European Court of Justice over the legality of EU-US data transfers Continue Reading
Opinion 02 May 2018

Outsourcing is not dead or dying – it just needs to be done properly

The collapse of Carillion and the profit warning at Capita have created a false sense of fear about the stability of the outsourcing sector Continue Reading
News 02 May 2018

Up to 270 women may have died due to breast cancer screening IT failure, says health secretary

Computer algorithm failure caused 450,000 women to miss their breast cancer screenings – some of whom will have "had their lives shortened" by the error, Jeremy Hunt has admitted Continue Reading