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.
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Opinion
07 Oct 2025
Why it takes 11 hours to resolve one ID-related cyber incident
A recent ESG study revealed it takes an average of 11 hours for enterprises to resolve a single identity-related security incident. How did we get here, and what do we need to do differently? Continue Reading
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News
07 Oct 2025
Alert over Medusa ransomware attacks targeting Fortra MFT
Microsoft warns it is seeing potential mass exploitation of a Fortra GoAnywhere vulnerability by a threat actor linked to the Medusa ransomware-as-a-service operation. Continue Reading
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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News
02 May 2018
Finnish government launches regional digitisation plan
Finland’s government allocates €400m to support digital projects run by the country’s local authorities Continue Reading
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Feature
02 May 2018
Chatbots demonstrate unexpected range of uses, from mental health to education
Chatbots, software that uses normal language to communicate with people through text or voice, are proving their value in a surprising variety of ways – from accountancy support to mental health Continue Reading
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News
01 May 2018
HMRC dismisses criticism of ‘perfectly good’ IR35 online assessment tool
Senior figures from HM Revenue & Customs have hit back at claims that its online IR35 status tool is not fit for purpose, as survey data suggests public sector contractors are being assessed without the tool’s help anyway Continue Reading
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News
01 May 2018
CIO interview: Martyn Wallace, CDO, Scottish Local Government Digital Office
Scottish local government’s chief digital officer describes the challenges of driving digital change across the country’s councils Continue Reading
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News
01 May 2018
Bristol’s historic bridge pressed into service for rural broadband
Gigaclear is running cables underneath Bristol’s historic Clifton Suspension Bridge to bring ultrafast full-fibre services to forgotten communities Continue Reading
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News
01 May 2018
Imperial College taps volunteer smartphones for cancer research
Imperial College London is working with the Vodafone Foundation to co-opt smartphone processing power for use in cancer research Continue Reading
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News
30 Apr 2018
Security industry welcomes NHS move to Windows 10
Representatives of the security industry have welcomed the announcement that the NHS will be migrating to Windows 10 as part of a multi-million pound deal with Microsoft, but warn that the move will not be without its challenges Continue Reading
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News
30 Apr 2018
Over a million homes can now access FTTP, says Ofcom
Access to viable broadband services continues to improve across the UK, according to Ofcom Continue Reading
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News
30 Apr 2018
Yorkshire and Humber region awards HSCN contract to Redcentric
Network services provider Redcentric wins the first major regional Health and Social Care Network contract as procurements around England gather pace Continue Reading