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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News
16 May 2023
CW Innovation Awards: Zuellig Pharma dispenses healthcare insights with data platform
The regional pharmaceutical giant’s business intelligence-as-a-service offering is touted to plug data gaps and has helped one pharmaceutical client improve customer loyalty Continue Reading
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News
25 Apr 2023
How non-fungible tokens can be used to manage health data
Non-fungible tokens will give patients more ownership and control over their health data and improve its transparency in healthcare research, according to SingHealth clinicians Continue Reading
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News
22 Jun 2021
NHSX policy document focuses on patients and data sharing
Patient privacy and data and code reuse are three of the pillars outlined in the NHSX’s new data strategy for sharing patient data Continue Reading
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E-Zine
22 Jun 2021
A new three-year plan for digital government
In this week’s Computer Weekly, the new CEO of the Gov-ernment Digital Service, Tom Read, explains his three-year strategy for improving online public services. EU attempts to regulate AI are under fire – we examine the issues. And we find out how Bupa is turning to the cloud to deliver per-sonalised healthcare. Read the issue now. Continue Reading
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News
21 Jun 2021
NHSX set to unveil post-Covid data strategy
The smart use of patient data could power new AI-based healthcare systems and speed up the discovery of new treatments Continue Reading
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News
18 Jun 2021
NHS App reaches six million users, thanks to Covid vaccine feature
More than two million new users have downloaded the NHS App since it was updated in May to include Covid-19 vaccination status Continue Reading
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News
17 Jun 2021
Technology takes centre stage in UK government reform
The government’s tech recovery programme includes a pledge to shift towards data interoperability and phasing out legacy systems Continue Reading
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News
17 Jun 2021
GDS to improve Gov.uk with user monitoring
Gov.uk’s measurement approach is expected to enhance the experience of 335 million users of the government’s online platform Continue Reading
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News
16 Jun 2021
Matt Hancock at CogX: ‘Huge opportunities’ ahead to exploit health data
Health secretary tells CogX 2021 conference in London that huge opportunities lie ahead in the application of analytics to pseudonymised patient data Continue Reading
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News
15 Jun 2021
NHS Test and Trace picks Risk Ledger to secure supply chain
Risk Ledger’s technology promises ‘unparalleled’ visibility into NHS Test and Trace’s supply chain Continue Reading
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News
15 Jun 2021
How healthcare organisations are tapping data analytics
Healthcare providers are harnessing data analytics to improve clinical and operational outcomes even as they continue to face challenges in data aggregation and data protection Continue Reading
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News
11 Jun 2021
UK promises tougher line on cyber crime
Speaking ahead of the G7 Summit, foreign secretary Dominic Raab says the UK is ready to take on cyber criminals and other malicious actors wherever they may be Continue Reading
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News
10 Jun 2021
Risk data shows UK energy sector most vulnerable to cyber attack
New report compiled by insurance firm Hiscox reveals the state of cyber preparedness in the UK and beyond Continue Reading
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News
08 Jun 2021
NHS Digital delays data collection plans until September
NHS Digital has postponed its proposed collection of GP data for two months, to allow more time for the public to understand the process and opt out if wanted Continue Reading
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News
08 Jun 2021
National data guardian calls for dialogue on NHS Digital GP plans
The UK’s national data guardian says it is important the public has clarity on how their confidential medical information will be used and kept secure under NHS data-sharing plans Continue Reading
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News
07 Jun 2021
Campaigners plan legal action over NHS data sharing
Privacy coalition aims to force NHS Digital to push back its plans to scrape medical information on millions of patients into a central database Continue Reading
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Opinion
07 Jun 2021
NHS Digital’s GP data-scraping plan must be publicised and delayed
The UK government must launch a national awareness campaign and delay this month’s planned GP data slurp, say privacy consultants Ben Rapp and Sara Newman Continue Reading
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News
04 Jun 2021
BCS: Lack of communication over NHS GPDPR ‘astonishing’
The Chartered Institute for IT has warned that millions of people are not being properly informed of NHS Digital plans to harvest their data Continue Reading
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News
03 Jun 2021
Swedish university is behind quantum computing breakthrough
Chalmers University of Technology simplifies the process of measuring the temperatures of quantum computers during complex calculations Continue Reading
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Opinion
01 Jun 2021
Long-term thinking is vital to secure UK’s critical infrastructure
To face down the threat of cyber warfare against UK CNI, the government needs long-term thinking that looks beyond the next general election cycle, says Advent-IM’s Mike Gillespie Continue Reading
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News
01 Jun 2021
Ex-IT manager stole over £800,000 from NHS trust
A former senior IT manager at an Essex NHS trust has pleaded guilty to defrauding his employer out of more than £800,000 Continue Reading
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News
01 Jun 2021
NHS trust’s Pioneer data platform joins up care delivery and improves outcomes
University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust aims to improve patient care by bringing together anonymised health data from different care settings to better understand the patient journey Continue Reading
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News
28 May 2021
Privacy experts concerned over NHS data collection plans
Security and data privacy experts warn NHS Digital that its data collection plans could increase risk and cause a public backlash Continue Reading
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News
27 May 2021
How supply chain digitisation is paving the way to gene therapy
Big pharma has been on the frontline to vaccinate the world against Covid-19. Digitising supply chains sets them up to personalise patient care Continue Reading
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News
26 May 2021
Department for Education’s e-learning unpreparedness widens inequality among students
Department is ‘surprisingly resistant’ to a lessons-learned exercise based on findings during Covid, says Public Accounts Committee report Continue Reading
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News
26 May 2021
Google offers free tech skills training to UK jobseekers
Online training in areas such as IT support and UX design will be available through the Department for Work and Pensions Continue Reading
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News
25 May 2021
IR35: MPs denied vote to amend Finance Bill to ‘curb or kill’ umbrella companies
MPs were denied the opportunity to vote in favour of amending the incoming Finance Bill to ‘curb or kill’ umbrella companies, prompting industry watchers to double down on calls for regulation Continue Reading
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News
25 May 2021
UK startups lack gender diversity in senior technical roles
Women account for about 2-3% of engineering and technology directors in startups and scaleups, says report Continue Reading
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News
24 May 2021
IR35: MPs urged to back ‘curb or kill’ umbrella company-focused Finance Bill amendments
Two amendments to the incoming Finance Bill that have the potential to ban the use of umbrella companies are being voted on by MPs in the House of Commons today Continue Reading
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News
23 May 2021
Innovation and skills at the heart of CBI report
The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) wants an inclusive and innovative economy, with increased research and development (R&D) investment and better digital intensity and adoption, particularly among SMEs Continue Reading
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News
21 May 2021
NHS Education for Scotland defends 'decade-long' public cloud deal with AWS
The training arm of NHS Scotland has come under fire from members of the public sector IT supplier community over its decision to award a 10-year cloud contract to AWS Continue Reading
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News
20 May 2021
Government sets out implementation plan for genomics strategy
The 2021-22 implementation plan for government’s 10-year Genome UK strategy includes improving diversity of genomics data, rolling out whole genome sequencing to rare diseases patients, and delivering a proof of concept for a next-generation approach to cancer treatment Continue Reading
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News
19 May 2021
Reports of stolen Irish health service data being leaked online
Leaking of deeply confidential and personal information on patient healthcare marks a new low for the criminal Conti gang Continue Reading
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News
18 May 2021
Legacy data and IT issues ‘laid bare’ during Covid-19, says NAO
The pandemic has exposed challenges with legacy data and IT systems in government, and has made the government response more challenging, says the National Audit Office Continue Reading
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News
18 May 2021
NHS to issue 30,000 iPads to ambulance crews
Mobile devices will allow crews to send photographs to hospital specialists and access health records while at the scene of incidents, aiming to speed up and improve care Continue Reading
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News
18 May 2021
Australian budget lends support to digital economy
Australia’s A$1.2bn Digital Economy Strategy ticks most of the right boxes, but some industry experts say areas such as broadband infrastructure and artificial intelligence are still underfunded Continue Reading
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News
17 May 2021
Half of UK workforce lacks essential digital skills for work
A ‘hidden middle’ of more than 17 million people do not have the abilities needed to participate and contribute to the digital world in life and at work, study says Continue Reading
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News
17 May 2021
Conti ransomware syndicate behind attack on Irish health service
More details continue to emerge of the significant ransomware attack on Ireland’s HSE Continue Reading
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Opinion
17 May 2021
Why new EU rules around artificial intelligence are vital to the development of the sector
Shawn Tan, CEO of global AI ecosystem builder Skymind, explains why the European Union’s new rules on artificial intelligence are a good thing Continue Reading
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Opinion
17 May 2021
Transparency is essential as we enter the era of ‘government by algorithm’
The public sector is increasingly allowing algorithms to make vital decisions that affect people’s lives – but how do we know those algorithms work or what they do? Continue Reading
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News
14 May 2021
Irish health service hit by major ransomware attack
IT systems in hospitals across Ireland have been switched off following a significant ransomware attack Continue Reading
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News
13 May 2021
NHSX data strategy due in ‘a few weeks’
NHSX director of policy and strategy Simon Madden says the long-awaited strategy is expected to “trigger huge debates” on issues such as access, choice and transparency, and will be published in draft form shortly to allow for consultation Continue Reading
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News
13 May 2021
Biden beefs up public-private security cooperation
Joe Biden has signed a new Executive Order to harden US cyber security and government networks, with an emphasis on information sharing Continue Reading
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News
13 May 2021
Refuge launches tech safety site for domestic abuse victims
Created with the help of survivors, Refuge’s resource site offers guidance on protecting yourself from tech-enabled domestic abuse Continue Reading
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News
12 May 2021
NHS Digital replaces system for collection of GP data
New system designed ‘with interests of patients at its heart’ will provide near-real-time primary care data to support improvements in healthcare and help research Continue Reading
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News
12 May 2021
The Security Interviews: Why helpful bots could hurt vaccine roll-outs
Earlier this year, spikes in traffic to websites containing information about Covid-19 vaccines were attributed by Imperva to automated bots scraping data. Why is that a problem? Continue Reading
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News
12 May 2021
Queen’s Speech approaches key themes for UK tech
From online safety to skills for the future, the speech contained several points that are relevant to the industry for the year Continue Reading
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News
11 May 2021
AWS, Microsoft and Google secure spots on £750m UK government Cloud Compute framework
Tech giants Amazon, Microsoft, Google, IBM and Oracle are among the suppliers to secure a place on the four-year CCS Cloud Compute framework Continue Reading
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News
11 May 2021
Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack has grave consequences
The ramifications of a major ransomware attack against a US fuel pipeline operator could spread far and wide Continue Reading
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News
10 May 2021
Telemedicine to save healthcare industry tens of billions globally by 2025
Research predicts good times ahead for key network-based industry, especially as teleconsultations improve patient care, but warns that deregulation of telemedicine is needed to maximise growth Continue Reading
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News
10 May 2021
NCSC Active Cyber Defence blocks surge of pandemic scams
The NCSC responded to a surge in online scams last year as it moved to protect both the general public and critical national services during the pandemic Continue Reading
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News
07 May 2021
NCSC publishes smart city security guidelines
Guidance for local authorities, IT and cyber professionals aims to ensure the security of connected, smart city projects Continue Reading
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News
06 May 2021
Netherlands to build new national supercomputer
The Netherlands has laid out plans for its next national supercomputer, to be known as Snellius Continue Reading
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News
06 May 2021
Wipro’s AI platform to improve vaccine safety
Wipro is partnering a stem cell technology firm on the use of its Holmes artificial intelligence platform to help researchers ascertain the safety and potency of vaccines Continue Reading
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News
05 May 2021
Interview: ONS data science chief Tom Smith on government data capability
The managing director of the Office of National Statistics’ Data Science Campus, Tom Smith, describes the organisation’s data capability building activities for and across government Continue Reading
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News
04 May 2021
Shadow ministers call for public consultation on health data review
Two Labour shadow ministers want a public consultation following the findings of Ben Goldacre’s review on the use of health data for research and analysis Continue Reading
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News
04 May 2021
Tech firms unite to advance diversity and inclusion in the sector
The plan will focus on areas such as leadership representation and inclusive product development Continue Reading
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News
30 Apr 2021
Simon Bolton named as NHS Digital interim CEO
Following the announcement of Sarah Wilkinson’s departure as CEO of NHS Digital, the organisation has appointed NHS Test and Trace CIO Simon Bolton as interim CEO Continue Reading
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News
29 Apr 2021
Public sector organisations ‘in the dark’ about where their data is, suggests UKCloud survey
Response to a poll of public sector IT and business leaders suggests few have any idea if their data is stored in the cloud or on-premise, claims UKCloud Continue Reading
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News
29 Apr 2021
UK demand for digital automation skills soars
The need for automation proficiency has more than doubled in the past two years, according to research Continue Reading
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News
29 Apr 2021
GCHQ: Dyslexic thinkers key to solving UK cyber security challenges
Neurodiverse staff are bringing a unique contribution to keeping the country safe, according to the intelligence and cyber agency Continue Reading
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Opinion
28 Apr 2021
IR35 private sector reforms: What firms need to do now the start date has passed
While the start date for the onset of the IR35 private sector reforms may have passed, firms in-scope of the revamped tax avoidance legislation may find themselves still with plenty of compliance work still to do Continue Reading
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News
28 Apr 2021
NHS App to serve as vaccine passport for foreign holidays
Existing NHS App will have vaccine passport functionality added to it, transport secretary confirms Continue Reading
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News
26 Apr 2021
Digital tech potential in health and social care not yet realised, says King’s Fund
Report by health policy think-tank says that although there is evidence that digital technology can support staff and patients, there are large gaps in the evidence base Continue Reading
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News
23 Apr 2021
HMRC downplays significance of CEO email ‘questioning’ legal basis of loan charge policy
A document dump of emails shared between HMRC officials has prompted loan charge campaigners to further question the legal footing of the government’s controversial disguised remuneration policy Continue Reading
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News
22 Apr 2021
GCHQ: Cyber investment a guarantor of UK’s global status
GCHQ director Jeremy Fleming sets out a vision for the UK’s cyber security future Continue Reading
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Opinion
22 Apr 2021
Security Think Tank: Security culture must underpin vaccine passports
What are the security challenges presented by vaccine passports, and how should they be designed and used with ethics and privacy in mind? Continue Reading
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News
21 Apr 2021
Government should do more to protect well-being in the digital world, says report
A select committee report argues that new health and employment rights are needed to tackle the negative effects of increasing digitisation Continue Reading
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News
21 Apr 2021
UK government renews cloud discount pricing MoU with Microsoft
Three-year deal ensures eligible public sector organisations can continue to access discounted pricing on a range of the tech giant's cloud software and infrastructure offerings Continue Reading
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News
21 Apr 2021
Ocado advances autonomous vehicle strategy with Oxbotica deal
The £10m investment is part of a push to enhance Ocado’s last-mile delivery and logistics capabilities, with first prototypes expected for 2023 Continue Reading
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News
20 Apr 2021
Health app myGP adds Covid-19 vaccine passport function
The new feature is described as the UK’s first NHS-assured Covid-19 certification feature Continue Reading
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News
20 Apr 2021
Government launches plan for smart use of knowledge and innovation
Strategy sets out how Westminster can harness and achieve better value from £104bn worth of innovation and knowledge assets within central government Continue Reading
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News
19 Apr 2021
UK technology job creation nears two-year peak
Pace of recruitment accelerates and optimism reaches highest level since 2014, according to KPMG Continue Reading
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News
19 Apr 2021
Tech professionals most likely to see mental health decline due to pandemic
Struggling to cope with anxiety and new ways of working are among the problems workers in the sector face, study says Continue Reading
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News
16 Apr 2021
Finnish government strengthens country’s IT network security
Finland’s government has created a new national organisation to help public and private bodies improve network security Continue Reading
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News
15 Apr 2021
Google launches multimillion-dollar cloud tech push to boost Covid-19 vaccine distribution
Tech giant Google is ploughing millions of dollars into initiatives to bolster the availability of Covid-19 vaccines and make it easier for people to access information about immunisation programmes Continue Reading
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News
14 Apr 2021
Tesco reports online sales surge, advances digital platform
Retailer announces 77% boost to e-commerce sales, details on Clubcard app uptake and advances in its IT remediation plan Continue Reading
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News
14 Apr 2021
Why Microsoft’s $19bn acquisition of Nuance makes sense
Microsoft regularly demos real-time speech-to-text transcription and has just spent $19bn on bolstering its voice capabilities Continue Reading
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News
14 Apr 2021
Europe provides growth for TCS despite year floored by pandemic
Tata Consultancy Services grows its continental European business despite economic slowdown brought by Covid-19 restrictions Continue Reading
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Opinion
14 Apr 2021
Security Think Tank: Vaccine passports cannot be taken lightly
What are the security issues and challenges presented by vaccine passports, and how should they be designed and used with ethics and privacy in mind? Continue Reading
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Opinion
14 Apr 2021
Security Think Tank: Vaccine passports must be secure by design
What are the security issues and challenges presented by vaccine passports, and how should they be designed and used with ethics and privacy in mind? Continue Reading
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News
13 Apr 2021
Microsoft enters the Dragon’s den with Nuance acquisition
The $19bn acquisition of Nuance firmly plants Microsoft at the forefront of voice recognition. The stage is set to combine voice with artificial intelligence Continue Reading
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Feature
12 Apr 2021
How the Covid-19 Genomics UK Consortium sequenced Sars-Cov-2
Consortium of universities and other institutions has harnessed datasets, analytics and cloud computing to sequence Sars-Cov-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, in a blisteringly short time Continue Reading
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News
09 Apr 2021
University students adapt to remote learning but question value for money
New research outlines students’ fears around the impact of long-term remote education and lecturers’ skills to operate online Continue Reading
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News
09 Apr 2021
Loan Charge Group MPs demand IR35 shake-up to stop contractors becoming ‘zero-rights employees’
Inquiry by Loan Charge All-Party Parliamentary Group calls on government to tweak IR35 legislation during passage of next Finance Bill Continue Reading
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News
09 Apr 2021
Tech industry sees surge in remote working job postings
Pandemic drives an increase in demand for “work anywhere” jobs and hybrid skills, research says Continue Reading
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News
06 Apr 2021
GDS seeks director for identity assurance programme
The new leader will be focused on efforts to deliver a single digital identity system for online public services Continue Reading
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News
31 Mar 2021
NHS is apparently closing security skills gap
By the end of 2020, there were more than twice as many in-house security professionals at NHS trusts as there were two years before Continue Reading
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Opinion
31 Mar 2021
Security Think Tank: Evolving threats, tech, leaves CNI exposed
In light of increasing cyber attacks on critical national infrastructure, what are the immediate risks to industrial control systems and other operational technology, and what steps can be taken to address them? Continue Reading
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News
30 Mar 2021
Privacy campaigners hail legal victory over Hancock and Palantir
Civil liberties organisation OpenDemocracy says it has scored a legal victory over health secretary Matt Hancock regarding the involvement of Palantir in the NHS Covid-19 data store Continue Reading
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News
30 Mar 2021
IR35 reforms: Slow government progress on umbrella regulation exposes IT contractors to tax risks
With thousands of IT contractors set to start working through unregulated umbrella companies for the first time when the IR35 reforms take hold in the private sector, concerns are growing about the danger this could pose to their income and tax affairs in years to come Continue Reading
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News
26 Mar 2021
Sarah Wilkinson resigns as NHS Digital CEO
After four years at the helm of NHS Digital, CEO Sarah Wilkinson will leave in the summer of 2021, and the organisation is looking for an interim replacement Continue Reading
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News
26 Mar 2021
NHS Shared Business Services launches £1bn digital hardware framework
Framework consists of 19 suppliers, and offers user IT hardware products and services to the NHS and public sector organisations Continue Reading
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News
25 Mar 2021
NHS Wales shapes up ambitious plans for digital patient-facing app
Computer Weekly looks at NHS Wales’ project to create a patient-facing app and a collaborative ecosystem for technology suppliers and NHS providers to deliver joined-up care Continue Reading
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News
25 Mar 2021
Liverpool announces test and development area for drone technology
Project aims to stimulate investment opportunities, employment and skills for the region Continue Reading
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News
25 Mar 2021
NHS to digitise the ‘red book’ by 2023
Every child born from April 2023 will have a digital ‘red book’, or personal child health record, Matt Hancock has promised Continue Reading
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News
24 Mar 2021
Cyber criminals forging Covid-19 vaccine certificates
Vaccine passports and certificates are gaining mainstream traction, which means cyber criminals are also on the bandwagon Continue Reading
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News
23 Mar 2021
NUHS taps RPA in Covid-19 swab tests
Singapore’s National University Health System deploys RPA bots to automate patient registration during Covid-19 swab tests as part of broader efforts to improve efficiency Continue Reading
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News
23 Mar 2021
Commission calls for adult social care to get digital revamp
A commission on adult social care has called for the government to fund a personalised social care innovation programme, as well as invest £450m to replace outdated care and housing technology infrastructure Continue Reading
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Opinion
23 Mar 2021
Security Think Tank: Attacks on CNI – an evolving frontier in warfare
In the light of increasing cyber attacks on critical national infrastructure, what are the immediate risks to industrial control systems and other operational technology, and what steps can be taken to address them? Continue Reading
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News
18 Mar 2021
Coronavirus: How PCs in quarantine and intensive care units can be managed remotely
NHS IT staff generally have limited access to deployed devices, especially if that device is in an operating theatre or intensive care unit Continue Reading
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News
18 Mar 2021
Vaccine passports cannot put basic rights at risk, warns BCS
BCS warns of challenges to come as the government presses on with its plans for Covid-19 vaccine passports Continue Reading