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
26 Oct 2020
Dutch government ‘unambitious’ in digital
The Netherlands has been working at home as much as possible since the outbreak of Covid-19, but its dependence on technology and connectivity does not seem to be reflected by the government’s approach to digitisation Continue Reading
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News
26 Oct 2020
Cooperation between Norway’s security agencies planned following cyber attack on parliament
Government seeks to develop enhanced national IT infrastructure with an embedded early warning system and defence shield to protect the IT systems of public and private organisations Continue Reading
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News
22 Oct 2020
Nordic countries in denial over IT industry equality
Arriving in Denmark to find she was the only woman on a computer science master’s course was a shock to Plamena Cherneva Continue Reading
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News
22 Oct 2020
Bath and North East Somerset goes live with integrated care record
Record system allows health and care professionals to share information across Virgin Care, local GPs, Royal United Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Bath and North East Somerset Council Continue Reading
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News
19 Oct 2020
Prisons to virtually connect to NHS hospitals
Tech deal means prisoners will be able to virtually see NHS consultants without needing to physically attend the hospital Continue Reading
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Opinion
19 Oct 2020
What will it take for humanity to fully understand tech?
The failure of the coronavirus contact-tracing system, due to limits set by an old Excel format, demonstrates a failure of technology to cope with human reliance Continue Reading
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News
19 Oct 2020
UK Space Agency funds three Covid-19 tech projects
Projects include drones to carry coronavirus tests and samples, a mobile app using satellite technology to provide access to community transport, and e-learning courses in Earth observation data analysis Continue Reading
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News
16 Oct 2020
UK announces proposals to protect cash amid evolution of digital payments
Government wants to ensure access to physical currency by consumers at retailers of all sizes Continue Reading
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News
16 Oct 2020
Serco and Sitel contact-tracing contracts agreed to be penalty-free for underperformance
Penalties for underperformance were not included in NHS contact-tracing contracts with Serco and Sitel, it has emerged from questions to the Department of Health by Conservative MP David Davis Continue Reading
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News
16 Oct 2020
UK government aims to prioritise future innovations
Government research has been published to enable evidence-based recommendations on emerging technology with greatest impact Continue Reading
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News
16 Oct 2020
Welsh shared electronic record project is far from realising ambition, says auditor
Welsh Community Care Information System roll-out, originally due in 2018, is taking longer and costing more than expected, and the prospect of a full take-up among local organisations is still uncertain Continue Reading
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News
15 Oct 2020
Cloud data protection keeps the Crick’s medical research Covid-secure
Cloud data management services from Rubrik gave the Francis Crick Institute a data protection edge and have helped keep its vital work going through the pandemic Continue Reading
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News
14 Oct 2020
Public sector security failings leave UK at risk, says think tank
Reform report urges adoption of new policies in the next version of the UK’s National Cyber Security Strategy Continue Reading
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News
14 Oct 2020
NHS England issues integrated cloud ERP procurement advice call
NHS England is calling on software suppliers for advice concerning the feasibility of moving and integrating its ERP systems in cloud infrastructure Continue Reading
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News
13 Oct 2020
GMB Union boss calls for Dido Harding to resign from NHS Test and Trace
Following the news that a technical glitch caused 16,000 coronavirus cases to go unreported, the GMB Union has called for Test and Trace chair Dido Harding to quit Continue Reading
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News
12 Oct 2020
UK economy could see blockchain boost worth £57bn by 2030
Blockchain could provide major economic benefits by being used to track and trace products and services Continue Reading
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Opinion
08 Oct 2020
Excel is the hammer for too many businesses’ nails
Excel is a fine piece of software, but as Public Health England found out, its ubiquity and ease of use does not make it the ideal tool for every job that involves data Continue Reading
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News
08 Oct 2020
Care Quality Commission enquiries into IT scandal CEO continue
NHS regulator continues enquiries about the appointment of former Post Office CEO at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust as more damning details emerge Continue Reading
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Blog Post
07 Oct 2020
Track and trace: please call in the IT experts
At the end of September, 15,841 cases of coronavirus, over an eight day period, were lost due to an IT glitch. The bug meant that there were long delays in contact tracing staff reaching people who ... Continue Reading
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News
06 Oct 2020
Scotland seeks views on digital government
Scottish government consults on how to build a digital Scotland, ahead of plans to deliver a new digital strategy for the country Continue Reading
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Feature
06 Oct 2020
UK government coronavirus data flawed and misleading
Government Covid-19 coronavirus data has been a miasma of inexactitude, often basically flawed and misleading Continue Reading
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News
06 Oct 2020
Cambridge to host UK’s most powerful supercomputer
The Cambridge-1 supercomputer, based on technology from Nvidia, will be used for AI-powered drug discovery and analysis of NHS datasets Continue Reading
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News
05 Oct 2020
NHS trusts across Greater Manchester embark on diagnostic imaging project
Eight NHS trusts will all get a region-wide, cloud-based picture archiving and communication system (PACS) and a new supplier-neutral archive from Sectra, allowing them to share images across the region Continue Reading
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News
05 Oct 2020
Technical glitch causes nearly 16,000 Covid-19 cases to go unreported
According to Public Health England, a technical glitch led to 15,841 positive results between 25 September and 2 October not being included in reported coronavirus cases Continue Reading
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News
02 Oct 2020
Honesty is the best policy: Forging a security culture in the NHS
Clinician and technologist Sam Shah helped set up NHSX in 2019. Now he’s helping advance digital transformation in healthcare from the outside, and a big part of that is addressing security in the sector Continue Reading
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News
02 Oct 2020
How CH Robinson is embracing IoT to transform supply chains in the pandemic
Logistics giant has partnered with Microsoft to sophisticate its approach to digitisation and better serve its clients with more visibility and crucial insights for decision-making Continue Reading
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News
01 Oct 2020
Most people are happy to see their GP virtually, survey shows
Research from healthtech company Visionable finds there has been a significant rise in GP video consultations, and that attitudes to communication technology have changed during the pandemic Continue Reading
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News
01 Oct 2020
Trust in government technology is key to adoption
Panellists at GovTech Summit 2020 speak about the need to build trust in government digital services, as the pandemic has created room for increased use of technology in the public sector Continue Reading
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News
30 Sep 2020
Norway leaves door open to Huawei
Government gives telecoms companies responsibility to choose their equipment suppliers, which could include Huawei Continue Reading
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News
29 Sep 2020
Coronavirus has changed perception of healthtech, say ministers
German health minister Jens Spahn and UK health secretary Matt Hancock say Covid-19 has accelerated healthcare technology adoption across Europe and changed attitudes towards tech in the healthcare system Continue Reading
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News
29 Sep 2020
Ryuk attack downs private health provider in major incident
Private healthcare provider UHS has been been hit by a major big game hunting cyber attack that infected its systems with the Ryuk ransomware Continue Reading
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News
28 Sep 2020
Government launches new genomics strategy
Genome UK strategy sets out plans to harness technological and science advances to create the “world’s most advanced genomic healthcare system” Continue Reading
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News
28 Sep 2020
Government updates data ethics framework
The new data ethics framework was created to better reflect how projects are run in practice after finding there was “little awareness” of the previous framework across the public sector Continue Reading
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News
24 Sep 2020
NHS whistleblower privacy concerns passed on to regulator, but campaigners not holding their breath
NHS Improvement chair Dido Harding acknowledges receiving concerns raised about the anonymity of whistleblowers, but campaigners have little faith that anything will be done Continue Reading
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News
24 Sep 2020
Government blasted over ‘reckless’ contact-tracing security
The Open Rights Group and Big Brother Watch accuse the government of endangering public health with a reckless attitude to contact-tracing data security Continue Reading
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News
23 Sep 2020
Over half of firms intend to continue US data transfers despite Schrems II
Survey shows many organisations do not intend to significantly change their data-sharing practices, at least until there is more guidance from regulators or governments Continue Reading
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Opinion
23 Sep 2020
Top 10 skills to include in your IT CV
Find out what skills and keywords you should include on your CV to stand out as an IT professional in a competitive market Continue Reading
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News
22 Sep 2020
Wielding influence: The challenges CIOs face under Covid-19
IT decision-makers are more necessary than ever, but their skills are being put to the test as the implications of the pandemic and the role of technology in the business evolves, according to the 2020 global CIO survey by Harvey Nash and KPMG Continue Reading
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News
21 Sep 2020
How Alder Hey NHS Trust uses HoloLens in the operating theatre
Mixed reality provides a way to present medical data and enable experts and consultants to offer advice during complex procedures Continue Reading
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News
21 Sep 2020
NHS tech bosses outline cost of coronavirus app development
The government is forecasting spend to exceed £35m in the controversial contact-tracing app, a Public Accounts Committee on digital transformation in the NHS has heard Continue Reading
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News
18 Sep 2020
Outgoing NCSC CEO: Ransomware threat kept us up at night
Former NCSC CEO Ciaran Martin sheds some light on some of the biggest cyber threats currently facing the UK Continue Reading
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News
18 Sep 2020
Open Data Institute explores diverse range of data governance structures
Unlocking the economic and social potential of data will require a diverse range of governance structures to meet the needs of different contexts, use cases and stakeholders Continue Reading
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News
18 Sep 2020
German authorities probe ransomware hospital death
Hackers failed to extort a ransom from University Hospital Düsseldorf, but indirectly caused the death of a patient Continue Reading
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Opinion
18 Sep 2020
Data institutions play critical role in solving global social problems
Nigel Shadbolt, co-founder of the Open Data Institute, argues that a new breed of data institutions have a key role to play in unlocking the social and economic value of data Continue Reading
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News
17 Sep 2020
Government IT leaders on how Covid crisis will shape future delivery
At a TechUK Building the Smarter State event, government IT leaders shared their experience of the coronavirus crisis, and their thinking about how future service delivery will aim to be more joined-up for citizens Continue Reading
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Feature
17 Sep 2020
Covid crisis shifts supply chain management from efficiency to resilience
Supply chain management seems to be changing profoundly as the coronavirus pandemic unfolds, possibly shifting from an economy of efficiency to resilience, harnessing trading networks, machine learning and robotic process automation Continue Reading
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News
17 Sep 2020
DWP accelerates digital transformation amid Covid-19 crisis
The Department for Work and Pensions has released an update of the efforts made in the past six months across key digital services, with progress accelerating due to the pandemic Continue Reading
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News
16 Sep 2020
Singapore partners Apple on LumiHealth
Singapore’s Health Promotion Board has developed a programme with Apple to encourage healthy living following a similar partnership with Fitbit last year Continue Reading
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News
15 Sep 2020
Data of every Welsh Covid-19 patient leaked online
Data on all 18,105 people in Wales who have received positive tests for the coronavirus was uploaded to a public-facing web server in error Continue Reading
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E-Zine
15 Sep 2020
How data has helped in the fight against coronavirus
In this week’s Computer Weekly, we talk to the Office for National Statistics about the important role data plays in the battle against Covid-19. We also look at the speedy deployment of the Scottish contact-tracing app and report on a discussion about the UK government’s delayed response to its digital identity consultation. Read the issue now. Continue Reading
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News
11 Sep 2020
UK ‘future tech’ development gets government funding boost
£65m in funding will be used to develop electric batteries, robotics and advanced healthcare treatments Continue Reading
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News
10 Sep 2020
Government launches £500k healthcare security plan
A £500,000 funding pot from the government aims to help support small and mid-sized healthcare firms during the pandemic Continue Reading
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News
09 Sep 2020
Abu Dhabi government launches peer-to-peer coding campus
Abu Dhabi government launches a specialist programming school that uses peer-to-peer teaching methods and gamification Continue Reading
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News
08 Sep 2020
Matt Hancock announces £50m for healthcare AI projects
The NHS and industry must have a ‘symbiotic’ relationship, says health secretary Matt Hancock as he promises to improve the environment for innovation in healthcare and announces £50m in funding for a series of healthcare AI projects Continue Reading
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News
08 Sep 2020
CIO interview: Paul Neville, director of digital and ICT, Waltham Forest
The IT chief at one of the most digitally advanced London boroughs talks to Computer Weekly about the past, present and future of tech-enabled transformation in times of crisis Continue Reading
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E-Zine
08 Sep 2020
NHS whistleblowers at risk due to poor IT policies
In this week’s Computer Weekly, our investigation into NHS practices shows how poor IT policies are putting whistleblowers at risk. Our buyer’s guide examines the networking implications of the surge in remote working. And we assess how well the public cloud giants responded to the demands of the coronavirus pandemic. Read the issue now. Continue Reading
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07 Sep 2020
NHS whistleblowers’ anonymity at mercy of paltry trust IT policies and processes
They were clapped in the streets for their bravery at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, but some NHS staff who raise workplace concerns are suffering abuse as a result Continue Reading
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News
07 Sep 2020
Government awards £32m funding for ‘pioneering’ health tech projects
Science minister Amanda Solloway will announce £32m in funding for six healthcare technology research projects, including artificial robotic muscular assistance and quantum imaging for monitoring Continue Reading
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News
04 Sep 2020
Covid-19 has strained London tech firms but they have central role in recovery
London tech startups are feeling the effects of the economic slowdown brought on by Covid-19, but there is a huge opportunity for those with the right focus Continue Reading
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News
04 Sep 2020
Virtual London Tech Week is a sign of the future
London Tech week's virtual event is another sign of how the Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated digital transformation Continue Reading
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News
04 Sep 2020
Major border disruption on the horizon as Brexit IT portfolio becomes ‘unmanageable’
The proliferation of new platforms and work behind schedule is among the list of concerns cited in a leaked memo Continue Reading
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News
03 Sep 2020
HMRC appoints Daljit Rehal as CDIO
Former digital and data chief at Centrica, Daljit Rehal, takes the helm at HMRC as chief digital and information officer Continue Reading
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News
02 Sep 2020
Ethical and professional data science needed to avoid further algorithm controversies
BCS is calling for higher ethical and professional standards in algorithmic development to ensure public trust in future government information systems Continue Reading
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News
02 Sep 2020
App integration means emergency services can identify caller location in three words
Capita integrates What3words app into its emergency services control centre platform to help respondents identify the exact location of people who need help Continue Reading
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News
28 Aug 2020
NHS gets £50m in AI funding for digital pathology
Government funding package focuses on earlier diagnosis of cancer in the West Midlands, north of England and London Continue Reading
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News
27 Aug 2020
NHS whistleblowers’ anonymity at mercy of inadequate trust IT policies and processes
They were clapped in the streets for their bravery at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, but some NHS staff who raise workplace concerns are suffering abuse as a result Continue Reading
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News
27 Aug 2020
UK government publishes new insights on transport tech attitudes
The latest wave of the study investigates public attitudes on innovations such as autonomous vehicles and drones Continue Reading
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News
24 Aug 2020
Dutch Alzheimer’s app developed to aid interaction for dementia patients
An app aimed at helping dementia patients and their families has been developed by the Alzheimer Society in the Netherlands. Continue Reading
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News
24 Aug 2020
CCS to launch £800m NHS IT framework
Collaborative framework agreement will cover a range of IT management services for use by NHS Digital and other public sector health and social care organisations Continue Reading
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News
19 Aug 2020
Scotland announces £15m investment to boost connectivity
Funding package aimed at improving internet access for 23,000 low-income households Continue Reading
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News
18 Aug 2020
Government scraps Public Health England
NHS Test and Trace boss Dido Harding will run a new National Institute of Health Protection dubbed “the best chance” of beating coronavirus by health secretary Matt Hancock Continue Reading
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News
18 Aug 2020
UK Biobank to build AWS-hosted data analysis platform with DNAnexus to speed research
UK Biobank is looking to the cloud to help democratise access to its research data, and ensure the information it holds can be used by as broad a user base as possible Continue Reading
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News
18 Aug 2020
Northern Ireland Covid-19 tracing app reaches 250,000 downloads
In the two weeks since it went live, Northern Ireland’s Covid-19 test and trace app has been downloaded a quarter of a million times Continue Reading
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News
18 Aug 2020
HPE signs 12-month hybrid cloud-focused MoU with UK government
Hardware giant becomes the first non-cloud provider to sign preferential pricing deal with government’s Crown Commercial Service, as push to encourage public sector move to cloud accelerates Continue Reading
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News
14 Aug 2020
UK government investigates AI labour market
Survey will seek to discover new requirements and issues posed by artificial intelligence technology Continue Reading
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News
12 Aug 2020
NHS SBS spies £75m savings on IT purchases through new procurement framework
NHS organisations and public sector bodies will be encouraged to use £500m procurement framework to acquire IT software and hardware in a more cost-effective way Continue Reading
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News
11 Aug 2020
NHS hit by thousands of malicious emails at height of pandemic
The NHS received nearly 30,000 malicious emails at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic in March and April Continue Reading
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News
06 Aug 2020
TfL Go launched to support travel in London during pandemic
New tool aims to enable users to plan routes and comply with social distancing measures while using public transport Continue Reading
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News
06 Aug 2020
NHS seeks new national data guardian for health and care
New national data guardian will take over the post from Fiona Caldicott, working to build trust in data use across health and social care Continue Reading
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News
05 Aug 2020
Egypt’s datacentre plans take key step forward
Government lays the foundations for a datacentre industry with its new data protection law Continue Reading
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News
31 Jul 2020
Hancock: Better tech means better healthcare
The coronavirus pandemic has “catalysed” data-driven decision making in the NHS, according to health secretary Matt Hancock, promising a future NHS that “doubles down” on technological advances Continue Reading
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News
30 Jul 2020
HMCTS video hearings service scrutinised in LSE report
Independent evaluation looks at user experience of video functionality for courts and tribunals Continue Reading
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News
30 Jul 2020
How Broxbourne is evolving digital transformation beyond Covid-19
The small town of Broxbourne in Hertfordshire is building on work before and during the pandemic to advance its modernisation agenda Continue Reading
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News
29 Jul 2020
Campaigners urge government to resist big tech lobbying pressure
Lobbyists for big tech, supported by senior US politicians, have rallied against stricter regulation of technology companies, and threatened the US-UK trade deal unless Britain scraps plans to levy a digital services tax Continue Reading
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Opinion
29 Jul 2020
Taking back control of government data mustn’t leave the public in the dark
Boris Johnson has quietly transferred control over government data to Number 10, without explaining why. The public deserves more involvement in how their personal data is being used, says Labour Continue Reading
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News
28 Jul 2020
Latent demand for fertility tech identified by market study
Global investment in fertility tech startups tops $2.2bn over five-year period, with significant growth opportunities going forward due to combination of technological innovation and latent demand for fertility treatments Continue Reading
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News
28 Jul 2020
Councils get funding to build on Covid-19 digital progress
The latest council funding is intended to ensure continued modernisation in public services delivery Continue Reading
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News
24 Jul 2020
Venture firm Public launches fourth GovTech accelerator
The GovStart 2020 accelerator programme is looking for innovators working on transport, health and workforce-related technology to help get more startups working on the delivery of public services Continue Reading
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News
23 Jul 2020
UK government aims for tech-enabled border
A consultation has been launched to gather views on how digital approaches can improve trader and traveller demands by 2025 Continue Reading
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News
22 Jul 2020
DCMS loses government data policy to the Cabinet Office
Prime minister Boris Johnson has taken away responsibility for the government use of data from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport and given it to the Cabinet Office Continue Reading
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News
22 Jul 2020
New opportunities for Nordic startups post-Covid-19 as virtual offices become the norm
As companies adjust to digital office life in the pandemic era, a host of Nordic startups are already helping them convert these short-term fixes into long-term strategy Continue Reading
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News
21 Jul 2020
CDEI calls for ‘step change’ in public sector data sharing
Public sector needs to change the way data is shared, clarify governance arrangements and work on building public trust and awareness, according to a Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation report Continue Reading
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News
20 Jul 2020
Covid-19 outbreak ramps up data focus at LOTI
The boroughs working in local government coalition LOTI are focusing on joining up and acting on data-driven insights to help communities through the crisis and beyond Continue Reading
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News
17 Jul 2020
How Australia is leading the charge in the Covid-19 fight
Researchers at the University of Queensland worked with IBM to develop a dashboard with machine-learning capabilities to analyse data for a global study on Covid-19 patients in intensive care Continue Reading
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News
16 Jul 2020
Loan charge: Government dashes hopes of revised down settlements for contractors
HMRC and HM Treasury confirm there are no plans to alter the loan charge settlement terms, despite calls from cross-party MPs to consider doing so Continue Reading
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News
16 Jul 2020
NHS to use forecasting tool to manage post-crisis Covid-19 spread
A forecasting tool based on machine learning is to be used by the NHS to identify Covid-19 hot spots and manage post-crisis spread Continue Reading
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News
16 Jul 2020
Russian state hackers attacking Covid-19 researchers
Kremlin-linked APT29 group, also known as Cozy Bear, is conducting a campaign against Covid-19 researchers around the world Continue Reading
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News
16 Jul 2020
IR35 private sector reforms: Government response to Finance Bill Sub-Committee inquiry slammed
Contracting stakeholders claim HMRC and HM Treasury are ‘burying their heads in the sand’ over impact IR35 reforms are set to have on the private sector Continue Reading
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News
16 Jul 2020
Gov.uk Verify sees surge during Covid-19 outbreak but remains unachievable
The government's flagship identity service and over half of the 26 major IT projects led by the government bear highest risks and are unlikely to be completed, according to the Infrastructure and Projects Authority. Continue Reading
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News
16 Jul 2020
Room for improvement in Dutch digital skills
The Netherlands has good telecommunications and IT networks that can be used safely and reliably, but there is room for improvement in digital skills among the Dutch Continue Reading