Hack the Programme

The “geeks of the NHS” turned out in force this weekend for the very first NHS Hack Day at the University of London. And before anyone uses the comment box to complain, “geeks” was the proud description used by event organiser Dr Carl Reynolds.

NHS Hack Day 2012 was born out of his frustration at the computer systems he has been subjected to since he started work in the NHS, and a conviction that things could be better. The idea of the day – or rather the weekend - was simple. Software developers, doctors, and healthcare leaders had two days to come up with “disruptive solutions to problems in healthcare,” using open source software to improve the lives of NHS staff and patients...

So what did the event achieve? Ewan Davis, of Woodcote Consulting, showed that it wasn’t just the ‘youngsters’ who were keen to embrace the open platform space. “So much has been achieved today in a way that we haven’t seen before. If you compare the progress made in the ten years and £12 billion of the [National Programme for IT in the NHS] with what has gone on today it’s a little bit embarrassing, shall we say. “Most of the clinicians here are from the acute sector and before they have been disenfranchised and disengaged. But suddenly they have found through open source, apps, tablets and mobile devices that they can get engaged and it’s wonderful and really exciting.”...