NHS Told: Make Patient Record Systems [United Kingdom]

An NHS England leader has told Trusts to look towards open source for electronic patient record (EPR) systems. During the e-Health Insider (EHI) CCIO open source conference, Richard Jefferson, the Health Service’s head of business systems, claimed such solutions provide “the biggest bang for buck.”

Jefferson also added that the organisation is prioritising the EPR space and encouraging a move to open source because of the greater value for money it offers for Trusts. One reason for this, he claimed, is the higher software licence costs that come with closed source applications.

“If you don’t mind the fact that you’re paying £50 a year for some commodity software, it’s fine. But why put off using it in a clinical setting where you can save hundreds of thousands a year,” Jefferson asked...