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.

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
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

News 29 Dec 2022

Top 10 Nordic IT stories of 2022

Here are Computer Weekly's top 10 Nordic IT articles of 2022 Continue Reading
Opinion 29 Dec 2022

How does red teaming test the ultimate limits of cyber security?

An expert ethical hacker reveals how he goes about carrying out a red team exercise Continue Reading
News 28 Dec 2022

Top 10 NHS IT stories of 2022

The Covid-19 pandemic demonstrated the benefits of digital transformation across the health and social care sector – but there is still a long way to go. We look back at the stories that tracked progress in 2022 Continue Reading
News 22 Dec 2022

Top 10 cyber security stories of 2022

The war in Ukraine loomed large over the cyber security news agenda, but 2022 also saw growing awareness of open source security, discussion around cyber insurance, and more besides Continue Reading
News 22 Dec 2022

Top 10 crime, national security and law stories of 2022

Here are Computer Weekly’s top 10 crime, national security and law stories of 2022 Continue Reading
News 22 Dec 2022

Top 10 cyber crime stories of 2022

Cyber crime continued to hit the headlines in 2022, with impactful cyber attacks abounding, digitally enabled fraud ever more widespread and plenty of ransomware incidents Continue Reading
News 20 Dec 2022

Four-day working week set to stay at Atom bank

Challenger bank Atom has formalised a four-day working week policy after a successful trial Continue Reading
News 20 Dec 2022

Top 10 IR35 stories of 2022

The implementation of the UK government’s IR35 reforms has continued to generate headlines for Computer Weekly in 2022 Continue Reading
Opinion 19 Dec 2022

Security Think Tank: 2022 brought plenty of learning opportunities in cyber

At the end of another busy 12 months, Turnkey Consulting’s Andrew Morris sums up some of the most important takeaways for cyber pros Continue Reading
Feature 19 Dec 2022

Top 10 storage and backup customer stories of 2022

Here are Computer Weekly’s top 10 storage and backup customer stories of 2022 Continue Reading
News 14 Dec 2022

Private health provider data could be shared with NHS England

Plans are advancing to create a single source of healthcare data in England combining both private providers and the NHS to avoid a repeat of the Ian Paterson scandal Continue Reading
News 14 Dec 2022

Advanced Azov data wiper likely to become active threat

Check Point deep dives into an emergent data wiper strain known as Azov, which is making waves with hundreds of new samples being submitted to VirusTotal daily Continue Reading
News 14 Dec 2022

NHS gets new guidance on public benefits of data sharing

NHS national data guardian Nicola Byrne has published new guidance on how health and social care bodies should approach the task of evaluating public benefit when using data for purposes beyond individual care Continue Reading
News 14 Dec 2022

Ethical hackers flex their muscles in 2022

Ethical hackers working through HackerOne programmes found 21% more vulnerabilities in 2022 than in 2021 Continue Reading
News 14 Dec 2022

Microsoft fixes two zero-days in final Patch Tuesday of 2022

December’s Patch Tuesday is typically a light month for Microsoft, and this year proved no exception, but there are still several critical issues worth addressing, and two zero-days for defenders to pore over Continue Reading
News 13 Dec 2022

EU issues draft data adequacy decision in favour of US

The European Commission has concluded that the United States does ensure an adequate level of protection for personal data transferred from the European Union and will now launch the process towards the adoption of an adequacy decision Continue Reading
News 13 Dec 2022

The nature of the CISO role will be in flux in 2023

As cyber risk outpaces organisational defences, and cyber attacks and breaches cause more and more damage, the nature of the CISO role is entering a state of flux, according to a report Continue Reading
News 13 Dec 2022

Special educational needs students use virtual reality to help navigate real world

Students on the autistic spectrum are using virtual reality to help them prepare for real-world interaction Continue Reading
News 12 Dec 2022

IR35: HMRC claims ‘potential’ legislative change in pipeline to address settlement offset issue

HMRC claims work on a ‘potential legislative solution’ is underway to ensure it does not collect more tax than is due when end-user organisations are found to have made errors in determining the IR35 status of their contractors Continue Reading
Opinion 12 Dec 2022

Security Think Tank: Embrace prioritisation, people, imperfections

Security and IT professionals should try to make peace with their imperfections in 2023, says Nominet CISO Paul Lewis Continue Reading
News 09 Dec 2022

Iranian APT seen exploiting GitHub repository as C2 mechanism

A subgroup of the Iran-linked Cobalt Mirage APT group has been caught taking advantage of the GitHub open source project as a means to operate its latest custom malware Continue Reading
Opinion 09 Dec 2022

Security Think Tank: 2022 changed how we thought about resilience

Increasing cyber resilience is at the heart of the people-processes-technology triangle, and 2022 saw shifts in all three of these aspects, says PA Consulting’s Sharon Shochat Continue Reading
News 08 Dec 2022

Apple to tap third party for physical security keys

Apple is launching a number of new security protections, including the addition of third-party-provided hardware security keys Continue Reading
News 07 Dec 2022

Clinicians who raised patient safety risks claim Berkshire NHS trust deleted email evidence

A tribunal hearing considering claims that an NHS trust destroyed email evidence and had put the safety of geriatric patients at risk, was cut short after clinicians faced “life-changing” costs Continue Reading
Opinion 07 Dec 2022

Security Think Tank: As cyber pros, we need to articulate our needs better

There is always a lot to learn about security, but one of the most important lessons may not relate to technology at all, says Petra Wenham Continue Reading
News 06 Dec 2022

Don’t become an unwitting tool in Russia’s cyber war

Researchers have turned up evidence that enterprise networks are being co-opted by Russian threat actors to launch attacks against targets in Ukraine. How can you avoid becoming an unwitting tool in a state-backed attack? Continue Reading
Opinion 01 Dec 2022

Ransomware: Is there hope beyond the overhyped?

Up-and-coming cyber concepts attack surface management and security mesh architectures seem to hold some promise in tackling ransomware, but they are a little way off maturity Continue Reading
News 30 Nov 2022

Latest LockBit ransomware versions have wormable capabilities

Sophos researchers have reverse-engineered the Lockbit 3.0 ransomware, shedding new light on its evolving capabilities and firming up links with BlackMatter Continue Reading
News 30 Nov 2022

NIS regulations to be extended to cover MSPs

The UK government is moving ahead with plans to update the Network and Information Systems regulations to bring outsourcers and MSPs into scope Continue Reading
News 30 Nov 2022

Scotland launches national digital platform for health and care

The online platform aims to give people access to their health and social care data, as well as provide staff with access to data to inform decisions about care Continue Reading
Opinion 30 Nov 2022

Think technology, process, human risk to manage ransomware

Effective ransomware handling boils down to three core areas – technology, process and human risk Continue Reading
Feature 29 Nov 2022

How gamifying cyber training can improve your defences

Security training is the cornerstone of any cyber defence strategy. With ever-escalating online threats, it is now more important than ever that this training is an engaging experience Continue Reading
News 25 Nov 2022

Data management, backup becoming the CISO's responsibility

More and more CISOs are taking on responsibility for wider data management strategies, and this trend looks set to grow next year Continue Reading
News 25 Nov 2022

Wales launches beta version of its own NHS app

NHS Wales has begun trialling the beta version of its patient-facing app ahead of plans for a full launch next year Continue Reading
Feature 24 Nov 2022

Indefinite storage: What it is and why you might need it

Indefinite storage addresses the issue that archived data may need to be kept well beyond the lifespan of the technology it was written for Continue Reading
Opinion 24 Nov 2022

Your staff are the frontline in your ransomware fight

As part of a solid cyber defence plan, the CISO must make sure that the frontline within the organisation is prepared for an attack, says Theodore Wiggins of Airbus Protect Continue Reading
News 23 Nov 2022

South Korea data adequacy pact brings £15m Brexit bonus

UK government finalises a data adequacy agreement with South Korea, saying it will unlock a post-Brexit business bonus of just under £15m Continue Reading
News 22 Nov 2022

Government launches AI-focused green innovation programme

The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy claims the programme will not only help the UK achieve its net-zero goals, but may also help bring down energy costs Continue Reading
News 22 Nov 2022

Ducktail spins new tales to hijack Facebook Business accounts

The increasingly active Ducktail cyber crime operation is refining its operations, seeking new methods to compromise its victims’ Facebook Business accounts Continue Reading
News 22 Nov 2022

Killnet DDoS hacktivists target Royal Family and others

Russia-aligned hacktivists targeted multiple UK websites, including those of the Royal Family, in a new campaign of DDoS attacks Continue Reading
News 22 Nov 2022

C-suite mystified by cyber security jargon

Malware, supply chain attack, zero-day, IoC, TTP and Mitre ATT&CK are just some of the everyday terms that security pros use that risk making the world of cyber incomprehensible to outsiders Continue Reading
News 21 Nov 2022

Genome lab puts Vast Data’s rapid I/O to work on patient data

French government-backed SeqOIA ditched its Lustre-based storage after it reached performance limits and files got corrupted. That got fixed by a Vast Data QLC flash-based array Continue Reading
News 21 Nov 2022

NHS federated data platform must avoid repeating Care.data mistakes, says national data guardian

UK’s national data guardian agrees with the ambitions of the platform, but warns that the programme must avoid ‘common pitfalls around trust and transparency’ Continue Reading
News 21 Nov 2022

NHS trust that deleted up to 90,000 emails cleared of deliberately concealing evidence

A tribunal found in a high-profile case brought by whistleblower Chris Day that an NHS trust had not deliberately concealed evidence when a director deleted up to 90,000 emails before he was due to testify Continue Reading
News 18 Nov 2022

Is Elon Musk’s Twitter safe, and should you stop using it?

With a litany of security and compliance issues exposed and in many cases caused by Elon Musk’s takeover of social media platform Twitter, some may be asking if it’s still safe or appropriate to use Continue Reading
News 17 Nov 2022

Brexit deregulation will make UK next Silicon Valley, vows Hunt

Chancellor vows to revolutionise how the IT industry is regulated to spur competition, investment and innovation in a technological ‘Big Bang’ Continue Reading
News 17 Nov 2022

Another Log4Shell warning after Iranian attack on US government

The breach of a US federal body by an Iranian threat actor exploiting the Adobe Log4j Log4Shell vulnerability has prompted a fresh flurry of patching Continue Reading
News 17 Nov 2022

Scottish government to pilot digital identity platform in early 2023

Pilot of Scotland’s digital identity platform will be run in partnership with Disclosure Scotland, using secure sign-on and identity verification Continue Reading
News 17 Nov 2022

NHS Digital confirms final settlement of £3.95m with HMRC following conclusion of IR35 investigation

The health service’s digital arm has paid HMRC £3.95m in unpaid tax to cover the cost of its IR35 compliance errors Continue Reading
News 16 Nov 2022

Global network fragmentation a source of increasing risk

Risk consultancy’s report says the weaponisation of cyber space and geopolitical clashes herald a breakdown of global networks into distinct regional or national architectures Continue Reading
News 15 Nov 2022

Commoditisation of NHS tech is a problem, says NHS Digital interim CEO

NHS Digital interim CEO Simon Bolton calls for a stronger mandate from the centre around the systems in use in the NHS, with no more than four to six electronic patient record systems used across the country Continue Reading
News 15 Nov 2022

NHS Scotland extends video consultation scheme

The Scottish Near Me video consultation platform can now be used in community settings such as libraries and health and care centres for GP appointments, hospital appointments, care homes, dietetics and mental health support Continue Reading
Opinion 14 Nov 2022

Security Think Tank: Let’s be transparent about ransomware

Greater transparency regarding ransomware attacks, including details about attack methods used and what kinds of assets were compromised, would likely help the community prevent future attacks Continue Reading
Opinion 11 Nov 2022

Cyber insurance: The good, the bad and the ugly

Most cyber insurance contracts are innately flawed because they exclude losses arising from state-backed cyber attacks, and this will make proper attribution even more important in the future, says Cisco Talos’ Martin Lee Continue Reading
News 11 Nov 2022

Volume of self-reported breaches to ICO jumps 30%

The number of self-reported breaches to the UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office soared by nearly 30% in the 12 months to 30 June 2022 Continue Reading
Feature 11 Nov 2022

An encouraging new conversation around sustainable IT, says Nordic CIO

What started as a whisper a decade ago has become distinctly audible chatter among IT leaders sharing best practices on how to protect the environment Continue Reading
News 11 Nov 2022

17 West Midlands NHS trusts deploy digital pathology

Trusts hope digital pathology programme will transform cancer diagnosis in the region and reduce backlogs Continue Reading
Opinion 11 Nov 2022

Security Think Tank: To stop ransomware, preparation is the best medicine

You can’t ‘stop’ ransomware, but you can do a lot to keep yourself from becoming ensnared when it strikes Continue Reading
News 09 Nov 2022

Microsoft serves smorgasbord of six zero-days

November’s Patch Tuesday fixes significantly fewer vulnerabilities of late, but includes six actively-exploited zero-days, three of them of critical severity Continue Reading
Opinion 09 Nov 2022

Security Think Tank: Anti-ransomware strategies should be as easy as ABC

When developing and implementing ransomware protection strategies, the importance of paying thorough attention to security measures you might consider elementary cannot be understated Continue Reading
Feature 08 Nov 2022

How Imec hopes to industrialise artificial intelligence

Pure research explores the fundamental questions of artificial intelligence, but applied research takes those ideas to industry, making it all worthwhile Continue Reading
Opinion 07 Nov 2022

How government can capitalise on a revolution in data sharing

Alison Pritchard, deputy national statistician at the Office for National Statistics, says the new government Integrated Data Service enables tackling questions that we don’t yet know we need to answer Continue Reading
Opinion 07 Nov 2022

Data-driven decision making will fail – and here is why

Marc Warner, CEO at Faculty, contends that corporate organisations need to go through a cycle similar to the development of scientific thought – from divination, via data deluge to theoretical understanding Continue Reading
Opinion 07 Nov 2022

To fight ransomware, we must treat digital infrastructure as critical

Ransomware defence is failing because we don’t view our digital infrastructure in the same way as our physical infrastructure, argues Elastic’s Mandy Andress Continue Reading
News 04 Nov 2022

Microsoft: Nation-state cyber attacks became increasingly destructive in 2022

The willingness of nation-state actors to conduct destructive cyber attacks is a source of grave concern, as Microsoft’s latest annual Digital Defence Report lays bare Continue Reading
Opinion 04 Nov 2022

Security Think Tank: Ransomware and CISOs’ balancing act

Ransomware has the potential to cause irreversible business damage, so CISOs should consider not only protection but also response and recovery Continue Reading
News 03 Nov 2022

Microsoft pledges $100m in new IT support for Ukraine

Microsoft will continue to offer free-of-charge technology support to Ukraine for the foreseeable future Continue Reading
News 03 Nov 2022

All NHS staff should have basic AI training, says report

A report by the NHS AI Lab and Health Education England calls for all health and care staff to receive training in artificial intelligence as the technology will be increasingly adopted in healthcare practice Continue Reading
News 02 Nov 2022

UK spent £6.4m on secret cyber package for Ukraine

Westminster has revealed for the first time the existence of a previously top-secret security programme that has been helping Ukraine fend off Russian cyber attacks Continue Reading
Opinion 02 Nov 2022

Security Think Tank: Know your networks, know your suppliers

To combat the ransomware scourge, we must work harder to monitor and learn from the increasingly complex threat environment, keep a closer eye on supply chains, and share our insights Continue Reading
Definition 01 Nov 2022

biotechnology (biotech)

Biotechnology is the use of biology to develop new products, methods and organisms intended to improve human health and society. Continue Reading
News 01 Nov 2022

A third of UK cyber leaders want to quit, report says

Nearly a third of UK security leaders are considering leaving their current role, and more than half are struggling to keep on top of their workload Continue Reading
News 01 Nov 2022

Scotland’s Data Lab CEO Brian Hills on its ambition to change lives

Brian Hills, chief executive of The Data Lab in Scotland, on why he thinks the organisation’s mission is less about data and more about changing lives by giving people career opportunities Continue Reading
News 31 Oct 2022

Prepare today for potentially high-impact OpenSSL bug

OpenSSL trailed a critical vulnerability patch last week, which will be only the second such flaw ever found in the open source encryption project. Unfortunately, the first was Heartbleed Continue Reading
Opinion 31 Oct 2022

Security Think Tank: Container security: why so different?

Done well, container security can be a model for securing the enterprise, and businesses that focus their teams on solving it can help accelerate positive change in other areas Continue Reading
Podcast 28 Oct 2022

Top 50 women in UK tech, IR35 Truss fiasco – Computer Weekly Downtime Upload podcast

The team reflects on the announcement of the Most Influential Women in UK Technology 2022, the IR35 reforms being scrapped, then not, and Dreamforce & Oracle Cloud World in the US Continue Reading
Opinion 28 Oct 2022

How has container security changed since 2020, and have we taken it too far?

While containers are now one of the most popular ways to deploy applications, it is fair to say that the adoption and implementation of security best practice to govern their use has not kept up Continue Reading
News 27 Oct 2022

NHS to get new national CISO

The Department for Health and Social Care is seeking a new national CISO, who will be tasked with providing strategic cyber leadership, direction and expertise across DHSC and the wider NHS Continue Reading
News 27 Oct 2022

LinkedIn adds new features to safeguard user privacy, security

Social media platform is adding a number of features and systems designed to protect legitimate users from inauthentic profiles and activity Continue Reading
Feature 26 Oct 2022

Finnish researchers lay the groundwork for flying drones

A large, sparsely populated country, Finland is preparing for a future where it could rely on flying drone technology Continue Reading
News 26 Oct 2022

UKCloud in liquidation: Troubled public sector cloud provider hit with winding up order

Public sector sovereign cloud provider served with winding-up order nine months after an acquisition that was intended to address a £30m funding shortfall at the firm Continue Reading
News 25 Oct 2022

Apple patches new iPhone zero-day

Apple’s latest patch fixes yet another zero-day, as security issues keep surfacing in its mobile products Continue Reading
News 24 Oct 2022

Government speeds up NHS Digital and NHS England merger

NHS bodies will now merge in early January 2023, aiming to create a single statutory body for NHS data and technology Continue Reading
News 24 Oct 2022

Half of staff might quit after a cyber attack, report says

Findings from a survey of CISOs, IT leaders and staffers reveal how experiencing a cyber incident may take a larger-than-thought toll on employee retention Continue Reading
News 21 Oct 2022

Ukrainian and UK IT sectors to deepen collaboration, partnerships

BCS, the Chartered Institute for IT, and the IT Ukraine Association have signed an MoU to deepen collaboration between the UK and Ukrainian IT sectors, and champion new partnerships and growth opportunities Continue Reading
News 20 Oct 2022

Cyber professional shortfall hits 3.4 million

Shortage of cyber security professionals continues to grow and shows no signs of abating, says report Continue Reading
News 20 Oct 2022

Singapore extends cyber security labelling scheme to medical devices

The Cyber Security Agency of Singapore is extending its cyber security labelling scheme to medical devices to encourage medical device manufacturers to adopt a security-by-design approach to product development Continue Reading
News 19 Oct 2022

Oracle CloudWorld 2022: Ellison vaunts centrality of healthcare to mission

Oracle CTO Larry Ellison put the company’s healthcare initiatives front and centre of its vision during his keynote at Oracle CloudWorld 2022 in Las Vegas Continue Reading
News 19 Oct 2022

Treat cyber crime as a ‘strategic threat’, UK businesses told

The government’s new National Cyber Advisory Board aims to help elevate cyber discussion and spur action in the business community Continue Reading
News 17 Oct 2022

Government u-turns on plans to scrap IR35 reforms in public and private sector from April 2023

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt confirms that the planned repeal of the IR35 reforms in the public and private sector is cancelled Continue Reading
News 14 Oct 2022

Office 365 email encryption flaw could pose risk to user privacy

A vulnerability in Microsoft Office 365 Message Encryption could leave the contents of emails dangerously exposed, but with no fix coming it’s up to users to decide how at risk they are Continue Reading
News 14 Oct 2022

Advanced: Healthcare data was stolen in LockBit 3.0 attack

Advanced has revealed a total of 16 of its health and social care sector customers had their data exfiltrated in a recent ransomware attack Continue Reading
News 12 Oct 2022

NCSC urges organisations to secure supply chains

NCSC’s latest guidance package centres supply chain security, helping medium to large organisations assess and mitigate cyber risks from suppliers Continue Reading
News 11 Oct 2022

Public sector spend on IT climbed to £12.6bn in 2021

Public sector bodies IT spend went up 10% last year, but the majority of the money went to large IT suppliers with 89% of the total spend going to so-called ‘tech titans’, according to a report from Tussell Continue Reading
News 10 Oct 2022

BHRUT launches digital surgery clinic

Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust’s digital surgery clinic, thought to be the first in the world, will give 700 patients access to a digital platform to help them prepare for surgery and speed up recovery Continue Reading
News 06 Oct 2022

NHS looks to improve digital mental health support

NHS England plans for programme to use digital technologies and data to improve mental health treatment and help patients access services Continue Reading
E-Zine 04 Oct 2022

Putting APIs to work

In this week’s Computer Weekly, our latest buyer’s guide looks at application programming interfaces (APIs) and how they can connect internal and external business processes. We examine the challenges and opportunities of using AI in healthcare. And we find out how retailers are turning to specialist apps to reduce food waste. Read the issue now. Continue Reading
News 30 Sep 2022

Interview: Rachel Hilliam, chair, Alliance for Data Science Professionals

Rachel Hilliam talks about the origins, mission and future plans for the Alliance for Data Science Professionals Continue Reading
Guide 28 Sep 2022

Essential Guide: Data Analytics in Healthcare

In the healthcare industry, a large amount of data is already being collected to generate insights on emerging conditions and to improve patient care. Yet, like other industries, the healthcare sector continues to grapple with issues such as data silos and security challenges that stand in the way of harnessing insights. Continue Reading
News 28 Sep 2022

Whistleblower Peter Duffy calls for oversight of NHS records to prevent evidence tampering

A whistleblower has called for greater oversight in the handling of ‘safety-critical digital information’ across the NHS, in light of a number of cases that raise questions about data governance and record-keeping within the health service Continue Reading