Outdated Tech in UK's NHS: A Doctor's Perspective

Imagine working in one of the world's largest public health services, the UK's NHS, but feeling like you're stuck in the stone age. That's what some doctors in the NHS are experiencing due to outdated IT systems. With medical records for nearly 67 million people, a data breach could be catastrophic. Doctors sometimes email patient lists to themselves just to print them elsewhere. This inefficiency costs about 13.5 million working hours annually.

Despite the challenges, the tech industry sees opportunities. The NHS works with numerous suppliers and has collaborated with Google's DeepMind for almost a decade. AI is being developed to assist doctors with admin tasks and even aid in drug discovery. While IT complaints might not seem huge, they could attract malicious hackers, which could lead to a significant data breach. Let's hope the next headlines aren't about a major breach in the NHS system.

Actions