NHS Digital aims to up its IT and security game

NHS Digital says it wants to overhaul the way it manages the development of all its software and beef up its security, too.

The executive non-Departmental public body last week published the results of a special Capability Review, Fit for 20.

The body says it will move from its existing four development team structure to three, plus install a unified management structure over the rest to inculcate a more consistent system development philosophy.

That will be done by merging two older Health and Social Care Information Centre teams based in Leeds into one, plus work to using just one security operating model, based on the ISO27001 information security standard.

It also aims to set up a new National Security Operations Centre that could offer real-time intelligence on cyber threats to aid the NHS fight future ransomware crises, should they occur.

Commenting on his organisation’s plans, the body’s chair, Noel Gordon, promised, “We are reinventing the culture of NHS Digital to become more flexible and responsive to the very dynamic environment in which we operate.”

Gordon adds that he also wants his organisation to “meet the high expectations of the professionals and public we serve”.

NHS Digital says it is there to help patients, clinicians, commissioners, analysts and researchers against an overall aim of improving health and social care in England by making better use of technology, data and information.

It’s the still relatively new name for The Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC), set up by the Department of Health in April 2013.

Trusted with over £1bn of Department of Health funding and an operating budget of £250m, NHS Digital has a team of 2,500 staff.