Maintaining the safety of operational health ICT systems

Abstract

In the context of increasing complexity and scope of computer systems used in the UK National Health Service, this paper describes the response a Foundation Trust hospital has made to the challenge. From a set of ICT activities which were founded on informal but capable principles, the expansion of the computer systems identified the need for improvements. This increasing awareness was present in the wider NHS, resulting in the publication of standards for applying safety management principles to health related software. This paper summarises the improvement measures taken across a number of areas, taking the safety case report as the focus for safety management activities. © 2011 Springer-Verlag London Limited.