Modernization of the way the National Healthcare Service (NHS) in the U.K. delivers health care and manages patient information is seeing a growing dependence on ICT. This modernization involves the introduction of systems for booking appointments in hospitals directly and the management of patient records stored and shared electronically. Additionally, the prevalence of Health Informatics Systems which are used to access reports and tests results, like pathology and x-rays, require all NHS staff to be proficient in core ICT applications.
In order to better equip staff with the necessary skills to use information to the best advantage of their patients the NHS has adopted the European Computer Driving License (ECDL) as the standard to which all NHS staff should aspire in support of the new information driven service. This project will be delivered to NHS staff throughout the U.K. and will involve over three hundred thousand staff including doctors, administrators and nurses.
