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Creating a new NHS England: Health Education England, NHS Digital and NHS England have merged. More about the merger.

Part of NHS architecture principles

Interoperability with open data and technology standards

Digital services should adopt open data and technology standards.

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Summary

Digital services should adopt open data and technology standards.

Rationale

Open standards permit interoperability between different regions and systems. They also, crucially, permit a modular approach to IT in the NHS, where tools can be replaced with better alternatives as vendors develop better products.

This, in turn, will help produce conditions that promote innovation between developers and vendors, who continuously compete on quality to fill each niche.

Implication

Digital services should conform to best practice during design, development, operation and maintenance phases as specified by design authorities.

Last edited: 12 March 2021 1:34 pm

Previous Chapter

Put user needs first

Next Chapter

Reuse before buy/build

Chapters

  1. NHS architecture principles
  2. All digital services need to be delivered sustainably
  3. Put our tools in modern browsers
  4. Internet First
  5. Public cloud first
  6. Build a data layer with registers and APIs
  7. Adopt appropriate cyber security standards
  8. Use platforms
  9. Put user needs first
  10. Interoperability with open data and technology standards
  11. Reuse before buy/build