HSCIC to be renamed NHS Digital

The NHS's Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) is to be renamed as NHS Digital, an attempt to build public recognition and trust in the informational services it provides.

The organisation's works include informatics project management, advising national systems in regards to contractual, clinical safety and information standards, and the publishing of over 260 statistical publications every year.

Speaking at the National Information Board's Leadership Summit, George Freeman, Minister for Life Sciences said: "Healthcare in the 21st century is going digital with improved treatment and care, and with huge benefits for patient safety. The newly named NHS Digital will provide important information and IT services to ensure better care for patients.

"This is an exciting time for NHS leadership in medical technology and NHS Digital will help to develop the NHS's ability to deliver modern services. I'm pleased that Noel Gordon has agreed to lead NHS Digital as the organisation's new chairman."

Current Non-Executive Director and Chair of the Specialised Services Commissioning Committee at NHS England will Chair NHS Digital, bringing with him years of experience in industry innovation and digital technologies.

The announcement reflects the ongoing emergence of the digital healthcare field that has seen some big names investing in a variety of digital health platforms. Perhaps the name making the biggest waves in digital healthcare to date is that of IBM as it continues to expand the reach of its IBM Watson Health venture.

The HSCIC was responsible for the development of open source telehealth kit MediPi – developed using the Raspberry Pi platform - which the NHS will be piloting in the next financial year.