New company launches networking portal

A new company – Health ICT Portal – has launched a web application that is designed to support communities of interest in healthcare.

The HealthICTPortal web application allows users to enter a graphical Virtual Health Community, with ‘rooms’ devoted hospital departments such as A&E or general wards.

The rooms hold information about standards, hardware and software and other issues that might be of interest to clinicians, managers, IT practitioners and suppliers working with healthcare IT.

The resources are free to NHS and other healthcare provider organisations. However, everybody using the service must register and there is considerable scope for sponsorship and paid content.

The site has launched with a number of user groups in place. The Department of Health Informatics Division is running groups on the interoperability toolkit, clinical data standards assurance, and the technology stream of the QIPP programme.

Functionality offered by the HealthICTPortal includes: professional networking, forums, an events calendar, and supplier zones.