Manchester and Hitachi develop IT

Five Manchester healthcare organisations have signed an agreement with the Hitachi group to plan and develop a range of informatics projects.

Over the next year, the groups will design and develop detailed technology and service applications tailored to the health needs of the Greater Manchester population.

Dr Mike Burrows, director of the Greater Manchester local area team, which is responsible for 12 clinical commissioning groups, said he was excited by the opportunity to create new technologies for the area and hoped the partnership would reap great benefits.

“By utilising the wealth of our data more efficiently in combination with appropriate technology we can improve our service delivery and public health support,” he said.

The collaborative with the Japanese company includes NHS Greater Manchester, the Manchester Academic Health Science Centre and NorthWest EHealth, a partnership between the University of Manchester, Salford Royal NHS Trust and NHS Salford.

NorthWest EHealth develops software to analyse patient data for clinical audits and trials. It was set up in 2008 to develop links between academia and the NHS in health informatics.

Professor Martin Gibson, chief executive of the EHealth programme, said:

“From a NWEH perspective, the agreement means we can pool the expertise and know-how from all the parties involved and take our healthcare technology development to the next level, developing better outcomes for NHS patients in the process.”

The deal is supported by the Department of Health and UK Trade and Investment, which supports and encourages foreign companies to look to the UK as “their global partner of choice.”