Healthcare IT industry news in brief

This week’s industry round up covers an appointment, an acquisition, and push for open source coding in Health.  It includes blood-tracker firm MSoft taking on a new manager and Philips buying out a Northern Ireland based rival.

Tracking software picked for Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital

The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust has picked RFID Discovery to track medical devices throughout its two hospitals,

The technology, from automation and tracking company Harland Simon, will keep track of 12,000 mobile hospital devices and a further 17,000 in the community. The technology is already being use to keep an eye on 861 devices, including 500 beds.

Eventually the trust will integrate the RFID system with its asset management database, providing alerts when devices need servicing.

The trust runs two 400 bed hospitals; the Royal Shrewsbury and the Princess Royal.

Answer Digital picked as “technical custodian” in Open Source Code quest

Answer Digital has been assigned to ensure integrity and scalability in The Ripple’s quest to create an open source integrated health care record.

The Ripple, a project funded by the NHS Tech Fund and hosted by Leeds City Council on behalf of the NHS Integration Pioneers – is leading an collaborative approach to developing a digital health record.

Answer Digital will ensure any open source code developed for the platform is fir for purpose and can be scaled up for wider use.

Philips buys up PathXL

Royal Philips has bought Northern Ireland-based PathXL, a digital pathology imaging, analytics and software company.

The health technology company already runs its own digital pathology division but in a press release said the acquisitions would “amplify our combined technology leadership positions”.

PathXL, founded in 2004, has developed software focused on pathology research and education.

Philips did not disclose how much the deal had cost.

MSoft eSolutions acquired new talent to drive international growth

MSoft eSolutions has recruited Carl Kameen to its senior management team.

Kameen has worked in corporate finance for Ernst & Young and for several publicly listed UK companies.

MSoft specialises in blood-tracking technology, with its Bloodhound software used in more than 100 NHS trusts and private hospitals.

Managing director Matt McAlister said Kameen’s experience would be used to push overseas expansion plans for the Wirral-based company.