An interesting discussion is under way on the Digital Health News website about whether trusts that come up with good IT products should commercialise them or give them away; for example through an open source vehicle.

The debate has arisen because Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Foundation Trust has developed a set of business intelligence tools – and, in particular, an application for managing A&E services that it credits with avoiding some of the problems experienced by other trusts last winter – and is working with NHS Shared Business Services to market them.

Open source experts immediately cried foul, arguing that software developed by public bodies, using taxpayers’ money, should be made available open source, to recycle the expertise and cash involved in developing it into the wider public sector.

Others argued there might be good reasons for a trust to hang onto its IP, but it still shouldn’t charge for products or licences; only for the cost of any services involved in helping others to make effective use of them.

Perhaps to play devil’s advocate, though, being able to commercialise a product provides an incentive to develop one and enables the originating organisation to secure further gain from a good idea (isn’t this why so many universities now look to incubate spin-off companies?)

Plus, it’s far from clear that getting something for nothing is more likely to make another organisation pick up a bit of good practice (indeed, the NHS is awash in ‘innovation’ websites and ‘best practice’ guidance that is barely looked at; while capital investment requires a business case). So, an interesting debate. Do join in.

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Good news! Sitting down isn’t going to kill you. Probably. Standing up for long periods isn’t going to save your life. Most likely. Newspapers and magazines have been full of articles over the past couple of months about how sitting is the new smoking, or cancer, but a report that followed 5,000 civil servants over 16 years failed to find any significant association between sitting time and risk of death.

As the NHS Choices ‘behind the headlines’ feature notes, there were a few issues with the study, and sitting could still put you at risk of chronic diseases, such as obesity. So cancel that modish standing desk, but try and get your officially sanctioned 150 minutes of aerobic activity and two days of strength work in anyway…

“Coming next for patients 'find my nurse', and for nurses 'find my doctor', and for managers 'find my @rse'.”

“We would hold GPs to account if they were absolutely, categorically not sharing any data whatsoever when there should be times they are sharing.”

Dawn Monaghan, group manager for public services at the Information Commissioner’s Office.