NHS Reforms

[scuzzmonkey]

http://www.parliament.uk/business/commi ... ic-health/

Health Committee are asking for submissions - I think we should submit something focusing on savings by the utilisation of free software - etc.

Thoughts?

[borgs8472]

From my points of view - why would free software be a saving? The total cost of ownership is a complex equation, and I continue to be annoyed by PPUK's alignment with free software.

[scuzzmonkey]

well, if it's Free (as in Beer) then it's a fairly obvious deduction that that is a lower cost than a Microsoft (or whoever) contract (ignoring conversion costs, etc)

either way, this is an area that the Party has a policy and I think we should do something regarding it

[plooterman]

I have been wondering about this sort of thing. I realise borgs has more knowledge than me in this area but I am concerned about Microsoft having a monopoly on supplying OS systems to the NHS. I would be interested to see if it were possible to explore another option.
The NHS uses quite a bit of purpose made software. Where I work (the Out of Hours Service) we use Adastra http://www.advancedcomputersoftware.com If Adastra could run on a free OS I think we could save quite a bit in licence fees. There wouldn’t even need to be retraining the OS (Windows) is just used to boot up and then open Adastra. Not sure how pleased the IT department would be though The NHS can sometimes seem like a lot of fiercely defended fiefdoms so suggesting at a National or Regional level might indeed get a better reception. I wonder if our friends in the Free Software Foundation could help?

[PeterBrett]

From my points of view - why would free software be a saving? The total cost of ownership is a complex equation, and I continue to be annoyed by PPUK's alignment with free software.

Free software is not an immediate saving. Cost benefits from free software arise due to:

• Increased feasibility of developing and retaining application expertise specific to your field (whether in-house or through contractors).
• Lower barrier for entry to providing expert support services for an application, leading to increased competition and thus lower costs.
• No "upgrade mill" a la Adobe or Microsoft software products, due to lack of ability to "lock in" user data.
• Free software development tends to promote collaborative & convergent development which most efficiently leverages resources (for example, application plugins developed to suit one organisation's needs benefit all organisations who have similar needs in the future).

There have been a few studies on this sort of thing (and that's just what I found in a few minutes of casual Googling).

I also find it surprising that you're so casually dismissive of the ability to freely modify and share modifications to software, which is certainly the biggest factor in driving down TCO for free software.

[forsterb01]

Free software is not the only idea from our policy list that we could suggest...

Would this not be a time to highlight the parties view that the exploitation of the average man (and the average health service) by the drug companies and their patents on potentially life saving medicines? Imagine the cost savings for the NHS if the market was to suddenly have some serious competition or if drugs could be produced generically by multiple companies?

[GrahamSimpson]

I agree on the patent reform angle. The question is, as a cross spectrum party - can we form a conaensus on the NHS reforms that are currently n consultation?