Coronavirus: NHS unveils 'data platform' to track beds, staff and ventilators | Hacker News Reader

Coronavirus: NHS unveils 'data platform' to track beds, staff and ventilators

news.sky.com

33 pointschippy9 comments

You'd have thought they already had something that does this?

I worked for a startup that tracked hospital equipment (with active RFID tags), and it was shocking how disorganized hospitals can be. It's not usually a single person or department's fault though - there are a bunch of factors:

- equipment is often managed by a small team who doesn't have the resources to really track down everything

- equipment gets distributed to different departments who then might move it, store it, swap it, it breaks down and they don't tell anyone, etc

- theft can be a big issue: equipment is often very expensive and not very large, which means it has the ability to "walk off"

- different departments (or individuals) might hoard equipment because it can be difficult to get what you need exactly when you need it

- data about what you have can be split across 15 different systems that don't have the ability to talk or reconcile

- "full" real time tracking (like what we made) can be very expensive

So yes - there are systems that can help, but they're expensive and often not a first priority (even though they can help tremendously, especially when it comes time to do maintenance and reordering, etc.)

And now they don't swap the gear because of this magical software from Palentier? Equipment does now not walk away?

Well - that software will hopefully solve the problem of data being spread across 15 different systems (although to some extent, now you've just added another system in the mix :) )

To start solving the problem of equipment being swapped or walking off, that's when you need to look at an active RFID or other real time tracking solution.

The NHS is notorious for having little to no connected IT systems. It's not that the data doesn't exist but it's so siloed that even within Health Boards it is hard to access.

I think this is probably a good thing. We have already seen one massive attempt at centralising their IT systems fail at huge cost.

NHS certainly don't need a central IT system but there are massive gains to be made inside health boards. My wife works in the NHS and the fragmented nature of a lot of the data makes their work incredibly inefficient.

I don't really see a problem with this, Palantir make a datastore and set of tools that are really good for geographic and operational datasets.

Doesn't really have much to do with the tools application in the US, and really, isnt it for the US to decide if what its government is doing is acceptable/ethical?

Otherwise, the tool is just a tool, not inherantly evil.

There's not necessarily a problem, but there are questions which Palantir and other providers could and should address using their contracts, source code and training/support availability.

If I offer you an axe, we can consider that a tool, and you can do good or evil with it. If I offer you a software-enabled axe and I'm able to turn that tool on/off at will, apply and/or withhold fixes and modifications, then who really holds the tool?

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