Digital Health’s Top 10 most read stories of 2017

It was a year filled with plenty of announcements, promises, deals and launches. We break down the Top 10 most viewed news stories of the year.

Care Quality Commission investigation reports dominated the charts, even beating the biggest health IT story of the year, the global Wannacry attack.

Other topics varied from senior resignations, GOSH going Epic and app launches. Our April Fools story even made the cut.

Digital Health News most viewed stories of 2017:

1. Pharmacy2U found unsafe and ineffective by CQC

Taking the top spot as the most viewed story of 2017 was on digital health provider Pharmacy 2U. Since last October the CQC has been providing more scrutiny for digital health services. Pharmacy 2U was next on its hit list when the regulator found issues with its patient identification, prescriptions and asthma care.

2.  Digital GP service found to be neither safe or effective by CQC

Another digital GP service, Push Doctor, found itself in hot water following a CQC report which found to be delivering unsafe care.

3. Multiple NHS trusts across England disrupted by ransomware attack

Coming in third place is the Wannacry attack. May 12, a date that will forever be remembered as one of the most historic healthcare IT disruptions the NHS ever encountered.

4. ICO investigating GP system supplier TPP over ‘data protection compliance concerns’

It was one of the biggest stories to break – when was the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) raised concerns about TPP, over an “enhanced sharing” function in its SystmOne electronic patient record system. It resulted in thousands of patients being warned their GP electronic records may not be secure.

5. 18 NHS hospital ‘fast follower’ trusts named 

Taking the fifth spot was when the second wave of 18 NHS digital ‘fast followers’ were to be named, taking the total up to 20 hospital and seven mental health followers which are expected to share £160m in funding between them.

6. NHS England CCIO Keith McNeil resigns

August saw the shock announcement of NHS England’s first national CCIO and proud Aussie, Keith McNeil announcing his resignation after 13 months in the role. McNeil is back in Australia where he will take up an assistant deputy director general role at Queensland Health.

7. Exclusive: Great Ormond Street picks Epic in potential £50m deal

In seventh place was our exclusive on Great Ormond Street picking Epic in a multi-million pound deal, securing the supplier as its preferred electronic patient record. Great Ormond is the fourth UK trust to select Epic, one of biggest EPR suppliers in the US.

8. Beverley Bryant to leave NHS Digital and join System C

Senior NHS Digital director Beverley Bryant also shocked the industry when she announced she was leaving the Leeds-based NHS IT agency to become chief operating officer of health software supplier System C.

9. Evergreen Life app launches nationwide

The only app launch to make the Top 10 list is on Evergreen Life PHR. The NHS-approved mobile app allows patients to access all their medical information. Four months later it achieved further success when it went live with three major GP suppliers; EMIS, TPP, Vision.

10. NHS Digital to move HQ to Silicon Roundabout

This one was a bit of fun, and also happened to generate a lot of eyebrow raises and…concern. As an April Fools joke Digital Health editor Jon Hoeksma announced NHS Digital was to relocate to its headquarters from Leeds to Shoreditch, the epicentre of the capital’s technology, hipster, and beard wearing community. It generated a lot of discussion – go and have a read of the story and comments if you haven’t already.

Click here to view last year’s list.

We look forward to what 2018 has to offer… especially April 1. See you next year!