Partha Kar: Technology and the NHS—a world of false promises?

Abstract

“Interoperability,” “AI,” “tech”: these phrases fly around in discussions about the NHS, but what do they mean to us? Are they just fancy buzzwords, a new fad the NHS has latched onto? Do they conjure up images of Skynet, the Terminator, and a desolate future world? Or do they suggest a much needed step change for an NHS stuck in a technological time warp? The reality, as ever, is somewhere in the middle, with emotions in the NHS ranging from unbridled enthusiasm to jaded cynicism.\n\nOne fundamental issue—and this isn’t necessarily a problem—is that the NHS can’t be seen to fail. Any failure is seen as a waste …