Secondary Care

Kettering General publishes cloud-first policy strategy

Kettering General Hospital NHS FT has published its cloud-first policy, part of the digital strategy for the organisation, outlining its plans to achieve a zero or minimal data-centre footprint by July 2024.

Its cloud-first strategy highlights that from next year the trust will not look to procure new services that would use its on-premise data centres. The trust said “we fully evaluate potential cloud solutions first before considering any other option.”

The strategy forms part of an ambitious aim for the trust to become the most digital hospital in England by July 2023. In July the organisation outlined a new health intelligence strategy to July 2023, another component of its digital strategy.

The new policy means suppliers are expected to offer browser-based, internet-facing services, that are hosted in approved data centres.

In the strategy the trust highlights its current position and indicative next steps over the next 4 years.

The trust said “One component of this journey is the aim to decommission all on-site data centres and move to cloud, particularly in the light of our forthcoming rebuild as part of the HIP2 (Health Infrastructure Plan) programme over the next 3–5 years.”

“On-premise data centres are a substantial investment, require significant hands on maintenance, management and take valuable space on the estate that could be better utilised for patient care.”

“Throughout 2020 we have embarked on a significant programme of works to replace or upgrade our aging, end of useable life and end of vendor support infrastructure within our on-premise data centres. This programme of works has required significant investment not just financially but also in hands-on technical resource.”

Please click on the image below to view the cloud-first strategy. If you have a strategy you would like to share with HTN please email press@htn.co.uk.