Petition Start an open-source IT project for the NHS

This House calls on the Department of Health to start an open-source IT software project to supply the needs of NHS hospitals in the UK, following the failure of the government's attempt to create a centralised electronic patient records system. An open-source system has many advantages, including 1. No lock-in to specific software vendors and therefore 2. No exorbitant future service costs due to tie-in. 3. A modular system, allowing adaptations by any company for future needs. 4. Security, by allowing a large number of experts to analyse the code and ensure the encryption is secure. 5. Long-term use of the software, not reliant on a proprietary company who may not exist in 5 years time. And 6. Real 'Big Society' possibilities, with anyone world-wide able to join the project and submit improvements.