Reply to post: The root cause for the NHS is software that won't run on anything but XP.

The root cause for the NHS is software that won't run on anything but XP.

Or to be more specific (AIUI) Internet Explorer 6.0 specific functions.

WTF is that about?

8 years since MS declared EoL and 2 since it stopped any form of extended support.

This is not an IT issue. It's a PHB issue.

The PHB's at the health IT companies (who can't, or won't refactor their SW to be browser neutral), the NHS PHB's who can't (or won't) use their bargaining strength (47 trust is a shedload of licenses) to make them (and probably still don't get why running on a very old OS is a real bad idea) and the PHBs in the MoH who also don't seem to have pushed for versions that are easier to certify on other OS's (or indeed certified them on any other OS), lead by their PHB in Chief Mr Hunt.

As for "Our CT/MI/Ultrasound/Kirlian aura machine uses an XP UI" SFW? How much network access does that thing need and what business does the network have dropping stuff on its local storage?

As for "Upgrading the PC's to run Windows anything-more-recent is too expensive."

Back in the day PCW ran a column by a doctor who ran the IT dept for a private hospital around Glasgow. It was most revealing.

You go to PC World you pay retail.

You go up the food chain and talk to a distributor and say you want 600-1000 off, but with this SW on and none of the usual "free sample" cruft and price per unit changes a lot. Mostly downward.

"But there's no money for upgrades."

I suggest every IT trust IT Manager work out how much staff time (and possible emergency hardware replacement money) has been spent cleaning up this mess and then tell their Trust Board this is what it cost this time. Or how much staff time would have to be spent implementing the fix El Reg described in the comments section a few months ago.

There really is a time when when the support costs >> replacement costs and at that point you're not retaining stuff because it's the best cost/benefit. Every year you retain such systems you bleed (or since this is the NHS you hemorrhage) money.