Posts by Dante Alighieri

Inadequate IT partly to blame for NHS doctors losing 13.5 million working hours

Radiologist

We just "did" Cerner.

I invested a lot of time in the interface to our dept. My manager nuked it from orbit.

I had 200 (ish) codes for requests, we now have 6000, many not previously available (for good reason)

I am more geek than our chief information officer.

UI is awful. so many issues...

I dip in and out as I use a radiology system. But messaging is broken

Just had notices sent out [at my instigation] that & ^ " all break messages/referrals so 'usually fit & well, new bleed & breathlessness' comes to us as 'usually fit'

I've had to update reports re inappropriate details (grrrr)

3 screens, working on the right - pop ups on the one on the left.. Can't set date ranges easily.. can't "favourite" our local label printer, can't reprint labels.. microbilogy requisitions don't print... you get the idea (I stab people for a living before you ask, and samples need to be identified apparently)

Icon for current activity

Longstanding bug in Linux kernel floppy handling fixed

Acorn

1.6MB floppies with ADFS, yes supported in linux. Not so sure about my custom MO-Drive (640MB) acorn formatted discs, possibly unique on the planet...

And a few MO discs from many US machines where they were core transfer media

Norway has a month left until sun sets on its copper phone lines

Arwen

5 days off grid last year, but POTS kept working. Mobile network? not so much.

Several UPS across various bits of kit. Not everything happy to run off the generator :(

Google Health licenses its AI breast cancer screening tool to a medical biz

and another thing..

I agree with your points entirely.

And have looked at your posting history at Vulture Central {RIP VC UK}

As a schmuck [sp?] who previously used these images and has enough training to comment, it is a useful adjunct to flag a "but did you see this...", never AutoPilot machine diagnosis.

Given that I am currently attending a major conference virtually, the ethnic mix of lots of stuff is being actively questioned in many imaging communities, and the limitations of AI looked at.

You all know of random examples, I've seen the AI heat maps for some diagnoses, which don't map pathology at all.

A bit like the what dog is this Husky ID which relied on the presence of snow alone.

There is definitely a place for CAD (computer aided diagnosis) but AIDED is the thing.

There are papers showing reduced reporting time and increased accuracy, but don't forget the "other" bits that make me worthwile - the spots the computer isn't trained on.

Radiologist

Doctors call for greater scrutiny of bidders for platform that pools UK's health info

Loadsamoney

Sorry to quote Harry Enfield in the title (UK users need not GIYF)

£9.6 billion apparently on some website that Bites the hand that feeds IT

missing <sarc>?

or the correct icon?

The likelihood of my union* having any effect on this is small.

*yes I am a member of the BMA, just not in the GP "craft", see posts passim

Massive energy storage system goes online in UK

Wave and Tide

But the massive energy of waves impacting the UK is completely unrealised.

There are interesting demonstrators around Scotland, including small inlets, air compression chambers and bidirectional turbines

Nothing needs to get wet.

And there *are* always waves.

Tide is more problematic, needs larger projects and timing keeps shifting.

CT scanning tech could put an end to 100ml liquid limit on flights by 2024

New careers beckon

For all those airport workers that can read CT scans in 2 minutes, Radiology awaits at a significant salary premium.

I only did 15 years of training...

$Deity only knows what they are doing to make these quick to read.

At least fluids will be safe (give or take high school chemistry competence)

Thermite reactions not withstanding...

Icon for a reason

IT manager's 'think outside the box' edict was, for once, not (only) a revolting cliché

Re: On the floor?

£3K workstations on the floor under desks all around my department to avoid cluttering the acres of free bench top space.

Mostly on vinyl, a few on carpet.

Re: protective film? That was a privacy screen

1000% this!

A 45 cm plastic ruler as a LART for any digit or object approaching mine. It's become a reflex. They all get fair warning.

*Sometimes* I apologise for being more enthusiastic than I meant to be at the application.

It's not like I'm looking at diagnostic images... wait. I am.

How my co-workers manage to work with their smeared screens is beyond me.

Icon 'cos it is discipline!

Japanese sushi chain boss resigns amid accusation of improper data access

Parity

1-1 is quite easy...

It's been around for a long time looking at US imports too

Re: Sushi

But the blue ringed ones have such tingly after taste

Google Japan goes rogue with 5.4ft long keyboard

I protest?

ahem

although technically this is closer in some respects

or go really early for a self reference

Micro molten salt reactor can fit on a truck, power 1k homes. When it's built

Mb99 -> Tc99m

If this is generated continuously and extractable, you may well not need to produce electricity to profit!

Hell, it would be worth healthcare providers installing these on site for both purposes. If a refining module to get at the Mb is part of the design it would see a significant improvement in availability of funtional imaging in a lot of settings.

And for the science pedants the question of what is the half life of Tc 99 is usually incorrectly answered. Especially in hospitals and more worryingly often by those who *really*should know better.

No, it's not 6 hours ( no register time standard unit, so that's about 2.4 gov't u-turns)

Good news for UK tech contractors as govt repeals IR35 tax rules

Re: Let me get this straight

the 2017 and 2022 amendments have been revoked.

The original rules are still in place, so IR35 is still active

Automating Excel tasks to come to Windows and Mac

Automation

Obligatory...

Amazed I get to post this first!

Microsoft rolls out stealthy updates for 365 Apps

boot time

hmm.

5 minutes+ to a working environment on a high end HP machine driving diagnostic monitors in an healthcare environment.

Not an issue until you have a 30 minute clinical meeting and lose a chunk because the team that just walked out did a full shutdown

Or have productivity targets in that make the first hour really tight if you switch on on time.

And that out IT department roll out upgrades overnight and if you aren't switched on you then lose 20+ minutes or more as they land in your monitored work time.

It is my reality.

USB-C to hit 80Gbps under updated USB4 v. 2.0 spec

Re: Active Nonsense

Like this?

Slack leaked hashed passwords from its servers for years

Rounding for effect

Well in that case, obligatory.

File suffixes: Who needs them? Well, this guy did

RISC OS

Showed the file format by the icon - and generally read the first few bytes to check the file format which is embedded in a lot of format specs. Extensions weren't needed.

Different type needed - some fabulous shareware and full photo editing suites could do that for you.

In 4MB, where a 40MB disc had a full office suite, 386 emulator, and games etc taking up 5-6mb.

While ago now ...shuffles to door...

BOFH: The Geek's Countergambit – outwitted at an electronics store

Re: Electronics shop

I used to work for Maplin as a Saturday guy. I assure you I know my thermistors from resistors. And TV licensing laws for VHS recorders v B&W TV [colour licence required]

Shitty local senior manager. Framing staff for theft is not a smart move to control costs you've been flagged on* as you were found out. Wan*er.

*the other "Saturday" worker was getting loads of extra shifts, not shared with me**

**busy at university if they had been shared - pillock didn't even have plausible deniability.

Middle management was suspicious and saved the day.

frying pan[fn:OUT]

... & western digital

...oh shit. Another set of backups PDQ then.

(not all installed at same time so sequential failure modes might be mitigated)

3gb

I raise you multiple Seagate barracuda 3TB drives, yes all same vintage and fail (FYI 30% - see previous threads, RAID barely making it through) at the same time. replacement WD all installed over 12 months,and an additional backup regime over the multidisk (thank $deity) I used sufficiently [not optimally] before

4x seagate barracuda 3TB in <2 years ---->icon

Nebulon adds Ansible support for infrastructure deployment

Ender or Ged

Ansible - Orson Scott Card was there earlier?

Hi Jane. (reading the whole lot at the minute)

Oops, Ursula K Le Guin got there first. By a long way. '66

Or instantaneously.

The Earthsea Quartet (not quadrilogy) is also my shelves. And has nothing to do with Ansible. New opportunities.

The end of free Google storage for education

Re: I only came for the byline!

as an article on educational use, it could have been written by a Don. (icon)

IBM looked to reinvigorate its 'dated maternal workforce'

68%

deviant

but not a deviant deviant

Beware the big bang in the network room

*cough*

blinkenlights

_{in this vicinity please}

UK.gov threatens to make adults give credit card details for access to Facebook or TikTok

Duration

If I've been an active user for say, 15-18 years, will that be sufficient verification*, "grand parented" in

*for the truly paranoid they set up accounts for their next generation(s) when they are 8.

icon 'cos generations ;)

Older teenagers

in some areas will already have a child of their own.

That's why relationship education starts in UK primary schools, with the content progressively shifting to cover those topics fully by 12-13.

Some parents still choose to opt their offspring out of this essential content. (icon for them ---->)

UK pins hopes on 'latest technology' to whittle down massive National Health Service waiting lists

presupposes

that there are international graduates available to recruit.

10 years (yes pre-Brexit) shows that we can't staff our department at skeleton levels let alone a level that can let us do *all* our own work.

The only thing COVID did, was a brief period where we didn't "outsource" our scans as activity dropped to 40% baseline. We are already back for >12months at >125%.

And activity continues to grow at >10%/year, staffing is static or shrinking in all areas of the department.

Yes we need to kick out a few malicious managers, but NHS is actually very lightly & also poorly managed. And it is a federal system - each trust is it's own "state". with NO federal government.

I agree we could do with an honest conversation about core/non-core service probably through focus groups who can be educated sufficiently to understand consequences (there are examples that achieve this)

Limited list of approved interoperable solutions with central fianancial support would quickly level the IT playing field. Hell, the VA runs one system across the whole US (*when I was there in 2002)

YMMV

Reading Recomendation

for you and her

House of God : Samuel Shem

US medical residents. Close to the knuckle at times. GOMER central.

required reading for medical students and junior docs. If they don't know the "rules" -i encourage them to address their DEN (demonstrated educational need, for their professional portfolio etc BINGO!]

smart card ID

yep. they can't manage to allow you to tap and play (think of a pub till)

We have this problem in our NHS department - the staff can't easily switch user as they are locked out every 2-5min and it takes 2-5 min to "switch user" even if previously logged in.

Strangely generic accounts and accounts that never log out (staff on leave for the Win10 login) are not unfamiliar.

NHS IT standards and Computer Misuse Act and professional regulation are some what compromised.

It is all so slooooooooow, and healthcare software is increasingly "single sign on" linked to the Win10 user not understanding that quick change multi user options are required.

downvote ahoy!!

I work in the NHS in imaging (posts passim)

We are at a recruitment crisis - the baby boomers are leaving/left, next gen going early and there is a perverse incentive.

If I work 1* session (4 hours) in an NHS job, I get another 8 hours for supporting professional activities [SPA, look it up], including staying on the GMC register. I get 3/10ths of a salary (80-100k ish) *(might be 2 or 3)

I can then spend the whole of the rest of my time working for parasite external reading companies that do piece rate fees.

Strangely my colleagues that can barely manage 12 CT reports in 4 hours can do 15+/hour.

Outside of working time directive limits.

Of course there are (wink) controls in place - we are not allowed to do our own home work. Just everyone else's, who are doing the same for us.

For balance - the external firms are much better at quality control than the NHS (double "reads").

FFS they don't require eyesight tests for people whose job is looking at stuff.

Good luck increasing scanning in the NHS/high street - you can find people to take the pictures (maybe. really? - never).

Finding those that can look at them - not so much.

And there is a difference to non-UK trained as to their recommendations and reports - multiple additional tests rather than an opinion is clearly demonstrated across multiple trusts and organisations.

Outsourcing invariably recommends yet more scans/tests and fails to reference (available to them if they take time) previous. Fee/item doesn't seem to excite them to wait more time to recall older studies, which i don't understand </sarc>

For clarity : I have worked in the private sector in addition to a >full time NHS post. I have done a small amount of additional locally paid extra work in the past before "outsourcing" existed.

I currently refuse to do additional outsourcing as I see it as unethical.

And no, I've not been sitting on my arse. I'm one of few in my speciality in the UK that actually do invasive procedures, including biopsies to take diagnosis forward. Apparently in my speciality recruitment crisis you can deny any ability to do a biopsy (core requirement) and be put in post with that limitation on practice.

Sorry.

Cardiac Arrest

did it first.

Ged Mercurio

...and I did the same job he did, and recognise all the charcters [names redacted to protect the ??]

good luck using that titbit to find me.

Car radios crashed by station broadcasting images with no file extension

KIA UI

Love the RDS text curtailed in a box that occupies <20% of available space / <50%width of screen

Re: Buggles

my bad, I missed that last night.

Buggles

Video killed the radio star

You should read Section 8 of the Unix User's Manual

But will it?

blend...

Geomagnetic storm takes out 40 of 49 brand new Starlink satellites

Re: Star Trek Voyager

So will the next Carrington Event help clear lots of junk in LEO _{as well as the satellites}?

Microsoft says the internet is the nicest it's been since 2016. Obviously they didn't look at The Reg comments

leading to rule 35

and an XKCD inspired site

_{linky to xkcd/305}

To err is human. To really tmux things up requires an engineer

universal?

No, its not.

One flash left then right turn might be, more people just put up a hand as a wave of thanks.

I've only seen it as people approach queues of traffic - although the brake lights are sufficient!

My pet hate is unnecessary hazards on a parked vehicle, particularly when the view from the road is obstructed so all you can see is the offside indicators suggesting they might be about to pull out.

Apple, Broadcom allowed to press Ctrl-Z on billion-dollar Wi-Fi patent payout to Caltech

Vultures

redeployed here?

Nothing to scoff at: Crisps and nuts biz KP Snacks smacked in ransomware hack attack

Medical software

I'm sure you are right!

How many work on a Mac? (real question)

But it is a self fulfilling prophecy - won't run, so no demand on other platforms.

There are some very smart GPs doing all sorts of IT development and platform agnostic or FOSS.

I've seen their work on another restricted forum.

There IS an appetite for this. Getting the medical megacorps to respond is harder.

WINE is constantly improving and can help but the real solution is multiplatform support.

Open standards can and do work in helping this - check out what happens with DICOM and the IHE connectathons. It pulled a whole industry into line.

remote access medical devices

No access, no support I'm afraid.

Some even use NTP from Japan.

The big 6+ figure toys I play with in medical imaging are connected, they have to be.

In theory you could switch access on and off as required. In reality not so much.

I know there are NHS IT commentards and am happy to be corrected but would be surprised if I was.

Jeff Bezos adds some more overheads to his $485m yacht by taking down historic bridge

Unrealised gains

But HMRC already do tax unrealised gains - look at the pensions of those earning >£120k : get a bonus/increment and the projected pension at age 67 is taxed right now. Even if you are planning to leave earlier.

These bills can be >annual salary and end up being paid out of the pension pot right now (scheme pays).

I know ordinary (well paid) people having to take out second mortgages to cover these.

And don't forget the black hoe of HMRC & NI between 120k and 180k where marginal rate of tax is ~60%

Phishing kits' use of man-in-the-middle reverse proxies is growing, warns Proofpoint

only if..

I can find my towel

Shazam! Two world-record lightning events recognised

Re: Well, there goes that saying.

Ussain Bolt now officially faster than lightning

Russia's naval exercise near Ireland unlikely to involve cable-tapping shenanigans

If a tree falls in the woods...

depending on location of the area, without a base station in range it may be more that AIS is not detected/tracked although local traffic would see each other.

DoI ocean sailor and much experience of the limitations of AIS in a fleet spread out over 400+NM

New York Times outlays seven-figure sum for 1,900 lines of JavaScript – yes, we mean Wordle

as seen on TV!

if only they had the correct Lingo to use.

UK government opens consultation on medic-style register for Brit infosec pros

Re: procedures

Mea culpa, I was considering procedures on animals with a treatment effect intended and had forgotten about licensed research scenarios such as you describe.

You are absolutely correct,

Similar arrangement would cover abattoirs too. Thanks for the reminder.

have one on me =>