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Since its launch in August 2015, techUK has had over 100 signatories to our Interoperability Charter

Breaking the 100 signatories mark is a tremendous achievement and a testament to the importance of interoperability. The Charter is growing from strength to strength, both in the number of signatories and in its impact, and we encourage organisations not yet signed up to be part of this momentum.

The health and social care landscape is changing at an ever growing pace, resulting in a highly complex arena. This will mean greater interaction and collaboration between stakeholders and companies, and the movement towards self-management of care and care closer to the home. To meet these changes and demands, data and information systems need to be made more open and integratable. techUK’s Interoperability Charter is creating a movement to meet these challenges.

Companies have signed up to the Charter because they want to make a public commitment to being part of the information revolution that will radically change the way services are delivered in the NHS. And, with NHS England supporting the Charter, there is a greater need for suppliers to provide open interfaces within and across care settings, as organisations starting to plan their blueprint for interoperability are increasingly being directed to the Charter.

The exceptional achievement of the Charter has come about because of the support of its five key principles:

1. We will make available to other suppliers, the NHS and Local Authorities, the technical specifications of our interfaces without charge.
2. Where there is customer demand we agree to co-operate without charge with other suppliers in developing interfaces.
3. We will not reinvent the wheel and will use internationally recognised standards where relevant.
4. We will only charge reasonable and proportionate fees to the end user organisation for Licensing, Implementation and Support services required for the interfaces.
5. Where new interfaces or enhancements to existing interfaces are required, we will not charge twice for the same software development.

techUK is also working with the Code4Health Interoperability Community, and is continuing to seek its next 100 signatories. With the endorsement of the Interoperability Charter by NHS England, techUK is now calling on other public sector and professional bodies in health and social care for endorsement.