A new unit, NHSX, is being created to co-ordinate and develop NHS England’s digital development.

The organisation has been set up to deliver on the health secretary’s tech vision and the Long Term Plan for the NHS. Its responsibilities will include:

• Setting national policy and developing best practice for NHS technology, digital and data
• Setting and mandating clear standards for the use of technology in the NHS
• Supporting the use of new technologies by the NHS, both by working with industry and via its own development capability
• Ensuring that common technologies and services are designed so that trusts and surgeries don’t have to reinvent the wheel each time
• Making sure that all source code is open by default so that anyone who wants to write code for the NHS can do so
• Reforming procurement through the application of standards and new procurement frameworks
• Setting national strategy and mandating cyber security standards
• Championing and developing digital training and skills
• Delivering an efficient process for technology spend, domain name management and website security

The CEO of NHSX will be accountable to the health secretary and chief executives of NHS England and NHS Improvement.