Recommendation 5: Operating systems (interoperability)
From Thirlwall Inquiry Final Report, published 15 September 2026.
Recommendation
NHS England must provide, by 31 March 2027, a clear and timed route to ensuring that
computer systems are harmonised across the NHS by December 2028. Work on the
development of a mandatory information standard with requirements for interoperability
between systems should be taken forward and implemented as soon as possible. This
should mean that data relating to babies and neonates in hospital may be entered on a
single occasion, be reviewed in a timely manner and facilitate continuous monitoring.1
In brief (written by this site)
In an oral statement to the House of Commons in September 2026, Yvette Cooper, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, stated that the government had implemented the maternity outcome signal system to provide near real-time safety alerts and acknowledged regarding technology recommendations that "we must do more" (Yvette Cooper response, Sep 2026). The record holds no update since the Department of Health and Social Care's response of September 2026 (Yvette Cooper response, Sep 2026).
Sources
AI-generated summary of the record on this page, checked by a second model and automatic checks, 26 Sep 2026. The record below is the sources' own words.
Government response
The report also makes recommendations for the regulators, including CQC, which we will ensure are taken seriously, and on technology. We have implemented the maternity outcome signal system, which provides near real-time safety alerts, but we agree: we must do more.
Delivery
No statement on delivery from NHS England has been found in the sources searched (last checked 2 October 2026). This is separate from the response above.
Responsible bodies
Themes and tags
Who has spoken
- Department of Health and Social Care
Response