I’ve been nominated for EHI Healthcare IT Champion 2013.

Vote for me and give your support to “playing nicely together”!

Its a great honour to be nominated by my peers for an award which seeks to recognise commitment and achievement above and beyond someone’s day job. Sure, I run Tactix4 which provides services and support for opensource solutions to the NHS but I’ve been involved in plenty more these past 24 months which have shaped policy, practice and procurement of technology for healthcare IT in the UK.

In his nomination, Ewan Davis of Woodcote Consulting wrote:

As a tireless advocate of a open approach to building a sustainable digital health economy and has a significant influence over the thinking in the sector I think that Rob Dyke is someone who would use the accolade of becoming Healthcare IT champion to further promote the vital developments of which he’s been such a vocal proponent.

The importance of open data, open systems, open standards and open source is being increasingly recognised by the NHS and this is no small part a result of pioneering work I’ve been involved in. I’ve worked hard, both within the context of my work at Tactix4 and my voluntary efforts with a number of organisations, to promote the importance of all the players in the health IT Market place “learning to play nicely together” if the NHS is to realise the social and economic benefits from the digitisation of health and care.

I’ve championed the role of open source and open standards in creating and sustaining a vibrant market, while recognising the place of proprietary solutions as part of a mixed economy in the digital health ecosystem. I’ve stressed the importance of building sustainable business models around open solutions, demonstrating this with Tactix4’s delivery of the open source bedside monitor software Wardware to a number of NHS trusts, developing an approach that ensures value for the NHS and a commercial return for  our company from which others can learn.

I’m generous in sharing my learning with others and has played a leading role in the open source and apps movements. As a founding Director of HANDI Health a not-for-profit company set up in 2012 to support app developers in health and care I’ve given much time and other resources to help establish HANDI as a leading voice in the sector.

As one of the founders of OpenGPSoC another not-for-profit venture established to develop and promote open source solutions for UK General Practice and my public facing and behind the scenes work with OpenGPSoC I’ve been influential in shaping the recently announced GPSoC 2 procurement which will provide open interfaces through a much more open commercial framework for those wishing to compete or interoperate with the existing GP suppliers.

Tactix4 have been active supporters of the NHS Hackdays and EHI Skunkworks with sponsorship and participation in both initiatives and have supported the BCS PHCSG in its exploration of new ways of working with digital health technology.

I’m willing to stand up and promote views in relation to openness in an uncompromising fashion; often views which are not popular and sometimes to my personal and commercial disadvantage, however this voice continues to promote these ideas vigorously, ideas which are now becoming mainstream.