English healthcare research hampered by heterogeneity of hospital systems

In conversation yesterday with a colleague from the Department of Health we asked if anybody understood the factors which enabled Australia, Scotland and Wales to steal a march on England in developing healthcare data linkage facilities for research - whilst our colleague didn't pretend to have all the answers their suggestion was that the heterogeneity of software systems in use in the NHS was a key factor - and we both agreed that the proposed reforms to the NHS are unlikely to ameliorate that situation... more on this next week.

More on the Australian health research landscape to come today as we look at the Australian eHealth Research Centre and Biogrid Australia.