Six lessons from a year in the cloud

When the coronavirus pandemic forced UK businesses and public services into a series of lockdowns over the past year, digital technologies in the cloud enabled organisations to continue operating. Here, companies with differing levels of experience of using the cloud name their key takeaways

1 Do the basics and then improve

At the outset of the pandemic, Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust decided to accelerate its tentative use of cloud computing. First, a secure, encrypted virtual desktop was launched to support more than 1,000 staff working from home and satisfy strict governance. Shifting clinical applications like e-observations called for a longer conversation.

“We pushed ahead and harvested massive benefits,” says Stephen Hardy, associate chief information officer at the trust. Clinicians working from home and consultants in situ could view observations of patients at any hospital to identify deteriorating patients and remotely escalate treatment. The contactless, and safe, aspect of e-observations was added collateral.

Looking back over a gruelling year, the biggest lesson is to exploit the cloud’s scalability, to take small steps and to iterate, says Hardy. “With a ‘big bang’ implementation, the planning takes ages. With the cloud, it’s easier to focus on one area and then iterate. You do the basics and then finesse over the year.” Lesson two, says Hardy, is not to reinvent every wheel just because you have the cloud. Telephone consultations are practical and adequate in many scenarios.