NHS service standard - 12. Make new source code open
Make all new source code open and reusable, and publish it under appropriate licences.
Why it's important
Public services are built with public money. So unless there's a good reason not to, the code they're based should be made available for other people to reuse and build on.
Open source code can save teams duplicating effort and help them build better services faster. And publishing source code under an open licence means that you're less likely to get locked in to working with a single supplier.
What you should do
Your team should be able to show that you:
- have written code in the open from the start, and publish it in an open repository - minus any sensitive information, like secret keys and credentials
- keep ownership of the intellectual property of new source code that's created as part of the service, and make it available for reuse under an open licence
There are a few cases when you should not publish code in the open. For example, code that relates to a sensitive government policy that hasn’t been announced yet.
Guidance
NHS service manual
GOV.UK resources
Read more about this
- The benefits of coding in the open (GDS blog, 2017)
- Don’t be afraid to code in the open: here’s how to do it securely (GOV.UK blog, 2017)
Other help
- Talk to us on the service manual Slack channel or email the standards team at service-manual@nhs.net.
Get in touch
If you’ve got a question about the NHS digital service manual or want to feedback, get in touch.
Updated: December 2019