LASCAD explained
On 26 October 1992 the London Ambulance Service started to use a new computer-assisted dispatch (CAD) system, known as LASCAD.[1] Poorly designed and implemented, its introduction led to significant delays in the assigning of ambulances,[2] with anecdotal reports of 11-hour waits. Media reports at the time claimed that up to 30 people may have died as a result of the chaos, despite a lack of evidence. The then-chief executive, John Wilby, resigned shortly afterwards.[3] This failure is often cited in case studies of poor engineering management.[4]
See also
Further reading
- Book: Finkelstein. A.. Dowell. J.. Proceedings of the 8th International Workshop on Software Specification and Design . A comedy of errors: The London Ambulance Service case study . IEEE CS Press. 1996. 2–4. 10.1109/IWSSD.1996.501141. 0-8186-7361-3. 856459. http://www.cs.ucl.ac.uk/staff/a.finkelstein/papers/lascase.pdf.
Notes and References
- Web site: Nick Plant . University of the West of England: "LASCAD Case Study" . Cems.uwe.ac.uk . 2009-06-11 . dead . https://archive.today/20120801154413/http://www.cems.uwe.ac.uk/teaching/notes/UQI101S2/lascad.htm . 2012-08-01 .
- Web site: Personal Computer World: Ambulances won't crash again . Pcw.co.uk . 12 June 1997 . 2009-06-11 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20070927184407/http://www.pcw.co.uk/computing/analysis/2073427/emergency-room-london-ambulances-won-crash-again-expert . 27 September 2007 .
- Web site: Department of the Official Report (Hansard), House of Commons, Westminster . House of Commons Hansard debates for 28th October 2002 . Publications.parliament.uk . 28 October 1992 . 2009-06-11.
- Web site: Coping with complexity - Jerome H. Saltzer (MIT) . Advice to systems researchers. Mike Dahlin . Department of Computer Science, University of Texas at Austin. 2010-12-02.