By Tory Milne BBC News Online Staff

The maps use colours to make data stand out

What do you do if you are a cash-strapped NHS manager, desperate to make the most of your resources? Or an ambulance driver, wondering how to avoid getting caught in traffic? The answer, according to a software company is - a very clever map.

The government gives Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) up to 75% of the annual NHS budget to deliver care at a local level.

Despite this seemingly large budget, the demands on the trusts are intense, and financial constraints are a day-to-day feature of their management.

PCTs are responsible for commissioning, delivering and improving services - including hospitals, health screening, dentists and pharmacies.

Targeting funds

Given their financial situation, it makes sense that their limited funds are spent wisely.

This is where HealthPro, a new software package from MapInfo, is designed to come in.

It is one of a family of programmes called Geographic Information Systems (GIS).

GIS is a powerful tool which is now being used to make sure that NHS funds are directed to areas most in need.

It combines intricate detail provided by Ordnance survey with data from a wide variety of sources - including the Census, to answer a whole variety of questions.

The resulting map makes for an extremely accessible picture of, for example, an area's rate of teenage pregnancy, or ethnic make-up.

Local health concerns

GIS has already been put to good use in Sheffield, following concerns about the impact of a city centre land-fill site on the health of local residents.

Paul White, Senior Information Analyst for Sheffield's Health Informatics Service, takes up the story.

"A group of local residents went to the Sheffield North PCT and asked them to investigate any potential problems linked to the site - and it was decided that the best way to this would be to send out a questionnaire to a cross section of people living in the area.

"This way, any clusters of disease could be uncovered and investigated.

"Unfortunately, it's a much harder job identifying a representative section of society than you might think.

"Luckily, though, we had the software to make a map of the area, identify the people affected, and super-impose details of the area's social make-up - male or female, rich or poor, young or old - and this made the whole task much easier, and clearer.

"Now the questionnaire should be sent out in a couple of weeks - and then, at last, we will have some answers".

Route planning

The software can also be put to good use by Ambulance Services, who can use its "Drivetime" feature to calculate how long their vehicles will take to get to call-outs.

Ordnance Survey work in partnership with a company called ITIS holdings, who put sensors on lorries all over the country that monitor traffic jams and average speeds.

Ambulance services benefit hugely from GIS

This means that average Ambulance call-out times can be calculated depending on the time of day, or traffic calming measures on a particular road.

They can also use the software to map 'hotspots' of call-outs in an area, and station an ambulance near-by to allow them to meet that need.

GIS programmes often include routeing software, designed to help mobile workers, like district nurses and physiotherapists, make multiple visits around a large area in the most sensible order, and by the fastest route.

Terror Planning

And in today's uncertain climate, it can also be used by authorities planning for the threat of a biological terror attack.

Clusters of small pox could be spotted early, and plans for the evacuation of an area, and the positioning of special action centres, can be done from an informed perspective.

Paul White, who - apart from working for Sheffield West PCT, is also writing a PhD on GIS - says it is so efficient because it saves so much time.

"One of the greatest advantages of this technology is the immediacy of presentation.

"It is much easier to grab the attention of a GP with a map that highlights the prevalence of heart disease, than a list of dry statistics".

Cost concern

GIS systems like HealthPro have been broadly welcomed by the NHS, but the initial cost of this particular software - �9,500 for two users - is causing some concern.

MapInfo, however, point out that this cost could be shared by several PCTs.

Jonathan Raper, Professor of Infomatics at City University in London, believes the use of GIS is crucial to managing funds effectively and thus saving money.

"Massive spending on the NHS has to be divided up and distributed to trusts around the country - this is a hugely complex geographic resource allocation problem.

"The key technology that can make a difference to the analysis of resource allocation is GIS.

"These kind of tools make it easy for health analysts without specialist expertise to take advantage of GIS technology and to share their insights with other health care providers and with patients."