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The coalition may have said the NHS budget will grow in real terms, unlike other parts of the state sector, but informatics and health IT look set to be affected by the major reorganisation of the health service recently announced by minister Andrew Lansley. Primary care trusts and strategic health authorities will be closed, although new GP commissioning groups will be formed in their place, and changes are expected to the National Programme for IT. However, the government is also planning to increase the amounts of data published online, for transparency and to help patients choose services. You can discuss what the changes to informatics and health IT might mean for those working in these areas, as well as find out how to start or advance your career, through SmartHealthcare.com's first online careers forum, on Wednesday 21 July from 1pm to 4pm, held in association with Guardian Careers. Questions can be posted in advance, or asked live during the session. To join the forum, either to post a question in advance or on the day, click here. Panellists Steve Gold is an expert writer on IT, security and health. He worked for the NHS for 11 years as both a nurse and as an accountant before leaving to pursue a career in journalism. As well as writing regularly for SmartHealthcare.com, he acts as technical editor for Infosecurity magazine. Mik Horswell initially trained as a healthcare general manager and followed this career path mainly in acute hospitals before changing course after 10 years into the emerging specialism of information management and managed information and IT functions at hospitals and health authorities for a further 10 years. Leaving the NHS at director level, he moved into management consultancy and for 14 years has worked with suppliers and NHS organisations at all levels on strategy and project management of information and communications technology, information governance. He is very interested in professional development and is chairman of his local Institute of Healthcare Management region, is currently director of marketing & communications of the UK Council for Health Informatics Professions (UK Chip), a member of Assist's National Council and a chartered member of the British Computer Society. Jenny Jackson is an informatics graduate management trainee within the NHS's Yorkshire and Humber region, nearing the end of the final year of the scheme. Prior to the scheme, she undertook a 12 month placement within health informatics as part of a four year BA Hons Business Studies degree. She has been in health informatics for about four years, working in various roles and organisations. Following the scheme, she has just been successful in securing a project manager job working with the Yorkshire and Humber's Long Term Conditions Programme and Stroke Telehealth. Ben Needham is a systems integration manager for iSoft, a health software firm with major software development and systems integration operations in the UK which claims to be the largest supplier of IT to the NHS. A version of its Lorenzo suite of software has been developed specifically for use by NHS trusts, as part of the National Programme for IT. Alan Simmons is careers consultant for the NHS Careers information service in England. He's been with NHS Careers for 10 years, and has a prior background in providing careers advice to people of all ages and backgrounds, but with a particular focus on school and college students. Alan is a frequent contributor to the Guardian Careers' health forum. To join the forum, click here.