NHS Arden & Greater East Midlands (GEM) Commissioning Support Unit (CSU) has been appointed to provide business intelligence services on behalf of the Advancing Quality Alliance (AQuA). The contract, which spans three years, will begin on 1 October 2017.
The solution includes a new clinical measures data collection system which will allow for the capture, processing and reporting of measures relating to evidence based clinical intervention standards. AQuA supports 70 member organisations, across the North West, to improve health and care quality. The system will directly support AQuA’s programmes relating to high reliability and reducing unwarranted variation, including the Advancing Quality Programme. These programmes aim to support improvement in the quality of patient care across a range of highly prevalent conditions.
Arden & GEM were the successful bidders following a competitive tender process, delivered via the NHS England Lead Provider Framework (LPF). The appointment was based on the CSU’s extensive experience in delivering data and business intelligence services to over 50 clients and their strong national reputation for technical data management involving exceptionally large data volumes.
The contract award extends and builds upon the current service already delivered to AQuA, as part of the CSU’s North West Data Services for Commissioning Regional Office (DSCRO). The DSCRO provides the secure infrastructure and analytical expertise required for healthcare data processing and data management, including the pseudonymisation of patient confidential data. As part of the contract, NHS Arden & GEM will be responsible for ensuring the new online data collection tool integrates seamlessly with the DSCRO, enabling a streamlined end to end service.
Helen Seth, Associate Director of Business Intelligence, NHS Arden & GEM CSU, said: “We are delighted to have secured this opportunity to continue working alongside AQuA and actively contribute to this exciting agenda. With the continued development of Sustainability and Transformation Partnerships (STPs), vanguards and Accountable Care Systems (ACS) across the North West, the ability to underpin system wide improvements in quality and care with robust evidence is increasingly important. Our team of analysts is very much looking forward to using their expertise and experience to support improvements and ultimately contribute towards improvement in patient care across a variety of health settings.”
