NHS England has published guidance for integrated care boards around assessing the effectiveness of information and using it insightfully to streamline performance and support continuous improvement.
The guidance highlights the role of using information in this way to enable ICBs to meet statutory duties, detect early warning signs around quality or performance issues, and ensure care provided is continuously improving and meeting the needs of the population. NHSE notes the use of “meaningful information” will help boards to understand their populations health needs and identify inequalities; set out strategic plans and identify milestones to assess delivery; ask “uncomfortable questions” about variations in quality of care across the ICB; and more.
Suggested indicative key data requirements include drivers of health and wellbeing such as demographics, deprivation, accommodation, employment, and preventative care; primary and community access and experience by place; diagnostic waits; elective, urgent, and emergency access; long-term condition management; outcomes and experiences with step-down care; and procedural survival rates and life expectancy by demographic and place.
The guidance states that ICBs should consider a number of elements in order to “assure themselves on the information they receive”, such as whether information is available at place-level; whether it allows triangulation to identify needs; whether it is up to date; whether the ICB is able to identify variance across the geography; and allowing for “deep dives” to gain a better understanding of care quality and performance.
Whilst the effective use of information can inform decision-making and offer early warning signs of potential quality, performance, or financial issues; the guidance cites the need for this to also be supported with qualitative information, “which can provide alternative perspectives including staff and patient voices”.
When it comes to data and analytical tools, NHSE suggests that boards consider training and support requirements, as well as how they support learning and transformation, promoting a culture of continuous improvement and innovation, as well as evidence-based decision making, whilst “ensuring staff have the necessary skills and tools to do this effectively”.
For digital, relevant indicators and measures are pinpointed as digital maturity scores across sectors, progress on system wide and national digital plans, virtual ward capacity and usage, digital exclusion, use of the NHS app and digital tools, and progress on plans for data and digital services.
And for data, the guidance shares relevant indicators and measures including progress toward shared care records and ICB intelligence functions, the implementation of Community Faster Data Flows, and progress on priorities for the community data plan.
To read the guidance for ICBs in full, please click here.
Health data across settings
In a special report, HTN explored the landscape of digital healthcare and health data in Scotland, looking at strategic direction, key focuses, the current use of data for healthcare.
Be sure to sign up for HTN’s upcoming panel discussion on utilising data to transform primary care, which will look at ways general practice, PCNs, and ICBs can utilise data and leverage technology to support operational efficiencies and improvements across primary care.
And join us on the 19 November for a panel discussion on connecting universities and health tech, focusing on research, approaches, outcomes, learnings, and findings for the translation of research into practice.
NHS England recently published a roadmap for the Organisation Data Service (ODS), sharing what has been delivered to date and planned changes to June 2025, with the main objectives of delivering a “single source of truth” for organisation reference data; continuous data enhancements; an agile response to the changing needs of the NHS; and products utilising latest technology.
Health Data Research UK introduced a new version of its Health Data Research Gateway this month, with updated features including smart search and linked resources designed to “empower the research community and accelerate scientific discovery for public benefit”.
Other insights around data use within NHS strategic directives include Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals’ strategy sharing aims digital, innovation and use of data; and NHS Cheshire and Merseyside’s three-year plan to improve mental health services, highlighting the role of data as a “key enabler” in realigning services.
Developments around strategy from ICBs
Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust published its first digital strategy, setting out plans up to 2030 for the future of digital within the organisation in areas in areas including self-care, remote monitoring and access to records, designed to help NCA “keep up with the ever-changing needs of patients and service users”.
Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust also published a new strategy running to 2030, highlighting expectations around the potential offered by the next decade of digital advancements and sharing plans around EPR optimisation, attracting and funding healthcare innovation, and utilising artificial intelligence and and automation responsibly.
And Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust published its IT Strategy for 2024 – 2028, with digital emphasised as a key enabler for efficiency, service improvement and innovation, with a need to deliver a digital service offering tech that is secure and easy to use; and features up-to-date and accurate data managed within a “secure, governed framework”.
