Here, we present finalists for the HTN Now Awards 2024 in the category of Shared Care Records.
Leicester, Leicestershire, and Rutland Integrated Care System and Clinitouch
Overview: By integrating virtual ward data into the Shared Care Record, LLR ICS transformed fragmented systems into a unified, real-time view. Clinitouch enabled better data flow to LLR, setting a blueprint for NHS systems to deliver more connected, effective, and personalised care.
Why? Following user research involving health and care professionals, LLR ICS found fragmented virtual ward data made it difficult for GPs, social care teams, and other professionals to see the full picture of a patients’ health, hindering truly integrated care.
What happened? The team worked with Clinitouch to tackle the task of mapping data into a clean, structured format. Key benefits of this integration include access for all providers to consistent, real-time patient data; minimised redundant interventions; and help for clinicians to spot warning signs sooner, leading to timely interventions and better patient outcomes. This provides a complete picture of a patient’s care journey, enabling personalised and more comprehensive care planning, as well as facilitating better collaboration among multidisciplinary teams. 80 percent of community health workers reported that the sharing of virtual ward data is helpful to their role, whilst 60 percent of adult social care workers reported that the sharing of virtual ward data is helpful to their role, and 1 in 5 of all respondents considered the availability of virtual ward information as essential to their role. Key learnings include that engaging clinicians from the start ensures the system meets real-world needs and delivers practical benefits; that adopting and refining established data standards, rather than inventing new ones, simplifies integration and enhances interoperability; and that strong partnerships between technical teams, healthcare providers, and suppliers are key to success.
Looking ahead. Integrating virtual ward data into the Shared Care Record is just the beginning. We’re already exploring ways to expand this approach and further enhance information sharing across services.
Interweave
Overview: Interweave is the brand name of the Shared Care Record solution supporting five Integration Care Systems in England. The platform, and IP of the technology, is owned by the ICSs in a unique and sustainable partnership model supported by the principles of open standards and vendor neutrality.
Why? The variation in digital maturity across the health and social care system presented challenges in creating a ‘single source of the truth’. We found disparate, legacy systems lacking interoperability and a lack of standards.
What happened? The team addressed this by helping providers map their data to FHIR, and commissioned vendors to assist where local expertise was lacking or alternative priorities prevailed (especially during COVID). Following the first phase wave of data provision, it became clear that the Care Connect FHIR standard was too flexible, making it very difficult to blend data from multiple sources. Our approach was to develop our own FHIR Implementation Guide which is now embedded across regions areas and includes new social care profiles. The buy-in of patients as stakeholders has been a core input and many patient engagements have been conducted, including through workshops, surveys, public awareness campaigns, and more. Efficiency savings in Year 1 in Humber & North Yorkshire ICS: access to GP Connect in three Acutes: £832k; reduction in unnecessary hospital admissions for end-of-life patients: £387k; time savings in Primary Care by removing the need to be contacted by third parties to obtain patient information: £493k; and reduction in the number of unnecessary Ambulance conveyances to hospital: £81k. Total annual savings across all metrics were calculated at £2.1million.
Looking ahead. The team remains committed to supporting the joining up of information for health and care professionals across the NHS.
Insource Limited
Overview: NHSGGC’s Project Team implemented PP+ Cancer Pathway Management in only 7 months. The application provides real time visibility of the full cancer pathway to end users without a requirement to integrate source systems.
Why? NHSGGC’s existing cancer waiting times tracking legacy system was time limited, causing significant challenges for reporting which required manual manipulation to provide retrospective static snapshots. The version of PP+CPM used in NHS Highland, required development to meet NHSGGC requirements.
What happened? NHSGGC’s Project Team successfully delivered the implementation of PP+ Cancer Pathway Management in only 7 months. Powered by the Unified Data Layer (UDL), the application provides real time visibility of the full cancer pathway to end users without a requirement to integrate source systems. Dynamic escalation is unlocked, allowing for timely interventions to deliver shorter waits and help prevent breaches. Staff spend less time obtaining data and producing reports, estimated at 76 hours savings per week. Continuous waiting time visibility, dynamic generation of patient cohorts and real time action tracking delivers role based contextualised information allowing appropriate and timely actions. Early indications demonstrate a significant reduction in the number of patients waiting over 100 days from cancer diagnosis to treatment. The UDL allows for local and national reporting without intervention from other teams or systems, and provides data for secondary uses such as CPD, audit, research and evidencing service improvements.
Looking ahead. Moving forward further data items will be brought into the UDL bringing opportunities for further service improvements. Work continues to enhance functionality and reporting capabilities.
Feedback Medical
Overview: By implementing Bleepa®, Queen Victoria Hospital enabled the integration of diverse diagnostic tests and effective case management across primary and secondary care. This led to a 63 percent reduction in patient wait times from referral to treatment against national standards and a 90 percent decrease in outpatient appointments.
Why? Breathlessness accounts for 5 percent of presentations to emergency departments, approximately 4 percent of GP consultations and reported by patients in 12 percent of medical admissions. Multiple investigations are likely to be required, and early and accurate diagnosis is critical to ensure the best outcome for the patient.
What happened? QVH partnered with Feedback Medical to initiate a pilot to explore Bleepa®’s capabilities to optimise the breathlessness pathway. A steering group, including key members from QVH and Feedback Medical, as well as GP partners from a local practice, was set up to oversee the project and keep it on track. Training was tailored to the needs of different staff, and the system was tested by users to ensure it worked well before full training began. Regular communication with all levels of staff – from GPs to teams across QVH – meant everyone had a voice and felt part of the process, which encouraged commitment and ownership. Key measurable improvements included a 63 percent reduction in patient wait times from referral to treatment for the breathlessness pathway compared to the 18-week national target (46 days compared to 126 days); a 45 percent reduction in referral to diagnostic test wait times compared to the national target; and a 90 percent reduction in outpatient appointment requirements. 377k hours of consultant time could be released back for a single pathway, and £315k-£787k could be saved per pathway for an ICB. If these benefits were achieved more widely it could save Sussex ICS £314,880 or even £16.9 million nationally with one pathway.
Looking ahead. 10 practices have onboarded Bleepa® and a further 12 are scheduled, with an aim to expand to all GP practices in the region and move beyond the breathlessness pathway. The team has worked across NHS England with others aiming to emulate the programme.
