NHS Derby and Derbyshire ICB board recently highlighted progress on its digital strategy, covering its shared care record, federated data platform, Microsoft 365 Co-pilot, and the launch of its strategic digital collaborative.
The update from Chris Weiner, chief medical officer, and Andrew Fearn, joint CDIO, highlighted the launch of the strategic digital collaborative, a joint venture with Nottingham and Nottinghamshire ICB, intended to allow both ICBs to take advantage of digital opportunities from across the two systems, and to provide an overarching digital strategic vision for health and care within the East Midlands Combined Authority boundary. Focus areas for joint working have been identified across cyber security, digital procurement, the sharing of best practice, and digital enablement – benefits realisation.
The update also shares an insight into the ICB’s work on the federated data platform, where it states it is in a “positive position” as a result of its early adopter status, and thanks to University Hospitals of Derby and Burton and Chesterfield Royal being designated as incubator sites. Both acute providers are in the process of implementing solutions including referral to treatment validation and discharge planning, to allow real-time tracking and task management for the discharge process, it reports, as well as working on inpatient and outpatient care coordination solutions. “The ICB has also agreed to the implementation of ICB FDP Population Health Management instance,” it goes on. “Once fully implemented this will allow improved data sharing to support strategic commissioning and operational service delivery.”
The implementation of the Derbyshire shared care record continues with two significant developments, the update notes: the Recommended Summary Plan for Emergency Care and Treatment (ReSPECT) has been completed and ReSPECT plans are now in the integration environment for testing. “Clinically led testing is in progress and a system wide roll out will be directed by the End of Life Clinically Informed Workforce Group following successful user acceptance testing,” it states. “Once live the form will be the first read and write capability in the shared care record and digitisation of a ReSPECT form.”
Also contained in the update is information about the ICB’s work around AI and robotic process automation, where it highlights signup to the NHSE Microsoft 365 Co-pilot (pilot phase) to test using AI in a secure environment, and to see whether this can help increase productivity by assisting with document summarisation, email drafting, and the creation of presentations. Impacts from this will be explored, it continues, and will go toward informing the development of an artificial intelligence and robotic process automation strategy.
The update also notes a successful single sign-on pilot has also enabled ambulance crews at East Midlands Ambulance Service to have access quickly to patient records to support on-scene decision making.
On virtual wards, 1,104 patients have been onboarded with remote monitoring, with 11,300 days of remote monitoring undertaken, and 7 (soon to be 9) pathways live. Plans for the future of the initiative include a test case to evaluate the impact of supporting people with digital technology, it states, and the expansion of step-down pathways of care, along with the introduction of step-up (admission avoidance) in collaboration with primary care.
Digital transformation: strategy and progress from across the NHS
NHS Sussex Integrated Care System’s latest People and Digital Committee report outlines several key digital and data successes over the past quarter, including the launch of the Plexus Transfer of Care Hubs dashboard and NHS App uptake. The ICS shares how digital and data have contributed to the progress of the ICB’s Improving Lives Together strategy, with notable areas of success including the launch of their Transfer of Care Hubs in April 2024, which reportedly allows “managers and clinicians to support the discharge process” and works alongside their existing shared care record.
NHS Gloucestershire has published its first draft ICS data strategy spanning 2025-2030, pending approval from the board, marking a “bold step forward” in drawing on system strengths and transforming how data is used to improve health and care outcomes in Gloucestershire. It focuses on improving citizen-facing care, workforce empowerment, transparency, and innovation, overcoming identified issues around limited or inconsistent access to data for both staff and patients, and overcoming siloes of data to effectively respond to system pressures, monitor performance, and plan strategically for future needs.
NHS Cornwall and Isles of Scilly’s (C&IoS) cyber security strategy to 2026 has been put forward for board endorsement, with ambitions to identify and managing risk; strengthen governance; embed cyber awareness and culture; critical IT systems and suppliers; and prediction, prevention, detection, response and recovery.
North London NHS Foundation Trust has published its digital strategy, with a focus on AI and data, EPR optimisation, launching an NLFT app building programme, digital foundations and infrastructure, creating a culture of innovation, and supporting staff with digital skills.
