Humber and North Yorkshire ICB has highlighted the impact of shared care records and increased digital maturity on outcomes and efficiencies, citing adoption of cloud-based collaboration tools, the use of AI tools for administrative tasks, and better access to data for decision making.
In its annual report and accounts for 2024/25, the ICB focuses on the Yorkshire and Humber Care Record, pointing to an efficiency value of more than 12,000 days saved at a value of £2.1 million. Work in North Lincolnshire using shared care record facilities has meant 14 percent of patients on an end-of-life pathway died in hospital, down from a national average of 42 percent; whilst it cites a reduction of more than 1,000 ambulance conveyances thanks to crews being “empowered for better decision-making”.
Increased digital maturity is reported across the region, with the adoption of cloud-based collaboration tools said to support cross-border and partnership working, and the consolidation of IT partners into a single partnership arrangement facilitating new ways of working.
The development of “Connected Humber and North Yorkshire (HNY)” is a focus for the region, promoting the availability of real-time and secure data to support coordinated care and reduce duplication. A series of proof-of-concept pilots are taking place to test “innovative approaches to service delivery”, the ICB states. The ICB notes “the development of the Connected HNY Database and HNY Insights will play a critical role in supporting integration efforts across health and care services. These platforms will provide data-driven insights to enhance decision-making, drive efficiencies, and improve patient outcomes and represent a significant step forward in leveraging data and innovation to enhance integration, improve service delivery, and create a more connected and person-centred health and care system.”
Humber and North Yorkshire’s development of the “Shining a Light Methodology”, a structured, data-driven approach to improving population health outcomes, utilises intelligence packs, system mapping, benchmarking, and evidence-based interventions, the ICB shares. This data intelligence allows for a “sharper focus” on reducing harm from cancer, cutting cardiovascular disease, supporting those living with frailty, and enabling mental health and resilience.
Usage of the NHS App is also recorded, with the ICB reporting that 57 percent of its population aged 13 or over and registered with a GP have now signed up, with figures for 2024 showing over 17 million logins, 107,000 appointments managed using the app, and 2 million uses for accessing hospital digital services.
Elsewhere, the ICB outlines key performance metrics, with 70.8 percent of patients arriving at ED being seen, treated and admitted or discharged within four hours, against a 78 percent NHS target. The number of patients waiting over 65 weeks for planned care reduced from 336 to 165, and cancer services treated 65.7 percent of patients within 62 days against a target of 70 percent, with an additional 1,780 patients receiving treatment compared with 2023/24.
Digital transformation across the Humber and North Yorkshire region
Humber Health Partnership recently shared plans to build a virtual hospital, enabling system partners to refer into virtual pathways, as part of its new digital strategy for 2025 – 2028. The partnership also focuses on digital for productivity, building a robust and interoperable digital foundation, digital inclusion, and the effective use of data for decision-making.
NHS Humber and North Yorkshire ICB has awarded a contract to the digital mental wellness programme myHappymind, an online educational resource aimed at supporting children and young people with their mental health and wellbeing. Valued at £90,000, the contract between the trust and myHappymind is set to last for a full year, starting from 1 April 2025.
Humber and North Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership, covering four acute trusts, has contracted Patients Know Best for a digital patient portal to March 2027. The programme will span York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust, Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, and Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust. With an estimated value of £669,927, the contract is awarded under NHS SBS’s Technology Enabled Care Services 2 framework.
The Humber Health Partnership also launched a free app to support women experiencing pelvic health problems during and after pregnancy. Residents can register for and download the “Squeezy” app directly from the partnership’s website, to access support with pelvic floor muscle exercises and advice. On the launch, Humber Health highlights that one in three women experience urinary incontinence three months after pregnancy, and one in 12 report symptoms of pelvic prolapse after giving birth.
