Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland ICB and Northamptonshire ICB’s latest five-year strategic commissioning plan to 2031 highlights the move from short-term recovery to longer-term transformation, outlining the role of digital and data in areas such as population health, neighbourhood health, and prevention. The ICBs also share that a new digital and data strategy is expected in September 2026, with a data quality strategy to follow by March 2027.
Core commissioning ambitions include improving access and flow for elective care, urgent and emergency care, and neighbourhoods, the ICBs state, modernising pathways, reducing variation, and relying on digital connectivity and shared care records to help deliver care closer to home. Digital and data literacy will be enhanced across the workforce to support a “digital by default” approach to commissioning, and digital tools and real-time data will help promote proactive care.
Under the neighbourhood model, the ICBs commit to increasing access to digital tools to support people, putting in place shared digital records and interoperable systems to enable better integration, and providing a single point of access for service navigation and triage.
“Digital and data are essential enablers of this plan and will underpin delivery of improved population health outcomes, reduced inequalities, and more sustainable services across LNR,” the ICBs note. “Over the five‑year period, digital will be commissioned in direct support of pathway transformation, neighbourhood delivery and new models of care, rather than as a standalone programme.”
Given the variations in digital maturity and capability that exist across providers, the commissioning approach is designed to prioritise the development of strong, shared digital foundations. Digital will be embedded within commissioning intentions and business cases, ensuring digital requirements are identified early in the pathway design process, and with “active involvement” from digital and data leads.
The ICBs further commit to preventing “isolated or duplicative” digital solutions through a coordinated approach, requiring commissioned services to be interoperable, scalable, and in keeping with architectural and information standards.
Better use will be made of linked data to inform commissioning, evaluate impact, and support population health management, according to the ICBs. Priority cohorts will be identified with segmentation and risk stratification approaches, variation in data quality and information sharing will be addressed, and digital inclusion and accessibility will be required considerations in service specifications.
The retention of digital and data roles will be prioritised, and workforce digital skills will be strengthened through targeted upskilling and ongoing support around using digital tools and maximising productivity. Central digital leadership will be essential for strategic oversight and coordination, strong engagement will be maintained with provider digital leads to ensure coherence across the system, and clear governance routes will be established for digital decision-making around commissioning.
From a funding perspective, the ICBs plan to incorporate digital funding within pathway redesign and service transformation, using business cases to articulate digital dependencies and risks, and prioritising solutions that offer benefits for commissioning and population health.
Wider trend: Digitally-enabled pathways
NHS England has awarded a contract worth £22 million to TPXimpact as part of the Digital Prevention Services Portfolio, for digital transformation services relating to vaccinations. The contract, which is set to run for two years, will see TPXimpact working across maternity, neonatal, and school aged vaccinations, supporting vaccination pathways in care settings including GP practices, schools, and the community. According to NHS England, the company will help with the administration, recording, and management of vaccinations through digital systems.
Mid and South Essex NHS Trust has awarded a contract worth £305,000 to Nottingham-based Healthcare Business Solutions UK Ltd, for the provision of a referral to treatment digital outpatients solution. The solution was sought by the trust in order to support triage, review, and management of routine and urgent referrals across the dermatology service, with the aim of reducing the need for face-to-face appointments. The contract, awarded on price, is to last for an initial term of six months, with an optional extension for three months.
Liverpool City Council has highlighted its upcoming procurement for the provision of tech-enabled care for adult social care services, with an expected tender notice publication to follow in May 2026. The council notes its intention to “reshape” its adult social care offering in line with the Living Better Lives vision, with aims of helping residents live independently, stay connected, and improve wellbeing. Under this vision, tech-enabled care is labelled as a key enabler, promoting prevention, early intervention, independence, and digital inclusion.
