NHS England has written to trusts informing them that they have to start utilizing the nationwide Federated Information Platform (FDP) and its analytic merchandise inside two years.
Dame Emily Lawson, NHS England’s chief working officer (COO), and nationwide transformation director Vin Diwaker, wrote to all belief executives and COOs asking them to verify “that [they] plan to undertake the NHS FDP within the subsequent two years”, HSJ experiences.
US information analytics large Palantir was awarded the £330 million contract to supply the FDP in November 2023. NHS England’s orders to successfully make its use necessary is a big U-turn from what trusts had been initially advised on the platform’s launch.
On the time, NHSE stated the FDP’s rollout would happen in phases over three years to trusts which discovered it helpful, and that trusts and built-in care programs wouldn’t be obliged to undertake it.
In an e mail bulletin this week dated 29 July 2024, NHS England stated the adoption of the FDP was “progressing at tempo”, with the “transition stage” of the programme anticipated to be accomplished in September 2024 earlier than a transfer to a “supply section”.
Rebecca Llewellyn, FDP programme director at NHSE, stated: “It has been a busy couple of months for the programme; transition of trusts to the NHS FDP is progressing at tempo with extra trusts approaching board day by day all through summer time”.
“Our focus will shift to product enhancements and optimisation, wider product adoption and a continued deal with supporting new trusts and ICBs to onboard the NHS FDP,” Llewellyn added.
The letter from Dame Emily and Dr Diwakar, which has been seen by HSJ, calls on every belief to set out once they “envisage adopting already accessible nationally commissioned native merchandise” accessible by way of the FDP.
Trusts are requested which “quarter of 2024/25 or 2025/26” this adoption will happen. HSJ experiences that the letter contains particulars of the 4 “merchandise” accessible on the FDP. These embody:
Referral to therapy validation — [which] facilitates RTT pathway accuracy and development
Inpatients care co-ordination answer — [which] streamlines elective care with information insights to enhance theatre use and help planning, improves information high quality oversight and ready listing validation
Outpatients care co-ordination answer — [which] enhances clinic operations with ready listing validation
Discharge planning (OPTICA) — [which provides] real-time monitoring and process administration for affected person discharge processes
The letter additionally requires trusts to nominate a “named lead” for the adoption of the FDP, in keeping with HSJ. It encourages trusts to provide “your chief working officer, or director with duty for transformation and enchancment” this position, because the “FDP is a change supply for the entire of the NHS”.
Based on HSJ, trusts have been given till Monday 5 August to verify their plans to undertake the FDP.
In response, an NHSE spokesperson advised Digital Well being: “Whereas implementation continues to be not being mandated, all trusts and ICBs are being requested to supply plans for a way they may maximise the advantages of the Federated Information Platform to ship higher joined-up care for his or her sufferers throughout the subsequent two years.
“Element of those plans may also guarantee trusts could be scheduled into the general supply time of the programme and be totally supported to grasp the advantages of the platform as rapidly as doable.
“The place the FDP can present further capabilities presently offered by different programs, it’s proper that we’d count on organisations to completely think about using the platform going ahead, as a part of their planning, to make sure the very best affected person care whereas delivering one of the best worth for taxpayers.”
NHS England awarded an £8.5 million contract to consultancy agency KPMG in April this 12 months to “promote the adoption” of the FDP by trusts and ICBs.
The programme obtained criticism from well being secretary Wes Streeting in June 2024, who lamented the “glacial” tempo of adoption of the platform, which is deliberate to allow hospitals to carry collectively data from completely different medical and HR programs in a single place.