Draft of new NHS data strategy unveiled ahead of consultation over summer

THE TRANSFORMATION of data use across health and care sectors in Britain is set to begin as NHSX published the draft of its new data strategy on Tuesday (22), ahead of engagement with the sector and the public over the summer.

The proposals, published in the draft titled “Data Saves Lives: Reshaping health and social care with data”, claim that under the new strategy, patients will easily be able to access their test results, medication lists, procedures and care plans from all parts of the health system through patient apps, such as the NHS App. The proposals are said to be built on the ground-breaking use of data during the pandemic.

By improving their access to data, people will also be able to manage appointments, refill medications and speak with health and care staff when needed, says the draft.

Improving data collection and the way NHS systems work together will reportedly imply that staff will spend less time collecting and looking for information they need, so they can spend more time with those they are caring for, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said.

DHSC also said the new data strategy proposes better use of personal data to analyse key trends in the health of the nation which can improve planning of services for local communities and allow better response to future diseases.

The draft comes amid the worries that patient data may be misused. It follows the announcement of a two month delay to plans to create a central digital database from GP records in England, amid concerns that patients needed more time to understand the system.

Health and social care secretary Matt Hancock, said: “This strategy seeks to put people in control of their own data, while supporting the NHS in creating a modernised system fit for the 21st century which puts patients and staff in pole position."

Chief executive of NHSX- the unit responsible for setting policy for NHS data and technology- Mattew Gould said patients need to "own their data, have access to their data, and have confidence on how the NHS is handling it on their behalf" and the new strategy will take the agenda forward.

Government chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance also said that the value of timely and comprehensive healthcare data has been brought to light throughout the pandemic and data handling by the NHS has been instrumental “in our response, from monitoring the virus to supporting the vaccine rollout”. 

“This refreshed strategy builds on this ground-breaking use of data and protecting privacy, and will ensure that it remains an asset for future research and improvements in healthcare,” Vallance said.