As of September 2024, over half of acute trusts in the UK have joined the NHS federated data platform (FDP), surpassing the initial target of 71 trusts by the end of the year, NHS England has confirmed.
Ayub Bhayat, director of data services and deputy chief data and analytics officer at NHSE, praised the dedication of NHS teams in achieving this milestone since the platform’s launch in March. The FDP aims to transform healthcare delivery and enhance patient pathways.
By integrating information from various clinical and HR systems, the FDP enables efficient data sharing and decision-making for improved patient care. With the transition stage complete, the focus is now on the delivery phase.
All trusts in England have been mandated to use the national platform and its analytic products within two years, as NHSE aims to expand the reach of the FDP to more NHS trusts and integrated care systems.
Jenny Dando, CCS delivery manager at Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust, highlighted the time-saving benefits of the FDP products, such as the Outpatient CCS. This has enabled the RTT validation team to free up time for reviewing patient treatment lists.
The FDP now offers tools to support the autumn/winter vaccination programme, including supply chain support, Covid-19 monitoring dashboards, flu dashboards, and reporting features. Lord Ara Darzi’s independent investigation recognized the FDP as a valuable NHS investment with promising impacts.
To promote FDP adoption, NHSE awarded an £8.5 million contract to consultancy firm KPMG in April 2024.
