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First pilots announced aligning NHS and private sector data

ADAPt scheme is first comprehensive national dataset of ‘whole practice’ information for doctors and hospitals

17th June 2021 about a 2 minute read
“This is a vital step in moving towards a more joined-up approach to managing healthcare data, and will lead to significant improvements in the use of information to promote patient safety." Matt James, Chief Executive of PHIN

The first providers taking part in ADAPt, the national data alignment programme between the NHS and the private sector, have been announced.

The pilots are being jointly led by NHS Digital and the Private Healthcare Information Network (PHIN). The initiative will lead to the creation of the first comprehensive national dataset of ‘whole practice’ information for doctors and hospitals providing NHS and private hospital care in England.

The need for this dataset was highlighted by the Independent Inquiry into rogue breast surgeon Ian Paterson, who provided unsanctioned and unnecessary treatment to patients in both NHS and private hospitals.

The providers which have volunteered for the ADAPt pilots are:

  • Epsomedical
  • Genesis
  • HCA Healthcare
  • London North West University NHS Foundation Trust (private patient unit)
  • Schoen Clinic
  • Spire Healthcare.

The ADAPt pilots will test the technical changes and governance requirements needed to transfer patient data from PHIN into NHS Digital. 

The new national dataset will be made available through NHS Digital’s data sharing services to regulators and public bodies, to assist monitoring of safety and help drive service improvement, and to PHIN to support its legal requirement to publish whole-practice performance measures for hospitals and consultants offering private healthcare services.

Matt James, Chief Executive of PHIN, said: “It is great to have reached the operational testing stage of this very important partnership programme, and we’re grateful to the hospitals that have volunteered to participate, particularly during the challenges of the ongoing pandemic. 

“This is a vital step in moving towards a more joined-up approach to managing healthcare data, and will lead to significant improvements in the use of information to promote patient safety. We hope that these pilots will enable ADAPt to become fully operational in 2022.”

Fran Woodard, Executive Director of Data Services at NHS Digital, added: “This is an important step on the road to recommendations for rolling out the sharing of in-patient hospital data across the healthcare system and we look forward to analysing the first results from these pilots.”

More information on ADAPt is available here