The work we do has evolved over 30 years. It has developed into a complex range of standards, submission portals, data collections and ways of dissemination. An even more complex system supports how providers collect data, and how it is used to improve health and care.
We have begun major programmes of work to transform our existing data services into a system that will make things easier for our stakeholders, improve data quality, and speed up the data cycle. This will increase clinical benefits and value to the health and care system.
You can read more about this work on our Data outcomes for research and oversight page, part of our response to Personalised health and care 2020.
We plan to merge existing data sets into a single data architecture. This will include reusable modules, small groups of data rather than large data sets, improving efficiency and flexibility. As a patient is treated, information about their care will flow from the organisation that is providing the care, onto a single Data Services Platform (DSP). This will make data available more quickly, as well as making it easier for care providers to submit data.
DSP will improve both access to data and data security by providing a Data Access Environment (DAE), a web-based portal giving secure access to users with the right permissions, and the ability to view anonymised patient data. This will create the platform for a learning health and care system.
We are working on these improvements now and the new system will be fully functional by 2020. It will automate, simplify, speed up and improve data use in health and care services, and reduce the cost and burden.
