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News
The latest news from NHS Digital.
The next generation of NHS innovation - embracing the digital revolution
Keynote by NHS Digital's CEO Sarah Wilkinson (delivered for Public Policy Projects on Saturday 10 October)
Celebrating Ada Lovelace Day at NHS Digital
To celebrate Ada Lovelace day, NHS Digital is hosting several internal events to celebrate women in tech. Ada Lovelace Day (ALD) is an international celebration of the achievements of women in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM).
MS Teams use in the NHS soars as pandemic continues
Over 65 million messages have been sent on the platform since the week it was rolled out across the NHS by NHS Digital.
Milestone for NHS Vaccine Research Registry as it supports new COVID-19 trial
10,000 UK volunteers are being invited to join a leading phase three COVID-19 vaccine trial - as the number of people signed up to a registry developed by NHS Digital passes 250,000.
New statistics show NHS staff sickness absence for coronavirus-related reasons
Figures reported by NHS organisations on staff sickness absence linked to coronavirus (COVID-19) have been published for the first time today.
Statistics published for all routine childhood vaccinations in England in 2019-20
• Coverage increased in most routine vaccinations - with MMR coverage at 24 months up for the first time in six years.
Ultrafast full fibre broadband enables care home residents to have virtual visits
Residents of a care home can now video call their families for the first time thanks to a new ultrafast broadband connection co-ordinated by NHS Digital.
Dementia project shows digital technology can make a life-changing difference
Digital technology can bring huge benefits to the health and wellbeing of people with dementia and their carers, a pathfinder project has found.
Hospital admission statistics published
Statistics on all NHS admissions into hospitals in England in 2019-20 have been published today by NHS Digital.
People in most deprived areas were almost twice as likely to visit A&E as those in least deprived
There were almost twice as many attendances to Accident and Emergency departments in England for the 10% of the population living in the most deprived areas (3.1 million), compared with the least deprived 10% (1.6 million) in 2019-20, according to official figures released today.
NHS Digital publishes NHS Payments to General Practice, England, 2019/20 report
NHS Digital has today published the NHS Payments to General Practice in England annual report.
New figures on patients seen by dentists show changes during closure period
A report published by NHS Digital today shows the number of patients seen by NHS dentists within recommended timeframes, up to June 2020. This includes the period when dentists were closed for routine care due to coronavirus (COVID-19).
More GP practices and community pharmacies go live with electronic notifications for urgent supply of medicines
NHS Digital is rolling out electronic notifications which inform GPs when one of their patients receives an urgent supply of medicine from a community pharmacy.
New electronic discharge summaries save the NHS time and admin costs
Hospitals across England will soon be able to send secure and standardised clinical patient discharge summaries and outpatient attendance information electronically to GP systems following a successful first of type by NHS Digital, TPP and Dorset County Hospital working with Independent Systems Integrators.
Prevalence data for 21 common conditions published today
Figures showing the recorded prevalence of 21 conditions, including asthma, hypertension, dementia, diabetes, and depression are published today by NHS Digital.
New framework launched to help NHS and public sector organisations manage cyber threats
A cyber security services framework has been launched for the NHS and public sector, which can be used to procure external support and services to help manage cyber security risks, increase resilience, and recover in the event of an incident.
Number of volunteers offering to participate in UK COVID-19 vaccine studies shown in new NHS Digital dashboard
The Coronavirus (COVID-19) Vaccine Studies Volunteers Dashboard shows the number of volunteers in the UK who are offering to be contacted for possible recruitment into approved trials to find an effective vaccine for the virus.
New statistics released on talking therapies in England
New annual figures have been released by NHS Digital on referrals to talking therapies in England during 2019-20.
New information shows healthcare activity and outcomes for the shielded population
A new aggregate data set that provides information on healthcare activity and outcomes of shielded patients has been published by NHS Digital today.
Coronavirus test results now visible to GPs
COVID-19 test results are now being automatically sent to GP systems as well as being communicated to the individual, giving GPs visibility of which of their patients have had COVID-19 tests and whether they have tested positive or negative.
New service enables people to sign up to be contacted for COVID-19 vaccine studies
A new NHS service has been launched today (20 July) to enable people across the UK to sign up for information on COVID-19 vaccine trials.
Data collection from adult social care will aid research into coronavirus trends in care settings
The Social Care Data Collection for Pandemic Planning and Research will collect existing, anonymised data on the COVID-19 status of care givers and care receivers directly from IT systems.
NHS Digital supports cardiovascular hospital admission research published today in the Lancet
New data from NHS Digital has been used by the University of Oxford for a study looking at the weekly cardiac-related hospital admissions during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Increase in use of electronic prescriptions during coronavirus
More than 85% of primary care prescriptions in England are now processed electronically, after a rise in use of the service during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Regional coronavirus cases and triage figures published in new interactive dashboard
NHS Digital has published an interactive dashboard showing the number of coronavirus cases identified through Pillar 1 and 2 testing and the total number of NHS Pathways triages through 111 and 999, and online assessments in 111 Online which received a potential COVID-19 final disposition.
NHS Digital Chief Executive named in Global Top 100 Data Visionaries
NHS Digital’s Chief Executive, Sarah Wilkinson, has been named as one of the Global Top 100 Data Visionaries by HotTopics.
NHS Digital supports development of risk prediction model for more tailored COVID-19 shielding advice
Clinicians and GPs will soon be able to better identify patients who are at a higher risk of serious illness from SARS-CoV-2 infection based on a new data-driven risk prediction model.
NHS Digital enables researchers to find effective treatment for COVID-19
Data curated by NHS Digital, and serviced through NHS DigiTrials, has successfully enabled researchers find a major breakthrough in the fight against COVID-19.
Patient record flag can positively affect care of people with learning disabilities
Healthcare for people with a learning disability can be improved by a new flag on patient records, a pilot scheme has shown.
Landmark IT deal will provide access to digital tools and save hundreds of millions of pounds for the NHS
An agreement struck between NHSX, NHS Digital and Microsoft will save the NHS hundreds of millions of pounds and enable all eligible organisations in England to access Microsoft 365 digital tools.
Summary information published today on NHS e-Referral Service
Anonymous summary data on the number of hospital bookings using the NHS e-Referral Service (e-RS) has been published for the first time today as an open dataset.
Increased COVID-19 risk for ethnic minorities, according to academic study supported by NHS Digital
NHS Digital has contributed to a study by academics at the University of California and Cambridge University1looking at the increased risk to people from ethnic minorities from COVID-19.
Syndication service provides latest NHS coronavirus information for websites
Up to date official health information on coronavirus (COVID-19) is now available for organisations and companies to add to their websites quickly and easily.
Summary information published on high-risk patients on the Shielded Patient List
Anonymous summary data on patients who have been identified as being on the coronavirus (COVID-19) Shielded Patient List (SPL) has been published for the first time today.
Almost half a million MS Teams messages a day sent in the NHS during COVID-19 lockdown
The average number of weekday remote meetings carried out in the NHS using Microsoft Teams has reached 90,250: more than a six-fold increase since the week it was rolled out across the NHS by NHS Digital, following lockdown restrictions.
Explanatory note: GP data to support vital coronavirus response
NHS Digital is supporting GPs by putting in place a central service to collect and disseminate data from General Practice to support vital planning and research, as part of the coronavirus response.
Statistics released on obesity-related hospital admissions in England in 2018-19
New figures on obesity-related hospital admissions have been published today by NHS Digital.
New NHS Digital Deputy Chief Executive takes up post
NHS Digital’s new Deputy Chief Executive, Pete Rose, has today joined the organisation. Pete will also take on the role of Chief Information Security Officer for the Health and Care System.
Over six thousand care providers sign up to NHSmail in just six weeks
The number of care providers using NHSmail, the NHS’ centrally-funded email service, has more than doubled in the last six weeks from 4,141 providers to 10,186, to support staff during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Better information sharing to help clinicians during COVID-19
GPs and authorised health and care professionals in the NHS will now be able to access primary care records for patients registered at other practices during the Coronavirus epidemic.
NHS login hits one million registered users
More than a million people have now registered with NHS login following an upsurge in demand for digital services during the coronavirus pandemic.
Trials begin of machine learning system to help hospitals plan and manage COVID-19 treatment resources developed by NHS Digital and University of Cambridge
Trials have begun of a system that will use machine learning to help predict the upcoming demand for intensive care (ICU) beds and ventilators needed to treat patients with COVID-19 at individual hospitals and across regions in England.
Patients now able to nominate pharmacy using the NHS App
New functionality has been added to the NHS App allowing patients across England to use it to choose a pharmacy to have their repeat prescriptions sent to directly.
NHS Digital data to help find effective treatment for Covid-19
Data from NHS Digital is being used by researchers in the fight to find treatment for patients diagnosed with coronavirus.
Child Protection information to be shared with school nurses and health visitors
A tool that provides data on protected vulnerable children for the NHS and local authorities is being broadened to include school nurses and health visitors.
NHS Digital streamlines NHS Smartcard access for new starters
NHS Digital has permitted the use of a virtual Smartcard and streamlined processes for physical cards, giving new staff fast access to hospital systems. This is important for the new Nightingale Hospitals where thousands of staff need to be verified and onto systems quickly.
Surge in the number of people using NHS tech during Coronavirus outbreak
Research this week shows 38% of people have increased their use of NHS technology since the start of the Coronavirus outbreak.
Data published on potential COVID-19 symptoms reported through NHS Pathways and 111 online
Dashboard shows the total number of NHS Pathways triages through 111 and 999, and online assessments in 111 online which have received a potential COVID-19 final disposition.
NHS support via text message for people with symptoms of Covid-19
People staying at home suffering with suspected coronavirus symptoms will get regular check-ins from a new NHS messaging service launched today
Statement for people who think they have inaccurately been sent communication about being on the shielded list for Coronavirus
We have recently sent texts and letters to patients who are to be shielded from Coronavirus, to give them the information and advice they need.
Coronavirus letters sent in error to deceased patients
We would like to apologise for an error that has led to a very small proportion of the letters intended to notify people most at risk of Coronavirus being sent to patients who have died.
Coronavirus letters sent in error to deceased patients: A message to family members affected
Although we are unable to contact you personally, we would like to say how sorry we are for any distress that may have been caused by the letter you have received.
DHSC press release: Online isolation notes launched - providing proof of coronavirus absence from work
People unable to work for more than seven days because of coronavirus (COVID-19) can obtain an isolation note through a new online service.
Messaging tool for NHS to support remote working during coronavirus outbreak
A messaging and conferencing app will be available for free, for a limited time period across the NHS, to counter the increased risks associated with COVID-19.
Data and services to support the management of Coronavirus
NHS Digital has been asked by the Secretary of State for Health & Social Care and NHS England to collect and analyse data as part of measures to counter the spread of Coronavirus.
NHS unveils package of measures to help people find trusted health information online
The NHS today unveiled new developments in its efforts to ensure people find trusted information online. It has worked with Google to ensure it provides the public in the UK with easy access to NHS information about more than 250 of the most searched for health conditions on the NHS website, through new Knowledge Panels.
NHS website clinical content modularised for better syndication
The most popular 250 pages of clinically assured content on the NHS website can now be used more flexibly, thanks to the next stage of the existing syndication programme.
New electronic notifications service for vaccinations launched this winter
• Saves time, keeps GPs informed and improves accuracy of health data • Allows GPs to identify unvaccinated patients from at-risk groups
New statistics on England’s social care workforce published
NHS Digital has today published its latest annual report on the local authority-employed adult social care workforce in England.
Latest statistics on staff at independent healthcare providers released
Information about employees of Independent Healthcare Providers (IHPs) in England has been published today by NHS Digital.
NHS Digital and PHIN launch consultation on next phase of Acute Data Alignment Programme
NHS Digital and the Private Healthcare Information Network (PHIN) have launched a consultation as part of the next phase of a programme to align private healthcare data with NHS recorded activity.
Digital midwives win prestigious award for their use of tech
An NHS Digital-run group for digital midwives has won an award for 'Use of Technology in Midwifery' at the British Journal of Midwifery awards.
Latest patient outcomes data on hip and knee replacements published today
The results from questionnaires completed by patients who have undergone hip and knee replacements have been published by NHS Digital today.
Local digital adult social care projects awarded share of £4.5m
Sixteen organisations that provide and commission adult social care services are to receive a share of £4.5m to enable them to roll out their local digital projects on a wider scale.
Digital champions key to tackling distrust in online health confidentiality
A lack of skills and a distrust of health information online are two of the biggest barriers for patients to use the internet, according to new research.
Analysis of Pathways NHS111 calls linked to hospital attendances published
NHS Digital has today published for the first time experimental statistics analysing data from Pathways1 NHS111 calls linked to Hospital Episode Statistics.
National expansion of Real Time Exemption Checking service for prescriptions
An NHS electronic system which enables pharmacies to immediately check if a patient is eligible for free prescriptions is being rolled out nationally.
Around 360,000 admissions to hospital as a result of alcohol in 2018/19
Drinking alcohol was the main reason for 358,000 admissions to hospital in 2018/19 according to new figures published by NHS Digital today.
NHS Digital appoints Pete Rose as new Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) for the health and care system and Deputy CEO
NHS Digital has today announced the appointment of Pete Rose as the new Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) for the health and care system and its new Deputy CEO.
Patient assessments of NHS food, cleanliness and other non-clinical aspects of hospital care published today
Results of the annual patient-led assessments of non-clinical elements of care, such as catering services, cleanliness and waiting facilities are published today.
NHS unveils ‘Faces of the NHS App’
The NHS has revealed the first nine frontline NHS staff members who have been selected to become the ‘Faces’ of a campaign to promote the NHS App to patients.
More patients to benefit from single secure access to healthcare apps as NHS Digital launches NHS login toolkit
Approved digital health and care app and website developers can now integrate NHS login into their products thanks to a new toolkit launched by NHS Digital.
Annual information on the health and care of people with learning disabilities is published
Information on the health of people with learning disabilities in 2018-19 has been released today by NHS Digital.
Number of NHS App users more than double in 3 months as ‘App Ambassadors’ set to work
The number of patients using the NHS App has more than doubled since Chief Nurse Ruth May announced the ‘NHS App Ambassadors’ scheme in early September.
Reports on adult safeguarding and deferred payment agreements published today
The latest information on adult safeguarding and deferred payment agreements during 2018/19 has been released today by NHS Digital in two reports.
State of the nation’s health in 2018 shown in new report
The latest figures for the Health Survey for England have been released by NHS Digital, monitoring trends in the nation’s health and featuring new data on gambling, asthma and longstanding conditions.
NHS Digital publishes detailed picture of mental health in England
Annual figures on mental health, learning disability and autism services have been published today by NHS Digital.
Drug-related hospital admissions data for 2018-19 published in new report
The latest figures on drug misuse in England have been published today by NHS Digital.
New figures on Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards released
NHS Digital has released new figures on Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) for care homes and hospitals.
Latest cervical screening figures released
The latest annual report on cervical screening coverage has been published by NHS Digital today.
Prescribing costs for 2018-19 published
Information on the estimated costs at list price of medicines used in hospitals and prescribed in primary care in 2018-19 has been published by NHS Digital.
Experimental waiting times data for autism services published for first time
Partial statistics on waiting times for people in contact with autism services have been published today by NHS Digital.
Strong showing for NHS Digital as four shortlisted for prestigious ‘Women in IT’ awards
Women in NHS Digital have been shortlisted for four different Women in IT awards from the Women in IT Global Initiative.
Report published on extent of pharmacy services in England
NHS Digital has today published figures on activity carried out by community pharmacies and appliance contractors in England.
Connectivity issues for some users of NHSmail through Outlook
We are aware that some users are currently unable to access NHSmail through Outlook.
Painkiller use in childbirth drops six percentage points in a decade
The use of analgesics or anaesthetics before or during delivery has dropped from 67% of all deliveries in 2008-09 to 61% in 2018-191, new figures released by NHS Digital show.
New social media techniques used to boost cancer screening rates
Hundreds of practice nurses across the country have been taught how social media can improve health thanks to the success of one of NHS Digital’s Widening Digital Participation projects.
Annual Mental Health Act detentions published
NHS Digital has published new figures on the number of detentions carried out under the Mental Health Act in 2018-19.
NHS Digital’s Clinical Adviser for maternity wins a Gold Chief Midwifery Officer Award
A Clinical Adviser at NHS Digital who is leading the charge to digitise maternity services has been recognised with a special gold award from England’s Chief Midwifery Officer.
Annual Quality Outcomes Framework (QOF) report for England published
Figures showing the recorded prevalence of 21 conditions1, including asthma, hypertension, dementia, diabetes, and depression are published today by NHS Digital.
Three reports providing official adult social care statistics released by NHS Digital today
NHS Digital has today published three reports which include the latest statistics on those in receipt of adult social care in England.