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Trust System Support Model

The Trust System Support Model (TSSM) supports NHS trusts who are planning or have undertaken large digital projects or deployments. It works in partnership with trusts to share system wide learning, and to strengthen the likelihood of success. By making it easier for trusts to find assistance, identifying emerging risks and providing supporting materials, TSSM brings together deep technical capability and builds on lessons learned from other deployments to help in delivering a solution to reduce the risk of impact to front line service when the deployment goes live.

The Trust System Support Model (TSSM) is changing its name on the 6 November 2023 to Digital System Support. To better reflect its function and to align with other service rebranding within the NHS England Transformation Directorate. 


How TSSM works

TSSM offers NHS trusts access to lessons learned from other deployments to help them in deploying solutions.  

When planning digital activity or if a trust is experiencing challenges during a digital deployment a trust can ask for advice and guidance from Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) covering a number of subjects including infrastructure, testing, business change, service management and clinical engagement.  

Trusts receiving support still remain accountable for delivery. However, having access to national NHS SME capabilities, experience and learning will increase the chances of successful deployment. TSSM works closely with trusts and their clinical and technical teams to provide specialist advice and guidance in areas that can be difficult for trusts to find themselves.


Levels of service

The TSSM provides a range of different levels of assistance which can be broken down broadly into three different levels:

  1. Post-deployment intervention when a trust is experiencing challenges following the deployment.  TSSM provides practical help to help with remediation, technical analysis and resolution.
  2. Pre-deployment assurance when a trust seeks support before an implementation project and are supported to explore and apply lessons learned from earlier projects.  
  3. Business case and strategy review when TSSM team members are involved at the earliest possible point in the lifecycle to help Trusts mitigate against avoidable issues. 

Contact details

To contact the Digital System Support team email [email protected]

Last edited: 18 March 2024 4:29 pm