Enhancing the use analysis and dissemination of healthcare information

Accepted.
The Mandate (Department of Health, November 2013) NHS England states that, ‘The NHS should measure and publish outcome data for all major services by 2015, broken down by local clinical commissioning groups where patient numbers are adequate, as well as by those teams and organisations providing care.’
To meet this commitment, the Government stated in Patients First and Foremost (Department of Health, 2013) that, ‘From 2015, [NHS England] will ensure that data on services at specialty level is increasingly available. To do this they will work with providers, patient groups and specialty level organisations and those bodies such as the Health and Social Care Information Centre and the Care Quality Commission...’
In June 2013, NHS England published the first two specialities level data, cardiac surgery and vascular, and announced the publication schedule for a further eight specialties. All specialties have now been published. NHS England will widen this programme to include other specialties over time and the data published will, initially, be refreshed annually. The data can be accessed via NHS Choices.
Recommendations 265, 266 and 267 relate to this programme of work and are responded to accordingly.

Statistics on the effectiveness of different treatments and interventions are published by NHS Digital and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).

NHS England plans to publish consultant-level outcomes data from all appropriate NHS funded national clinical audits before 2020. Consultant Outcomes Publication began with ten national clinical audits in June 2013 which were also made available through the NHS Choices Website. Consultant data for neurosurgery and upper gastro-intestinal has also now been published. NHS England will improve the way in which data is published and has supported the development of patient-friendly guidance which has been issued to professional societies. This outlines the indicators that must be included in consultant level reporting such as patient involvement in publication and the linking of results for the department to an individual’s work at the trusts they practice in.

This recommendation was accepted by the Government.

In the January 2014 Hard Truths report, the Government said that mandate to the NHS Commissioning Board for April 2013 to March 2015 stated that the NHS should measure and publish outcome data for all major services by 2015, broken down by local clinical commissioning groups where patient numbers are accurate. This was to include ensuring that data on services at speciality level was increasingly available.

In June 2013, NHS England published specialities level data for cardiac surgery and vascular, and announced publication special for a further 8 specialties. The plan was to include other specialities over time, and the data published refreshed annually. In the February 2015 Culture Change report, the Government said that NHS England planned to publish consultant-level outcomes data from all appropriate NHS-funded national clinical audits before 2020.