How data is helping Nottinghamhsire's NHS services see the bigger picture

Data plays a vital role in supporting the NHS and partners to make our services align to our population's needs.

Whether it's planning NHS services for winter pressures or identifying people who may be at greater risk of poor health outcomes, using data to identify patterns and key areas to focus on is very important. And the key to this is having access to the right data from the public.

In Nottingham and Nottinghamshire, we have a special team of people called the Strategic Analytical Intelligence Unit who are interpreting this anonymised data. This team of analysts builds a detailed picture of what Nottingham and Nottinghamshire’s health and care needs are and how the NHS and its partners can work in tandem to deliver the best outcomes for our local population.

For example, this could be making sure we have cancer screening programmes in neighbourhoods with high levels of cancer diagnosis or increasing our efforts to vaccinate those people where vaccine uptake rates are lower.

We can also use anonymous linked data to identify people who may benefit from earlier support and preventative care, helping them stay healthier for longer and reducing the need for emergency treatment. At the same time, analysing information across local communities helps us understand where health inequalities exist, improve access to services and ensure our resources are directed to the areas of greatest need.

However, this type of work is only possible if we have access to the right information from health and care records. Securely linking information from different health and care services helps us understand the needs of local communities, identify people who may be at greater risk of poor health outcomes, and support earlier interventions that can improve health and wellbeing.

All information used for this purpose is anonymised before it is analysed, meaning individuals cannot be identified. Only those involved in providing your direct care, such as your GP or community nurse, can access your personal information.

This enables us to improve services and population health whilst maintaining strict safeguards for your personal privacy and confidentiality.

This approach, known as Population Health Management and Risk Stratification, helps us better understand the health needs of our population, identify inequalities and target support where it is needed most.

By using anonymised information in a safe and secure way, we can help people stay healthier for longer, improve access to services, support earlier intervention and ensure public resources are directed where they can have the greatest impact.

You can find out more about this work at https://notts.icb.nhs.uk/patient-records.  

Examples of Ongoing Use of Section 251 Supported Data and how it benefits local people:

Improving End of Life Care By safely bringing together information from GP records and other health data, we can better understand whether people are receiving end-of-life care in the place they would prefer, such as at home or in a hospice.

This helps the NHS understand where improvements may be needed and supports better planning of end-of-life services, with the aim of giving people greater choice and ensuring care is provided in the most appropriate setting.Understanding Healthcare Needs & Planning Proactive Care By safely bringing together information from different parts of the NHS, we can build a better picture of how healthcare is being used and where people's needs may be changing.

This helps local NHS services plan ahead and identify where more proactive support may be beneficial, so that services and resources can be better focused on the needs of local communities.