The Essence of ADAPt’s Consultation
NHS England, in its pursuit of comprehensive healthcare insights, has embarked on a public consultation journey. This quest seeks opinions on a proposal aimed at amalgamating and processing information regarding healthcare activities executed within private hospitals. The consultation revolves around the Acute Data Alignment Programme (ADAPt) initiative, whose raison d’être is the development of a consolidated healthcare data repository in England for the express purpose of elevating patient care quality.
A Paradigm Shift in Data Collection
For the very first time, the ADAPt programme envisions the unification of data pertinent to both NHS-funded and privately-administered healthcare activities. This approach aspires to afford a profound comprehension of treatment and care quality spanning both settings. The consultation period, which runs until April 20, 2023, was born out of the Paterson Inquiry’s recommendation that all consultant activities be documented within a singular locus. This suggestion emerged in the wake of breast cancer surgeon Ian Paterson’s conviction, who was found guilty of performing detrimental and superfluous surgeries in both NHS and private contexts.
ADAPt: A Collaborative Endeavour
Initiated in 2018, ADAPt represents a collaborative endeavor between NHS Digital, now subsumed within NHS England, and the Private Healthcare Information Network (PHIN). Pilot projects have showcased the plausibility of private care providers transmitting admitted patient care data directly to the NHS, yielding advantages such as the capacity to monitor emergency readmissions subsequent to discharges from private providers.
Consultation Framework and Insights
NHS England, which amalgamated with NHS Digital earlier this year, delineates its plan of action for collecting and processing private healthcare hospital activity data within the consultation. James Austin, who occupies the role of Director of Data Strategy and Policy at NHS England, accentuated the significance of a solitary healthcare information repository in bolstering care and treatment across both sectors.
An Invitation to Contribute
Healthcare professionals, patient associations, and individual contributors are cordially invited to impart their perspectives, especially concerning the fusion of NHS and private activity data within NHS centralized reporting systems. Responses can be conveyed via the NHS England Digital Consultation Hub or through electronic mail correspondence.
PHIN and ADAPt’s Unified Goals
The PHIN, an autonomous, not-for-profit organization, strives to equip patients with trustworthy information about private healthcare, enabling them to make judicious decisions. In concert, the ADAPt programme aspires to harmonize data standards, metrics, and reporting systems throughout NHS and private healthcare sectors, with the ultimate goal of fostering transparency, buttressing patient choice, and enhancing patient care.
