The NHS is inviting people to express their views on the health service collecting data from private healthcare facilities in a bid to improve oversight and enhance patient care.
The moves comes after the Paterson Inquiry recommended centralising data on all consultant-led activity to give the NHS better insight into the quality of treatment being delivered across the public and private sector.
The plans to create better access to more joined-up data are a part of the Acute Data Alignment Programme (ADAPt), which was established in 2018 by the Private Healthcare Information Network and NHS Digital – now part of NHS England as of this February.
Pilot projects have demonstrated that the sharing of patient data from private healthcare providers is not only possible but also leads to a number of benefits, according to the health service.
“This vision of a single repository of healthcare information, combining NHS and private healthcare, will help provide better insights and lead to improved care and treatment for all patients across both the NHS and private healthcare sectors,” NHS England’s Director of Data Strategy and Policy, James Austin, said.
He added: “Working jointly on the ADAPt programme has enabled us to see the benefits of how this might work.”
The NHS is looking for a range of opinions on both the use and benefits of the joined-up approach, with the consultation open until the 20th of April for everyone including health professionals, patient groups and other individuals.
Those wanting to respond can do so by completing a questionnaire or by emailing [email protected] and using the subject line ADAPt Consultation.
Read expert insight and commentary from healthcare leaders across the sector on the topic of digital in the latest edition of National Health Executive’s online magazine.
