NHS IC to provide data services to CCGs

The NHS Information Centre is looking to provide national ‘at scale’ data services to clinical commissioning groups.

The NHS IC is in talks with the NHS Commissioning Board about how it might provide national data services to emerging commissioning support services.

A spokesperson told EHI Primary Care the work it could do on behalf of CSSs might include receiving data, quality assessing and assuring it, storing and processing it, and making it available for others to analyse.

She added that there would still be a need to collect and process data locally “but where it makes sense and is more economical to do this at scale, that is once, then we will jointly explore those options.”

The spokesperson added: “The other advantage of exploring all options is that some of this processing – for example linking data sets together – may need to be performed on patient identifiable data and the Health and Social Care Information Centre has the statutory right to do that.

"In turn, that would leave the analysis, interpretation and business intelligence aspects to be performed by CSS staff at local level.”

The NHS IC said it would continue to provide existing national data flows, such as Secondary Uses Service data, and that at the moment the proposals for additional services were ideas that would need to be explored and analysed further.

However, the NHS IC has stressed to EHI that it does not want to undermine the emerging market for business intelligence services, and that it will not be providing BI to CSSs.

Earlier this year, the NHS Commissioning Board announced that CSSs that wanted to provide ‘at scale’ business intelligence and IT support services would need to pass further tests in addition to those facing all emerging commissioning support services.

This week, it emerged that the NHS CB is looking for between eight and ten CSSs to become data management integration centres, collecting, validating and storing data for CCGs, CSSs, and local authorities in their new public health role.

CSSs had until 8 June to submit detailed proposals for such services in line with the NHS Commissioning Board’s criteria and standards.

The NHS CB is due to have reviewed those submissions and identified the final configuration and development plans by the end of this week. Managing directors for the CSSs were supposed to have been announced this month.

However, the Health Service Journal reported yesterday that too few senior managers have come forward to fill the £140,000 jobs, and that a second round of recruitment will need to be held.