Blackburn with Darwen care.data Pathfinder post-event page 6/8/15

Care.data is a programme of work focussed on collecting and linking information from across health and care settings and may eventually bring significant benefits for the health of the nation. 

The aim of the programme is to increase the range and detail of information that is collected across health and social care services, then to securely connect that information together and make it available to:

  • those who plan NHS services
  • researchers
  • clinicians
  • medical charities
  • businesses that support the NHS to make services better

Following a period of national consultation on care.data, the programme is now entering a pathfinder stage with four pathfinder areas identified across England.  Blackburn with Darwen is one of those areas and the Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) recognises the need to fully engage local communities and the VCS in order to support local understanding and engagement; particularly with specific groups or communities that have been less engaged so far. 

One East Midlands was asked by the CCG to organise a meeting for voluntary and community groups to find out about the pilot scheme in Blackburn with Darwen and to:

  • Hear about the benefits of the care.data programme
  • Ask questions about the scheme and the role of the local care.data pathfinder programme
  • Understand the potential role that organisations and their members could play in signposting local people towards more information if they need it – particularly ‘seldom heard’ or ‘excluded’ groups in the community

The event was attended by around 15 delegates, representing a wide variety of voluntary and community groups.  Speakers at the event included Justine Banks, Health & Social Care Information Centre, Helen Sanderson Walker, NHS Midlands & Lancashire Commissioning Support Unit, CCG Engagement Lead, Jeanette Pearson and Mark Rasburn, Healthwatch Blackburn with Darwen.

Presentations and other resources from the event are available to download.

Blackburn with Darwen care.data main presentation 060815

Blackburn with Darwen Healthwatch care data presentation 060815

Regional Voices care.data - a guide for the Voluntary & Community Sector

 

​Background

The National Health Service (NHS) in England has been collecting coded data from your hospital medical record for the last 20 years. This information is essential for health service planning, managing hospital waiting times and improving the quality of health services.

For instance, you may have seen an example of this hospital data being used by the BBC last winter. Statistical data provided by the NHS to the BBC enabled them to publish an online “Winter Tracker” so the public could see how their local district hospital Accident and Emergency Department was performing against national performance standards. *See: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-25055444

Care.data is a programme of work which aims to increase the range and detail of information that is collected across health and social care services, then to securely connect that information together and make it available to:

  • those who plan NHS services
  • researchers
  • clinicians
  • medical charities
  • businesses that support the NHS to make services better

The first phase of this involves collecting and securely connecting information from GP practices to existing hospital information known as Hospital Episode Statistics (HES). The care.data programme will eventually collect information from all settings where care is provided to help improve NHS services for all patients.

Following a period of national consultation on care.data, the programme is now entering a pathfinder stage with four pathfinder areas identified across England.  Blackburn with Darwen is one of those areas and the Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) recognises the need to fully engage local communities and the VCS in order to support local understanding and engagement; particularly with specific groups or communities that have been less engaged so far. 

To date, 23 of Blackburn with Darwen’s 27 GP Practices have volunteered to take part in the programme.  Over the last month extensive engagement work has taken place with these GP practices to ensure they are aware of the programme.   Further engagement is being undertaken with Patient Participation Groups and stakeholders over the summer months.

Practices have been involved in influencing the patient and public facing materials that will be available from September. 

This explanatory information is expected to be posted to all patients registered with the participating practices during September 2015.   The public will be alerted to watch out for their personal letter and care.data information through the local news media some two to three weeks before the postal delivery takes place.

No coded data will be extracted from the GP Practices participating in the Blackburn with Darwen care.data programme until approved by NHS England and Dame Fiona Caldicott, the National Patient Data Guardian. 

To find out more about care.data, including a briefing specifically designed for the VCS and outcomes from the national consultation events, please visit the Regional Voices website at: http://www.regionalvoices.org/caredata

Downloads: 
PDF icon Blackburn with Darwen care.data main presentation 060815
PDF icon Blackburn with Darwen Healthwatch care data presentation 060815
PDF icon Regional Voices care.data - a guide for the Voluntary & Community Sector