NHS Digital Data Release Register - reformatted
NHS Wirral CCG projects
305 data files in total were disseminated unsafely (information about files used safely is missing for TRE/"system access" projects).
🚩 NHS Wirral CCG was sent multiple files from the same dataset, in the same month, both with optouts respected and with optouts ignored. NHS Wirral CCG may not have compared the two files, but the identifiers are consistent between datasets, and outside of a good TRE NHS Digital can not know what recipients actually do.
DSfC - NHS Wirral CCG; IV & RS — DARS-NIC-47228-R3R3R
Type of data: information not disclosed for TRE projects
Opt outs honoured: No - data flow is not identifiable, Yes - patient objections upheld, Identifiable (Does not include the flow of confidential data, Section 251 NHS Act 2006)
Legal basis: Health and Social Care Act 2012 – s261(1) and s261(2)(b)(ii), Health and Social Care Act 2012 – s261(7), National Health Service Act 2006 - s251 - 'Control of patient information'. , Health and Social Care Act 2012 s261(7); National Health Service Act 2006 - s251 - 'Control of patient information'.
Purposes: No (Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), Sub ICB Location)
Sensitive: Sensitive
When:DSA runs 2019-07-28 — 2022-07-27 2018.10 — 2021.05.
Access method: Frequent Adhoc Flow, One-Off
Data-controller type: NHS WIRRAL CCG, NHS CHESHIRE AND MERSEYSIDE ICB - 12F
Sublicensing allowed: No
Datasets:
- Acute-Local Provider Flows
- Ambulance-Local Provider Flows
- Children and Young People Health
- Community Services Data Set
- Community-Local Provider Flows
- Demand for Service-Local Provider Flows
- Diagnostic Imaging Dataset
- Diagnostic Services-Local Provider Flows
- Emergency Care-Local Provider Flows
- Experience, Quality and Outcomes-Local Provider Flows
- Improving Access to Psychological Therapies Data Set
- Maternity Services Data Set
- Mental Health and Learning Disabilities Data Set
- Mental Health Minimum Data Set
- Mental Health Services Data Set
- Mental Health-Local Provider Flows
- National Cancer Waiting Times Monitoring DataSet (CWT)
- Other Not Elsewhere Classified (NEC)-Local Provider Flows
- Population Data-Local Provider Flows
- Primary Care Services-Local Provider Flows
- Public Health and Screening Services-Local Provider Flows
- SUS for Commissioners
Objectives:
Invoice Validation
Invoice validation is part of a process by which providers of care or services get paid for the work they do.
Invoices are submitted to the Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) so they are able to ensure that the activity claimed for each patient is their responsibility. This is done by processing and analysing Secondary User Services (SUS+) data, which is received into a secure Controlled Environment for Finance (CEfF). The SUS+ data is identifiable at the level of NHS number. The NHS number is only used to confirm the accuracy of backing-data sets and will not be used further.
Invoice Validation with be conducted by NHS Wirral CCG.
The CCG are advised by the CEfF whether payment for invoices can be made or not.
Risk Stratification
Risk stratification is a tool for identifying and predicting which patients are at high risk or are likely to be at high risk and prioritising the management of their care in order to prevent worse outcomes.
To conduct risk stratification Secondary User Services (SUS+) data, identifiable at the level of NHS number is linked with Primary Care data (from GPs) and an algorithm is applied to produce risk scores. Risk Stratification provides focus for future demands by enabling commissioners to prepare plans for patients. Commissioners can then prepare plans for patients who may require high levels of care. Risk Stratification also enables General Practitioners (GPs) to better target intervention in Primary Care.
Risk Stratification will be conducted by NHS Wirral CCG.
Commissioning
To use pseudonymised data to provide intelligence to support the commissioning of health services. The data (containing both clinical and financial information) is analysed so that health care provision can be planned to support the needs of the population within the CCG area.
The CCGs commission services from a range of providers covering a wide array of services. Each of the data flow categories requested supports the commissioned activity of one or more providers.
The following pseudonymised datasets are required to provide intelligence to support commissioning of health services:
- Secondary Uses Service (SUS+)
- Local Provider Flows
o Acute
o Ambulance
o Community
o Demand for Service
o Diagnostic Service
o Emergency Care
o Experience, Quality and Outcomes
o Mental Health
o Other Not Elsewhere Classified
o Population Data
o Primary Care Services
o Public Health Screening
- Mental Health Minimum Data Set (MHMDS)
- Mental Health Learning Disability Data Set (MHLDDS)
- Mental Health Services Data Set (MHSDS)
- Maternity Services Data Set (MSDS)
- Improving Access to Psychological Therapy (IAPT)
- Child and Young People Health Service (CYPHS)
- Community Services Data Set (CSDS)
- Diagnostic Imaging Data Set (DIDS)
- National Cancer Waiting Times Monitoring Data Set (CWT)
The pseudonymised data is required to for the following purposes:
Population health management:
• Understanding the interdependency of care services
• Targeting care more effectively
• Using value as the redesign principle
Data Quality and Validation – allowing data quality checks on the submitted data
Thoroughly investigating the needs of the population, to ensure the right services are available for individuals when and where they need them
Understanding cohorts of residents who are at risk of becoming users of some of the more expensive services, to better understand and manage those needs
Monitoring population health and care interactions to understand where people may slip through the net, or where the provision of care may be being duplicated
Modelling activity across all data sets to understand how services interact with each other, and to understand how changes in one service may affect flows through another
Service redesign
Health Needs Assessment – identification of underlying disease prevalence within the local population
Patient stratification and predictive modelling - to identify specific patients at risk of requiring hospital admission and other avoidable factors such as risk of falls, computed using algorithms executed against linked de-identified data, and identification of future service delivery models
The pseudonymised data is required to ensure that analysis of health care provision can be completed to support the needs of the health profile of the population within the CCG area based on the full analysis of multiple pseudonymised datasets.
Processing for commissioning will be conducted by
- Arden and Greater East Midlands Commissioning Support Unit
- Advancing Quality Alliance (AQuA)
- The Academic Health Sciences Network
Yielded Benefits:
Expected Benefits:
Invoice Validation
1. Financial validation of activity
2. CCG Budget control
3. Commissioning and performance management
4. Meeting commissioning objectives without compromising patient confidentiality
5. The avoidance of misappropriation of public funds to ensure the ongoing delivery of patient care
Risk Stratification
Risk stratification promotes improved case management in primary care and will lead to the following benefits being realised:
1. Improved planning by better understanding patient flows through the healthcare system, thus allowing commissioners to design appropriate pathways to improve patient flow and allowing commissioners to identify priorities and identify plans to address these.
2. Improved quality of services through reduced emergency readmissions, especially avoidable emergency admissions. This is achieved through mapping of frequent users of emergency services thus allowing early intervention.
3. Improved access to services by identifying which services may be in demand but have poor access, and from this identify areas where improvement is required.
4. Supports the commissioner to meets its requirement to reduce premature mortality in line with the CCG Outcome Framework by allowing for more targeted intervention in primary care.
5. Better understanding of local population characteristics through analysis of their health and healthcare outcomes
All of the above lead to improved patient experience through more effective commissioning of services.
Commissioning
1. Supporting Quality Innovation Productivity and Prevention (QIPP) to review demand management, integrated care and pathways.
a. Analysis to support full business cases.
b. Develop business models.
c. Monitor In year projects.
2. Supporting Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA) for specific disease types.
3. Health economic modelling using:
a. Analysis on provider performance against 18 weeks wait targets.
b. Learning from and predicting likely patient pathways for certain conditions, in order to influence early interventions and other treatments for patients.
c. Analysis of outcome measures for differential treatments, accounting for the full patient pathway.
d. Analysis to understand emergency care and linking A&E and Emergency Urgent Care Flows (EUCC).
4. Commissioning cycle support for grouping and re-costing previous activity.
5. Enables monitoring of:
a. CCG outcome indicators.
b. Financial and Non-financial validation of activity.
c. Successful delivery of integrated care within the CCG.
d. Checking frequent or multiple attendances to improve early intervention and avoid admissions.
e. Case management.
f. Care service planning.
g. Commissioning and performance management.
h. List size verification by GP practices.
i. Understanding the care of patients in nursing homes.
6. Feedback to NHS service providers on data quality at an aggregate and individual record level – only on data initially provided by the service providers.
7. Improved planning by better understanding patient flows through the healthcare system, thus allowing commissioners to design appropriate pathways to improve patient flow and allowing commissioners to identify priorities and identify plans to address these.
8. Improved quality of services through reduced emergency readmissions, especially avoidable emergency admissions. This is achieved through mapping of frequent users of emergency services and early intervention of appropriate care.
9. Improved access to services by identifying which services may be in demand but have poor access, and from this identify areas where improvement is required.
10. Potentially reduced premature mortality by more targeted intervention in primary care, which supports the commissioner to meets its requirement to reduce premature mortality in line with the CCG Outcome Framework.
11. Better understanding of the health of and the variations in health outcomes within the population to help understand local population characteristics.
12. Better understanding of contract requirements, contract execution, and required services for management of existing contracts, and to assist with identification and planning of future contracts
13. Insights into patient outcomes, and identification of the possible efficacy of outcomes-based contracting opportunities.
Outputs:
Invoice Validation
1. Addressing poor data quality issues
2. Production of reports for business intelligence
3. Budget reporting
4. Validation of invoices for non-contracted events
Risk Stratification
1. As part of the risk stratification processing activity detailed above, GPs have access to the risk stratification tool which highlights patients for whom the GP is responsible and have been classed as at risk. The only identifier available to GPs is the NHS numbers of their own patients. Any further identification of the patients will be completed by the GP on their own systems.
2. Output from the risk stratification tool will provide aggregate reporting of number and percentage of population found to be at risk.
3. Record level output will be available for commissioners (of the CCG), pseudonymised at patient level.
4. GP Practices will be able to view the risk scores for individual patients with the ability to display the underlying SUS+ data for the individual patients when it is required for direct care purposes by someone who has a legitimate relationship with the patient.
5. The CCG will be able to target specific patient groups and enable clinicians with the duty of care for the patient to offer appropriate interventions. The CCG will also be able to:
o Stratify populations based on: disease profiles; conditions currently being treated; current service use; pharmacy use and risk of future overall cost
o Plan work for commissioning services and contracts
o Set up capitated budgets
o Identify health determinants of risk of admission to hospital, or other adverse care outcomes.
Commissioning
1. Commissioner reporting:
a. Summary by provider view - plan & actuals year to date (YTD).
b. Summary by Patient Outcome Data (POD) view - plan & actuals YTD.
c. Summary by provider view - activity & finance variance by POD.
d. Planned care by provider view - activity & finance plan & actuals YTD.
e. Planned care by POD view - activity plan & actuals YTD.
f. Provider reporting.
g. Statutory returns.
h. Statutory returns - monthly activity return.
i. Statutory returns - quarterly activity return.
j. Delayed discharges.
k. Quality & performance referral to treatment reporting.
2. Readmissions analysis.
3. Production of aggregate reports for CCG Business Intelligence.
4. Production of project / programme level dashboards.
5. Monitoring of acute / community / mental health quality matrix.
6. Clinical coding reviews / audits.
7. Budget reporting down to individual GP Practice level.
8. GP Practice level dashboard reports include high flyers.
9. Comparators of CCG performance with similar CCGs as set out by a specific range of care quality and performance measures detailed activity and cost reports
10. Data Quality and Validation measures allowing data quality checks on the submitted data
11. Contract Management and Modelling
12. Patient Stratification, such as:
o Patients at highest risk of admission
o Most expensive patients (top 15%)
o Frail and elderly
o Patients that are currently in hospital
o Patients with most referrals to secondary care
o Patients with most emergency activity
o Patients with most expensive prescriptions
o Patients recently moving from one care setting to another
i. Discharged from hospital
ii. Discharged from community
Processing:
Data must only be used as stipulated within this Data Sharing Agreement.
Data Processors must only act upon specific instructions from the Data Controller.
Data can only be stored at the addresses listed under storage addresses.
Patient level data will not be shared outside of the CCG unless it is for the purpose of Direct Care, where it may be shared only with those health professionals who have a legitimate relationship with the patient and a legitimate reason to access the data.
All access to data is managed under Roles-Based Access Controls
No patient level data will be linked other than as specifically detailed within this agreement. Data will only be shared with those parties listed and will only be used for the purposes laid out in the application/agreement. The data to be released from NHS Digital will not be national data, but only that data relating to the specific locality and that data required by the applicant.
NHS Digital reminds all organisations party to this agreement of the need to comply with the Data Sharing Framework Contract requirements, including those regarding the use (and purposes of that use) by “Personnel” (as defined within the Data Sharing Framework Contract ie: employees, agents and contractors of the Data Recipient who may have access to that data)
The DSCRO (part of NHS Digital) will apply Type 2 objections before any identifiable data for the purpose of Risk Stratification leaves the DSCRO.
CCGs should work with general practices within their CCG to help them fulfil data controller responsibilities regarding flow of identifiable data into risk stratification tools.
Segregation
Where the Data Processor and/or the Data Controller hold both identifiable and pseudonymised data, the data will be held separately so data cannot be linked.
All access to data is auditable by NHS Digital.
Data for the purpose of Invoice Validation is kept within the CEfF, and only used by staff properly trained and authorised for the activity. Only CEfF staff are able to access data in the CEfF and only CEfF staff operate the invoice validation process within the CEfF. Data flows directly in to the CEfF from the DSCRO and from the providers – it does not flow through any other processors.
Data Minimisation in relation to the data sets listed within section 3 are listed below. This also includes the purpose on which they would be applied -
For the purpose of Commissioning:
• Patients who are normally registered and/or resident within the commissioner (including historical activity where the patient was previously registered or resident in another commissioner).
and/or
• Patients treated by a provider where the commissioner is the host/co-ordinating commissioner and/or has the primary responsibility for the provider services in the local health economy – this is only for commissioning and relates to both national and local flows.
and/or
• Activity identified by the provider and recorded as such within national systems (such as SUS+) as for the attention of the commissioner - this is only for commissioning and relates to both national and local flows.
For the purpose of Risk Stratification:
• Patients who are normally registered and/or resident within the commissioner (including historical activity where the patient was previously registered or resident in another commissioner
For the purpose of Invoice Validation:
• CCG of residence and/or registration.
The above relates to data requested only (Table 3B). Data currently held (Table 3A) will have the following Data Minimisation:
• CCG of residence and/or registration.
Invoice Validation CEfF in NHS Wirral CCG
1. Identifiable SUS+ Data is obtained from the SUS+ Repository by the Data Services for Commissioners Regional Office (DSCRO).
2. The DSCRO pushes a one-way data flow of SUS+ data into the Controlled Environment for Finance (CEfF) located in the CCG.
3. The CEfF conduct the following processing activities for invoice validation purposes:
a. Validating that the Clinical Commissioning Group is responsible for payment for the care of the individual by using SUS+ and/or backing flow data.
b. Once the backing information is received, this will be checked against national NHS and local commissioning policies as well as being checked against system access and reports provided by NHS Digital to confirm the payments are:
i. In line with Payment by Results tariffs
ii. In relation to a patient registered with the CCG GP or resident within the CCG area.
iii. The health care provided should be paid by the CCG in line with CCG guidance.
4. The CCG are notified by the CEfF that the invoice has been validated and can be paid. Any discrepancies or non-validated invoices are investigated and resolved.
Risk Stratification - NHS Wirral CCG
1. Identifiable SUS+ data is obtained from the SUS Repository to the Data Services for Commissioners Regional Office (DSCRO).
2. Data quality management and standardisation of data is completed by the DSCRO and the data identifiable at the level of NHS number is transferred securely to the CCG, who hold the SUS+ data within the secure Data Centre on N3.
3. Identifiable GP Data is securely sent from the GP system to the CCG.
4. SUS+ data is linked to GP data in the risk stratification tool by the data processor.
5. As part of the risk stratification processing activity, GPs have access to the risk stratification tool within the data processor, which highlights patients with whom the GP has a legitimate relationship and have been classed as at risk. The only identifier available to GPs is the NHS numbers of their own patients. Any further identification of the patients will be completed by the GP on their own systems.
6. Once the CCG has completed the processing, access is available through the online system via a secure N3 connection to access the data pseudonymised at patient level.
Commissioning
The Data Services for Commissioners Regional Office (DSCRO) obtains the following data sets:
1. SUS+
2. Local Provider Flows (received directly from providers)
a. Acute
b. Ambulance
c. Community
d. Demand for Service
e. Diagnostic Service
f. Emergency Care
g. Experience, Quality and Outcomes
h. Mental Health
i. Other Not Elsewhere Classified
j. Population Data
k. Primary Care Services
l. Public Health Screening
3. Mental Health Minimum Data Set (MHMDS)
4. Mental Health Learning Disability Data Set (MHLDDS)
5. Mental Health Services Data Set (MHSDS)
6. Maternity Services Data Set (MSDS)
7. Improving Access to Psychological Therapy (IAPT)
8. Child and Young People Health Service (CYPHS)
9. Community Services Data Set (CSDS)
10. Diagnostic Imaging Data Set (DIDS)
11. National Cancer Waiting Times Monitoring Data Set (CWT)
Data quality management and pseudonymisation is completed within the DSCRO and is then disseminated as follows:
Data Processor 1 – Arden and Greater East Midlands Commissioning Support Unit
1. Pseudonymised SUS+, Local Provider data, Mental Health data (MHSDS, MHMDS, MHLDDS), Maternity data (MSDS), Improving Access to Psychological Therapies data (IAPT), Child and Young People’s Health data (CYPHS), Community Services Data Set (CSDS), Diagnostic Imaging data (DIDS) and National Cancer Waiting Times Monitoring Data Set (CWT) only is securely transferred from the DSCRO to Arden and Greater East Midlands Commissioning Support Unit
2. Arden and Greater East Midlands Commissioning Support Unit add derived fields, link data and provide analysis to:
a. See patient journeys for pathways or service design, re-design and de-commissioning.
b. Check recorded activity against contracts or invoices and facilitate discussions with providers.
c. Undertake population health management
d. Undertake data quality and validation checks
e. Thoroughly investigate the needs of the population
f. Understand cohorts of residents who are at risk
g. Conduct Health Needs Assessments
3. Allowed linkage is between the data sets contained within point 1.
4. Arden and Greater East Midlands Commissioning Support Unit then pass the processed, pseudonymised and linked data to the CCG.
5. Aggregation of required data for CCG management use will be completed by Arden and Greater East Midlands Commissioning Support Unit or the CCG as instructed by the CCG.
6. Patient level data will not be shared outside of the CCG and will only be shared within the CCG on a need to know basis, as per the purposes stipulated within the Data Sharing Agreement. External aggregated reports only with small number suppression can be shared as set out within NHS Digital guidance applicable to each data set.
Data Processor 2 – Advancing Quality Alliance (AQuA) via Arden and Greater East Midlands Commissioning Support
Pseudonymised SUS+, Local Provider data, Mental Health data (MHSDS, MHMDS, MHLDDS), Maternity data (MSDS), Improving Access to Psychological Therapies data (IAPT), Child and Young People’s Health data (CYPHS), Community Services Data Set (CSDS), Diagnostic Imaging data (DIDS)
and National Cancer Waiting Times (NCWT) only is securely transferred from the DSCRO to Advancing Quality Alliance (AQuA) via Arden and Greater East Midlands Commissioning Support
Advancing Quality Alliance (AQuA) via Arden and Greater East Midlands Commissioning Support add derived fields, link data and provide analysis to:
h. See patient journeys for pathways or service design, re-design and de-commissioning.
i. Check recorded activity against contracts or invoices and facilitate discussions with providers.
j. Undertake population health management
k. Undertake data quality and validation checks
l. Thoroughly investigate the needs of the population
m. Understand cohorts of residents who are at risk
n. Conduct Health Needs Assessments
7. Allowed linkage is between the data sets contained within point 1.
8. Advancing Quality Alliance (AQuA) via Arden and Greater East Midlands Commissioning Support then pass the processed, pseudonymised and linked data to the CCG.
9. Aggregation of required data for CCG management use will be completed by Advancing Quality Alliance (AQuA) via Arden and Greater East Midlands Commissioning Support or the CCG as instructed by the CCG.
10. Patient level data will not be shared outside of the CCG and will only be shared within the CCG on a need to know basis, as per the purposes stipulated within the Data Sharing Agreement. External aggregated reports only with small number suppression can be shared as set out within NHS Digital guidance applicable to each data set.
Data Processor 3 – The Academic Health Sciences Network via Arden and Greater East Midlands Commissioning Support
Pseudonymised SUS+, Local Provider data, Mental Health data (MHSDS, MHMDS, MHLDDS), Maternity data (MSDS), Improving Access to Psychological Therapies data (IAPT), Child and Young People’s Health data (CYPHS), Community Services Data Set (CSDS), Diagnostic Imaging data (DIDS) and National Cancer Waiting Times (NCWT) only is securely transferred from the DSCRO to The Academic Health Sciences Network via Arden and Greater East Midlands Commissioning Support
The Academic Health Sciences Network via Arden and Greater East Midlands Commissioning Support add derived fields, link data and provide analysis to:
o. See patient journeys for pathways or service design, re-design and de-commissioning.
p. Check recorded activity against contracts or invoices and facilitate discussions with providers.
q. Undertake population health management
r. Undertake data quality and validation checks
s. Thoroughly investigate the needs of the population
t. Understand cohorts of residents who are at risk
u. Conduct Health Needs Assessments
11. Allowed linkage is between the data sets contained within point 1.
12. The Academic Health Sciences Network via Arden and Greater East Midlands Commissioning Support then pass the processed, pseudonymised and linked data to the CCG.
13. Aggregation of required data for CCG management use will be completed by The Academic Health Sciences Network via Arden and Greater East Midlands Commissioning Support or the CCG as instructed by the CCG.
14. Patient level data will not be shared outside of the CCG and will only be shared within the CCG on a need to know basis, as per the purposes stipulated within the Data Sharing Agreement. External aggregated reports only with small number suppression can be shared as set out within NHS Digital guidance applicable to each data set.
Project 2 — DARS-NIC-193754-H7S6H
Type of data: information not disclosed for TRE projects
Opt outs honoured: Yes - patient objections upheld (Section 251)
Legal basis: Section 251 approval is in place for the flow of identifiable data, National Health Service Act 2006 - s251 - 'Control of patient information'.
Purposes: ()
Sensitive: Sensitive
When:2018.06 — 2019.04.
Access method: Frequent adhoc flow, Frequent Adhoc Flow
Data-controller type:
Sublicensing allowed:
Datasets:
- SUS for Commissioners
Objectives:
Invoice Validation
Invoice validation is part of a process by which providers of care or services get paid for the work they do.
Invoices are submitted to the Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) so they are able to ensure that the activity claimed for each patient is their responsibility. This is done by processing and analysing Secondary User Services (SUS+) data, which is received into a secure Controlled Environment for Finance (CEfF). The SUS+ data is identifiable at the level of NHS number. The NHS number is only used to confirm the accuracy of backing-data sets and will not be used further.
The legal basis for this to occur is under Section 251 of NHS Act 2006.
Invoice Validation with be conducted by NHS Wirral CCG.
Risk Stratification
Risk stratification is a tool for identifying and predicting which patients are at high risk or are likely to be at high risk and prioritising the management of their care in order to prevent worse outcomes.
To conduct risk stratification Secondary User Services (SUS+) data, identifiable at the level of NHS number is linked with Primary Care data (from GPs) and an algorithm is applied to produce risk scores. Risk Stratification provides a forecast of future demand by identifying high risk patients. Commissioners can then prepare plans for patients who may require high levels of care. Risk Stratification also enables General Practitioners (GPs) to better target intervention in Primary Care.
The legal basis for this to occur is under Section 251 of NHS Act 2006 (CAG 7-04(a)).
Risk Stratification will be conducted by NHS Wirral CCG.
Expected Benefits:
Invoice Validation
1. Financial validation of activity
2. CCG Budget control
3. Commissioning and performance management
4. Meeting commissioning objectives without compromising patient confidentiality
5. The avoidance of misappropriation of public funds to ensure the ongoing delivery of patient care
Risk Stratification
Risk stratification promotes improved case management in primary care and will lead to the following benefits being realised:
1. Improved planning by better understanding patient flows through the healthcare system, thus allowing commissioners to design appropriate pathways to improve patient flow and allowing commissioners to identify priorities and identify plans to address these.
2. Improved quality of services through reduced emergency readmissions, especially avoidable emergency admissions. This is achieved through mapping of frequent users of emergency services thus allowing early intervention.
3. Improved access to services by identifying which services may be in demand but have poor access, and from this identify areas where improvement is required.
4. Supports the commissioner to meets its requirement to reduce premature mortality in line with the CCG Outcome Framework by allowing for more targeted intervention in primary care.
5. Better understanding of local population characteristics through analysis of their health and healthcare outcomes
All of the above lead to improved patient experience through more effective commissioning of services.
Outputs:
Invoice Validation
1. Addressing poor data quality issues
2. Production of reports for business intelligence
3. Budget reporting
4. Validation of invoices for non-contracted events
Risk Stratification
1. As part of the risk stratification processing activity detailed above, GPs have access to the risk stratification tool which highlights patients for whom the GP is responsible and have been classed as at risk. The only identifier available to GPs is the NHS numbers of their own patients. Any further identification of the patients will be completed by the GP on their own systems.
2. Output from the risk stratification tool will provide aggregate reporting of number and percentage of population found to be at risk.
3. Record level output will be available for commissioners (of the CCG), pseudonymised at patient level.
4. GP Practices will be able to view the risk scores for individual patients with the ability to display the underlying SUS+ data for the individual patients when it is required for direct care purposes by someone who has a legitimate relationship with the patient.
5. The CCG will be able to target specific patient groups and enable clinicians with the duty of care for the patient to offer appropriate interventions. The CCG will also be able to:
o Stratify populations based on: disease profiles; conditions currently being treated; current service use; pharmacy use and risk of future overall cost
o Plan work for commissioning services and contracts
o Set up capitated budgets
o Identify health determinants of risk of admission to hospital, or other adverse care outcomes.
Processing:
Data must only be used as stipulated within this Data Sharing Agreement.
Data Processors must only act upon specific instructions from the Data Controller.
Data can only be stored at the addresses listed under storage addresses.
The Data Controller and any Data Processor will only have access to records of patients of residence and registration within the CCG.
Patient level data will not be shared outside of the CCG unless it is for the purpose of Direct Care, where it may be shared only with those health professionals who have a legitimate relationship with the patient and a legitimate reason to access the data.
All access to data is managed under Roles-Based Access Controls
CCGs should work with general practices within their CCG to help them fulfil data controller responsibilities regarding flow of identifiable data into risk stratification tools.
No patient level data will be linked other than as specifically detailed within this agreement. Data will only be shared with those parties listed and will only be used for the purposes laid out in the application/agreement. The data to be released from NHS Digital will not be national data, but only that data relating to the specific locality and that data required by the applicant.
The DSCRO (part of NHS Digital) will apply Type 2 objections before any identifiable data leaves the DSCRO.
NHS Digital reminds all organisations party to this agreement of the need to comply with the Data Sharing Framework Contract requirements, including those regarding the use (and purposes of that use) by “Personnel” (as defined within the Data Sharing Framework Contract ie: employees, agents and contractors of the Data Recipient who may have access to that data)
Segregation
Where the Data Processor and/or the Data Controller hold both identifiable and pseudonymised data, the data will be held separately so data cannot be linked.
All access to data is auditable by NHS Digital.
Data for the purpose of Invoice Validation is kept within the CEfF, and only used by staff properly trained and authorised for the activity. Only CEfF staff are able to access data in the CEfF and only CEfF staff operate the invoice validation process within the CEfF. Data flows directly in to the CEfF from NHS Digital and from the providers – it does not flow through any other processors.
Invoice Validation
1. Identifiable SUS+ Data is obtained from the SUS+ Repository by the Data Services for Commissioners Regional Office (DSCRO).
2. The DSCRO pushes a one-way data flow of SUS+ data into the Controlled Environment for Finance (CEfF) located in the CCG.
3. The CEfF conduct the following processing activities for invoice validation purposes:
a. Validating that the Clinical Commissioning Group is responsible for payment for the care of the individual by using SUS+ and/or backing flow data.
b. Once the backing information is received, this will be checked against national NHS and local commissioning policies as well as being checked against system access and reports provided by NHS Digital to confirm the payments are:
i. In line with Payment by Results tariffs
ii. In relation to a patient registered with the CCG GP or resident within the CCG area.
iii. The health care provided should be paid by the CCG in line with CCG guidance.
4. The CCG are notified by the CEfF that the invoice has been validated and can be paid. Any discrepancies or non-validated invoices are investigated and resolved
Risk Stratification
1. Identifiable SUS+ data is obtained from the SUS Repository to the Data Services for Commissioners Regional Office (DSCRO).
2. Data quality management and standardisation of data is completed by the DSCRO and the data identifiable at the level of NHS number is transferred securely to the CCG, who hold the SUS+ data within the secure Data Centre on N3.
3. Identifiable GP Data is securely sent from the GP system to the CCG.
4. SUS+ data is linked to GP data in the risk stratification tool by the data processor.
5. As part of the risk stratification processing activity, GPs have access to the risk stratification tool within the data processor, which highlights patients with whom the GP has a legitimate relationship and have been classed as at risk. The only identifier available to GPs is the NHS numbers of their own patients. Any further identification of the patients will be completed by the GP on their own systems.
6. Once the CCG has completed the processing, access is available through the online system via a secure N3 connection to access the data pseudonymised at patient level.
Project 3 — NIC-47228-R3R3R
Type of data: information not disclosed for TRE projects
Opt outs honoured: N, Y ()
Legal basis: Health and Social Care Act 2012, Section 251 approval is in place for the flow of identifiable data
Purposes: ()
Sensitive: Sensitive
When:2017.06 — 2017.05.
Access method: Ongoing
Data-controller type:
Sublicensing allowed:
Datasets:
- Children and Young People's Health Services Data Set
- Improving Access to Psychological Therapies Data Set
- Local Provider Data - Acute
- Local Provider Data - Ambulance
- Local Provider Data - Community
- Local Provider Data - Demand for Service
- Local Provider Data - Diagnostic Services
- Local Provider Data - Emergency Care
- Local Provider Data - Experience Quality and Outcomes
- Local Provider Data - Mental Health
- Local Provider Data - Other not elsewhere classified
- Local Provider Data - Population Data
- Local Provider Data - Public Health & Screening services
- Mental Health and Learning Disabilities Data Set
- Mental Health Minimum Data Set
- Mental Health Services Data Set
- SUS Accident & Emergency data
- SUS Admitted Patient Care data
- SUS Outpatient data
- Maternity Services Dataset
- SUS data (Accident & Emergency, Admitted Patient Care & Outpatient)
- SUS for Commissioners
- Public Health and Screening Services-Local Provider Flows
- Primary Care Services-Local Provider Flows
- Population Data-Local Provider Flows
- Other Not Elsewhere Classified (NEC)-Local Provider Flows
- Mental Health-Local Provider Flows
- Maternity Services Data Set
- Experience, Quality and Outcomes-Local Provider Flows
- Emergency Care-Local Provider Flows
- Diagnostic Services-Local Provider Flows
- Diagnostic Imaging Dataset
- Demand for Service-Local Provider Flows
- Community-Local Provider Flows
- Children and Young People Health
- Ambulance-Local Provider Flows
- Acute-Local Provider Flows
- SUS (Accident & Emergency, Inpatient and Outpatient data)
- Local Provider Data - Acute, Ambulance, Community, Demand for Service, Diagnostic Services, Emergency Care, Experience Quality and Outcomes, Mental Health, Other not elsewhere classified, Population Data, Primary Care
Objectives:
ASH Status
To use data identifiable at the level of NHS number according to S.251 CAG 2-03(a)/2013 for the following datasets:
- SUS
- Local Provider Flows
The CCGs commission services from a range of providers covering a wide array of services. Each of the data flow categories requested supports the commission activity of one or more providers.
The NHS number is required to provide enhanced analysis of health care provision. This supports the needs of the health profile of the population within the CCG area based on analysis of patient data across health pathways.
Invoice Validation
As an approved Controlled Environment for Finance (CEfF), the CCG receives SUS data identifiable at the level of NHS number according to S.251 CAG 7-07(a) and (b)/2013. The data is required for the purpose of invoice validation. The NHS number is only used to confirm the accuracy of backing-data sets and will not be shared outside of the CEfF.
Risk Stratification
To use SUS data identifiable at the level of NHS number according to S.251 CAG 7-04(a) (and Primary Care Data) for the purpose of Risk Stratification. Risk Stratification provides a forecast of future demand by identifying high risk patients. This enables commissioners to initiate proactive management plans for patients that are potentially high service users. Risk Stratification enables GPs to better target intervention in Primary Care
Pseudonymised – SUS and Local Flows
To use pseudonymised data to provide intelligence to support commissioning of health services. The pseudonymised data is required to ensure that analysis of health care provision can be completed to support the needs of the health profile of the population within the CCG area based on the full analysis of multiple pseudonymised datasets.
The CCGs commission services from a range of providers covering a wide array of services. Each of the data flow categories requested supports the commissioned activity of one or more providers.
Pseudonymised – Mental Health, Maternity, IAPT, CYPHS and DIDS
To use pseudonymised data for the following datasets to provide intelligence to support commissioning of health services :
- Mental Health Minimum Data Set (MHMDS)
- Mental Health Learning Disability Data Set (MHLDDS)
- Mental Health Services Data Set (MHSDS)
- Maternity Services Data Set (MSDS)
- Improving Access to Psychological Therapy (IAPT)
- Child and Young People Health Service (CYPHS)
- Diagnostic Imaging Data Set (DIDS)
The pseudonymised data is required to ensure that analysis of health care provision can be completed to support the needs of the health profile of the population within the CCG area based on the full analysis of multiple pseudonymised datasets.
No record level data will be linked other than as specifically detailed within this application/agreement. Data will only be shared with those parties listed and will only be used for the purposes laid out in the application/agreement. The data to be released from the HSCIC will not be national data, but only that data relating to the specific locality of interest of the applicant.
Expected Benefits:
ASH Status inc. Mental Health, Maternity,
1. Supporting Quality Innovation Productivity and Prevention (QIPP) to review demand management, Integrated care and pathways.
a. Analysis to support full business cases.
b. Develop business models.
c. Monitor In year projects.
2. Supporting Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA) for specific disease types.
3. Health economic modelling using:
a. Analysis on provider performance against 18 weeks wait targets.
b. Learning from and predicting likely patient pathways for certain conditions, in order to influence early interventions and other treatments for patients.
c. Analysis of outcome measures for differential treatments, accounting for the full patient pathway.
d. Analysis to understand emergency care and linking A&E and Emergency Urgent Care Flows (EUCC) flows.
4. Commissioning cycle support for grouping and re-costing previous activity.
5. Enables monitoring of:
a. CCG outcome indicators.
b. Non-financial validation of activity.
c. Successful delivery of integrated care within the CCG.
d. Checking frequent or multiple attendances to improve early intervention and avoid admissions.
e. Case management.
f. Care service planning.
g. Commissioning and performance management.
h. List size verification by GP practices.
i. Understanding the care of patients in nursing homes.
6. Feedback to NHS service providers on data quality at an aggregate and individual record level.
7. A whole system approach including:
a. Deeper integration
b. Needs based pathway models
c. Pooled budgets
d. Community-based recovery-focussed models of support
e. Greater integration across mental and physical health and social care services
f. Integration with Local Care Organisations – promoting early identification and prevention of mental health patients
g. Develop a consistent set of shared minimum standards and outcomes.
h. Improve information sharing between agencies to facilitate collaboration and drive integrated care, through integrated patient records and/or patient ownership of information.
Invoice Validation
1. 1 Financial validation of activity
2. CCG Budget control
3. Commissioning and performance management
4. Meeting commissioning objectives without compromising patient confidentiality
5. The avoidance of misapproproation of public funds to ensure the on-going delivery of patient care
Risk Stratification
Risk stratification promotes improved case management in primary care and will lead to the following benefits being realised:
1. Improved planning by better understanding patient flows through the healthcare system, thus allowing commissioners to design appropriate pathways to improve patient flow and allowing commissioners to identify priorities and identify plans to address these.
2. Improved quality of services through reduced emergency readmissions, especially avoidable emergency admissions. This is achieved through mapping of frequent users of emergency services and early intervention of appropriate care.
3. Improved access to services by identifying which services may be in demand but have poor access, and from this identify areas where improvement is required.
4. Potentially reduced premature mortality by more targeted intervention in primary care, which supports the commissioner to meets its requirement to reduce premature mortality in line with the CCG Outcome Framework.
5. Better understanding of the health of and the variations in health outcomes within the population to help understand local population characteristics.
All of the above lead to improved patient experience through more effective commissioning of services.
Pseudonymised – SUS and Local Flows
Para 4d)
1. Supporting Quality Innovation Productivity and Prevention (QIPP) to review demand management, Integrated care and pathways.
a. Analysis to support full business cases.
b. Develop business models.
c. Monitor In year projects.
2. Supporting Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA) for specific disease types.
3. Health economic modelling using:
a. Analysis on provider performance against 18 weeks wait targets.
b. Learning from and predicting likely patient pathways for certain conditions, in order to influence early interventions and other treatments for patients.
c. Analysis of outcome measures for differential treatments, accounting for the full patient pathway.
d. Analysis to understand emergency care and linking A&E and Emergency Urgent Care Flows (EUCC) flows.
4. Commissioning cycle support for grouping and re-costing previous activity.
5. Enables monitoring of:
a. CCG outcome indicators.
b. Non-financial validation of activity.
c. Successful delivery of integrated care within the CCG.
d. Checking frequent or multiple attendances to improve early intervention and avoid admissions.
e. Case management.
f. Care service planning.
g. Commissioning and performance management.
h. List size verification by GP practices.
i. Understanding the care of patients in nursing homes.
6. Feedback to NHS service providers on data quality at an aggregate and individual record level – only on data initially provided by the service providers.
Pseudonymised – IAPT, CYPHS and DIDS
1. Supporting Quality Innovation Productivity and Prevention (QIPP) to review demand management, Integrated care and pathways.
a. Analysis to support full business cases.
b. Develop business models.
c. Monitor In year projects.
2. Supporting Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA) for specific disease types.
3. Health economic modelling using:
a. Analysis on provider performance against 18 weeks wait targets.
b. Learning from and predicting likely patient pathways for certain conditions, in order to influence early interventions and other treatments for patients.
c. Analysis of outcome measures for differential treatments, accounting for the full patient pathway.
d. Analysis to understand emergency care and linking A&E and Emergency Urgent Care Flows (EUCC) flows.
4. Commissioning cycle support for grouping and re-costing previous activity.
5. Enables monitoring of:
a. CCG outcome indicators.
b. Non-financial validation of activity.
c. Successful delivery of integrated care within the CCG.
d. Checking frequent or multiple attendances to improve early intervention and avoid admissions.
e. Case management.
f. Care service planning.
g. Commissioning and performance management.
h. List size verification by GP practices.
i. Understanding the care of patients in nursing homes.
7. Feedback to NHS service providers on data quality at an aggregate and individual record level – only on data initially provided by the service providers.
Outputs:
ASH Status inc. Mental Health, Maternity,
1. Commissioner reporting:
a. Summary by provider view - plan & actuals year to date (YTD).
b. Summary by Patient Outcome Data (POD) view - plan & actuals YTD.
c. Summary by provider view - activity & finance variance by POD.
d. Planned care by provider view - activity & finance plan & actuals YTD.
e. Planned care by POD view - activity plan & actuals YTD.
f. Provider reporting.
g. Statutory returns.
h. Statutory returns - monthly activity return.
i. Statutory returns - quarterly activity return.
j. Delayed discharges.
k. Quality & performance referral to treatment reporting.
2. Readmissions analysis.
3. Production of aggregate reports for CCG Business Intelligence.
4. Production of project / programme level dashboards.
5. Monitoring of acute / community / mental health quality matrix.
6. Clinical coding reviews / audits.
7. Budget reporting down to individual GP Practice level.
8. GP Practice level dashboard reports include high flyers.
Invoice Validation
1. Addressing poor data quality issues
2. Production of reports for business intelligence
3. Budget reporting
4. Validation of invoices for non-contracted events
Risk Stratification
1. As part of the risk stratification processing activity detailed above, GPs have access to the risk stratification tool which highlights patients for whom the GP is responsible and have been classed as at risk. The risk stratification presents pseudonymised data to the GPs. GPs are able to re-identify information only for their own patients for the purpose of direct care.
2. Output from the risk stratification tool will provide aggregate reporting of number and percentage of population found to be at risk.
3. Record level output will be available for commissioners pseudonymised at patient level and aggregated at patient level.
4. GP Practices will be able to view the risk scores for individual patients with the ability to display the underlying SUS data for the individual patients when it is required for direct care purposes by someone who has a legitimate relationship with the patient.
Pseudonymised – SUS and Local Flows
1. Commissioner reporting:
a. Summary by provider view - plan & actuals year to date (YTD).
b. Summary by Patient Outcome Data (POD) view - plan & actuals YTD.
c. Summary by provider view - activity & finance variance by POD.
d. Planned care by provider view - activity & finance plan & actuals YTD..
e. Planned care by POD view - activity plan & actuals YTD.
f. Provider reporting.
g. Statutory returns.
h. Statutory returns - monthly activity return.
i. Statutory returns - quarterly activity return.
j. Delayed discharges.
k. Quality & performance referral to treatment reporting.
2. Readmissions analysis.
3. Production of aggregate reports for CCG Business Intelligence.
4. Production of project / programme level dashboards.
5. Monitoring of acute / community / mental health quality matrix.
6. Clinical coding reviews / audits.
7. Budget reporting down to individual GP Practice level.
8. GP Practice level dashboard reports include high flyers.
Pseudonymised – IAPT, CYPHS and DIDS
1. Commissioner reporting:
a. Summary by provider view - plan & actuals year to date (YTD).
b. Summary by Patient Outcome Data (POD) view - plan & actuals YTD.
c. Summary by provider view - activity & finance variance by POD.
d. Planned care by provider view - activity & finance plan & actuals YTD..
e. Planned care by POD view - activity plan & actuals YTD.
f. Provider reporting.
g. Statutory returns.
h. Statutory returns - monthly activity return.
i. Statutory returns - quarterly activity return.
j. Delayed discharges.
k. Quality & performance referral to treatment reporting.
2. Readmissions analysis.
3. Production of aggregate reports for CCG Business Intelligence.
4. Production of project / programme level dashboards.
5. Monitoring of acute / community / mental health quality matrix.
6. Clinical coding reviews / audits.
7. Budget reporting down to individual GP Practice level.
8. GP Practice level dashboard reports include high flyers.
7) Budget reporting down to individual GP Practice level.
Processing:
Prior to the release of identifiable data by North West DSCRO, Type 2 objections will be applied and the relevant patient’s data redacted.
ASH Status
1. North West DSCRO – part of the HSCIC –
a. Receives identifiable SUS data from the SUS Repository at the HSCIC.
b. Receives identifiable local provider data directly from Providers (as per Data Services for Commissioners Directions 2015).
2. Data quality management and standardisation of the data is completed by the DSCRO.
3. The DSCRO then securely transfers the following to the CSU:
a. The SUS data identifiable at the level of NHS number
b. The Local Provider data identifiable at the level of NHS number
4. The CSU ensures the addition of derived fields, linkage of datasets and analysis takes place and that the data then flows on securely to the CCG.
Invoice Validation
5. SUS Data is sent from the SUS Repository to North West DSCRO
6. North West DSCRO pushes a one-way data flow of SUS data into the Controlled Environment for Finance (CEfF) located in the CCG.
7. The CEfF conduct the following processing activities for invoice validation purposes:
a. Checking the individual is registered to the Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) by using the derived commissioner field in SUS and associated with an invoice from the national SUS data flow to validate the corresponding record in the backing data flow
b. Once the backing information is received, this will be checked against national NHS and local commissioning policies as well as being checked against system access and reports provided by the HSCIC to confirm the payments are:
i. In line with Payment by Results tariffs
ii. Are in relation to a patient registered with the CCG GP or resident within the CCG area.
iii. The health care provided should be paid by the CCG in line with CCG guidance.
8. The CCG are notified that the invoice has been validated and can be paid. Any discrepancies or non-validated invoices are investigated and resolved
Risk Stratification
1. SUS Data is sent from the SUS Repository to North West Data Services for Commissioners Regional Office (DSCRO) to the data processor.
2. SUS data identifiable at the level of NHS number regarding hospital admissions, A&E attendances and outpatient attendances is delivered securely from North West DSCRO to the data processor.
3. Data quality management and standardisation of data is completed by North West DSCRO and the data identifiable at the level of NHS number is transferred securely to Arden & GEM CSU), who hold the SUS data within the secure Data Centre on N3.
4. Identifiable GP Data is securely sent from the GP system to Arden & GEM CSU.
5. SUS data is linked to GP data in the risk stratification tool by the data processor.
6. As part of the risk stratification processing activity, GPs have access to the risk stratification tool within the data processor, which highlights patients with whom the GP has a legitimate relationship and have been classed as at risk. The risk stratification presents pseudonymised data to the GPs. GPs are able to re-identify information only for their own patients for the purpose of direct care.
7. Arden & GEM CSU who hosts the risk stratification system that holds SUS data is limited to those administrative staff with authorised user accounts used for identification and authentication.
8. Once Arden & GEM CSU has completed the processing, the CCG can access the online system via a secure N3 connection to access the data pseudonymised at patient level and aggregated reports.
Pseudonymised – SUS and Local Flows
Data Processor 2 - Advancing Quality Alliance (AQuA)
1. North West Data Services for Commissioners Regional Office (DSCRO) receives a flow of SUS identifiable data for the CCG from the SUS Repository. North West DSCRO also receives identifiable local provider data for the CCG directly from Providers.
2. Data quality management and pseudonymisation of data is completed by North West DSCRO and the pseudonymised data is then passed securely to Arden & GEM CSU for the addition of derived fields, linkage of data sets and analysis.
3. Arden & GEM CSU then passes the pseudonymised data securely to AQuA to provide support for a range of quality improvement programmes including the NW Advancing Quality Programme. AQuA identifies cohorts of patients within specific disease groups for further analysis to help drive quality improvements across the region.
4. AQuA produces aggregate reports only with small number suppression in line with the HES analysis guide. Only aggregate reports are sent to the CCG.
5. Only employees of the Foundation Trust will process the data
Data Processor 3 – Academic Health Sciences Network (Utilisation Management Team)
1. North West Data Services for Commissioners Regional Office (DSCRO) receives a flow of SUS identifiable data for the CCG from the SUS Repository. North West DSCRO also receives identifiable local provider data for the CCG directly from Providers.
2. Data quality management and pseudonymisation of data is completed by North West DSCRO and the pseudonymised data is then passed securely to Arden & GEM CSU for the addition of derived fields, linkage of data sets and analysis.
3. Arden & GEM CSU then passes the pseudonymised data securely to the Academic Health Service (Utilisation Management Team) (AHSN UMT)
4. The AHSN UMT receive pseudonymised SUS data for Greater Manchester patients. They analyse the data to look at processes rather than patients, for example, A&E performance, process times, bed days as well as ‘deep dives’ to support clinical reviews for CCGs.
5. AHSN UMT produces aggregate reports only with small number suppression in line with the HES analysis guide. Only aggregate reports are sent to the CCG.
6. Only employees of the Foundation Trust will process the data
Pseudonymised – Mental Health, Maternity, IAPT, CYPHS and DIDS
Data Processor 1 – Arden & GEM CSU
1. North West Data Services for Commissioners Regional Office (DSCRO) receives a flow of data identifiable at the level of NHS number for Mental Health (MHSDS, MHMDS, MHLDDS) and Maternity (MSDS). North West DSCRO receive a flow of pseudonymised patient level data for each CCG for Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT), Child and Young People’s Health (CYPHS) and Diagnostic Imaging (DIDS) for commissioning purposes
2. Data quality management and pseudonymisation of data is completed by North West DSCRO and the pseudonymised data is then passed securely to Arden & GEM CSU for the addition of derived fields, linkage of data sets and analysis.
3. Arden & GEM CSU then pass the processed, pseudonymised and linked data to the CCG who analyse the data to see patient journeys for pathways or service design, re-design and de-commissioning.
4. The CCG analyses the data to see patient journeys for pathway or service design, re-design and de-commissioning
5. Aggregation of required data for CCG management use can be completed by the CSU or the CCG
6. Patient level data will not be shared outside of the CCG and will only be shared within the CCG on a need to know basis, as per the purposes stipulated within the Data Sharing Agreement. External aggregated reports only with small number suppression in line with the HES analysis guide.
Data Processor 2 - Advancing Quality Alliance (AQuA)
1. North West Data Services for Commissioners Regional Office (DSCRO) receives a flow of data identifiable at the level of NHS number for Mental Health (MHSDS, MHMDS, MHLDDS).
2. Data quality management and pseudonymisation of data is completed by North West DSCRO and the pseudonymised data is then passed securely to Arden & GEM CSU for the addition of derived fields, linkage of data sets and analysis.
3. Arden & GEM CSU then passes the pseudonymised data securely to Advancing Quality Alliance (AQuA).
4. AQuA receives pseudonymised SUS data for Greater Manchester patients. They analyse the data to look at processes rather than patients, for example, A&E performance, process times, bed days as well as ‘deep dives’ to support clinical reviews for CCGs.
5. AQuA produces aggregate reports only with small number suppression in line with the HES analysis guide. Only aggregate reports are sent to the CCG.
6. Only employees of the Foundation Trust will process the data