Using data to tackle NHS and social care pressures in the South West 

Two new research projects will help the NHS and councils in the South West improve how patients move through the health and care system.

The projects, led by the University of Exeter in collaboration with the Universities of Bath and Bristol, could help ease pressure on both NHS services and social care by shedding light on what happens when patients leave the hospital. 

One of the projects focuses on developing tools to support decision making on patient discharge. The second aims to design better pathways for those patients leaving hospital. Both projects will use routinely collected hospital data and are supported by NHS organisations and universities in the region. 

The Universities of Exeter and Bath and Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire integrated care board (BNSSG ICB) are leading on the Improving Patient Flow between Acute, Community and Social Care (IPACS) project, supported by the NIHR Exeter Biomedical Research Centre.

IPACS uses computer modelling to simulate hospital discharge pathways for patients with complex needs. In this project, software tool, already in use in BNSSG, will be rolled out across South West health systems. It will help hospital managers estimate things like bed occupancy, number of patients with a discharge delay, number of days waiting for discharge and total system costs. 

From March, the two projects will use data held within the new NHS Secure Data Environment for the South West. These two pilot projects are the first to use the platform, which is being developed to the highest security standards. 

Secure Data Environments, or SDEs, are online platforms for accredited researchers to safely analyse sensitive data for approved projects. NHS England is funding development of 11 regional Secure Data Environments.  

SDEs are an innovative and transparent approach to conducting research, while maximising privacy and security. Data held in SDEs is depersonalised. This means any personally identifiable information, such as names, addresses and NHS numbers, is removed before the researcher accesses it.  

The South West SDE is fortunate to benefit from the input of three Digital Critical Friends. They are members of the public trained in digital and data approaches in healthcare. This gives them the confidence and expertise to give their perspectives on South West SDE’s plans.

The Digital Critical Friends form part of the South West SDE’s management and leadership boards. As such they make decisions alongside health, social care and academic colleagues.

Amanda, Digital Critical Friend, said: “As a member of the public I’m very excited about this project. Myself and the other ‘friends’ have been able to fully participate in discussion and decision making, as a critical friend. I believe this is a step forward in safely and securely using our health data to benefit the NHS.”

Speaking of the project Professor Sallie Lamb, Pro-Vice-Chancellor and Executive Dean for the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences said: “The South West Secure Data Environment is a fantastic example of large-scale collaboration between the NHS and Universities in our region. The SDE will link data together within a safe and secure environment, allowing accredited researchers to analyse health data at scale to improve patient outcomes.”

“We’re excited by the possibilities that this collaborative research will bring, and look forward to working with the SDE team to further develop this resource over the coming years.”

See the South West Secure Data Environment website for more information.