Gloucestershire Integrated Care System (ICS) knew that data was the key to better decision-making and improved healthcare outcomes. They have a wealth of information spread across different organisations, and a unified strategy would help maximise its potential. Without a clear roadmap, valuable insights were at risk of being lost in silos, and opportunities for proactive, intelligence-led healthcare were slipping through the cracks.
Gloucestershire ICS needed a robust data strategy – one that could harness the power of analytics, foster collaboration across system partners, and lay the foundation for population health management.
With limited capacity to develop the strategy internally, they commissioned the Health Economics Unit (HEU) for expert guidance.
A four-step journey to a data strategy
The HEU designed a tailored approach to support Gloucestershire, ensuring that their data strategy would reflect the unique needs and priorities of the system.
1. Scoping: Understanding the Landscape
The first step was to define the scope of the strategy and establish a clear direction. The HEU team worked closely with key stakeholders to map existing data assets, identify gaps, and align expectations.
The HEU analysts conducted a comprehensive audit of Gloucestershire’s data capabilities, ensuring that the strategy would build upon existing strengths while addressing critical challenges.
In addition, the HEU undertook a desktop review of data strategies in other ICSs and relevant organisations, so that we could maximise learning from other systems and replicate best practice.
2. Engagement: listening to the experts
A strategy is only as strong as the people behind it. To ensure buy-in and relevance, the team engaged widely across Gloucestershire ICS. Including:
- Conducting a targeted stakeholder survey, gathering insights from a broad range of professionals and gaining insights from around 30 different respondents.
- Holding 12 one-on-one interviews with key decision-makers across all organisations in the ICS to understand their priorities and pain points.
- Facilitating a stakeholder workshop, bringing together 25 system leaders to collaboratively shape the vision for the data strategy.
This engagement phase allowed the HEU to capture diverse perspectives, ensuring that the strategy was not just technically sound but also practically implementable. The team were also able to consider the different levels of data maturity between organisations, and their priorities – some of which were conflicting.
3. Consolidation: turning insights into actionable recommendations
With a wealth of input gathered, the next step was to analyse and synthesise the findings. The HEU analysts categorised themes, assessed alignment with national NHS directives, and formulated clear, evidence-based recommendations.
The team undertook a rigorous thematic analysis, independently reviewing the stakeholder feedback to ensure objectivity. This process involved clustering similar insights, identifying trends, and assessing common pain points and opportunities across the system. By bringing together multiple perspectives at all levels – from clinicians to data analysts, policymakers to patient representatives – the HEU ensured that their recommendations reflected the full breadth of stakeholder needs.
The team assessed the asks and needs of the system against the wider healthcare landscape, both considering the current guidance available and the future direction of data and analytics in the NHS. This ensured that the ICS would continue to meet its current obligations, as well as prepare itself for the future.
The result was an interim data strategy – a crucial milestone that outlined a structured path forward for Gloucestershire ICS. This document highlighted key areas for improvement, proposed tangible actions to address challenges, and provided a strategic framework to guide the next steps.
By carefully balancing national policy requirements with local system needs, the HEU’s recommendations were not just aspirational but achievable, ensuring that Gloucestershire could move forward with confidence.
4. Strategising: Delivering a Practical Roadmap
Finally, the project team translated all insights into a clear, actionable ICS data strategy. This document was more than just a high-level vision – it was a practical guide covering governance, infrastructure, and long-term sustainability. The strategy provided a structured roadmap to support Gloucestershire ICS in leveraging data to improve patient outcomes, optimise resources, and drive long-term transformation.
To ensure the roadmap was as effective as possible, the HEU presented it to multiple stakeholder groups, iterating on the document based on their feedback. Different organisations within the ICS had competing priorities and perspectives. The HEU’s role was to facilitate conversations that balanced these different needs and identify solutions that aligned with overarching system goals, ensuring that no organisation felt left behind.
This collaborative refinement process resulted in a final strategy that was not only technically sound but also widely supported by all partners. By the end of the process, the HEU had developed a robust, consensus-driven ICS data strategy – one that was co-created with the stakeholders who would use it. This approach not only ensured buy-in but also set the foundation for long-term success by making sure the strategy reflected real-world needs and priorities.
The outcome: a data strategy that works
Gloucestershire ICS now has a powerful tool to guide its digital and analytical transformation. By implementing the strategy, the system is better equipped to:
- Use data proactively to improve patient care, both in a day-to-day operational setting and through a strategic PHM approach to care planning.
- Foster collaboration across NHS, local authorities, and community partners, and reduce duplication of effort.
- Align with national priorities, ensuring compliance with national guidance and the future direction of travel.
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