How data can unlock opportunities from the Autumn Budget
In her first Budget, Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced a host of changes that aimed to “kickstart economic growth”, including fresh funding for the NHS. But what role can data play in ensuring maximum impact of every pound spent? Claire Harrison, Chief Executive of Parallel, the team behind SHAPE, explores:
With the UK’s Autumn Budget for 2024 now public, the spotlight is once again on the NHS, one of the UK’s most cherished institutions. This year’s budget reflects a mix of increased funding for key areas and renewed calls for efficiency in managing resources. The one-year budget also begins to respond to the challenges set out in Lord Darzi’s Independent Investigation of the NHS in England, with a particular focus on expanding mental health services, reducing patient waiting times and tackling poor estate.
The Budget announced a dedicated fund to deliver around 200 upgrades to GP surgeries across England. If directed in the right areas, these enhancements will boost productivity and enable practices to deliver more patient appointments. There are over 6,000 GP practices across the country and over a third of them are considered to be in very poor or poor condition . Data-driven prioritisation will therefore be imperative in ensuring this fund helps to improve building condition, generate the most appointments and reduce waiting times, as set out in the new Government’s manifesto.
NHS England’s recent Primary Care Networks (PCN) toolkit programme should go some way in supporting the identification of areas of greatest need. The digital tool, delivered by Parallel and Community Health Partnerships on behalf of NHS England, standardised the approach to estates strategy development and subsequent capital investment planning through the development of an online framework. The tool took PCNs through an online, step-by-step journey to develop their estates strategies, establishing where buildings, services and resources would be needed in the future, in line with predicted population growth. Critically, the project provided NHS leaders with a visual, data-driven overview of assets and patient demand across the country.
Alongside immediate funding allocations, the Chancellor outlined a 10-year strategic plan for the NHS which will be detailed in the new year. This plan will seek to address systemic issues while implementing solutions to drive efficiency, reduce waiting times, and increase capacity.
In achieving this mission, one of the biggest challenges the NHS and wider public services face is tackling deprivation, as this leads to disparity in health outcomes within our communities. By integrating data from multiple sources, we can better understand and address these gaps. A shift to more localised, place-based decision making should be informed by data mapping to ensure funding is directed to the areas of greatest need, to achieve greater health equity.
SHAPE already supports the NHS in identifying service gaps and allocating resource. The tool has most recently been used to strategically identify the most appropriate locations for community diagnostic centres, vaccination programmes and hypertension services. All of these programmes have been data driven, led by a multi-layered understanding of communities and their needs.
Many also welcomed the Government’s commitment to protect R&D budgets. By embracing innovation and the use of data and digital tools, we have a chance to transform how resources are managed, bringing greater efficiency and equity to healthcare delivery. We’re looking forward to seeing how innovation can pave the way for a more data-driven, resilient NHS. With the right data and digital tools, the 2024 Autumn Budget can serve as a catalyst to bring about meaningful change within the health and care delivery.
