SHAPE for health
SHAPE is the trusted, evidence-based platform designed to help the NHS plan services and estates with confidence.
Drawing on data from more than 40 authoritative sources, including NHS Digital, ODS, DEFRA, Gov.uk and QOF, it brings essential information together into a single, reliable map-based view. This unified dataset enables NHS teams to make timely, informed decisions grounded in place-based evidence.
Proven at national scale, SHAPE has underpinned key NHS programmes, from mapping COVID-19 vaccination centres, to identifying Community Diagnostic Centre locations and supporting the development of ICB infrastructure strategies and capital planning. Its role across these programmes demonstrates the platform’s capability, accuracy and value in decision making.
At its core, SHAPE supports scenario planning and option appraisals, helping commissioners and planners understand the service configurations that offer the best access, value and outcomes for local populations. Its analytical and visualisation tools make it easier to compare options, test assumptions and build a robust case for change.
By combining demographic, activity and service data with detailed estates information, SHAPE also strengthens estates strategies and business case development. It provides a shared evidence base that improves collaboration across organisations, enabling partners to work together to design more effective, integrated solutions.
SHAPE offers an exclusive version of the platform, free of charge, to NHS England users. Subscriptions are available to unlock enhanced features and more granular data, providing the insight required to support long term strategic planning.
Streamlines decision making
> Forecasting population growth and demographic change
> Understanding and defining your neighbourhoods
> Locating vaccination clinics and maximising your vaccination campaigns
> Mapping ideal locations for Community Diagnostic Centres and screening clinics
Helps understand your place, people and services
> Long term workforce planning
> Identifying sources of primary care funding through future housing developments
> Supporting cross-organisational working through One Public Estate partnerships
> Travel time analysis for scenario and workforce planning
> Monitoring take up of community and pharmacy services
NHS England's estates mapping tool for infrastructure strategies
> Optimising utilisation of clinical and non-clinical space, and identifying underutilised and void space
> Supporting resource planning to meet changing demand
> Visualising your estate and resources in one platform
> Building a one-stop-shop for estate and operational data
> Creating your infrastructure strategy and delivery plans
"We've used SHAPE's ICS Strategy Atlas to help with our estates infrastructure strategy, and it'll be invaluable when it comes to the delivery plans."
Take a look at our previous work
We work with all levels of the health and social care sector, from supporting the optimisation of GP and pharmacy services, to creating trust-wide infrastructure strategies.
Understanding diverse populations in primary care
As the UK’s second biggest metro economy after London, the city of Birmingham, along with neighbouring Solihull, faces significant health inequality challenges. Serving 1.3m people, Birmingham and Solihull ICB has…
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SHAPE Atlas helps Norfolk & Waveney ICS plan the future of their estate
Norfolk and Waveney Integrated Care System (ICS) has a network of around 500 buildings spread across its system, including around 150 GP practices, three acute sites, eight community hospitals and…
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A one-stop-shop for estates data for Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent ICB
When you’re writing an estates strategy, you need to compile a lot of information – statistics on all your buildings, plans, capacity estimates and much more. Bringing these together can…
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Improve your diabetes services with SHAPE
SHAPE has been helping Shropshire Community Health NHS Trust to understand their population, in order to make their diabetes prevention and treatment programmes more effective and improve health outcomes for…
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Case study: Humber and North Yorkshire ICB
ICBs across the country are working to better understand their local communities in response to the NHS Ten Year Plan and SHAPE is supporting them in the creation of a…
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We understand health
Our team aren’t just software developers – we have years of experience working with the health sector, and we understand the pressures of delivering the best quality care with shrinking budgets.
We’ve delivered projects across the range of healthcare organisations, from primary, community and social care to acute trusts, ICBs and NHS England.
Supporting the neighbourhood health service
To create a true neighbourhood health service, you need to understand your population. That’s where SHAPE comes in. It can give you the big picture of your communities, looking at age bands, ethnicity, deprivation, and QOF recorded prevalence. At the same time, you can focus in on a micro level, looking at travel times to facilities, pharmacy referrals or building data.
Make decisions with confidence
SHAPE is a single source of truth for the health sector. With over 40 regularly updated trusted sources, ranging from ODS, ERIC and QOF to Census and housing population projections, you can ensure your decisions are based on reliable evidence.