OneLondon Health Data Strategy Programme
Our ambition is for London to be the healthiest global city, and the best in which to receive health and care services. This means transforming the way we work across the Capital and moving to a more proactive system that improves health outcomes for all of London’s communities.Â
Joining up data across London is absolutely key to this and to meeting the needs of Londoners as a whole – whether through improved direct care and population health management, better system planning, or enhanced research and development capabilities.
That is why our 2019 London Vision set out plans to create a London-wide data platform to support this. Good progress has been made joining up data to deliver systems like the London Care Record, the Universal Care Plan, the Discovery Data Service, and DiscoverNow.
Thanks to this track record of delivery, London made a successful bid for national funding to establish a Sub-National Secure Data Environment (SN SDE) to support research across the Capital.
With this new funding partners across London are working together to develop a world leading resource for health and care improvement. OneLondon is working with London’s five  Integrated Care Systems and a range of other partners, including Londoners themselves, to explore the best way to do this and how this shared data service can then be used to:
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This work is being informed by extensive public engagement including a recent Citizens’ Advisory Group in summer 2023 comprising around 100 Londoners who will continue to work with the wider One London Health Data Strategy programme going forward.
Good progress is being made with the One London Health Data Strategy Programme of work and we expect to set out more detail about these plans shortly. You can keep up to date on progress on the London Health Data Strategy website.
Supporting safer, faster and more joined up mental health care for London
A new digital tool to support safer, faster and more joined up care for people detained under the Mental Health Act (MHA) is being introduced in London.
Currently in most parts of London the process for assessing and treating people detained under the MHA relies on different staff from different organisations completing and sharing a number of paper-based forms.
This can make the process complex, slow and errors can occur. This can have a negative effect on patients as it can lead to delays in care and poor patient outcomes.
Through the OneLondon eMHA programme a new digital tool will be introduced in six of the Capital’s Mental Health Trusts during 2024/25 to support quicker and more joined-up assessment, treatment and discharge of Londoners detained under the MHA.
You can find out more about the OneLondon eMHA programme here.
Care homes and the London Care Record
Late in 2022, as part of a pilot programme, the first 28 care homes in the Capital were connected to the London Care Record. This meant that for the first time they could see wider and key information about their residents from a range of health and care settings across London. This includes allergies, test results and care plans as well as GP data and hospital discharge summaries.
Evaluation of the pilot programme showed:
Following this pilot programme work has begun to provide access to the London Care Record to more of London’s 1,500 care homes. This will take place in a phased approach over the next couple of years. We hope to see the first wave of care homes go live in Spring 2024 with staff able to access the London Care Record directly from within their local systems.
Universal Care Plan (UCP)
The London Universal Care Plan is an NHS service that enables every Londoner to have their care and support wishes digitally shared with healthcare professionals across the capital.
A care plan is created following a conversation between a healthcare professional (such as a doctor or nurse) and the person in their care. Throughout the conversation, the healthcare professional will listen, understand and make notes on:
What is important to the person in their day-to-day life
Their preferences or wishes about their care
What support they need and who is best placed to provide this
Information about others who may be involved in that person’s care, such as relatives
The care plan is then created following this conversation using the Universal Care Plan. As soon as information is saved on the plan, it is visible to all health and care services who use it. This includes the London Ambulance Service, 111 and Out of Hours GP services who may see the person in an emergency.
OneLondon supported the development and introduction of this NHS service across London that became operational in July 2022.
Click here to visit the Universal Care Plan website.
Click here for more information about personalised care and support planning from the NHS website.
Click here for publications and resources for care planning in palliative and end of life care, provided by NHS England.
