An analytical waiting list model, developed by NHS Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board (ICB) in collaboration with NHS South West colleagues, has been highly commended at the Royal Statistical Society Excellence Awards 2026 in the Florence Nightingale for Excellence in Health and Care Analytics category.
The Referral to Treatment (RTT) planning tool helps the NHS understand current waiting times for planned care and predict how they could change in the future. It uses data to compare different scenarios, showing what could happen if services increase capacity or if no changes are made, helping teams plan how to reduce waiting times.
The project was highly commended for ‘going above and beyond in consulting relevant teams to ensure the tool’s usefulness, as well as its evident focus on diversity and openness’.
Shane Devlin, Chief Executive Officer of NHS Gloucestershire ICB and NHS Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire ICB cluster, said:
“Across the NHS, too many people are waiting months and years for the treatment they need. It’s a real honour to receive national recognition for showing how data analytics can help better understand demand, plan capacity and reduce waits.
“My congratulations go to everyone who has worked on this project.”
Sebastian Fox, Principal Data Scientist and project lead at NHS Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire ICB, said:
“To be awarded highly commended for the RTT planning tool is a great achievement for myself and the team. Data analytics does not always have to be about how the NHS is performing but how we can make services better for both patients and professionals.
“The tool has the potential to shape our health and care services and realign priorities to support patients and turn it into positive real change.”
Development of the RTT planning tool began in 2024, gaining insights by engaging with a diverse range of clinicians and operational leads to Develop a shared understanding of the challenges facing waiting lists, so we can measure what matters and achieve meaningful results.
The idea of developing the RTT planning tool was inspired by conducted by Dr Richard Wood, Head of Modelling and Analytics at NHS Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire ICB. Dr Wood has also worked on research investigating the healthcare implications of long treatment waiting times, in collaboration with University of Bristol statisticians.
Dr Richard Wood said:
“The team have demonstrated how data can be used to make improvements to our integrated care system services.
“During the development of this tool, we worked with many clinicians and hospital teams to ensure its usefulness and make sure the accessibility of the platform was seamless so all professionals from across the NHS, such as ICBs, can use the tool to better understand the landscape of waiting lists and what can be done to improve outcomes for patients.”
The Royal Statistical Society Excellence Awards celebrate statistical excellence in a range of areas, from journalism and official statistics to healthcare and the pharmaceutical industry. The ceremony was held in London and a provided an opportunity to celebrate the work being carried out to improve waiting times and optimise care pathways.
From left to right: Luke Shaw, NHS Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board. Simon Wellesley-Miller, NHS England South West. Nick Cooper, NHS Gloucestershire Hospitals Foundation Trust. Sebastian Fox, NHS Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board and South West Decision Support Network. Dr Sarah Chumbers – presenting the award – RSS Chief Executive.
