Who is responsible for creating and managing how the data will be used within the Intelligence Centre?
A programme team has been set up to deliver the Intelligence Centre, including a programme board. They in turn report to and are responsible to the existing ICB Board. The programme has strong clinical and executive leadership, as well as Information Governance and data leads. All organisations within the ICS are represented.
When will the Intelligence Centre be up and running?
As this is a large and complex programme, it has been divided into 4 phases. The first phase is due to go live in January 2026, while the final phase is due to be completed by November 2028.
How does the Intelligence Centre fit with other data projects such as Connecting Care or the Secure Data Environment?
Your health and care information is held by organisations that provide care for you, like your hospital or GP. Across our region, this data can be used to:
Provide your individual care. To provide the best possible care, health and social care professionals need to have access to the most up to date information about you. Our Connecting Care programme is a digital care record system for sharing information in Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire. You can find out more about it on our Connecting Care page.
Help plan and manage health and care services in our area. Every time someone visits their GP, hospital, or other health and care service, they share information. We can use this de-identified information to improve effectiveness, plan better, improve performance and efficiency and to help us easily see what works and what doesn’t. This operational and management data will be managed by our Healthier Together Intelligence Centre for Bristol North Somerset and South Gloucestershire.
Carry out research to find new treatment, or to develop services. The third way we will use your data is for research to help improve healthcare in the future, in a secure and ethical way. The South West Secure Data Environment (SDE) is an innovative and efficient approach to conducting research of people’s health and care records, while maximising privacy and security. It’s a secure platform for research and data analysis, being developed to the highest security standards and enables trusted researchers to safely access data for approved projects. Find out more on the SDE website.
Our privacy notice provides further details on the use of data within the ICB.
What are my options if I don’t want my data to be used?
There is a policy in England called the national data opt-out, which enables people to opt-out of having their confidential patient information (across all health and adult social care services) used for research and planning, where exemptions aren’t in place.
How can I find out who within my area is engaged with this programme?
The Intelligence Centre programme has representation from all of our organisations across the ICS. Please speak to your line manager or contact the programme team for further information intelligence.service@nhs.net.
Why is this needed as in my organisation I have access to all the data I need?
While we understand the need to improve data sharing for management and operational requirements may vary across the ICS, it is important that we have a single, consistent view which will enable us to work collaboratively to improve health outcomes and reduce inequalities across the ICS. The Intelligence Centre is very much at the heart of this work.
