Meeting Chair: Director of Data and Analytics/Deputy Chief Data and Analytics Officer (CDAO)
Members present
- Chair, Director of Data and Analytics/Deputy CDAO
- Director of Data Management and Transformation
- Director of Digital Operations and Innovation
- Demand Lead (deputising for Deputy Director, Demand and Delivery) Portfolio Director, Data and Analytics
- Regional Chief Operating Officer – Midlands
- Deputy Director, Product Development and Implementation Regional Director of Digital Transformation – Midlands Senior Communications Lead
- Chief Medical Officer, Kent and Medway NHS Trust Head of Digital Transformation – East of England
In attendance
- Senior Programme Manager
- Senior Governance Secretariat Officer, Programme Management Office (PMO)
- Corporate Compliance and Governance Manager, PMO
Apologies
Apologies were received from senior representatives across Data and Analytics, Clinical, Information Governance, Commercial, Communications, Transformation, Privacy, Delivery, and Regional Digital leadership functions.
Welcome, introductions and declarations of interest
The Chair opened the meeting and highlighted the importance of continuing to strengthen the evidence base for NHS Federated Data Platform (FDP) programme benefits, including plans for further independent verification and validation during 2026–27.
Updates were also provided on recent deployments, including the use of inpatient and Referral to Treatment (RTT) validation capabilities, and the rollout of Patient Stratified Follow-Ups (PSFU) and Single Queue Diagnostics (SQD) to support improvements in cancer patient pathways.
The Chair also noted ongoing demand management initiatives, including the live Demand Centre in North West London and plans for broader deployment to support referral management and digital first pathways.
Regional feedback was shared from a recent Midlands event, noting broadly positive feedback on NHS FDP developments and the importance of continued leadership to support adoption. It was acknowledged that some organisations may require additional support to align adoption with local priorities.
Apologies for absence were noted. There were no declarations of interest.
Review of minutes and actions
The minutes from the Programme Board meeting held on 26 February 2026 were reviewed and approved.
The Board reviewed progress against actions, including updates on architecture, integrated care board (ICB) clustering, Demand Centre development, and dashboard enhancements.
Decisions made: Programme Delivery Group (PDG)
The Board noted key decisions escalated from the Programme Delivery Group.
The Board noted ongoing discussions regarding the inclusion of social enterprises as FDP tenants. The potential value of enabling these organisations to participate in neighbourhood care was highlighted, alongside the current policy position regarding tenant access.
Action: Share Social Enterprise FDP Tenant Access PDG papers with Board members for review.
Programme highlights, risks and NHS FDP in numbers
The Board noted an update on programme progress.
The NHS FDP programme marked its second anniversary on 13 March 2026. Resource and workforce pressures continue to be managed following Commissioning Support Unit closures and voluntary redundancy schemes, with handover and knowledge transfer arrangements in place.
Ongoing support activity is addressing data quality challenges within some trusts to support adoption and benefits realisation. Continued interest and scrutiny of NHS FDP was noted, alongside the importance of clear and factual communications.
Communications and engagement update
An update was provided on communications and engagement activity, noting increased external interest and media enquiries.
The team continues to strengthen proactive and reactive communications, focusing on clear messaging and balanced examples of impact. Work is also underway to enhance clinical advocacy and capture patient stories to demonstrate real-world value.
Feedback from a recent Chief Information Officer event highlighted discussions around contract clarity, governance, and cost considerations. The Board noted the importance of strengthening communication materials and feedback mechanisms to support implementation and adoption.
Demand and delivery update
An update was provided on demand and delivery activity, noting that 114 acute trusts are now live with NHS FDP.
Progress continues across mental health and community settings, alongside delivery of SQD and PSFU capabilities.
Product update
The Board received an update on recent product developments, including:
- Crisis Response and Clinic Management Room Booking reaching General Availability
- Further updates planned for OPTICA and Unified Pathway Management
- Progress on the Cancer 360 roadmap
- Integration of digital pathways, including the Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) pathway Early pilots were reported to be receiving encouraging feedback.
An update was also provided on the Demand Centre rollout, including successful deployment in North West London, early adoption, and initial operational benefits. Progress on dental integration, vendor agnostic digital pathways, and wider rollout planning was also noted.
The Board discussed wider availability of the Demand Centre. Regions and trusts with active procurement requirements were encouraged to engage with the NHS FDP team. Full General Availability remains the ambition by the end of the calendar year.
Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) pathway update and demo
The Board received an update on the PSA pathway supporting a standardised digital approach to prostate cancer follow-up.
The pathway includes:
- automated testing schedules
- clinician-defined alerts
- digital patient communications
- national performance visibility
The pathway has been deployed at an early adopter site using a repeatable mobilisation approach.
Further tumour pathways are planned.
The Board noted that patient communications and questionnaires are included, with NHS App integration identified as the intended route for enhanced patient engagement. Some patient-led interactions are already live, with full NHS App integration in development.
Any other business
Positive feedback was shared following the Demand Centre go-live in North West London. Strong local momentum was noted, alongside expected implementation challenges.
Increased operational activity was highlighted as a positive indicator of adoption and progress.
Completed by: Governance Secretariat (PMO)
Reviewed by: Corporate Compliance and Governance Manager (PMO)
Confirmed by: Director of Data Management and Transformation