NHS: Databases
(asked on 8th June 2026) - View Source
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department will develop and publish a fully costed strategy for the NHS Federated Data Platform contract.
The NHS Federated Data Platform (NHS FDP) safely connects information from different systems across the National Health Service into a single, secure environment. This allows staff to co-ordinate care better to improve outcomes for patients.
The NHS FDP is delivering for the NHS, helping people get the care they need quicker and more efficiently. Since March 2024, more than 100,000 additional patients have been supported to undergo procedures in theatres partly by increasing theatre utilisation. Nearly 94,000 people have been supported on their cancer journey, with 7% seeing a reduction in the time it took to diagnose their cancer. There has been a 14% decrease in delays discharging patients staying in hospital for more than seven days, freeing up beds for those who need them most. NHS England publishes quarterly information on benefits realised from the FDP, which is available at the following link:
To date 24 integrated care board (ICB) clusters and 168 NHS trusts have signed up to the NHS FDP, including Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust.
NHS England is undertaking a contract review of the NHS FDP in line with standard Government processes and in line with best practice, including the Government Commercial Function Contract Management Playbook. This includes due consideration being given to value for money.
This will result in a business case with a recommendation on the decision to be made. The content, process and communication of the review and business case shall be subject to standard processes and governance, including the Department’s Delegated Approval Limits and due consideration of commercial confidentiality.
In line with these processes, a decision will be taken this year on the future of the contract.