The Department of Health and Social Care is consulting on a new draft data strategy, which set out plans to harness the potential of data in health and care, while maintaining the highest standards of privacy and ethics.

We welcomed the strategy, commenting that it supports and builds on the hard-won gains during the pandemic. But we also called for further commitments to fund the new data infrastructure and to ensure transparency and trust are built with citizens.

Have your say

The strategy is under consultation until 23 July and we’re keen to hear your views on four broad areas to shape our response:

• Do you agree or disagree with any of the key points made in our initial statement?
• Do you have any good practice examples to share, which can help inform the implementation of the strategy? Examples of innovations around data which have been developed or evolved during the pandemic to improve practice and collaboration.
• Does this feel realistic? Has your local system already achieved this, or how far away is your local system from achieving this? Your perspective on how realistic the strategy is, and the ambitions set out specifically to integrate local care across systems to be interoperable by default, including for all ICSs to have a basic care record system in place between GP practices and NHS trusts by the end of 2021.
• Do you have examples to share where you have already done this around the use of data and digital? Your feedback on how we can build trust with citizens so implementing this strategy is successful.

Please share any examples and feedback via email by 16 July, and we will ensure they are incorporated into our response.