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Conformance tracking

NHS Number Coverage

Data shows a continuing improvement in NHS Number coverage for SUS episodes. NHS Number coverage has seen a year on year increase across all acute settings. The rate of improvement is increasing for the A&E and Out Patient coverage data. A&E coverage has seen the highest gains in the past year, with a 1.11% improvement in 2009/10 and then a 1.7% improvement in 2010/11.  Year to date figures for 2011/12 are also showing increased NHS Number coverage for all settings.

National NHS Number Coverage December 2011

NHS Number Coverage Dashboards

The following dashboards detail, for each organisation within a strategic health authority (SHA), their progress in adopting and embedding the NHS Number within their processes and adherence to the pertinent standards across a specified time period. 

Three areas are examined to give an overall view on the progress made by each organisation:

  1. Conformance to the Information Governance Toolkit requirement 401
  2. Conformance to the Safer Practice Notice
  3. Percentage of hospital episodes that have included the NHS Number (across admitted patients, accident and emergency, and outpatients).  This is referred to as 'Coverage' within the dashboards.
  • Organisations that achieve a pass mark for all three areas (a submitted score of 2 against Information Governance, a completed score for the SPN alerts and at least 97% coverage for non-A & E departments and 90% for A & E departments) are defined as having achieved 'expected progress'.
  • Those that achieve a pass mark in all areas and have submitted a 3 against Information Governance Toolkit requirement 401 are seen to have achieved 'better than expected progress'. 
  • If an organisation does not achieve the expected minimum standard against one of these criteria then they are defined as having achieved 'lower than expected progress'.

Dashboards issued April 2011

Dashboards issued December 2010

Dashboards issued September 2010

Conformance Tracking

Some trusts have determined their baseline position against the NHS Number Information Standards to establish the work required to meet the Standards and Safer Practice Notice. This section of the implementation toolkit aims to provide some examples of surveys, conformance reports and associated action plans.

Audits and surveys

Audits/surveys have been used by Trusts to help identify current conformance with the NHS Number Information Standards and Safer Practice Notice.

Conformance reports

Conformance reports have been developed to present audit results and communicate current conformance within the Trust.

Action plans

Action plans have been developed to address gaps identified in the audits, this aim being to help move Trusts towards full conformance with the NHS Number standards and Safer Practice Notice.

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