Wade-Gery Review

Putting Data, Digital and Tech at the Heart of Transforming the NHS
Completed
Laura Wade-Gery · Published 23 November 2021 · Commissioned by DHSC
Health & Social Care

Independent review examining how to ensure a coherent approach to digital transformation across NHS national bodies. Argued for a culture shift and a unified operating model, and recommended consolidating NHS digital functions into NHS England.

9recommendations

Government Response

Secretary of State accepted all 9 recommendations. The transfer of NHS Digital into NHS England, completed in April 2023, delivered the central structural recommendation.

23 November 2021

Recommendations

Recommendation 1
NHS England response_published
Recommendation 1: commit to a patient and citizen centred organising principle for future service transformation
Recommendation 2
NHS England response_published
Recommendation 2: consider and mitigate digital inequality in all service transformation. Expand the role of the SRO for Health Inequalities to include digital inequality
Recommendation 3
NHS England response_published
Recommendation 3: commit to building patient and citizen trust and acceptance in the use of health data to improve outcomes. Provide more efficient access to data for analytics that ensures privacy and can be used to improve care delivery
Recommendation 4
NHS England response_published
Recommendation 4: reorientate the focus of the centre to make digital integral to transforming care, with NHSEI overall accountable for executing digitally enabled service transformation. Provide clarity around the role of the centre, underpinned by a clear enterprise architecture and align with the ICS operating model
Recommendation 5
NHS England response_published
Recommendation 5: implement a new operating model across NHSEI, X and D to drive digital and data transformation
Recommendation 6
NHS England response_published
Recommendation 6: re-align organisational responsibilities to ensure delivery of the new operating model
Recommendation 7
NHS England response_published
Recommendation 7: undertake a fundamental organisational capability intervention across NHSEI and D to build and nurture the skill base to support data and digitally enabled transformation and adapt ways of working to support the new operating model
Recommendation 8
NHS England response_published
Recommendation 8: revise financial management arrangements both within NHSEI and between NHSEI and DHSC
Recommendation 9
NHS England response_published
Recommendation 9: re-prioritise NHSEI spend to lift the quantum devoted to digitally enabled system transformation. Assess the level of 'technical debt' across the wider NHSEI system and update estimates of technology spend required to enable the delivery of safe technology operations. In conjunction with DHSC, make the case for increased funding to deliver safe technology operations