Supporting strategy and delivery

The 10 Year Health Plan for England describes the pressing need to ensure a sustainable, financially-viable future for our NHS, focusing on community care, digital technologies, and prevention. For local and national healthcare, this presents a significant challenge: how can we achieve this, alongside current pressures such as an ageing population? HQIP’s Chair and former NHS England deputy Medical Director, Dame Celia Ingham Clark, says that “the data we already have must be our starting point”.

The NHS is one of the most data-rich healthcare systems in the world and has historically been at the forefront of collecting and reviewing data for clinical audit purposes” Review of Patient Safety, July 2025

Data makes the dichotomy of improving care and outcomes, while eliminating duplication and stabilising finances, feasible. The NHS has invested for decades in national clinical audits and registries that systematically track the quality of care across a broad range of services. These programmes generate a wealth of information that is already collected and ready to use, offering an invaluable resource in the drive for transformation. Crucially, they inform strategic planning and investment by pinpointing unwarranted variation, highlighting best practice, and tracking improvement over time.